Nutella Unveils Its First New Flavor in Decades

Nutella is finally straying from its original script. After six decades of sticking with its classic chocolate-hazelnut spread, the brand is rolling out Nutella Peanut, which swaps in roasted peanuts for hazelnuts while keeping the familiar creamy texture, according to parent company Ferrero. Billed as Nutella's "first flavor innovation" since its creation in the 1960s, the new spread is already hitting shelves at major chains including Walmart and Kroger, reports USA Today. The spread still starts with sugar, but it swaps in peanuts and peanut flour, with cocoa listed ahead of hazelnuts. Compared with the original, a 2-tablespoon serving has a bit more fat and salt, but less sugar.

So what does it taste like? At Food & Wine, Adam H. Callaghan writes: "The short answer is that Nutella Peanut tastes great. It looks, smells, and tastes very much like the original Nutella, with subtle rather than major differences. For example, Nutella Peanut is a slightly lighter shade of brown and has a more subdued flavor, while its texture feels a bit thicker. It leads with the smell of roasted peanuts, followed by a mellower version of the classic's familiar vanilla-soaked hazelnut aroma, and the flavor follows the same path." "To be clear," he adds, "the new product isn't peanut butter."

The rollout comes after Nutella had a memorable moment aboard the recent Artemis II moon mission. "Honestly, when a jar of Nutella goes viral floating in space, you start to feel like anything is possible," says Noah Szporn, who oversees spreads for Ferrero North America, adding that, "Our fans have been asking for this for years."