It contains affiliate links and Extrabux will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on Extrabux links.

6

10 Best 100% Cocoa Dark Chocolates in the World 2024 (Taste, Benefits & Nutrition)

10 Best 100% Cocoa Dark Chocolates in the World 2024 (Taste, Benefits & Nutrition)

    • Who doesn't love a rich bar of chocolate? Plus, if you choose the dark kind, you get the bonus of heart-protective flavonoids and antioxidants.Together with the popularity of sugar-free diets and health-conscious choices came the success of 100% dark chocolate. So what is the best cocoa dark chocolate in the world 2024? What are the benefits of 100% cocoa dark chocolate? Today there is a list of 10 best 100% dark chocolate bars you must try.

Cover Photo:ghirardelli.com
 

Best Dark Chocolate Buying Guide

For starters, a true dark chocolate will never list sugar as one of its primary ingredients. Let’s look at a few more factors that will help you mark off authentic dark chocolates.

What Should You Consider When Buying Dark Chocolate?

1.Nutrition

When it comes to breaking ties between milky chocolates, dark chocolates, and hardcore dark chocolates, you simply do that by comparing the amount of fat and sugar in the ingredients. Normally, you’ll find dark chocolates to be nutritionally similar all over; saturated fat, cocoa, some sugar to fight the natural tartness of cocoa, etc. However, it’s the amount of fat and sugar that’ll help you choose the best dark chocolate – the lesser the better!

2.Clean Cocoa

So, the percentage of cocoa in a truly dark chocolate bar is over 80% or at least greater than 70%. Plus, the cocoa must not have gone through the dutch process (it’s when alkalizing agent is used to reduce the natural acidity of cocoa, giving it a less bitter taste). It’s basically another layer of processing – certainly not good for your ideal dark choco.

3.Texture and Taste

Dark chocolate is anything but pale or chalky! It’s always rich, creamy, and silky-ish in texture. This happens due to the unprocessed cocoa and less sugar in the chocolate mix.

What Are The 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.

If your chocolate says “processed with alkali” on the nutrition label, then it’s going to have fewer flavanols. Processing with alkali is called “Dutching“, and is done to reduce acidity, and makes the chocolate a darker color (and arguably improves the flavor). 

1640934108286454.png

Source:lindtusa.com
 

What is 100% Cocoa Dark Chocolate ?

100% dark chocolate does not contain any added sugar. Every ingredient comes from the cacao beans. The percentage is divided between cacao solids (the “brown” part that contains health properties and the recognizable chocolatey flavour) and cacao butter (the “white” part which is the fatty component of the chocolate).

100% Dark Chocolate Benefits:

  • Contains flavonoids called procyanidins & epicatechins; flavonoids are part of a group of antioxidants known as polyphenols and are found in a variety of foods including dark chocolate, tea, and various fruits and vegetables

  • Decreases LDL (“bad”) cholesterol oxidation

  • Reduces the risk of blood clots

  • Increases blood flow in arteries and the heart

  • May improve mood and pleasure by boosting serotonin and endorphin levels in the brain

  • Regular intake is associated with better cognitive performance in the elderly

  • Contains a number of minerals, including calcium, magnesium, and potassium

1640934152973798.png

Source:lindtusa.com
 

Where to Buy Dark Chocolates?

If you want to buy any Dark Chocolate, Sign up at Extrabux first,(What is Extrabux?), then book through the following website,  so you can enjoy up to 8% cashback from Extrabux! Sign-Up Bonus: Free to join it & get a $20 welcome bonus!

Best 100% Cocoa Dark Chocolates 2024

1.Pralus Le 100% Chocolate Bar

Price and where to buy:$11 @ Bar & Cocoa

1640918113724383.png

Source:barandcocoa.com

Pralus, situated in Roanne, France, are one of the few chocolate houses creating chocolate direct from the cocoa bean. Owner, François Pralus, produces chocolate of exceptional quality, achieving accolades from The Grand Prix d’Excellence International du Chocolat and the Grand Prix du Festival International du Chocolat.This single origin, dark chocolate bar uses only organic, fine flavour, Criollo cocoa from Madagascar. A very creamy texture. This 100% dark chocolate bar contains no sugar so also suitable for diabetics.

Nutritional Information per 100g:

  • Energy 571kcal / 2364kj

  • Fat 44g of which saturates 28g

  • Carbohydrate 24g of which sugar 2g

  • Protein 12g

  • Salt traces

Ingredients:100% chocolate (cocoa, pure cocoa butter, non-GMO soy lecithin). May contain traces of nuts or milk.

Weight:100g

2.Raaka Chocolate 100% Cacao

Price and where to buy:$14.95 @ Amazon

1640917649357954.png

Source:amazon.com

Most chocolate starts with roasting the beans, but Raaka chocolates are made from unroasted beans. This 100 percent cacao bar is a great way to savor the chocolate without the distraction of added flavors. Despite the ultimate cacao percentage, the company notes that this chocolate is not bitter, but rather it is creamy, bright, and fruity—and many customers who prefer 100 percent dark chocolate agree, saying that it's among the smoothest and creamiest they've tried, with no bitter aftertaste.

Amount Per Serving:

  • Calories: 124,

  • Total Fat 12g (18%DV),

  • Sat. Fat 7g (35% DV),

  • Trans Fat 0g,

  • Cholest. 0mg (0% DV),

  • Sodium 0mg (0% DV),

  • Total Carb. 8g (3% DV),

  • Fiber 7g (30% DV),

  • Total Sugars 0g (Incl. 0g Added Sugars, 0% DV),

  • Protein 2g,

  • Vit. D (0% DV),

  • Calcium (2% DV),

  • Iron (5% DV),

  • Potassium (4% DV).

Ingredients: 100% Cacao is just that – one hundred percent pure Tanzanian cacao; it’s creamy and bright, not bitter, with a subtle, tingling fruity sweetness. Enjoy rich, sugar-free chocolate!

Weight: 170g

3.Omnom Peru 100% (Limited Edition)

Price and where to buy:$11 @ Bar & Cocoa

1640919304735757.png

Source:barandcocoa.com

Omnom is a small-batch, craft chocolate maker based in Reykjavík, Iceland. The chocolate maker was founded in 2013 by childhood friends Kjartan Gíslason and Óskar Þórðarson.This limited edition chocolate bar by Omnom uses rare, recently discovered Gran Nativo Blanco beans from Peru. This bar is perfect for cacao enthusiasts and pure chocolate lovers.

Nutritional Information per 100g:

  • Calories: 648 

  • Carbs: 11g 

  • Fat: 60g 

  • Protein: 9g

Ingredients: Organic Gran Nativo Blanco cocoa beans from Peru, organic cocoa butter.

Tasting notes: Papaya, Burnt Walnut, Velvety

Weight: 60g

4.Akesson's Madagascar Criollo 100%

Price and where to buy:$8.99@ Amazon

1640920754945149.png

Source:amazon.com

Akesson's Organic Chocolate is the first "Tree to Bar" chocolate maker. Akesson's 100% Madagascar is their second most popular 100% chocolate, (Pralus Le 100% being first.) You see 100% and you might expect something very bitter, but here we have a tart creamy bar that is no doubt intensely strong. It has a very expressive cocoa aroma with subtle fruity-sweet tartness and pleasant flavor notes that evoke citrus and red berries.
Nutritional Information per 100g:

  • Calories: 609

  • Carbs: 18g 

  • Fat: 55g 

  • Protein: 9g

Ingredients:  100% organic cocoa: organic cocoa beans, organic cocoa butter

Tasting notes: Citrusy, Aromatic, Sweet and Tart Red Fruits

Weight: 60g

5.Marou  100% Dark Single Origin Vietnamese Chocolate Bar 

Price and where to buy:$8.99 @Caputos

1640921997639779.png

Source:caputos.com

Many craft chocolate chocoholics are familiar with craft chocolate maker Marou. They were one of the first bean to bar makers in Asia.This bar is made from a blend of cacao beans coming from a variety of provinces in Southern Vietnam. Most of Marou's bars are single estate making this bar a unique treasure. This 100% Marou Chocolate is full-bodied with spice and juicy red berries, and its high cacao butter content makes for a very creamy and mellow experience.

Nutritional Information per 100g:

  • Calories: 625 

  • Carbs: 30g 

  • Fat: 51g 

  • Protein: 13g

Ingredients: cacao nibs,100% CACAO,EMULSIFIER FREE,GLUTEN FREE.SUGAR FREE.SOY FREE.TREE NUT FREE,DAIRY FREE

Taste notes: Earthy, Woody, Spice, and Fruitiness

Weight: 100g

6.Manoa World Blend 100%

Price and where to buy:$9 @ Spark Chocolate

1640922300998552.png

Source:sparkchocolate.com

Manoa is a Hawaiin based chocolate maker. Hawaii is the only state in the USA to grow cacao. The story of this maker began in the labs at the University of Hawaii in 2010 studying cacao as a crop for the state. Manoa started as college students with no money and bootstrapped their business with ingenuity and determination. If you love 100% dark chocolate bars, you will love this limited edition 100% by Manoa. It is a blend of three different parts of the world. Manoa used 1/3 of the beans from Hilo, Hawaii, Zorzal Cacao, Dominican Republic, and Costa Esmeraldas, Ecuador.

Nutritional Information per 100g:

  • Calories: 210 

  • Carbs: 23g 

  • Fat: 13g 

  • Protein: 2g

Ingredients: 100% cocoa beans. May contain traces of nuts and milk.

Tasting notes: chocolate with notes of tropical fruit, flowers and hints of spices on the finish.

Weight: 60g

7.Fruition 100% Percent

Price and where to buy: $11.99 @ Amazon

1640929282538363.png

Source:amazon.com

100% Dark Chocolate. Bright and dark.  This blend of two of our favorite origins highlights juicy red berry flavors and an intensely roasted cocoa base.This 100% bar is your all around balanced, palatable, and easy to eat chocolate. subtly sweet, hints of berry, with a satisfying texture. not exotic, but always surprisingly delicious for 100% - the perfect entry point into the world of 100% chocolate for the newcomer.

Nutritional Information per 100g:

  • Energy:2510kJ/600kcal

  • Carbs: 23g 

  • Fat: 13g 

  •  saturates:30g

  • Protein: 2g

Ingredients:Organic Cocoa Beans

Tasting notes:Citrus, Fruity, Intense

Weight:60g

8.Lindt 100% Cocoa Dark Chocolate EXCELLENCE Bar

Price and where to buy:$3.99 @ Lindt + 8% cashback

1640930459939129.png


Source:lindtusa.com

Dive into the refined richness of a Lindt EXCELLENCE 100% Cocoa Dark Chocolate Bar with all your senses. This full-bodied dark chocolate bar features a deep, dark color and attractive aroma with well-balanced cocoa notes that are robust, but not too intense, with an exceptionally silky feel. The sophisticated flavors in this dark chocolate candy bar make this gourmet chocolate the perfect pairing with cabernet sauvignon. Give a dark chocolate candy bar to your favorite chocolate connoisseur, or use them as baking chocolate for intense cocoa flavor in your desserts. This Lindt dark chocolate bar comes portioned into bite size squares, ensuring balanced complexity in each bite. Lindt chocolate is masterfully crafted using the highest-quality ingredients from world-renowned regions, embodying the passion and craftsmanship of Lindt Master Chocolatiers. In addition to 100% Cocoa Dark Chocolate, experience the array of other distinguished flavors of Lindt EXCELLENCE, including Chili Dark Chocolate, Coconut Dark Chocolate, Sea Salt Dark Chocolate and more.

Nutritional Information per 500g:

  • Calories: 280

  • Carbs: 23g 

  • Fat: 15g 

  • Protein: 4g

Ingredients:Chocolate, Cocoa Powder Processed with Alkali, Cocoa Butter.

Flavor: Dark Chocolate

Weight:1.7 oz(48g)

9.Ghirardelli 100% Cacao Unsweetened Chocolate Premium Baking Chips

Price and where to buy:$4.88 @ Walmart + 4% cashback

1640931060133846.png


Source:walmart.com

Ghirardelli 100% Cacao Premium Baking Chips are perfect for any baking recipe, delivering pure chocolate taste. Add them to your favorite chocolate treats, from cakes to brownies. Ghirardelli chocolate chips fill your baked goods with an intense dark chocolate flavor. Choose your own sweetener with these unsweetened chocolate chips and fill your baked goods with rich chocolate. These chocolate chips for baking are kosher and made with sustainably sourced cocoa beans. Elevate your baking from great to extraordinary with Ghirardelli unsweetened chocolate chips. Ghirardelli Makes Life a Bite Better. In addition to unsweetened chocolate chips, Ghirardelli also offers milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, white chocolate, 72% cacao dark chocolate and 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips. Try Ghirardelli melting wafers, baking bars and ground cocoa for your baking needs. 

Nutritional Information per 15g:

  • Calories: 80

  • Carbs: 4g 

  • Fat: 9g 

  • Protein: 4g

Ingredients:Unsweetened chocolate,no added sugar 

Flavor: Dark Chocolate Chips

Weight:8.5 OZ /Bag

10.Chocolate Story Venezuela 100%

Price and where to buy:$9.50 @ Bar & Cocoa

1640932570116893.png

Source:barandcocoa.com

With deep nutty and fruity aromas, and no added cocoa butter, this bar highlights the flavors of this fine cocoa. We can also taste fruits such as cherries, chokeberry and red currant here. The brand “Chocolate Story” belongs to Manufaktura Czekolady. They are the only bean-to-bar chocolate producer in Poland. Hand-made and small batch producer that focus on the real, natural and authentic taste of high-quality cacao beans. 

Nutritional Information per 100g:

  • Energy:   681 kcal / 2855kj

  • Carbs:31.8 g

  • Fat:54.5 g

  • Protein: 13.6 g

  • Salt: 0.0 g

Ingredients: 100% cocoa mass. Cocoa beans come from Venezuela

Tasting notes: walnuts, cherry, chokeberry & redcurrant

Weight:50g

How do You Find  the Right 100% Dark Chocolate for Yourself?

The secret to enjoying a 100% dark chocolate is finding the right one that fits your taste and preference. Here are some tips:

  • Give many brands a try. Don’t stop at one chocolate bar that you didn’t like. Read reviews online, ask your chocoholic friends for suggestions and do your own research. The more products and brands you try, the sooner you will find your perfect match.

  • Use price as an indicator. If bad cacao can be maliciously marked up as expensive, good cacao can never be too cheap. When choosing a 100% dark chocolate, keep in mind that the cheapest options won’t probably give you much satisfaction. Try to raise your budget and see what you can find.

  • Discover different cacao origins. Cacao grown in different countries, regions and areas delivers different flavours. You might enjoy the exotic fruity notes of a Piura from Peru, or go crazy for the spicy flavour from the Anamalai area in India, or even find yourself appreciating the intense smokiness of cacao from Papua New Guinea. To find out what flavours you like best, gift yourself a tour of the world through chocolate.

FAQ

1.Is 100% cocoa chocolate bad?

If you buy quality dark chocolate with a high cocoa content, then it’s quite nutritious.It contains a decent amount of soluble fiber and is loaded with minerals.

A 100-gram bar of dark chocolate with 70–85% cocoa contains:

  • 11 grams of fiber

  • 67% of the DV for iron

  • 58% of the DV for magnesium

  • 89% of the DV for copper

  • 98% of the DV for manganese

In addition, it has plenty of potassium, phosphorus, zinc, and selenium.Of course, 100 grams (3.5 ounces) is a fairly large amount and not something you should be consuming daily. These nutrients also come with 600 calories and moderate amounts of sugar.

For this reason, dark chocolate is best consumed in moderation.

2.How much dark chocolate should you eat a day?

Generally used 20–30 g of dark chocolate per day. Dark chocolate with higher percentages of cacao solids typically contains less sugar but more fat. More cacao also means more flavanols, so it is best to choose dark chocolate that includes at least 70 percent cacao solids.

3.Is unsweetened 100% cacao dark chocolate?

Let's get some basics out of the way: 100% dark chocolate is unique in the chocolate world because, by definition, it's unsweetened. Sometimes it's made with nothing but cacao beans, and sometimes it's made with a mix of cacao beans and added cacao butter (that's the fat portion of the cacao bean). Either version can be sold as 100% dark chocolate because it contains only cacao-based ingredients. Either version is a savory, rather than sweet, food.

4.Is dark chocolate actually good for you?

Dark chocolate is a rich source of antioxidants and minerals, and it generally contains less sugar than milk chocolate. Some research suggests that dark chocolate may help lower the risk of heart disease, reduce inflammation and insulin resistance, and improve brain function.

Read More:

10 Most Popular 70% Cocoa Dark Chocolates in the World (Taste, Benefits & Nutrition)

14 of the Best 70-100% Cocoa Dark Chocolates (Benefits, Nutrition & Calories)

10 Most Popular Sparkling Water Brands in the World, Ranked 2024

Dasani vs. Aquafina vs. Nestle vs. Arrowhead vs. Fiji: Which Bottled Water Brand is the Best?

Perrier vs. San Pellegrino vs. Topo Chico: Which Makes the Best Sparkling Water Brand?

Evian vs. Fiji vs. VOSS vs. Essentia vs. Acqua Panna: Which Wins the Bottled Water Showdown?

Spindrift vs. Bubly vs. La Croix vs. Waterloo vs. AHA: Which Makes the Best Sparkling Water?

6
2021-12-30 23:432815