Dark Chocolate

2020 Edition

Hey chocolate lovers, this guide is continually updated. What we’ve noticed since first publishing 6 years ago is that there is an ever-increasing variety of dark chocolate out there. And… disappointingly it has become very difficult to find which manufacturers are using the dutch process (see below).

The average American consumes roughly 12 pounds of chocolate each year, and over $75 billion is spent annually worldwide on chocolate. With this much chocolate eating going on, it’s essential to make smarter choices about what kinds you consume so that you can enjoy your favorite treats guilt-free and take advantage of all the health benefits of dark chocolate.

Dark chocolate: once considered a rare treat is now mainstream. It’s become the snack of choice for healthy eaters.

For good reason. It feels decadent, tastes great, and has researched health benefits (1) (2) (3). One small study showed participants ate less junk food after eating dark chocolate. This did not happen with milk chocolate. Another small study showed food intake following dark chocolate consumption was significantly lower than when eating milk or white chocolate (ref).

Even exercise capacity is increased when consuming dark chocolate!

There’s something about dark chocolate that makes me carefully indulge in a piece or two. Compared to milk chocolate when I would eat half a pack before I knew it.

Traits of a Healthy Dark Chocolate

When choosing a healthy dark chocolate for eating, here are the qualities to look for in a healthy bar.

• High cacao content
• Low sugar content
• Few additives and overall ingredients
• No added flavor
• No preservatives
• Not “Dutched” or processed with alkali
• Processed at a low temperature.

The Flavanols

Research points to flavanols – a type of polyphenol in cocoa that helps lower blood pressure and improve vascular function, improve cognitive function, and even provides UV protection for our skin. Note there are many counter-arguments to this research (see more).

Dark chocolate has a higher proportion of flavanols than milk chocolate.

A higher percentage of cacao (cocoa) means a higher amount of flavanols.

Warning: Lookout for Dutching

The method used to process the raw cacao bean can affect the amount of flavanols in the end product.

If your chocolate says “processed with alkali” on the nutrition label, then it’s going to have fewer flavanols (more). Processing with alkali is called “Dutching“.

Marketing labels

Many chocolates are tagged with all kinds of marketing words. Artisan, hand-crafted, fine chocolate. These are opinions and cannot be tested. Some chocolates are labeled gluten-free – which is odd as chocolate never contained gluten.

Healthy Dark Chocolate Brands

Pascha

Organic, fair trade, non-GMO dark chocolate. No soy lecithin. Range of 55%-85%

(Discounted at Amazon)

Endangered Species

72% Cacao and 88% Cacao bars (panther). Also a 70% organic bar.

Ethically traded cacao. A social enterprise with a great theme focusing on endangered animals.

Discounted at Amazon

Alter Eco

USDA Organic and Fair Trade. Range of dark chocolate. Look for 85% Dark Blackout or 90% Super Dark.

(Discounted at Amazon)

Taza

80%, 87%, and 95% cacao bars.

Taza is probably the least-processed chocolate you can find. THE USDA organic chocolate combines just cocoa beans and sugar.

Discounted at Amazon.

Green & Blacks

70% Cacao and 85% Cacao bars. Organic and sometimes fair trade (e.g. Maya Gold).

The 70% includes Soy Lecithin – the 85% does not. There are no genetically modified ingredients.

Discounted at Amazon.

Bixby & Co. Dark Chocolate

70% Cacao and 100% Cacao. Certified Organic and offers bars from cocoa beans sourced from Haiti, Guatemala, Belize, and the Dominican Republic. They also have a 70% bar that has barrel-aged Maine bourbon blended into their dark chocolate.

This is bean to bar chocolate and the ingredients are simple, just Organic Cocoa Beans and Organic Cane Sugar.

The company sent us some free samples of the 70% for review and we were quite pleased with this brand. Their chocolate is delicious. It’s a little more expensive than some of the other brands but it is one of the purest. Overall, Bixby makes an excellent product. They ship their chocolate throughout the USA at bixbyco.com

Lindt

The Lindt Excellence range includes 70%, 78%, 85%, 90%, and 99% Cacao bars.

NOTE: Each bar has a different ingredients list. Here are ingredients as at 2018 (as sold in the US). The 85% is the best choice.

70% – Chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, soya lecithin (emulsifier), bourbon vanilla beans.
78% – Chocolate, cocoa butter, sugar, fat-reduced cocoa powder, milkfat.
85% – Chocolate, cocoa powder, cocoa butter, demerara sugar, bourbon vanilla beans.
90% – Chocolate, cocoa butter, cocoa powder processed with alkali, sugar, bourbon vanilla beans.

Discounted at Amazon

Pure7

Pure make a range of organic dark chocolates, from 70% right up to a 100% bar.

100% USDA Organic, Fair Trade, and non-GMO certified.

Discounted at Amazon.

Theo

Based in Seattle, WA. 85% and a large range of different flavored 70% bars. A very simple ingredients list with no emulsifier.

Theo was the first US chocolate maker to be fair trade and organic and continues to have one of the most ethical and transparent ‘bean to bar’ processes.

Discounted at Amazon.

Chocolove

Another company with ethical principles, offering 70% to 88% bars.

Discounted at Amazon.

Ghirardelli Intense Dark

86% Cacao Chocolate Bars (and a 92% if you can find it!). They have bars as well as small squares. The 86% uses Soy Lecithin as an emulsifier.

(Discounted at Amazon)

Godiva

72% Cacao Chocolate Bars. Prior to 2017, this bar wasn’t processed with alkali but now it looks like it is according to the updated ingredients. Uses Soy Lecithin as an emulsifier.

Discounted at Amazon

Pacari Organic Chocolate

USDA organic raw chocolate.

Wide selection including 70%, 85%, 100%. There is also a ‘101%’ (100% plus some extra coca nibs).

Most contain sunflower lecithin except for the 100%. They use coconut sugar to sweeten the less than 100% cacao bars.

Available at Amazon

Valrhona

70%-85% Cacao bars.

This French chocolate is distributed in the USA but can be difficult to find. Has a range of bars up to 85% – uses Soy Lecithin as an emulsifier.

Discounted at Amazon.

Amano

Amano offers a large range of single-origin chocolate bars up to 70% dark chocolate.

Discounted at Amazon.

Moser Roth

70% Cacao and 85% Cacao Chocolate Bars.

A German-made chocolate made for the Aldi stores. 85% is processed with alkali (we’re having trouble confirming this). Uses Soy Lecithin emulsifier.

Discounted at Amazon.

Loving Earth

Australian-based Loving Earth has a 72% bar.

Raw, only two ingredients (raw cacao + coconut sugar), however being less than 80% it does have a high sugar content.
Organic, processed without alkali, no Soy Lecithin.

Discounted at Amazon.

Vivani

Vivani is a German chocolatier that sources ingredients from Ceres (100% organic).

85% bars and 92% available in USA and Canada.

Organic, processed without alkali, no Soy Lecithin.

Discounted at Amazon.

Ritter Sport

Based in Germany, look for the Fine Extra Dark (73% cocoa).

Uses butterfat to make it creamier (rather than Lecithin).

Discounted at Amazon.

Giddy Yoyo

Based in Canada. Raw, USDA organic.

A large range of dark chocolate bars up to 100%.

Scharffen Berger

US chocolate company (owned by a subsidiary of Hershey). Selection of chocolate squares and bars (from 62% up to 82% cacao),

Available at Amazon

Righteously Raw

Organic, fair trade, raw, dark chocolate (83%). As far as we’re aware only chocolate is processed on their machinery, so is allergen-free.

(Discounted at Amazon)

Sweetriot

Organic, fair trade, dark chocolate. Seem to be having availability issues – only 70% still available (2018).

(Discounted at Amazon)

Lily’s

Lily’s Dark chocolate bars are sweetened with Stevia (and Erythritol). It uses Fair Trade chocolate and is not processed with Alkali. A good choice if you are following a low-carb or keto diet. There is a range of 70% and an 85%.

See at Amazon.

ChocZero

These squares have been developed for the diet market (specifically low-carb or keto diets). Monk Fruit extract is used as a sweetener, and fiber has been added (soluble corn fiber). The 85% or 92% are best.

See the sampler at Amazon.

Notable Mentions

Sam’s Choice (Walmart) – Choose the 90% dark. Ingredients: Chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla beans.

Strongest Dark Chocolate Bars

The more cacao the bar has, the stronger the bar is. Several of the healthy brands offer really strong dark chocolate bars.

• Alter Eco 90% Super Dark
• Taza 95% Wicked Dark
• Lindt 90% and 99% Extra Dark
• Pure 7 100% Bar
• Ghirardelli 92% Intense dark
• Pacari 100% and 101% Raw
• Vivani 92% Bar
• Giddy Yoyo Raw 100% Cacao
• ChocZero 92%Ultimate Dark
• Sam’s Choice 90% Dark

Boutique Chocolates

There are numerous dark chocolate makers, and their products are often available in a few outlets (or very localized). These are some that we’ve come across.

• Solomon’s Gold (New Zealand) – The Flavour Nib 70% has just 3 ingredients – Cacao, Coconut Sugar, and Coconut Oil. The nibs give it a unique texture and mouthfeel.
• Whittaker’s (New Zealand) – A huge variety of flavors – 72% Dark Ghana being a popular choice.
• Camino (Canada) – The ‘Intensely Dark’ 88% is a great choice.
• Valore (Spain) – Have a 70% bar with very high almond content (25%).
• Ombar (UK) – Raw chocolatiers with 72%-100% dark.
• Guittard (CA) – 80%-91% dark chocolate.
• Eating Evolved (NY) – Boutique. Organic, processed without alkali.
• Zotter Chocolates (Austria) – they offer a mouthwatering array of flavors, and also, 80%-96% dark chocolate bars (the Labooko range) – also certified Fair Trade.
• Heidi (Romania) – Do a 70% and 85% bar. Similar formulation to Lindt.
• Montezuma Chocolates (UK) – Have a selection of organic dark chocolate (70%) bars.
• Vannucci Chocolate (Italy) – Have a 100% cacao bar, along with 73% chocolates.
• Malmo Chokladfabrik (Sweden) – The 1888 range has a selection of dark chocolates (organic and fair trade). There is even an anti-oxidant boost chocolate (with olives !?).
• Moonstruck Chocolate (USA) – Specialty chocolates – 68% dark.
• Askinosie (USA) – Single origin handcrafted – 70% dark.
• Zazubean(Canada) – Fair trade and organic. Includes an 80% bar.
• Frey(Switzerland) – Look for the 85% bar.
• Claudio Corallo – Artisan chocolate made from the most simple ingredients.
• Vosges (USA) – A variety of chocolates including a ‘super dark’ – that is 72%, and some fair trade and organic bars.
• HNINA (USA) – The real deal – raw organic dark chocolate. No sugar, soy, or dairy.
• Cocoa Parlor (California) – USDA organic and fair-trade.
• Vanini (Italy) – Made with sustainable practices, includes 70%-95% dark chocolate bars.
• Madecass (Madagascar / US) – A chocolate made at the cacao source (in Madagascar). Includes an 80% and 92% bar.
• Butler’s (Ireland) – have a 70% bar.
• Pana (Australia) – Selection of raw organic bars, including ‘Eighty’ – Cacao (min 80%; cacao butter, cacao powder), dark agave nectar.

Dark Chocolates That Aren’t Very Healthy

A popular bar, but Dove dark chocolates don’t make the grade.

• Dove Dark Chocolate
  Low cacao content. All processed with alkali.
• CocoaVia Supplement Packs
  These are similar to Crystal Light, except they have flavanols (the main chocolate antioxidant) added in. You will get some health benefits from this, but it is more important to eat the whole food that contains the fiber.
• Hershey’s Special Dark
  Processed with alkali. High in sugar.
• Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Kisses
  Despite claims on the package about flavanols, this is a milk chocolate.
• Dark Chocolate M&M’s
  The ingredients list is ambiguous (they list “chocolate” as an ingredient). However, these are high in sugar (more like candy than healthy dark chocolate).
  
• Milky Way Midnight
  Like all the candy brands, this is not really a dark chocolate. It has more sugar than cacao and is processed with alkali.
  
• Kit Kat Dark
  Not sure how they can call this dark. Lots of sugar and palm kernel oil.
• Nestle Dark Hot Chocolate
  Ouch! This beverage mix is the worst of the lot. Sugar, trans-fat, and processed with alkali.
• Cadbury Bournville
  60g of sugar per small bar.
• Cadbury Old Gold
  It says dark chocolate on the label, but it is a dairy milk – with a high sugar content.
• Cadbury Royal Dark
  Ingredients: Semi-Sweet Chocolate (Sugar; Cocoa Butter; Chocolate; Milk Fat; Natural and Artificial Flavor, Soy Lecithin; Milk). Again – a milk chocolate.
• Brookside Dark Chocolate. This Hershey’s brand is a milk chocolate. Originally marketed as ‘containing fruit’, they have now changed their wording to fruit ‘flavors’.
• Choceur
  This brand is exclusive to Aldi stores. However the ‘dark’ is only 45% cocoa and is really a milk chocolate. Aldi was also forced to recall the chocolates in 2017 due to almond pieces ended up in some bars.

How to Choose the Best Chocolate

dark chocolate can be a tasty treat when tracking macros and there are dozens of boutique chocolate brands out there. If in doubt, use the following guide.

A true dark chocolate will never have sugar listed first in the ingredients. It should always be below the cocoa ingredients.

It should also tick as many of the following points:

• 100% Organic
  Note that “organic” does not equal 100% organic (confusing!).
• Fair Trade
• > 80% cocoa
• Not processed with alkali

Also, note that some manufacturers use GMO (genetically modified) ingredients (this is usually the soy lecithin). Soy Lecithin is a byproduct of processed soybeans and is used as an emulsifier (prevents water and fat from separating).

See also:Almond Milk: The Best and Worst Brands.

755 Comments

1. Yeah, and what about Amedei?
   That’s the best I bet.
   I am talking about Amedei Porcelana 70%

   Reply

2. Where is the Michel Cluizel’s Chocolates?
   That’s a much better one than the bunch of above “Best” listed !

   Reply

Science has proven dark chocolate can actually be good for your health. The key is portion control, and it must be dark chocolate. What is the daily recommended amount of dark chocolate?The is approximately 1 to 2 ounces or 30-60g, experts say. Indulge in anything more than that, and you may be consuming too many calories.A 1.45-ounce (41 gram) Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Bar has 190 calories.

In comparison, if you ate a medium-size raw apple, you’d only take in 95 calories.Therefore, don’t replace healthy foods with this treat. Just take into consideration you may be consuming a few extra calories even with the recommended amount. Nutritional Content of a 70-85% Cacao Bar.

170 calories. 12 grams of fat. 13 grams carbs. 1 gram dietary fiber. 8 grams of sugars. 2 grams of protein. 7 mg calcium.

203 mg potassiumWhat Does it Take to Burn Off These Calories?Burning off the calories in a would require:. 44 minutes of walking.

19 minutes jogging. 14 minutes of swimming. 23 minutes cycling3 Reasons to Eat Dark Chocolate Every Day 1. Your Heart Loves ItWhat is it that makes dark chocolate desirable? The answer is plant phenols — cocoa phenols, to be exact.Eating if you have mild high blood pressure and you balance the extra calories by eating less of other things, say researchers in a report in The Journal of the American Medical Association.Dark chocolate is also loaded with organic compounds that are biologically active and function as healthy antioxidants.

These include polyphenols, flavanols, catechins, among others.One study showed that, polyphenols, and flavanols than fruits such as blueberries and Acai berries. You Need Protection from Daily RadicalsThe high levels of flavonoids — potent antioxidants — help protect cells and tissues from damage by free radicals.

These radicals are unstable molecules that alter and weaken cells and often come from stress, poor diet, and the inevitable aging.Dark chocolate also contains of minerals magnesium and copper.A 1.5-ounce bar provides 15 percent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of magnesium. Energy production, strong bones, relaxed muscles, and effective nerve transmission are all supported by Magnesium. That same bar also contains 34 percent RDA of copper. Copper helps the body create neurotransmitters and is associated with a lowered risk of cardiovascular disease. You’re Happier With A Daily Dose of CocoaChocolate and happiness have been coupled together as a since the Mesoamerican civilizations.In those early times, chocolate was considered a luxury item and a valuable commodity.

The elite made a drink of roasted cacao beans with cornmeal, vanilla, honey and chilies for those they loved.Science has since found an actual chemical connection between chocolate and happiness. Chocolate contains phenylethylamine, a chemical that’s also released in the brain during moments of emotional euphoria.

It also contains anandamide, a fatty acid neurotransmitter that makes you feel more relaxed and less anxious. Choose Your Daily Dose WiselyThe darker the chocolate, the better. The reason dark chocolate gets all the accolades is that it contains lower added sugar and fats than milk or white chocolate.

In addition, it’s higher in beneficial flavonoids.Those with the, even when it comes to powder for hot cocoa.Choose a bar with a minimum 70% cacao, and just remember — even the darkest of the dark chocolates must be consumed in moderation.There you have it. Science says a daily dose of dark chocolate can be good for your health. No need to wait for a special celebration. Enjoy some today.is a continuing care retirement community in Cincinnati, Ohio, offering villa homes, apartments, rehab services and more. We’re focused on supporting the vibrant and active lifestyles of our residents so they can age well. For more information, contact Twin Lakes or at 513-247-1300.