For more than six decades, Nutella has remained virtually unchanged. The cocoa-hazelnut spread, synonymous with European breakfasts and after-school snacks, has long resisted the lure of reinvention. But that streak is over. In spring 2026, Ferrero will debut Nutella Peanut—a new flavor twist that also marks the first time Nutella will be dairy-free in the US.
The iconic spread is skipping the milk powder and leaning into America’s longtime love affair with peanuts. The formulation includes sugar, peanuts, palm oil, peanut flour, cocoa, hazelnuts, lecithin, salt, and vanillin. The shift is a major one for a company that has built its brand on a milky profile.
“It’s definitely something we’d like to have on the radar,” said Seth Gonzalez, Ferrero’s senior director of marketing, in an interview with the Chicago Tribune. “Of course, we need the success of this product first to build a platform off of it.”
Nutella Peanut isn’t just new. It’s strategic.
Ferrero spent five years developing Nutella Peanut, a timeline that underscores the company’s caution around altering its flagship product. But for North America—where peanut butter consumption remains high and dietary preferences are shifting toward dairy-free and plant-based foods—the move seems calculated. According to the US Department of Agriculture, Americans eat more than eight pounds of peanuts per person each year, and roughly 60 percent of those go into peanut butter.
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The new flavor is being produced at Ferrero’s Bloomington, IL facility, which has received a $75 million expansion to accommodate its growing US operations. The same facility also manufactures Butterfinger and Baby Ruth—two other peanut-heavy confections under the Ferrero umbrella.
Gonzalez noted that Nutella Peanut is not meant to compete directly with peanut butter. Instead, it offers a new format for spreading, dipping, and snacking that brings together cocoa, hazelnut, and peanut flavor in one jar. “It’s the same smooth texture,” the company said in a statement, “just with a little extra nuttiness.”
A dairy-free Nutella? Finally.
While this is Nutella’s first official dairy-free flavor in the US, a plant-based version of the original hazelnut spread has rolled out in parts of Europe. In early 2024, Ferrero introduced a Nutella Plant-Based spread in select markets including Germany, France, and the UK. That version swaps skim milk powder for a combination of chickpeas and rice syrup, offering a dairy-free alternative while staying true to the original taste.
Nutella
The move came after years of consumer advocacy and online speculation about whether a vegan Nutella would ever exist. Until now, most dairy-free alternatives came from third-party brands like Vego, Nutiva, or Justin’s, which carved out a niche with palm-oil-free, organic, and vegan chocolate spreads.
But with Nutella Peanut, Ferrero is—intentionally or not—testing whether America is ready for a dairy-free option on a much larger scale. Though the company has not officially marketed the product as vegan, the ingredient list lacks both dairy and other animal-derived components.
A new era for the legacy brand
Ferrero’s US growth strategy in recent years has leaned heavily on product innovation and acquisition. In addition to Nutella’s expansion into formats like Nutella & Go and Nutella Biscuits, Ferrero has broadened its confectionery empire with deals for Keebler, Famous Amos, and Wells Enterprises—the company behind Halo Top and Blue Bunny ice creams.
Unlike competitors like Mondelēz and Hershey, which have experienced recent softness in consumer spending, Ferrero has managed to post steady growth. Its US business saw 3.4 percent dollar growth in the 12 months ending April 2025, according to company reports.
Ferrero
Nutella itself has nearly doubled its US sales since 2020, and executives are betting that Nutella Peanut will help sustain that momentum. Whether it remains a limited-time release or becomes a permanent product will likely depend on how quickly it earns a place in American pantries.
If early reactions are any indication, consumers may be more than ready. For those who’ve grown up on spoonfuls of peanut butter and Nutella sandwiches—or simply wanted a dairy-free version of the iconic spread—this launch brings more than just novelty. It signals that even the most traditional brands may finally be willing to adapt.
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