Nutella and Yogurt Breakfast Parfait Pops. Photo courtesy BakingAMoment.com. Here’s the recipe.

Typically, holidays are official proclamations by a city, state, or the federal government (here’s how it works). But in the wild frontier of the Internet, World Nutella Day became a viral hit.

Nutella hazelnut spread, in its earliest form, was created in the 1940s by Pietro Ferrero, a pastry maker and founder of Ferrero SpA, an Italian confectionery and chocolate company.

At the time, there was very little chocolate because cocoa was in short supply due to World War II (1939-1945) rationing. To extend the chocolate supply, Mr. Ferrero used hazelnuts, which are plentiful in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy, where the company was located.

The spread is a combination of roasted hazelnuts, skim milk and a touch of cocoa. It is an all-natural product with no artificial colors or preservatives.

Nutella was first imported to the U.S. more than 25 years ago by Ferrero U.S.A., Inc. Its popularity has grown steadily.

So enjoy a Nutella sandwich, put Nutella on a pancake or waffle, roll it in a crêpe, and eat it from the jar with a spoon. Add it to your favorite cookie, cake, or brownie recipe. Fill “jelly” donuts with Nutella. Make a Nutella milkshake.

Add it to coffee or hot chocolate.

Or, try these less conventional approaches:

 
Perhaps the best excuse to eat Nutella today: these no-bake Nutella energy bites. After all, most of us could use a bit more energy!