Nutella was first developed as an affordable luxury product in the 1940s by Pietro Ferrero. Cocoa had been in short supply after World War II, and Pietro sought a way to extend the small amounts of cocoa available by combining it with a sweet paste made from hazelnuts, which were abundant in Italy’s Piedmont region.

It was originally sold as a solid block, however in 1951 a spreadable version called Supercrema was created. This version extended its use further, allowing people to enjoy it on bread, and at an accessible price. In 1964 the Supercrema version was rebranded to Nutella by Pietro’s son, Michele. It was an instant success and meant that chocolate was no longer reserved for special occasions such as Easter or Christmas.

Nutella, like most treats, is laden with processed sugar. I’ve always been conscious of the amount of sugar my family consumes, so I created my healthy nutella to not only reduce our sugar intake, but to derive the health benefits that cacao, virgin coconut oil and maple syrup deliver in their purest forms.

I certainly don’t feel guilty about spreading my healthy version on a baguette in the morning and feel even less guilty about it going into my cooking.

Mike McEnearney’s healthy raw Nutella, raw Nutella bars and Nutella scrolls will surely satisfy that mid-afternoon Nutella craving.