There’s almost nothing better than treating yourself to something indulgent after stocking your cart with weekly essentials. Grocery shopping is hard work! Enter: the Trader Joe’s chocolate aisle. With nearly an entire aisle overflowing with chocolate, there are plenty of options to go around. So, which of the nearly thirty chocolate bars to choose?
After a great deal of taste-testing and much deliberation, our guide to the best Trader Joe’s chocolate will give you a great selection of chocolate actually worth spending money on. From straightforward bars to playful variations, milk chocolate to dark chocolate, and everything in between, there’s a Trader Joe’s chocolate for every preference and every mood.
SEE ALSO: 100 BEST THINGS TO BUY AT TRADER JOE’S
10. Cocoa Truffles
There’s only one word to fully describe the Trader Joe’s Cocoa Truffles: indulgent. These small truffles pack tons of richness into a single piece, and it’s part of what makes them one of the best Trader Joe’s chocolates. Their texture is velvety smooth, and the chocolate tastes intensely of cocoa. They are great bites to have on hand for those days when you need a little extra dose of chocolate– and truthfully, isn’t that every day?
9. Pound Plus Dark Chocolate
Certainly sweet, the Pound Plus Dark Chocolate Bar has a simple, straightforward taste that is both sugary and deeply chocolatey. While this admittedly isn’t the best snacking chocolate, it’s still a solid chocolate fix. Mostly, it’s a phenomenal option for baking (our favorite way to use this bar). Chopped up and mixed into chocolate chip cookies, melted and blended into brownie batter, or made into a velvety ganache, its uses are essentially limitless.
8. Pinks & Whites Dark Chocolate Bar
The Pinks & White Dark Chocolate Bar has so much personality and spunk. Packed with sprinkles and whole shortbread cookies, the dark chocolate balances these sweet additions effortlessly. Rich, buttery shortbread cookies are the star of the show, giving a pleasant texture to its thin base of chocolate. Almost like a bark, this bar is unique and playful. It’s one of the best Trader Joe’s chocolate bars for gift-giving, but it also makes any ordinary day just a little more exciting.
7. Organic 63% Dark Chocolate from Madagascar Sea Salt & Nibs
Cocoa nibs give this single-origin chocolate bar an updated spin. With fruity notes, a touch of saltiness, and an almost acidic base, this bar has a well-rounded and nuanced profile. Plus, it’s both pleasantly bitter and delightfully textural, making it the perfect choice if you’re in search of something a bit more sophisticated.
6. Pound Plus Milk Chocolate with Almonds
Incredibly creamy, the Pound Plus Milk Chocolate with Almonds is one of the best snacking chocolates at Trader Joe’s. Handfuls of raw, whole almond pieces sprawl throughout the milky chocolate, giving the bar both flavor and plenty of texture. While the milk chocolate is delicious on its own, this bar is significantly elevated by the pronounced, unapologetic almonds. As a result, it’s a bar of chocolate worth snacking on all day long, and one you’ll crave over and over again.
5. Swiss Milk Chocolate with 30% Whole Hazelnuts
Hazelnuts and chocolate are a match made in heaven! The Swiss Milk Chocolate with 30% Whole Hazelnuts is one of the best chocolates you can get at Trader Joe’s, and it celebrates everything that’s good about this iconic food combo. Every bite is filled with whole hazelnuts, all completely robed in creamy milk chocolate. Because of the milkiness of the chocolate and the distinct nuttiness of the hazelnuts, this chocolate bar is a can’t miss.
4. Organic Dark Chocolate 73% Cacao Super Dark
When looking for a no-nonsense bar of dark chocolate, the Organic Dark Chocolate bar is a clear winner. With earthy notes that mellow into a rich, creamy finish, this standard dark chocolate feels a little more elevated than the average bar. Because its deep taste of cocoa is indulgent yet simple, it’s a Trader Joe’s chocolate bar truly perfect for a post-grocery shopping treat.
3. Valrhona Le Noir Extra Amer
Valrhona is a well-known French chocolatier, and its reputation is earned. Their chocolate bars are always balanced, giving a pronounced taste of cacao. While many commercially produced chocolates have an immediate taste of sugar, Valrhona approaches it much more softly. The cacao is the star, melting across the tongue with natural, acidic tannins that mellow into smooth, fruity undertones. This particular bar is especially dark, so expect a bitter warmth. In short, if you’re in the market for a good commercial chocolate bar, this is the one for you!
2. Organic Milk Chocolate Truffle
The runner-up on this guide to the best Trader Joe’s Chocolate is the Organic Milk Chocolate Truffle– and it’s a close second. Like any good milk chocolate, this bar is abruptly milky and lingers on the tongue with a smooth, rich creaminess. Its sweetness is not far behind, but is delicate enough that it doesn’t come on too strongly. Melt-in-your-mouth smooth and rich without being too sweet, this bar is an easy staple to our Trader Joe’s chocolate guide.
1. Dark Chocolate with Caramel and Sea Salt
Without question, the Dark Chocolate with Caramel and Sea Salt is the best Trader Joe’s chocolate. Because of its perfectly tempered dark chocolate shell, it snaps to make way for ribbons of effortlessly salty caramel to pull softly from each square. This is a bar you can go back to again and again, enjoying every bite’s salty-sweet dynamic. Whether you are snacking or gift-giving, it’s the perfect bar for just about any occasion, and one you could (and maybe should) buy every time you grocery shop.