Is there anything better than Nutella? Maybe, but as foodies, we can’t help but think this is one of the ultimate guilty pleasures in our cabinets. And in honor of World Nutella Day (a holiday created for the fans, by a fan), the brand has partnered with The Originals actress Claire Holt to share the magic of this delicious creation.
In a press release shared on February 1, Nutella not only announced their partnership with Holt, but also their work with Dancakes, known for their pancake art! As part of this celebration of all things Nutella, Claire Holt had the opportunity to not only visit the Nutella Cafe in Chicago, but she even got the opportunity to create a pancake recipe with the brand.
According to the press release, Holt explained that,
"Nutella has always been one of my favorite spreads since I was a child. A jar of Nutella never lasted long between me and my 3 siblings! Creating those same special memories for my kids is so important, even if it is as simple as making pancakes with Nutella on a Saturday morning."
Claire Holt partners with Nutella in honor of World Nutella Day
And the actress even took the time to speak to Guilty Eats about her work with the brand, food, and of course even her guilty eats.
Guilty Eats: We saw that you had the opportunity to visit the Nutella Cafe in Chicago and we have to ask what was that like for you?
Claire Holt: “The best ever! The most wonderful act of self care. It was freezing. Obviously I’ve never been to Chicago in the winter. But when I stepped inside and smelled the aroma and got to order all these incredible Nutella dishes, it was really I don’t know, like, oh my gosh I could have just had breakfast lunch and dinner there. I had to get back to my kids though. So I did leave eventually but it took a while.”
GE: We saw that they gave you a bottle of Nutella with your name on it, what was that like to see your name on a bottle?
CH: “It was so cool. That was a nice surprise they gave me and I didn’t know I was going to get one of those and then as a little parting gift, they gave me my own special Nutella.”
GE: We know you worked with the brand to create a recipe in honor of World Nutella Day, but we have to ask do you like to be in the kitchen and creating new dishes?
CH: “I never used to. I always felt like I didn’t belong in the kitchen. I wasn’t good in it and then as I’ve become a mother obviously it’s a necessity. I have to feed my children. And so I started to cook more and experiment. I’ve always loved making breakfast and so I really enjoy it now. I never thought I would, I always sort of thought that it was just something that I had to do. I didn’t take any pleasure in it. But now I realize it’s in the moment, it’s cooking with your children. It’s cooking for people that you love. It’s enjoying being present. Like that’s one of the beautiful things about cooking. It’s not just to eat and serve and wash up, you know. So making these pancakes is really fun for us.”
GE: Besides Nutella, what would you consider to be a guilty eat?
CH: “Key lime pie! And I live in Miami and we have this place called Joe’s Stone Crab that does the best key lime pie ever and I get it for my birthday. It’s my favorite guilty pleasure.”
GE: So when you’re on set do you have a favorite treat and is Nutella one of them?
CH: “Yes of course, I love that. Then on set coffee’s usually my favorite treat on set. Especially like on the Vampire Diaries for example. Or for The Originals we would shoot nights a lot. So it’s really about like whatever you can consume to keep you awake. But really I’m all about like treating yourself and enjoying the moment and I exercise. I eat healthy most of the time, and then when I don’t I enjoy every minute of it.”
GE: What is one dish that makes you think of home, makes you think of Australia?
CH: “One dish that makes me think of home is the sausage roll. I can’t find them here and that’s why I think of home. They’re like these traditional sort of sausage logs wrapped in pastry, and you can get them at like bakeries and corner shops and everything in Australia and I used to love them when I was there.”
GE: One last question, what or who is your kitchen inspiration?
CH: My mom is the most epic cook and she always comes up with these really fun recipes. And she really loves cooking for her family. So I always watched her and thought that will never be me. And then it turns out that it kind of is and I feel the same way. So it’s definitely my mom.
Honestly, we had a blast chatting with Claire Holt about her Nutella partnership, food, and even a little look back at her time on the set of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. And in honor of World Nutella Day, we think it’s time to spread some of this amazing hazelnut spread on some pancakes and make a meal of it.