https://healthyeater.com/dark-chocolate-best-and-worst
Dark Chocolate: The Best and Worst Brands
2019 Edition
Hey chocolate lovers, this guide is continually updated. What we’ve noticed since first publishing 5 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).
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 healthy 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.
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 less 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 labelled 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. Social enterprise with a great theme focusing on endangered animals.
Discounted at 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.
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
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
anemulsifier.
(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 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 emulsifier.
Discounted at Amazon.
Amano
Amano offer 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 have a 72% bar.
Raw, only two ingredients (raw cacao + coconut sugar), however being < 80% does have a high sugar content. Organic, processed without alkali, no Soy Lecithin.
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.
www.righteouslyrawchocolate.com/
(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 the 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.
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.
- 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 Don’t Make The Grade
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 were also forced to recall the chocolates in 2017 due to almond pieces ended up in some bars.
How to Choose the Best Chocolate
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 soy beans and is used an emulsifier (prevents water and fat from separating).
Most dark chocolates are produced on the same processing line as chocolate products containing milk. Which is why most of them have advisory labels. A recent testing of 88 bars concluded that “a high proportion of dark chocolate products contain milk at concentrations associated with allergic reactions in sensitive individuals” (see the 2017 study)
What about peanuts? The good news is that all bars labelled as peanut-free werepeanut-free. However 17% of chocolates that had no labeling about nuts DID contain traces of peanuts.
What about heavy metals? In recent years there has been press about Lead and Cadmium levels in chocolate. This has nothing to do with manufacturing, but the presence of these metals in soils where cacao is grown. To keep in context, dietary cadmium exposure can come from all kinds of foods – cereals, vegetables, nuts, etc. Given the small volumes of dark chocolate that we eat, cadmium in chocolate should not be viewed as a major concern.
See also: Almond Milk: The Best and Worst Brands.
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