Nutella, Brach’s to wed, may adopt Baby Ruth

Nutella maker Ferrero Group on Thursday agreed to buy the Ferrara Candy Company, maker of Brach’s — in a deal that sources said will sweeten the odds of its buying Nestle’s US confectionery business.

A deal for Nestle’s US operation, which includes the Butterfinger brand, is expected to fetch more than $2 billion, sources told The Post.

The price tag on the Ferrara acquisition was not disclosed, but sources pegged it at about $1.25 billion.

Ferrero, an Italian candy maker whose products include Ferrero Rocher, a foil-wrapped chocolate and hazelnut confection, did not want to buy the on-the-block Nestle US confectionery business without a significant US platform to fold it into, sources said. The Ferrara deal gives it such a platform.

“They now will have lots of synergies and great management expertise,” a source said.

Family-run Ferrero generated $11 billion in sales before buying Fannie May in May for $115 million.

Ferrero is already planning on opening an innovation center on Cornell’s campus in Roosevelt Island.

Nestle’s products to be sold in- clude SweeTarts, Raisinets and Baby Ruth. Nestle hopes to sell the business by Dec. 31.

Private equity firm L Catterton tried to sell Ferrara last year and turned down bids that were for more than $1.4 billion, a source said.

Since then, Ferrara’s earnings have declined.

Ferrero and L Catterton declined to comment.