Messyface Review: Is This Healthier Sweet Spread Worth Trying?

Some products make you rethink what a sweet spread can be.

Messyface is one of them.

Instead of leaning on the usual chocolate spread formula, Messyface takes inspiration from tahin pekmez: a traditional combination of grape molasses and tahini. The brand describes it as a natural sweet spread made with grape molasses and stone-ground sesame tahini, with no palm oil and no refined sugar.

In other words, it is still sweet, sticky and satisfying, but it feels like a more grown-up, whole-food alternative to the spreads many of us grew up with.

Jars of Messyface and the founder, Alex

What is Messyface?

Messyface is a fruit and sesame spread made with grape molasses and tahini; inspired by thousand-year-old recipes from the Mediterranean. There is also a peanut edition, which adds roasted peanuts into the mix.

The flavour is rich, naturally sweet and slightly nutty. The grape molasses brings a dark, almost caramel-like sweetness, while the tahini gives it a creamy sesame depth. Think somewhere between fruit loaf, honey, nut butter and caramel.

It’s quite a distinctive flavour. The sweetness is darker and deeper, more like dried fruit or molasses. The tahini brings a savoury nuttiness that stops it from feeling too sugary.

If you like peanut butter, tahini, honey, fruit loaf or date-based snacks, you will probably enjoy it. If you are expecting it to taste like a chocolate spread alternative, it might take a spoonful or two to recalibrate.

How we tried it

We tried Messyface in a few different ways, starting with the obvious: spread on bread.

First up was rye bread. It worked, but the stronger flavour of the rye competed with the spread a little bit. You could still taste the sweetness and nuttiness, but it did not feel like the best match.

Then we tried it on spelt bread, and this was much better. The softer, slightly sweeter flavour of the spelt brought out the fruitiness of the grape molasses and made the whole thing feel more balanced.

If you are trying Messyface for the first time, spelt toast would be our pick.

The porridge test

Where Messyface really came into its own was on porridge – as recommended by the Messyface team.

We added it to a bowl of porridge with sliced bananas on top, and it was delicious. The warmth of the porridge softened the spread, the banana added extra sweetness, and the tahini gave it a creamy, nutty finish.

This was where the “fruit loaf” comparison really came through. It had that cosy, naturally sweet feeling. It also felt like the kind of breakfast that tastes both indulgent and a really healthy start to the day.

How else could you use it?

Messyface feels like one of those jars that could work in lots of different ways.

It would be lovely on toast, pancakes, crumpets or sourdough, but we think breakfast is where it really shines. It would also work well with yoghurt, porridge, fruit or baking.

A spoonful stirred through warm oats, drizzled over banana or layered into yoghurt would all work well. It is rich enough that you do not need loads, but it adds a lot of flavour quickly.

Should you buy Messyface?

Yes, especially if you are looking for a sweet spread that feels a little more natural, interesting and breakfast-friendly.

It tasted best for us on spelt bread and was especially good with porridge and sliced banana. The flavour reminded us of fruit loaf: sweet, cosy, slightly nutty and very satisfying.

It is not a direct replacement for chocolate spread, and that is part of the appeal. Messyface is doing something different: taking simple ancient ingredients and turning them into a rich, spoonable spread that feels both nostalgic and new.

Try it for yourself on messy-face.com.

Disclaimer: We were gifted this product in exchange for an honest review.