Nutella was invented to solve a rationing problem, not to sell jars of hazelnut spread — the sweet stuff came later.
The origin story
After the Second World War, cocoa was scarce and heavily rationed across Europe. Pietro Ferrero, a pastry maker in Alba, Italy, started bulking out his chocolate with hazelnuts, which grew abundantly in the surrounding Piedmont hills. In 1946 he created "Pasta Gianduja", a hazelnut-cocoa paste sold as a solid loaf that customers sliced and put on bread. It was reformulated into a spreadable version called Supercrema in 1951, and in 1964 Pietro's son Michele Ferrero refined the recipe again and renamed it Nutella, launching it on 20 April 1964 in Alba.
How it's actually made
The modern recipe is tightly controlled and largely unchanged in structure for decades.
- Sugar — the largest ingredient by weight
- Palm oil — keeps the spread smooth and stops it separating in the jar
- Hazelnuts — roughly 13% of the recipe
- Skimmed milk powder — around 8-9%
- Cocoa — around 7%, giving the chocolate flavour and colour
These are blended and ground until smooth, with a small amount of soy lecithin added as an emulsifier and vanillin for flavour. Ferrero has never published the exact process, but the basic ratios have been public knowledge since EU labelling rules forced full ingredient disclosure.
Popular uses
Nutella is eaten straight from the jar by plenty of people, but it's most commonly spread on toast or fresh bread, used as a filling for crepes and pancakes, and baked into cakes, doughnuts and cookies. It has its own unofficial holiday, World Nutella Day, celebrated every 5 February since a fan blogger started it in 2007. Ferrero's factory in San Pietro Mosezzo, Italy, is reportedly the largest Nutella production site in the world.
Frequently asked questions
Who invented Nutella and why?
Pietro Ferrero created the precursor to Nutella in 1946 in Alba, Italy, using hazelnuts to stretch scarce, rationed cocoa supplies after the Second World War.
How is Nutella actually made?
Nutella is made from sugar, palm oil, hazelnuts, skimmed milk powder and cocoa, blended into a smooth spread with a small amount of lecithin and vanillin added for texture and flavour.
What are the most popular ways to eat Nutella?
Nutella is most commonly spread on toast or bread, used as a crepe and pancake filling, and stirred into desserts, milkshakes and baked goods.