A Quick Water Bath Is All You Need To Melt Nutella

Stuck with a jar of Nutella that's too stiff to spread over your sweet sammie? Simply assemble a quick water bath to help it melt and revert to its original texture. Hot water taken directly from the faucet should be warm enough, so you don't need to boil it on the stove or use a kettle. In fact, excessive heat can cause the palm oils in the Nutella to separate and trigger rapid flavor loss.

Start by pouring hot water into a pan or bowl that's large enough to safely hold your glass Nutella jar. Now, place your Nutella in the water, ensuring that the hot liquid is high enough to reach the amount of hazelnut spread inside. This will guarantee that the entirety of the chocolate spread can melt evenly. Leave the lid on the jar to eliminate the risk of any splashes of hot water getting into the container and affecting the texture of the spread. However, you can intermittently take the lid off and give the Nutella a gentle stir to help loosen it's texture. 

Once the chocolate spread has softened to your liking, go ahead and spread it over a slice of toast, drizzle it over a stack of pancakes, or blend it into a smoothie. Melted Nutella is also perfect for piping into the middle of sandwich cookies, combining with eggs and flour to make 3-ingredient biscuits, or dolloping into your morning coffee. It really is a versatile and tasty treat.

This scrumptious cocoa-based hazelnut spread remains lusciously creamy as long as it's kept at room temperature (between 64 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit). However, it will harden and lose its characteristic spreadable quality if you've accidentally stored it in the fridge or chilled it as a precautionary measure during a bout of unusually hot weather. Nutella can also become stiff if the lid isn't screwed on properly and lets in air. 

Be mindful that this trick works for Nutella that's sold in glass jars rather than those packaged in plastic tubs. If your product is in a plastic container, decant as much as you need into a small, glass vessel and place it in the warm water until the chocolatey spread reaches a spreadable consistency. You could, of course, give it a stir and leave it out on the counter to reach room temperature, but you'll probably want to scoop it out post-haste to dollop onto your pancakes. Alternatively, microwaving it can make its consistency overly runny if you don't keep a close eye on it. Fortunately, this trick will melt it rapidly so it returns to that perfect, spreadable consistency that delectably coats the roof of your mouth.