Looking for healthy chocolate brands? Discover delicious dark chocolate options perfect for gifting or indulging guilt-free!
I have never trusted people who say they don’t like chocolate. It feels like an insult to human nature like someone insisting they have no regrets. Chocolate is, after all, one of the few universal languages, spoken fluently across cultures, classes, and centuries. The first time I realized it could also be healthy was somewhere between a late-night search for low-sugar snacks and a misguided attempt to hack my glucose levels. The results were inconclusive, but the chocolates I found—Chocxo, Alter Eco, and Hu—have stayed with me. They’re rich but not cloying, indulgent yet respectable. They also make the perfect gift.
Chocxo
Chocxo Dark Chocolate Coconut Almond & Sea Salt Snaps
Chocxo’s Dark Chocolate Coconut Almond & Sea Salt Snaps remind me of the handful of trail mix I used to keep in my bag before the world moved on to protein bars and electrolyte powders. The dark chocolate is 85% cacao. Each piece is individually wrapped, which means you can pretend you’re the kind of person with self-control.
There’s a science to how salt enhances sweetness and it’s surprisingly effective. These chocolates have just two grams of sugar in every piece. They’re also organic, non-GMO, and gluten-free, but what matters is that they taste like something you’d reach for even if no one was watching.
And if you eat dark chocolate, you might be making a healthier choice. Eating dark chocolate is linked to a lower chance of getting type 2 diabetes. A study that lasted over 30 years and included 192,000 people found that those who ate dark chocolate at least five times a week had a 21% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Milk chocolate, however, didn’t offer the same benefits.
Alter Eco
Alter Eco Super Blackout Chocolate Bars
Alter Eco’s Super Blackout bar is 90% cocoa, so it’s intensely dark, but not unpleasantly bitter. There’s a hint of Madagascar vanilla in every bite, softening the intensity, making it something you want to savor. Fair Trade, organic, wrapped in FSC-certified recyclable packaging—it’s the chocolate equivalent of someone who composts and enjoys it. But Alter Eco’s dedication to social good isn’t just a smokescreen.
A study found that even chocolate can be political. Over 800 people rated eight popular chocolate brands and shared their political views. Then, they were split into two groups.
One group was told that a previous study showed their political opponents liked a certain chocolate the most. The other group was told which chocolate their own side preferred. Then, they rated the chocolates again.
The results showed that people liked the chocolate less if their political opponents preferred it. But they did not like their own side’s favorite chocolate more.
This means people avoid what their opponents like rather than choosing what their own side prefers.
Even chocolate can divide us. But choosing healthy chocolate brands that support fair wages and sustainability might be a small way to stand for something better.
Hu
Hu Hazelnut Butter Chocolate Bar
Hu’s Hazelnut Butter Chocolate Bar is what Nutella would be if it grew up and started taking care of itself. No dairy, no refined sugar, no emulsifiers—just cacao, coconut sugar, and cocoa butter wrapped around a center of hazelnut butter so smooth it could talk its way out of a speeding ticket.
The brand’s philosophy is “Get Back to Human,” which sounds vaguely like a dystopian survival manual but simply means eating food that doesn’t read like a chemistry experiment.
And if you ever needed an excuse to eat more dark chocolate, consider this: Flavanols—the plant compounds abundant in dark chocolate—help protect your vascular system even after consuming high-fat foods. A square of Hu’s dark chocolate might be the secret to recovering after a stressful day or an indulgent meal.
My Guide to Giving the Gift of Good Chocolate
A good chocolate bar—thoughtful, rich, just the right balance of bitter and sweet—says you understand a person’s cravings, maybe even their contradictions.
Chocxo is for the friend who stashes snacks in her car but insists on reading ingredient labels. Alter Eco’s 90% Super Blackout is for your sister who drinks her coffee black and has strong opinions about the Oxford comma. Hu’s Hazelnut Butter Chocolate Bar should go to your minimalist boyfriend who sports the same white sneakers every day and somehow, never spills coffee on them.
Read: Discover the Best Coffee with Chocolate Notes
Chocolate may not solve everything, but it’s a start. And if you’re wondering whether gifting healthy chocolate brands makes you the kind of person who believes pleasure should always be earned—well, maybe. But it also makes you the kind of person who knows that the best gifts are the ones people want to eat.
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