Trend Bread Spreads: the luxurious variety of chocolate and nut spreads

The sweet spreads section in the supermarket has long since ceased to be the preserve of classic Nutella and its inexpensive private label alternatives. A whole lot is happening in this area right now. There is now an enormous variety of chocolatey and nutty bread spreads that cater to and satisfy a wide range of modern consumers’ needs. The “new” contents of spreads are also having an impact on packaging design.

Great variety in the composition of modern chocolate and nut spreads.

For years, not to say decades, Nutella was considered the ultimate in sweet bread spreads. For some consumers, that may still be the case, but more and more consumers are discovering the new versions of chocolate and nut spreads for themselves – and there are truly no shortage of them. Worthy of note are the varied compositions, which we will briefly discuss in the next few paragraphs.

Classic with white sugar

There is no question that Nutella is still very popular with many people today. For this reason, there are still some similarly designed alternatives that contain sugar like the original, but are distinguished by other features, such as reduced sugar content, organic quality or Fairtrade.

With different sugar alternatives

The reputation of refined sugar is currently as bad as it has ever been. That’s why you’ll find more and more products on supermarket shelves that don’t contain ordinary white granulated sugar. Bread spreads in particular often use other types of sugar or alternative sweeteners:

– brown sugar
– coconut blossom sugar
– Xylitol (birch sugar)
– erythritol
– maltitol
– stevia
– etc.

Protein-rich

Protein-rich spreads have become absolute lifestyle cult products in recent years. They usually consist of a sweetener, Whey Protein (whey protein from milk), nuts and cocoa, and various additives. However, there are also vegan variants of protein-rich Bread Spreads. These are usually based on pea protein, combined with nuts and cocoa.

Lactose-free or completely dairy-free

Especially for people with a lactose intolerance or milk intolerance, the trade now also has chocolate and nut spreads available that are either made with lactose-free or completely without milk.

Vegan

In view of the great vegan trend, it is not surprising that there are also numerous vegan sweet spreads to choose from. These contain no animal ingredients whatsoever, only plant-based ones. Coconut oil often forms the basis.

Gluten-free

Like vegan, gluten-free foods are also trendy. While it’s uncommon for bread spreads to contain gluten anyway, brands often specifically mention the gluten-free composition on packaging to capitalize on the trend.

Peanut-free

While gluten intolerance is now a household word to almost everyone, many don’t know that peanut intolerance also exists – that is, people who are allergic to peanuts. Some brands recognized this gap in the market early on and released a wide variety of peanut-free bread spreads. Meanwhile, peanut butter is just one of many nut spreads.

Special types of nuts

Today’s variety of nut spreads really makes you marvel. From exotic variants such as cashew or macadamia creams to unusual spreads such as a pure hazelnut or sunflower seed puree to mixed bread spreads that combine several types of nuts, such as cashews, almonds and peanuts, there is now actually almost nothing left in the nutty spread segment that is not available.

Palm oil-free

Palm oil is considered to be ecologically, socially and health-wise questionable. The oil palm plantations cultivated to produce the oil are gradually destroying the rainforest. In addition, the refining of palm oil produces pollutants, some of which are potentially carcinogenic. For these reasons, more and more people are refraining from buying products that contain palm oil.

This is also a key issue in the area of sweet spreads. Many brands produce their bread spreads without palm oil – and clearly draw attention to this fact on the packaging.

Other characteristic features of new sweet bread spreads

Despite the wide variety of compositions, the new Bread Spreads that are increasingly conquering the market have one thing in common: they all want to offer consumers added value. What that added value specifically looks like varies from spread to spread. For most of them, the focus is on added health value: many brands only use ingredients for their chocolate and nut spreads that supply the body with valuable substances or at least do not harm it. The renunciation of refined sugar in particular is becoming increasingly common.

The added value can also relate to other aspects in addition or as an alternative, especially ecological ones. Environmental protection and sustainability are increasingly important to consumers. It is therefore only logical that supermarket shelves are increasingly stocked with bread spreads characterized, for example, by all-natural ingredients, the absence of palm oil, organic quality and other “green” features.

Unusual chocolate and nut spreads as part of the breakfast trend

The fact that unusual chocolate and nut spreads are so popular and continue to be on the rise also has to do in part with another, overriding trend: More importance is being attached to breakfast again. It’s no longer supposed to be just a functional meal consisting of sandwiches and coffee; instead, people want to indulge whenever possible in the morning.

Eating a lavish breakfast is becoming a kind of status symbol: If you celebrate the first meal of the day as a special, even luxurious experience, you feel good about yourself. Special sweet bread spreads fit in perfectly here, of course, and support the need for opulence.

Striking features in the design of chocolate and nutty spreads

Looking at the designs of new chocolate and nutty spreads, three main points stand out:

1. pared-down with a focus on the contents.

The packaging designs of the Bread Spreads are very reduced with a clear focus on the content or added value. There are fewer food shots; when pictures are used, they tend to be illustrations, for example of cocoa beans or nuts, but even these are usually minimalist.

2. warm colors

When designing their spreads, brands rely on a few, primarily warm colors. Brown and beige is a common combination.

3. large fonts placed in the foreground

Due to the other reduction of the design, the fonts gain importance. You usually see large, prominent fonts for the brand name, the product name, as well as the main ingredients and what is not included for good reason, such as artificial flavor enhancers.

Conclusion

Bread spreads are becoming increasingly specialized and varied. Consumers love variety, especially for their sumptuous breakfasts, and brands continue to come up with new creative ideas that add value for consumers.