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I’ve enjoyed all of the winners, and even some of the losers.
By
Siobhan Wallace
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Siobhan Wallace
Siobhan Wallace is a senior commerce editor at Allrecipes. She covers the roundups and reviews of our favorite kitchen products. Prior to joining Allrecipes, she was a commerce editor at Simply Recipes and The Spruce Eats.
Allrecipes' editorial guidelines
Updated on July 17, 2024
In This Article
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In This Article
- Our Top Picks
- Reviews
- How We Tested
- Our Takeaway
- Others We Tested
- Common Questions
- Why Take Our Word For It?
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I love all kinds of chocolate; I enjoy and savor Trader Joe’s single-origin chocolate bars just as much as Bonnat’s Apotequil Peruvian Porcelana chocolate. And while dark chocolate can be earthier than you’re used to, once you’ve tasted a high-quality dark chocolate, you’ll understand why so many people enjoy it. Of course, we don’t want you to waste your tastebuds (or your dollars), so our team got to work finding the best dark chocolate with the criteria being at least 70% cacao and no added flavors. Keep in mind that these are for eating, not for baking, but if you need the best chocolate chips or best chocolate cake mix, we’ve got you covered.
How We Tested
We rounded up 12 popular dark chocolate bars and found seven testers willing to put their palates on the line to find the best dark chocolate bars. Since dark chocolate is at risk of bitterness, I specifically paid attention to the bitter-to-fruity flavor ratio when looking over our results. I also weighed the aroma and finish a little higher than the mouthfeel since this is all high-quality chocolate.
Our Top Picks
Most Chocolaty:
Best Stone Ground:
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TCHO, a chocolate maker out of the Bay Area, has been producing great craft chocolate for almost two decades. Its Dark Duo chocolate bar features Ghanaian dark chocolate around a Peruvian chocolate truffle middle (yes, it’s technically filled, but you’ll love it anyway). The result gives this an enjoyable creamy quality that reminds us of a chocolate mousse, though the bar still has a great snap. The high-quality chocolate also has a wonderful red-fruit aspect to it that unfolds when you open the package and is very present while tasting.
The Details: 75% cacao; vegan; 2.5 ounces
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Beyond Good proves that you don’t have to pay top dollar for high-quality chocolate that does good in the world. Like many of the makers on this list, Beyond Good works directly with its farmers, but what sets it apart is it even produces some chocolate on Madagascar. And the Beyond Good 70% dark chocolate bar is a great introduction to better-quality chocolate. We found it has a nice roasted coffee and molasses scent with a complex taste. There are not only bright fruity flavors, but a few testers also commented on pleasing layers of umami and savory notes.
The Details: 70% cacao; vegan; 2.64 ounces
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The Dos Rios bar made by Utah-based Amano is considered one of the best chocolate bars in the world, having won a silver medal at the 2017 International Chocolate Awards. While it’s a splurge, it is worth every penny. It doesn’t give much away when you open the package—our testers only noted a bit of a sour or dried fruit smell—everything is revealed after you take a bite. The full-bodied and well-balanced palate is filled with a great raspberry and juicy sweetness, with some bitter orange and earthy notes coming through as well.
The Details: 70% cacao; not vegan; 3 ounces
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Anyone who’s dipped their finger in cocoa powder knows that chocolate is bitter. And anyone regularly looking for dark chocolate might want those bitter, roasty, coffee-like notes. If that’s you, this is the chocolaty chocolate you need to be snacking on. Our testers enjoyed its classic chocolate flavor that was filled with notes of toasted marshmallows and coffee. It also only leaves a subtle aftertaste so you can enjoy another bar.
The Details: 85% cacao; vegan; 3 ounces
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Mexico is one of the homes of chocolate and many of us enjoy the textured quality of Mexican stone-ground chocolate. Massachusetts-based Taza makes its unrefined style with traditional stone mills, known as molinos, and doesn’t conch its chocolate (the process that creates smoothness in chocolate). This allows cacao’s natural cinnamon, roasty, and mineral flavors to shine through, while also providing a bit of crystal crunch in each bite.
The Details: 70% cacao; vegan; 2.5 ounces
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Our Takeaway
TCHO’s Dark Duo Dark Chocolate Bars are great when you want a dark chocolate snack with the creaminess of a chocolate truffle. If you really want to treat yourself or a loved one, the Amano Dos Rios 70% Dark Chocolate Bar is a worthy extravagance.
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The Leftovers: Other Dark Chocolate Bars We Tested
K’UL is another chocolate company with a great mission and its cocoa-heavy Pure Dark Chocolate Bars can be wonderful to some, but too many of our testers found it lacking in desirable flavors, while also being too bitter and harsh. The K+M Chocolate 85% Hacienda Victoria Ecuador chocolate bar was another splurge pick we tasted and somewhat enjoyed. It has a nice earthy and nutty flavor while being very creamy and smooth. But we can’t say it’s totally worth its price tag.
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Common Questions
What’s the best way to taste chocolate?
While we might want to pop a piece of chocolate into your mouth and start chewing, that’s not the best way to properly taste chocolate. What I’ve been taught by experts is to first deeply inhale the chocolate aroma as you’re opening the package. It helps to close your eyes and focus on what the scents are reminding you of.
Next, place a small amount in the center of your tongue and let it melt while against the roof of your mouth. Again, close your eyes and focus on the flavors and creaminess of the chocolate. Once you can’t take it anymore, you can chew some while still savoring the chocolate.
Does dark chocolate have caffeine?
As a person who loves after-dinner chocolate, but also has lifelong sleeping problems, I’ve often found myself researching this question around 1 am. What I’ve found is that yes, dark chocolate has about as much caffeine as a cup of green tea, which is not a tremendous amount of caffeine. As a caffeine-sensitive person, I use this as a reason to enjoy chocolate as an afternoon pick-me-up.
Why Take Our Word For It?
Siobhan Wallace is the senior commerce editor for Allrecipes. Ever since she assisted on a deeply researched article that focused on the different kinds of cacao beans, she’s known way too much about chocolate. And yes, she does really enjoy the Trader Joe’s limited edition chocolate bars and thinks they’re a great inexpensive introduction to single-origin chocolate.
