World Nutella Day: Which jar size should you buy?

It’s World Nutella Day and, if you’re like us, you are now craving the chocolatey, hazelnut spread that the masses can’t get enough of. But keeping the gooey stuff stocked is difficult for many Canadian families, mainly because Nutella isn’t exactly cheap. A regular 375 g jar costs $4 or more—a lot, considering how quickly we find ourselves scraping the bottom of the jar just a few days after buying it.

So if you really want to keep feeding Nutella-hungry mouths (or just your own 3 a.m., by-the-spoonful addiction), you need to be savvy with your confectionery-spread dollars. You’re probably making a healthier choice when purchasing the smallest jar. And while it may seem more efficient to buy your Nutella in bulk (i.e. those giant one-kilogram packages you may have seen around town), the truth is that they’re less of a bargain than you’d think.

Don’t believe us? We scoured the virtual aisles at Walmart.ca to find out which jar of Nutella delivers the most sugary bang for your buck:

Small jar (375 grams) = 20 cents a spoonful

The 375 g jar that is most popular costs $3.97 at Walmart.ca. One serving size of Nutella is 37 g—about two tablespoons. Assuming you’re a super-addict and have a serving of Nutella per day (in which case firstly, seek help), this little jar will last you just 10 days. In a year, you’d spend $142.92 on Nutella.

Medium jar (725 grams) = 17 cents a spoonful

The larger 725 g size Nutella jar will cost you $6.77 at Walmart. If you were to indulge in two tablespoons a day, you’d polish the jar off in 19 days, spending a total of $130 a year.

Huge jar (1 kg) = 17 cents a spoonful

Now the kilogram-sized jar of Nutella is a beast at $9.37 a pop. You’ll definitely seem ridiculous purchasing this at the grocery store, and our cost comparison shows that, well, it’s barely worth it. Two-tablespoon addicts will plow through this comically large jar in 27 days, meaning you’d spend about $126 a year on the stuff, a few dollars less on an annual basis than the medium-sized jar. However, at 17 cents a spoonful, this bigger option is just three cents cheaper per spoonful than the smallest jar.

So while buying a larger jar of Nutella may technically be the more economical choice, the real money-saving route is to eat less of the stuff.

And if you really want to save a bundle? Try making your own Nutella! This DIY recipe from Today’s Parent requires just three ingredients—chocolate, hazelnuts and honey—and is a whole lot better for you than the store-bought stuff. It’s fun to make, too.