The Best Dark Chocolate Bars In 2022

The Best Dark Chocolate Bars In 2022

AlexFilim/Shutterstock By Maria Scinto/June 29, 2022 4:26 pm EST

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. Back in the early days of chocolate, you had your choice between dark, darker, and gnawing on a cacao pod. Well, it’s funny how everything old becomes new again, isn’t it? Milk chocolate, first created as a beverage in the 17th century, got a huge boost around the turn of the 20th century when Milton Hershey established his sweet, sweet empire based on those brown-wrapped bars that still bear his name. Even today, milk remains the most popular kind of chocolate candy with the majority of Americans (via YouGov). Still, dark chocolate staged a strong comeback starting in the 1980s when it was first declared to be healthy. Once superfood status was achieved, trendiness was soon to follow. Some might even call dark chocolate overrated, but we think its popularity is well-earned.

Here in the 3rd decade of the 21st century, dark chocolate’s popularity means that we now have a plethora of dark chocolate candy bars available to us. Some are filled, some are flavored, and some barely contain anything besides pure, bitter cacao. The thing to keep in mind when choosing your chocolate is that it’s meant to be a treat, not a medicine, so the very best kind of dark chocolate is whatever kind you personally prefer.

How we chose these chocolate bars

progressman/Shutterstock

With this selection of dark chocolate candies, we wanted to cover as wide a range as possible. Yes, we have some super, super dark ones, since admittedly chocolate with 70% or more cacao does provide significantly higher amounts of nutrients including magnesium, iron, and even fiber (via “Antioxidants & Redox Signaling”). Still, if what you prefer is old-school dark chocolate with a cacao content no higher than 60%, we’ve got you covered there, too. In fact, there’s even such a thing as dark milk chocolate, and we’ve included one of those bars on this list (No need to feel guilty! You can always eat your candy bar with a multivitamin or a side of fresh fruit).

We’ve also included chocolates with a wide variety of fillings and flavors ranging from nuts to fruit to hot sauce, and even a chocolate bar enhanced with mood-boosting hemp extract (nothing illegal, since our picks are meant to be available for purchase throughout the U.S.). While some of these chocolates are on the pricey side, we’ve also tried to include more affordable picks as well. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.

Best spicy dark chocolate bar

Tuong Ot

While sriracha chocolate might seem like a holdover from the sriracha-in-everything days of the mid-20-teens, the spicy sauce actually blends quite nicely with the semisweet (55%) chocolate used to make this candy bar. The mildly garlicky flavor from the sriracha really doesn’t come through, nor does any vinegary taste, which we are grateful for since not every out-of-the-box flavor combo is a good one. Sriracha, which is a slightly sweet and not-so-hot sauce, already has a somewhat dessert-like quality to it, so it makes for an unusual, yet tasty, chocolate pairing. This particular bar, which is made by Huy Fong Foods, the original “rooster sauce” people, also adds a sprinkling of Himalayan pink sea salt that turns this sriracha chocolate into a spicy/salty/sweet triple threat. It almost reminds us of the complexity of mole sauce.

Purchase Tuong Ot Extra Hot Salted Sriracha from All City Candy for $5.50 for one bar.

The Best Dark Chocolate Bars In 2022

AlexFilim/Shutterstock

By Maria Scinto/June 29, 2022 4:26 pm EST

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. Back in the early days of chocolate, you had your choice between dark, darker, and gnawing on a cacao pod. Well, it’s funny how everything old becomes new again, isn’t it? Milk chocolate, first created as a beverage in the 17th century, got a huge boost around the turn of the 20th century when Milton Hershey established his sweet, sweet empire based on those brown-wrapped bars that still bear his name. Even today, milk remains the most popular kind of chocolate candy with the majority of Americans (via YouGov). Still, dark chocolate staged a strong comeback starting in the 1980s when it was first declared to be healthy. Once superfood status was achieved, trendiness was soon to follow. Some might even call dark chocolate overrated, but we think its popularity is well-earned.

Here in the 3rd decade of the 21st century, dark chocolate’s popularity means that we now have a plethora of dark chocolate candy bars available to us. Some are filled, some are flavored, and some barely contain anything besides pure, bitter cacao. The thing to keep in mind when choosing your chocolate is that it’s meant to be a treat, not a medicine, so the very best kind of dark chocolate is whatever kind you personally prefer.

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Here in the 3rd decade of the 21st century, dark chocolate’s popularity means that we now have a plethora of dark chocolate candy bars available to us. Some are filled, some are flavored, and some barely contain anything besides pure, bitter cacao. The thing to keep in mind when choosing your chocolate is that it’s meant to be a treat, not a medicine, so the very best kind of dark chocolate is whatever kind you personally prefer.

How we chose these chocolate bars

progressman/Shutterstock

With this selection of dark chocolate candies, we wanted to cover as wide a range as possible. Yes, we have some super, super dark ones, since admittedly chocolate with 70% or more cacao does provide significantly higher amounts of nutrients including magnesium, iron, and even fiber (via “Antioxidants & Redox Signaling”). Still, if what you prefer is old-school dark chocolate with a cacao content no higher than 60%, we’ve got you covered there, too. In fact, there’s even such a thing as dark milk chocolate, and we’ve included one of those bars on this list (No need to feel guilty! You can always eat your candy bar with a multivitamin or a side of fresh fruit).

We’ve also included chocolates with a wide variety of fillings and flavors ranging from nuts to fruit to hot sauce, and even a chocolate bar enhanced with mood-boosting hemp extract (nothing illegal, since our picks are meant to be available for purchase throughout the U.S.). While some of these chocolates are on the pricey side, we’ve also tried to include more affordable picks as well. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.

We’ve also included chocolates with a wide variety of fillings and flavors ranging from nuts to fruit to hot sauce, and even a chocolate bar enhanced with mood-boosting hemp extract (nothing illegal, since our picks are meant to be available for purchase throughout the U.S.). While some of these chocolates are on the pricey side, we’ve also tried to include more affordable picks as well. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.

Best healthy dark chocolate bar

Fruition

Best not-too-dark chocolate bar

Karl Fazer

Best single origin dark chocolate bar

Beyond Good

Best vegan dark chocolate bar

Endangered Species Chocolate

While the company makes unflavored dark chocolate bars, it also sells many fun flavors, including mint, almonds and sea salt, raspberry, and cinnamon, cayenne, and cherries. Even better, the company has a good mission: It’s called “Endangered Species” because it donates 10% of its profits to conservation organizations every year. While we enjoy many of the Endangered Species bars, our favorite vegan option is probably the almonds and sea salt.

Best filled dark chocolate bar: Ritter Sport Marzipan

Ritter

Should you be wondering why these are called “Sport” bars, it’s not because they are a traditional refreshment for German sporting events. Instead, Ritter’s founders wanted to make a candy bar that would fit into the pocket of a sports jacket circa the 1930s. This explains not only the name, but the compact shape of these bars as well as the rest of the Ritter Sport line.

Best dark chocolate bar with nuts

Ülker

Best dark chocolate bar with coconut

Lindt

Best fruit-filled dark chocolate bar

Chocolove

Best mint-flavored dark chocolate bar

Best spicy dark chocolate bar

Tuong Ot

While sriracha chocolate might seem like a holdover from the sriracha-in-everything days of the mid-20-teens, the spicy sauce actually blends quite nicely with the semisweet (55%) chocolate used to make this candy bar. The mildly garlicky flavor from the sriracha really doesn’t come through, nor does any vinegary taste, which we are grateful for since not every out-of-the-box flavor combo is a good one. Sriracha, which is a slightly sweet and not-so-hot sauce, already has a somewhat dessert-like quality to it, so it makes for an unusual, yet tasty, chocolate pairing. This particular bar, which is made by Huy Fong Foods, the original “rooster sauce” people, also adds a sprinkling of Himalayan pink sea salt that turns this sriracha chocolate into a spicy/salty/sweet triple threat. It almost reminds us of the complexity of mole sauce.

Purchase Tuong Ot Extra Hot Salted Sriracha from All City Candy for $5.50 for one bar.

Purchase Tuong Ot Extra Hot Salted Sriracha from All City Candy for $5.50 for one bar.

Best salty dark chocolate bar

Hu

Best coffee-flavored dark chocolate bar

Perugina

Best dark chocolate bar for breakfast

Vosges

Best nut butter-filled dark chocolate bar

Best break-apart dark chocolate bar

Toblerone

Best mood-altering dark chocolate bar

Couverture by DiFiori

Best dark chocolate bar for wine pairing

Brix

Best dark milk chocolate bar

Tony’s Chocolonely

Most budget-friendly dark chocolate bar

Hershey’s