Here is a round-up of nut-free chocolate spreads, from both North America and the UK, which are free from peanuts and the eight EU-defined tree nuts.
Chocti Chocolate Ghee Spread (US)
Cacao, ghee and dates are the signature ingredients in these spreads, which come in three varieties — original, coffee and passion fruit. The sweetener is coconut sugar, which is made from the sap of flower buds not coconuts themselves. (Coconut is considered a tree nut in the US.) I was told: “It does not contain peanuts or tree nuts. The product is made in a facility that also handles peanuts and tree nuts but we have allergen protocols in place to prevent cross contamination”. Contain milk.
Ethicoco Chocolate Spread (UK)
This spread is made using sunflower seeds, coconut palm sugar, cacao beans, rapeseed oil, sunflower lecithin and vanilla bean, and therefore free of all 14 EU food allergens.
Beetella Chocolate Spreads (UK)
These are three spreads — Chocolate with Orange, With Vanilla, and Vegan Coconut — produced by Essence Foods, who told me this when I got in touch: “None of our kitchens use nuts at all. None of the staff working at the farm are allowed to bring any foods containing nuts with them to work”. Contain soya (lecithin). The orange and vanilla contain milk. Called Beetella as they contain some beetroot powder.
This is a blend of coconut — flesh, oil and blossom syrup — with cocoa powder. Confirmed by Biona as free from nut traces, and indeed all other 14 EU allergens. Available from Ocado.
Plamil’s So Free / Plamilla Chocolate Spreads (UK)
Two So Free chocolate spreads, and three Plamilla spreads (made with oat milk alternative). All are nut-free and vegan. Only allergen the So Free spreads contain is soya (flour — so unsuitable for soya allergics who tolerate soya lecithin), and the Plamilla trio contain GF oats. For stockists, try Holland and Barrett.
Luisella Spreads (Canada)
“100% nut-free chocolate spreads” … Four varieties: Original, Crunchy (the ‘crunch’ is roasted sunflower seeds), Espresso and Cinnamon. All four contain milk. Available in jars and … 5kg buckets (pails) too!
Tiptree Chocolate Spreads (UK)
Both Tiptree chocolate spreads — Chocolate Spread, Chocolate Orange Spread — are safe for nut allergy, as is the Thursday Cottage Homemade Chocolate Spread, from the same ‘house’ of Wilkin & Sons. They’re made in a nut-free factory. Contain allergens milk and soya. Ocado stocks both — click here for the Chocolate Spread and click here for the Chocolate Orange Spread.
Hashachar Chocolate Spread / Chocolate Parve Spread (US / Israel)
This is a Kosher-certified dairy-based chocolate spread, which says it is nuts-free. It contains milk and soya. The Parve Spread alternative, however, does not contain milk and soya, and looks free of allergens.