I’ve got a “golden ticket” as I live within walking distance of a bean-to-bar chocolate factory. Although there are no Oompa Loompas at the chocolate factory, I have developed quite an appreciation for dark chocolate.
In no particular order, here are my top 12 most delectable dark chocolate bars:
This dark, rich and creamy chocolate bar is delicious, but it is also chocolate you can feel good about. All Theo chocolate is fair trade certified, but this bar has the Jane Goodall “Good for All Seal” meaning that the product is a high quality, ethically produced from a developing country. All proceeds go to support Jane Goodall’s foundation.
Dark chocolate and bacon! Need I say anymore? Vosges combines two of the best tastes on the planet in one chocolate bar. Not for the faint of heart or for those with a high cholesterol count!
Maybe bacon in chocolate isn’t for you. If you do appreciate the salty sweet flavor profile, then give Lindt’s Sea Salt & Dark Chocolate bar a try. At 45% cacao this bar is creamier than the others on the list, but the hint of salt will keep you coming back for more.
This spicy 67% cacao bar hails from Nashville, TN. It’s perfect on its own when you want a little kick with your dessert, but also comes with a recipe for an amazing drinking chocolate. It also has the coolest wrapper.
Aloha! This bar comes from the big island of Hawaii where Madre started producing cacao just a short time ago. This bar perfectly blends the sweetness of passion fruit with chocolate that will transport you to paradise.
When Kraft Foods bought Cadbury who owns Green & Black’s, I was terrified that the large food manufacturer would ruin this yummy, affordable, high quality chocolate bar. Luckily for chocolate lovers, they left this brand alone. If you want extreme decadence, check out Green & Black’s white chocolate bar!
Orange and chocolate is one of the most perfect chocolate pairings. This bar takes it up a notch by using candied orange pieces. There’s a bit of sunshine in every bite.
This single origin bar boasts cacao and combava fruit from Madagascar. With the first bite, I could taste the citrus of the combava, but it finishes with a peppery flair. This is an excellent special occasion bar to enjoy after a great meal with a nice glass wine.
Sharffen Berger really is the chocolate lover’s San Francisco treat. If you love chocolate and coffee, this bar offers the best of both worlds. If you ever had any questions about what chocolate to pair with your wine, coffee or even beer, check out Sharffen Berger’s online pairing navigator for help.
Chocolove — the only bar that comes with its very own love poem inside every wrapper. At 77% cacao, this is the strongest bar on my list, but the producers add a little extra cocoa butter that enhances the softness and the mouth feel of this chocolate.
There’s a monkey on the wrapper and monkey facts inside! This is another feel good bar. Endangered Species supports conservation of endangered animals and habitats. This fair trade and delightfully creamy dark chocolate bar is trying to save the planet one bar at a time.
What do you get when you combine buttery, toasted bread crumbs and dark chocolate? A perfect savory treat! This 70% dark chocolate bar from Theo’s fantasy line combines salty and sweet in just the right way. It is also one of the few soy-free chocolate bars on the market.
I’m always looking for new dark chocolate bars to try. What’s your favorite dark chocolate treat? Share your thoughts about what I should try next in the comment section below!
Featured image courtesy of cursedthing via Creative Commons.
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Speech Coach and Presentation Skills Trainer, Dr. Michelle Mazur, guides driven-to-succeed business professionals and independent business owners to ignite the smoldering fire within to speak up, speak out and make their impact — one compelling presentation at a time. Clients get noticed, promoted and paid more by overcoming their reluctance and learning to speak with authenticity and confidence, no matter how big or small their audience. To learn her proven approach to get ready for opportunity now — visit her website..
When it comes to Chocoholic, they make the best chocolate and ginger bar. Not in dark chocolate, but worth a taste.
@susansilver I've not tried Chocoholic. I do like the spiciness of ginger mixed with the sweetness of chocolate though. I need to check out. Thank you Susan.
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I did it, I found one of the chocolate bars mentioned! Here's my story http://wp.me/pHaUC-1h2
@jodineibeme I love the bacon bar - it is pricey but for an every now and then treat it is all kinds of awesome! Glad you liked it too!
Wow, @kfvickery and I love dark chocolate, and we haven't tried any of these! We tend to get Seattle's Chocolates or Ghirardelli. #3 sounds particularly intriguing.
@dbvickery @kfvickery The Lindt bar is super creamy with that hint of salt. It's also reasonably priced. I do love Seattle's chocolates as well - won't pass those up (or most quality dark chocolate for that reason).
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@Michelle_Mazur I'm a dark chocoholic...so I must try all of these exotic flavors. I've had Ethel's chocolates and they are sublime. So are Trader Joe's bars, specifically Dark chocolate caramel with sea salt!
@DixieLil I have not tried the TJ's dark chocolate caramel bars YET. Need to make a Trader Joe's run this weekend. It's on my list, and I will report back!
@jodineibeme Lindt is definitely in most stores. Theo is being more widely carried by Whole Foods which is also carries Sharffenberger, Endangered Species, as well as Vosges (these last 3 you can find at high-end grocery stores as well). For the rest, you can buy direct from the supplier online and there are also some online chocolate stores where you can purchase these bars. Living in Seattle we have a very nice chocolate shop that carries all of these brands.
It isn't even 8am and I am reading this post and already craving chocolate. Yum. I really want to try #4 because I love cinnamon and chocolate plus a spicy kick.
Michelle, aloha. Delighted to say I will have to do further research into this matter to see if I concur with you. Thanks for the recommendations. Aloha. Janet
@janetcallaway Thanks Janet! Do try the Hawaiian dark chocolate bar! It is delicious!
@Michelle_Mazur Rachel, while I have not savored that particular bar from Hawaiian, I have enjoyed others. Several times I have toured the chocolate company and observed the whole process from the growing of the beans all the way through to the finished product. Fascinating. While some companies mix the final product with chocolate from other locations, my favorite is the chocolate that is 100% Big Island.
Did you know that Hawaii is the only state that grows both vanilla beans and chocolate? And, of course, we have our world famous Kona coffee as well.Michelle, I did a cut and paste of this URL to send this post off in an e-mail to my friends who are rarely online.
@janetcallaway I use to live in Hawaii (Oahu) and I had no idea about the vanilla beans. Thank you for sharing the article!
