20 Grocery Store Dark Chocolate Bars, Ranked Worst To Best

It's easy to latch onto a single dark chocolate brand and stick with it, but there are plenty of options to try. Not unlike wine and whiskey, different dark chocolate bars provide various flavor notes to experience. Even if you prefer dark chocolate brands that are sweeter and fudgier, you may find a more savory option tastes interesting, too.

With so many dark chocolate brands available at grocery stores, I tried — and ranked — 20 different varieties to truly broaden my dark chocolate horizons. Granted, not all dark chocolate bars are created equally, and some of the sampled brands tasted like things I'd rather not have in my chocolate. The flavor notes were paramount, but the mouthfeel was important, too (and when two brands were close, other factors, such as price, were also considered). 

I discovered a world of dark chocolate options beyond what I'd tried before. With that in mind, be sure to note which of these brands you'd like to try the next time a craving strikes. Here are 20 grocery store dark chocolate brands ranked from worst to best.

While Lily's states its product has no sugar added, that doesn't mean there's no sweetener at all. Instead, it contains erythritol and stevia extract. Additionally, Lily's Intensely Dark chocolate bar contains 92% cacao and has no creamy ingredients like cocoa butter. Consequently, Lily's tastes extremely bitter — sort of like chomping down on a piece of unsweetened chocolate (which also appears on the ingredient list).

The artificial sweeteners don't actually sweeten this, but serve to give it a strange and unpleasant aftertaste. This was actually the only brand I spat out, since it wasn't melting very well in my mouth. Additionally, having found this brand at Whole Foods, I shouldn't be surprised it ended up at the bottom of my list. After all, Lily's is among Whole Foods' worst chocolate treats. Since it was one of the most expensive bars I found, as well, it comes in last.

Beyond Good sells dark chocolate bars ranging from 70% to 92% cocoa. The one I purchased at Whole Foods was Beyond Good Pure Dark, which contains 92% cocoa. Consequently, there's not much room leftover for cocoa butter or sugar to make it remotely soft or sweet, making this one of the worst brands I tried.

Beyond Good sort of reminded me of eating vegetable soup (with a little curry in it). More than that, it tasted a bit like someone's lunch had accidentally been dumped into the vat of chocolate during the production process. While the brand claims to protect 89 species, such as lemurs, I found it beyond bad taste-wise. It was also one of the most expensive bars on this list overall, so this truly odd-tasting dark chocolate bar places near the bottom.

Theo has the distinction of being a non-GMO, fair trade, and organic product. Made in Canada, Theo Pure Dark is 85% dark chocolate and claims to have 75% less sugar than other leading brands. Unfortunately, it tastes like it's been sitting in a shop absorbing the flavors of various spices and soaps around it.

Furthermore, this grocery store dark chocolate brand was extremely powdery, and left a film on my teeth. It's sweetness level was low, but it was slightly more palatable and affordable than Beyond Good (hence it ranking just above that brand). Still, even if Theo ranked well in our list of overall chocolate brands, its Pure Dark simply isn't very good, and I couldn't place it any higher.

I was able to find the Bettergoods brand of premium Swiss chocolate at Walmart for a fairly low price. Bettergoods Dark Chocolate is 85% dark chocolate, fair-trade certified, and made with chocolate from Ecuador and Ghana. This hard chocolate didn't have a lot of melt or sweetness. In fact, it tasted somewhat like a combination of cocoa powder and something savory (like a food that's acquired the flavors of everything else in your fridge). Consequently, it's one of the lowest-ranked dark chocolate brands on this list.

Simply put, I've had much better Swiss chocolate. Bettergoods may have been slightly better-tasting than Theo, and less pricey, as well. But it was still one of the least impressive brands I sampled, so it can't rank any higher.

Chocolove uses Belgian chocolate and comes with a love poem inside. While I've seen this brand several places, the only non-flavored dark chocolate variety was available at Whole Foods. Regardless of where I purchased the brand, it seems I'm simply not a fan of the Chocolove Rich Dark Chocolate variety with 65% cocoa.

Nevermind that it's non-GMO, sustainable, social, and ethical. The fact of the matter is this dark chocolate brand sort of tastes like Band-Aids, shoe polish, or something of that ilk. Consequently, while it was creamy, melty, and not too sugary, it also isn't for me. Since it was creamier, cheaper, and consisted of less odd flavors than the lower-ranked brands, it places slightly higher, but still belongs near the bottom.

Alter Eco represents a step up in flavor from the bottom five entries. I sampled the Classic Blackout variety with 85% cacao, and the cacao beans, cacao butter, raw cane sugar, and vanilla beans used are all organic. This brand is definitely an experience with a unique savory flavor, which may be closer to the flavor of straight cacao. It's not very sweet, though, and the texture was hard and powdery.

Additionally, though it left an odd coating on my teeth, I can say that if I were hosting a chocolate tasting party, I may include this one for the novelty. Still, it's not a dark chocolate most people would come away considering their favorite — myself included. So while it's not the worst option, it's hardly one of the better grocery store dark chocolate brands, either.

Lindt uses Swiss chocolate, and its 70% cocoa Dark Chocolate bar has the distinction of including bourbon vanilla beans. It melted almost exactly like a piece of butter in my mouth, meaning the texture was on point. The mouthfeel made it special enough to beat out the lower-ranked dark chocolate brands, but the flavor wasn't on point, so I couldn't place it any higher.

While rich and chocolatey, this brand tasted somewhat like paper — hardly a flavor I crave in my chocolate. I could detect the bourbon in the vanilla faintly, but it wasn't enough to push this one into likable territory for me. It's easy to find (I located mine at Walmart) for any Lindt fans, but it still belongs in the bottom half of this list.

Moser Roth is made in Germany and is exclusive to Aldi (which imports all its chocolates from Europe). Moser Roth Dark Chocolate is a fair trade bar with 70% cocoa, and while it contains vanilla powder, I didn't really detect it. It was rich and chocolatey, and somewhat bitter with a low level of sweetness, but it's largely generic tasting, hence its lower-half placement.

This bar was harder than Lindt, though it had a medium melt level on my tongue. Additionally, it left a negative, bitter taste in my mouth. Since I enjoyed this brand slightly more than Lindt, it ranks just above it. But even with a fairly cheap cost on average, it can't place higher.

Great Value has some surprisingly good products, so I was optimistic about Walmart's store brand Dark Chocolate bar. Unfortunately, it smelled like rubber upon opening it ... and my optimism waned.

Now, it didn't actually taste like rubber, but the flavor was reminiscent of eating straight hardened cocoa with sugar. This dark chocolate bar was so hard that I had difficulty breaking off a piece. It also wasn't melty at all, and seemed like a case of getting what you pay for (given this was the cheapest bar I purchased for these rankings).

To be fair, it was mildly sweet, and I liked the flavor more than Moser Roth (or any lower-ranked brands). And while I'd never go out of my way to buy this again necessarily, if I were craving chocolate? I suppose I'd eat it, so it belongs right in the middle of this list.

Hershey's is a well-known name in the U.S., mainly for milk chocolate. I'd never tried Hershey's dark chocolate before this, so I was curious. While Hershey's Special Dark smells a lot like M&Ms, the flavor of this 50% chocolate solid candy bar isn't that great overall. Even though I'm a dark chocolate lover, I think I prefer Hershey's other chocolate bars over this one.

There's a powdery feel in the background of this hard chocolate, which takes a long time to melt in your mouth (despite containing milk fat). It's lacking in creaminess, tastes fairly generic, and isn't as sweet as I assumed it would be. Then again, its high-medium level of sweetness helped it edge out Great Value to rank just above it. Since it was a fairly cheap and widely available option, as well, it ranks just outside the top 10.

Ghirardelli Intense Dark represents a mid-range chocolate in my opinion. Unlike the lower-ranked entries, there isn't much to complain about, but the flavor isn't very distinctive, either. It's just chocolate — and nothing more. As a result, it comes right in the middle of these rankings.

While this dark chocolate brand contains vanilla extract among the ingredients, it doesn't really figure into the flavor profile (at least, it didn't for me). Overall, this was a fairly middle-of-the-road choice — one that's ideal when there's no better options at Walmart or another grocery store, making it well-placed on this list.

Mr. Beast Feastables Dark Chocolate smells a lot like M&Ms, and includes vanilla in its ingredient list. The bar has a medium level of hardness and a pleasantly sweet flavor that's akin to cocoa powder. Since it's leaps ahead of the lower-ranked bars, it cracks the top 10 of this list.

Now, while it's better than the lower-ranked brands, it's not necessarily anything to write home about. This may be because there aren't any standout ingredients included (aside from milk fat). Mr. Beast Feastables is still a decent choice, though, and can be found at Walmart for fairly cheap, so it ranks relatively highly.

Hu represents the ascent toward greatness in dark chocolate bars. I found Hu chocolate bars in various flavors at several stores, but finding the Simple Dark Chocolate variety was challenging (I eventually found it at Whole Foods). This brand has a maple scent, which I found intriguing, and rather than cane sugar, it contains unrefined coconut sugar. The bar itself is hard, but somehow, it had a medium level of meltiness.

I didn't detect any coconut flavor, and the sugar level is low. Still, it had a pleasantly sweet cardboard flavor (which is actually a good thing), and a nice raisin-like taste. Hu dark chocolate is good, then, but also expensive, so it's well-placed in the upper half of this list.

Blue Stripes Pure Dark has one of the more unique ingredient lists I encountered. It contains 70% whole cacao chocolate, which includes coconut sugar, cacao shell fibers, and cacao fruit sugar. It also boasts a number of vitamins and minerals, is non-GMO, and vegan. The chocolate itself (which comes from Ecuador) is smooth and melts nicely, with a lovely flavor of light coconut — earning it a fairly high spot on this list.

While it does leave a slightly bitter aftertaste (like a dark roast coffee), that small negative is outweighed by the rest of the experience. Tasted side by side with Hu, I found I preferred this brand more, so it ranks one spot above that one. It may be one of the more expensive brands I sampled, but it's still worth a try.

In the past, Cadbury Royal Dark Chocolate was my favorite variety, and it's still a tasty option. However, it's become more difficult to find in recent years, and I had to go to three Walgreens locations to find it. Tasting it again after a long time, I discovered Cadbury's dark chocolate has a medium level of hardness, so it takes longer to melt in your mouth.

Additionally, it reminded me of a dark version of Easter candy — though I suppose it would, considering all the Cadbury Easter products. I could taste more straight cocoa in this one, too, and the sweetness level is higher than most. While it didn't taste quite like I remembered it, this dark chocolate brand was still decent, so it's well-situated in sixth place on this list.

Divine's claim to fame is that it's a fair trade company that's co-owned by the Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Union in Ghana. It's also vegan and halal. The version I tried was the Deliciously Smooth Dark Chocolate, which is 70% cocoa. It tasted nutty, with a chocolate liqueur flavor that made it interesting enough to earn fifth place.

The nuttiness is what won me over with this one (even though I don't normally enjoy nutty chocolate). Since it's hard and doesn't have a lot of melt — along with a lower level of sweetness — I wouldn't call it "divine," per se. But it's still among the best chocolate products at Whole Foods, and certainly worth a try (despite a higher price point), putting Divine at the number five spot on this list.

Since any type of Dove chocolate squares is a treat, I wasn't entirely surprised to find I liked the texture and flavor of Dove Dark Chocolate. It's soft, melty, and fudgy, and has a full-bodied mouth feel, as well. That, in fact, is what sets it apart (along with its flavor), and why Dove comes in at number four among dark chocolate brands.

The sweetness level of this bar is medium, and there's a slight chocolate liqueur flavor to it. Dove also has a Rainforest Alliance rating, so you don't have to feel guilty eating it. Given those factors, Dove places above all but three others on this list.

The Schogetten brand is made in Germany with sustainably sourced chocolate. Despite not including coconut among the ingredients, it has a very coconut-like flavor. Of course, since it lists "natural flavor" as an ingredient, it could very well include coconut in some form.

This dark chocolate brand cracks the top three because I enjoyed how melty and fudgy it was, likely resulting from the butterfat it contains. It's on the sweeter side of the spectrum, too, which works quite well with its texture. One of the cheapest grocery store dark chocolate brands I sampled for this article, Schogetten can be found at Aldi. Between the delightful flavor, fudginess, and cost, this brand easily belongs in third place.  

Harison Dark Chocolate has a distinctive flavor. In fact, I detected coconut right away, and even had to check the ingredient list to see if there was any coconut contained (there isn't). While it has 74% cocoa, the overall presence is light, and this brand might be able to win over some milk chocolate fans — making it the second-best grocery store dark chocolate brand I tried.

While it's low on sweetness, the flavors work well enough together that you aren't likely to miss the extra sugar (despite its slight bitterness). The bar is hard initially, but it melts easily in your mouth. The flavor is great, of course, but its combination of flavor and smoothness is what makes it so good (owing to the butterfat). This gem was found at Walmart, and was only bested by a single brand.

Choceur Dark Chocolate was my favorite dark chocolate brand beforehand, and when all was said and done? It remained my favorite. Available at Aldi locations, Choceur is an Austrian chocolate bar and is Rain Forest Alliance certified.

Now, what I've always liked about Choceur is that it's fudgy. The brand tends to fill my craving for chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, in fact, given its melt in your mouth texture and scent. It's creamy, with a buttery flavor in the background, and a medium sweetness level.

Another thing that sets it apart is its inclusion of milk, while still qualifying as a dark chocolate. In short, when compared against all other dark chocolate brands I tried, Choceur won on both flavor and texture. Being one of the cheapest options (both overall and per ounce) didn't hurt, either, which is why it's the number one grocery store dark chocolate brand.

My main criteria when choosing chocolate bars was that they had to be just chocolate in the name, with nothing else included (such as sea salt). If a brand offered dark chocolate bars with multiple strengths, I chose the option with the lowest percentage of cacao, as that's more likely to appeal to the average dark chocolate lover.

While I was limited to what I could find locally, I was pleasantly surprised at how many different dark chocolate bars were available at a handful of grocery and drug store chains. With that in mind, most of these brands should be fairly easy to find considering the proliferation of these stores.

In these rankings, I had to quantify what I was experiencing when tasting each chocolate, then decide what made one better than another. I analyzed each brand's flavor and texture, as well as listed ingredients, but sometimes? You just like the chocolate you like. The overall flavor notes, like bitterness and sweetness, mattered most, but the mouthfeel was important, too. Price was also considered, and used as a secondary deciding factor during the rankings process.