Nutella is one of those products that has an almost inexplicable cult following. People legitimately riot over the hazelnut spread. The online presence is strong, too with acolytes from around the world uniting in their love for the stuff. Meanwhile, Costco has its own dedicated fanbase — especially among those of us who buy booze by the crate, want some pretty solid and very cheap pizza with our groceries, or like to wander the aisles eating samples as a way to score a free lunch. Aside from these pillars of the business, the shopping club is also known for taking classic food products and issuing them under their Kirkland Signature brand at steeply discounted prices.
Now, those two worlds have collided with Kirkland Signature Hazelnut Spread. That’s right. Costco just launched its very own “Nutella” and its a lot cheaper. A set of two 35.2-ounce jars are priced at $7.99 in the store or $9.99 if you order online. That’s compared to a set of 33.5-ounce Nutella jars selling for $13.99 at Costco. That’s even cheaper than Wal-Mart’s Nutella which comes in at $11.96 for the two jars. So, the money saved is substantial if you’re a chocolate-hazelnut addict.
There is another variation in the Kirkland Signature brand version — they’ve dropped the much-maligned palm oil from their recipe and replaced it with sunflower oil and coconut oil. Palm oil is derived from the oil palm which has proliferated extensively into virgin forests along the equatorial belt. Coconut oil is an extract from coconut flesh and has a smaller environmental impact.
Otherwise, the ingredients list is virtually identical. Costco’s Kirkland brands have always been lauded for their quality and this seems to fit in that model. It’s certainly worth a try at that price point. Plus, you can almost buy twice as much of Costco’s brand than old-school Nutella. So, win, win.
(Via Food & Wine)
