With Easter on the way, chocolate is filling up stores in the form of bunnies and eggs.
Since Health.com staffers love chocolate (one reason: it can be a healthy indulgence) they took it upon themselves to test healthier versions of the treat to see if any would satisfy that afternoon chocolate craving and taste as good as other types of chocolate.
Rough job, I know. But if you’re looking to fill Easter baskets with something a bit different this year, then try one of these better-for-you chocolate brands…they are editor approved!
We tried everything from raw chocolate to un-junked versions of our favorite candy bar classics. Here are the brands we tried and what items we thought were the standouts from each:
NibMor. This brand is organic, vegan, has no refined sugar, dairy, gluten or GMO ingredients. It might lack those things, but the taste and texture of the chocolate doesn’t suffer one bit. Staffers found that the dark chocolate was still creamy and not too bitter. The name stands for nibble more and that’s definitely what you will be doing!
Our favorites: Crispy Dark Chocolate Bar (it tastes like a Crunch bar!) and the Daily Dose of Dark Mint + Nib individually wrapped pieces—perfect to keep in your office for an afternoon nibble.
Theo Chocolate. This gourmet-style, chocolate-with-a-conscience definitely offers the most inventive and unique selection of flavors—we tried everything from Fig, Fennel, and Almond Dark Chocolate to Honey Saffron Caramels. And since it’s organic, non-GMO, and fair trade, it’s better for you and the world!
Our favorites: The caramels received high praises from everyone in the office who tried them. Though if you like some heat, the chili-dusted chocolates are for you.
Unreal. Chief Innovation Officer & Head Chef, Adam Melonas, is on a mission to “unjunk” America’s favorite junk food and candy was the obvious first choice. With peanut butter cups and caramel filled chocolate bars that are as delicious as their name-brand counterparts without all preservatives and artificial ingredients, it looks like he’s off to a good start!
Our favorites: The UNREAL8 bar with chocolate, caramel, peanuts and nougat was delicious and the UNREAL 77 peanut butter cups, though not as rich as a Reese’s, are a perfect cure for a chocolate craving.
Raw Chocolate Love. It was the first time many of us had tried raw chocolate, which is 100 percent raw, vegan, gluten-free, and organic. Though the texture is slightly different than a typical chocolate bar, it was just as satisfying…and with such a short ingredient list you can feel pretty good about indulging!
Our favorites: “Coconut Love,” 78 percent dark. We loved that the coconut flavor really stands out and it tastes so indulgent you only need a little bit to feel satisfied.
Tip: Keep it refrigerated or it gets soft (though it kind of tastes like a rich, fudgy brownie when it melts, which really isn’t so bad) and you get a better sense of the flavors by letting it melt in your mouth rather than chewing it.
Fun stories about food, relationships, the great outdoors and more.