What is the best dark chocolate bar? We tasted more than 30 different dark chocolate bars to find out. Whether you’re looking because you genuinely prefer dark chocolate to milk chocolate or because yet another story has come out proclaiming that dark chocolate will help you live until you’re 100, we can help you find the best dark chocolate bars.
There’s something inherently mature about dark chocolate. It’s sweetness for people without a sweet tooth; candy for the folks who lean savory; a treat for those who want bitterness and deep fruitiness and not a whirlwind sugar rush. Dark chocolate has a more pure, concentrated chocolate flavor than its milky counterpart. That unique flavor becomes more pronounced the higher the cacao content. Also, once that cacao content reaches 70%, you get those nifty health benefits, too.
So, what do we want from the best dark chocolate brands? Well, we want it to have a pronounced bitterness but also a little bit of sweetness in there, too. We’re not looking to straight up gnaw on a cacao tree, but we don’t want a bunch of sugary nonsense either. Let the fruity, roasted, naturally sweet flavors of dark chocolate shine. Bring the bitter, but tame it with other flavors, too. Salt is welcome and nuts are great, but they shouldn’t take anything away from the pure chocolate taste. We buy dark chocolate because we want to savor the flavor, not crash out on a candy bar.
Out of the 35 dark chocolate bars we tasted, which made the cut? Unfortunately, it wasn’t 3 Cricketeers Cricket Crunch Dark Chocolate Bar, as much as we long to promote a bug-focused diet on Sporked. (It just wasn’t great chocolate, but the crickets did add a nice crunch.) Check out the list of the best dark chocolate bars that we do think you should be buying, including vegan dark chocolate and orange dark chocolate.
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- Moser Roth Sea Salt Dark Chocolate
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It’s bitter, sweet, and salty—everything it advertises itself to be. It’s the best Aldi dark chocolate bar we tasted in our Aldi chocolate taste test. That, in turn, means it’s the best dark chocolate bar you can buy if you do all your shopping at Aldi. Could it be saltier? Yes. I’d love some big ol’ salt flakes for crunch. But it’s still a pretty delicious dark chocolate bar, and it’s cheap, too (just over $2 from our local Aldi). — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Cadbury Royal Dark
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Cadbury Royal Dark is almost too sugary to be called dark chocolate, but it’s also phenomenally creamy and tasty. Think of a Cadbury Creme Egg’s shell but in bar form. It definitely doesn’t have any of the fruity, bitter flavors we associate with dark chocolate. Technically, yes, this is dark chocolate, but I’m only saying that because it’s labeled “dark chocolate” on the package. Nothing gives dark chocolate flavor here except for the bar’s appearance. Still, it’s damn good. Do you love sugar? Do you love Cadbury Creme Eggs? Then this is the best tasting dark chocolate for you, even though it’s cheating. Buy it if you have an extreme sweet tooth. — Danny Palumbo
Credit: Ryan Martin / Amazon
- Ritter Sport Dark Chocolate with Hazelnuts
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Ritter Sport isn’t afraid of flavor, and this dark chocolate bar with hazelnuts is a bold yet simple example of what they stand for. The toasty hazelnuts really shine, but there’s that bite that you’ve come to expect from the dark chocolate, too. This is really nutty and crunchy and not overly sweet. It’s a phenomenal, tasty, artisanal-feeling candy bar. Close your eyes and enjoy as this creamy, nutty, dark chocolate bar melts in your mouth. This is deconstructed Nutella. It lacks in pure dark chocolate flavor, but come on, man. This is great chocolate. — Danny Palumbo
Credit: Ryan Martin / Amazon
- Chocolove Extreme Dark Chocolate
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At 88% cacao content, this is the most cacao-y dark chocolate bar on this list. It’s the best dark chocolate bar for true dark chocolate lovers who really want to taste that deep, dark, bitter, fruity chocolate flavor—but aren’t quite ready to just snack on some baking chocolate yet. Personally, the texture is what does it for me. So many very dark chocolate bars are brittle and crumbly, but this one is creamy. It’s a pleasure to sink your teeth into a square—and, believe me, it’s so dark you’ll only need one square. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Lindt Excellence Intense Orange Dark Chocolate
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There are actual bits of crunchy dried orange in this dark chocolate bar. Yum. It’s an extremely orangey chocolate. Some flavored chocolates are categorized as chocolate orange flavored, but this is most certainly orange chocolate. The dark chocolate itself is on the sweeter end of the dark chocolate spectrum, but it still has enough cocoa richness to contrast against the zingy, zesty orange bits. I keep this bar in my fridge for sneaky nibbles. It’s the best orange dark chocolate if you really love citrus. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- HU Salty Dark Chocolate Bar
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This dark chocolate bar is crunchy, and the salt permeates every bite. There’s a strong coffee flavor, too, but no coffee advertised on the bar itself, which is curious. Hu tastes unlike any of the other dark chocolates on this list. Its bitter, salty, creamy, strongly roasted flavor scores high marks. It’s the best vegan dark chocolate we tried, but it’s also paleo, fair trade, and non GMO, so you basically go to heaven as soon as you eat this. — Danny Palumbo
Credit: Ryan Martin / Walmart
- Trader Joe’s Organic Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Bar
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We tried a bunch of Trader Joe’s dark chocolate, and this was the best bar. It punches way above its price, tasting pretty darn sophisticated. To me, this is the best dark chocolate to serve on a cheeseboard as a not-so-sweet nibble that won’t clash with blue cheese or aged cheddar. It’d also go great with a shot or two of espresso. It’s definitely bitter and complex, but also creamy and fruity. It’s a balanced dark chocolate. Plus, it’s organic. If you’re a Trader Joe’s devotee, this is the Trader Joe’s dark chocolate for your tote. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Trader Joe’s
- TCHO Chocolate Extra Dark 81% Cacao
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This dark chocolate is 81% cacao, so it’s got a powerful and robust taste that’s quite fruity—almost like wine. It’s less sugary than the others, too, which allows the bitterness to shine through. TCHO features a lot of cacao without being too bitter, and there’s a nice creamy finish. If you want pure, unaltered chocolate flavor without an overwhelming intensity but a luscious texture, TCHO is the best dark chocolate brand for you. — Danny Palumbo
Credit: Ryan Martin / Amazon
- Godiva 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate
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This dark chocolate from Godiva has an excellent snap to it, and the individually wrapped, stick-of-gum-like packaging is delightful. Instead of a full dark chocolate bar, Godiva lets you select a small stick of chocolate to eat at your snacking leisure. Probably the best dark chocolate brand for people like me who can’t control themselves. This chocolate ranks highest for me, personally. The dark chocolate has the most dark chocolate flavor; it’s fruity, nutty, and slightly roasted. The flavor quite pleasantly lingers in your mouth. There’s a lot to savor. Plus, it’s incredibly creamy. Luxury is the word here. — Danny Palumbo
Credit: Ryan Martin / Walmart
- Theo Dark Chocolate Sea Salt 70% Cacao
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Theo Dark Chocolate Sea Salt is smooth and creamy but still has that pleasant bitterness you come to expect from dark chocolate. “It’s dark and deep without being too sweet,” said Sporked’s Jordan Myrick. The salt level is also perfect. This is something you’ll hear me say often, but well-seasoned, balanced food usually wins here at Sporked. Theo achieves that perfect balance of bitter, sweet, and salty, and it proudly displays its dark chocolate personality. That’s why it is the best dark chocolate bar. — Danny Palumbo
Credit: Ryan Martin / Amazon
Best Aldi Dark Chocolate
Best Sweet
Best Nutty
Best Very Dark
Best Orange
Best Vegan Dark Chocolate
Best Trader Joe’s
Best Fruity
Best Individually Wrapped
Best of The Best
Other dark chocolate bars we tried: Ferrero Rocher Dark Chocolate Bar with Hazelnut & Cocoa Filling, Chuao Honeycomb, Landmark Confections Dark Chocolate, Endangered Species Extreme Dark, Endangered Species Sea Salt (oat milk), Theo Sea Salt, Gatsby Sea Salt Extra Dark, Theo Organic Orange, Lindt Excellence Sea Salt, Lindt 70% Cocoa Smooth Dark, Lindt Excellence 100% Cacao, Lily’s Dark Chocolate, Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate Bar, Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate Squares, Dove Promises Dark Chocolate, Dove Promises Deepest Dark Chocolate, Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Bar, Tony Chocolonely Dark Chocolate, Divine Chocolate Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Truffle, Trader Joe’s 72% Cacao Belgian Dark Chocolate Bars, Choceur Dark Chocolate with Almonds, Chocolove XOXOX Orange Peel in Dark Chocolate, Trader Joe’s Organic Dark Chocolate Bar with Almonds, Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Lover’s Chocolate Bar, Trader Joe’s Swiss Dark Chocolate with 30% Whole Hazelnuts, 3 Cricketeers Cricket Crunch Dark Chocolate Bar
Feastables
Everything from HU is so good!! Love this list!
Awesome list! I love learning about more brands; my personal favorite is Endangered Species chocolate and I heard the 3cricketeers make some great dark chocolate with… crickets! It apparently tastes delicious, with a crunch bar type texture. Only issue I have with dark chocolates like Godiva, I want to make sure my purchases do not go towards slave labor as I know dark chocolate tends to involve that…
I agree with everything on the list except Cadbury(YUCK) , Also you should try the HU dark chocolate and honey, it is amazing.
I can’t believe Dove didn’t make this list!
Wow, I expected Tony’s to make the cut
I really loved it. I’m going to make the lists a bit longer. Personally, I would have had it 8.
Sporked, could you *please* list all of the products that you tested (the ones that didn’t make the cut)? It would enhance the quality of all of your tier lists!!!
not going to include all the products, BUT, I’m going to make the lists longer on my end.