When it comes to dark chocolate bar treats, I’m definitely a loyal indulger pretty much on a daily basis. But I try to make sure I eat quality chocolate from a good source and with good ingredients.

What are the best Healthy Options for Dark Chocolate Bars?

To select the best-of-the-best, here’s what to look out for:

1) 70% or more cacao content to get the health benefits of antioxidants
2) zero to very low added sugars (below 5g or so)
3) no emulsifier (soy lecithin)
4) no natural flavors
5) organic or non-gmo certified (if possible)

Below are some top chocolate brands I trust and enjoy.

1. alter eco

alter eco is by far my most favorite dark chocolate bar to buy. They have multiple flavors to choose from which is nice to have paired flavors to enhance the chocolate experience, and I most often buy the 85% cacao content raspberry blackout or 90% cacao content mint blackout. I’m most familiar with these two flavors, so currently my review are for these.

What is the price like?
If buying at Whole Foods, sometimes they have great Amazon prime member discounts where you might see something like 2 for $6.30 which would be $3.15 per bar. If you’re not an Amazon prime member, and if still on sale, you might see something like 2 for $7 which would be $3.50 per bar. If there is no sale, each bar could cost $4.49. There is an option to buy direct from alter eco online under subscribe and save 15% which means you would buy 12 bars and set a delivery every 1, 2, 3, or 4 months. This averages the bars to be $3.47 each. However, shipping may apply, so I would maybe only consider this option if you plan to buy the minimum limit to receive free shipping or if you are willing to pay the shipping because you cannot find the flavor you like in your local grocery store.

What’s in the ingredient list?
Peppermint bar: *organic Cacao Beans, *organic cocoa butter, *organic raw cane sugar, peppermint crunch (**organic raw cane sugar, organic peppermint oil, *organic cocoa powder), *organic vanilla beans.
Raspberry bar: *Organic cacao beans, *organic cocoa butter, *organic raw cane sugar, organic dried raspberries, *organic vanilla beans.

Do they meet the criteria for a healthy dark chocolate bar?
Yes, the raspberry and mint bars are 70% or more cacao content, have very low added sugars, include no emulsifiers, no natural flavors, and are organic and fair trade.

How do they taste?
These dark chocolate bars are rich and brilliantly flavored. Be careful because they are absolutely addicting. I’m so grateful they exist, and I can call them my most favorite dark chocolate bars.

2. theo

theo is another dark chocolate bar that I like to buy. They also have multiple flavors to choose from, and I most often buy the 70% cacao content orange. I’m most familiar with this flavor, so currently my review is for this one.

What is the price like?
If there is no sale at Whole Foods, each bar could cost $4.29. There is an option to buy direct from theo online where you can make a one-time purchase of a 12-pack where each bar would cost $3.59 each or there is a subscribe and save 10% which means you would buy 12 bars and set a delivery every 1, 2, or 3 months, and this lowers the cost to $3.23 per bar. However, shipping costs may apply if you do not spend a minimum of $65. This might be worth it depending on your needs.

What’s in the ingredient list?
Cocoa Beans*+, Cane Sugar*+, Cocoa Butter*+, Orange Essential Oil*.

Do they meet the criteria for a healthy dark chocolate bar?
Yes, mostly, the orange dark chocolate bar is 70% or more cacao content, include no emulsifiers, no natural flavors, and are organic and fair trade. However, the sugar content is 9g added sugar. This is a little more than what I would prefer, but I still consider it a great option compared to the other more heavily added sugar chocolate bars on the shelf.

How do they taste?
These dark chocolate bars are more on the sweet side, but taste excellent. I love to buy this one from time-to-time to switch up my chocolate craving needs. The orange flavor is spot on.

3. Lindt

Lindt is a dark chocolate bar I like to buy when I’m I just want to enjoy some plain dark chocolate flavor and maybe when there aren’t any other good options to buy if I’m at Walmart let’s say. I most often buy the 85% cacao content excellence dark chocolate. I’m most familiar with this bar, so currently my review is for this one.

What is the price like?
If there is no sale, each bar could cost $3.37 at Walmart. There is an option to buy direct from Lindt online where they have a buy 4 bars and get 1 of those for free which would average each bar at $3.67. However, shipping may apply if you do not spend the minimum of $75. In this case, I think Walmart is your best bet to find this bar at the better price.

What’s in the ingredient list?
Chocolate, cocoa powder, cocoa butter, demerara sugar, bourbon vanilla beans.

Do they meet the criteria for a healthy dark chocolate bar?
Yes, mostly, the excellence dark chocolate bar is 70% or more cacao content, have very low added sugars, include no emulsifiers, no natural flavors. However the chocolate is not organic certified. They market, “made with premium ingredients that are sustainably sourced.”

How do they taste?
These dark chocolate bars have a smooth, silky taste and are very satisfying when you want to enjoy a plain, pure dark chocolate bar.

Conclusion

There are many wonderful brands of healthy dark chocolate bars out there. I’m glad to share my top favorites with you today, and would love for you to comment on your feedback and share which healthy dark chocolate bars you love and why. Thanks for visiting my blog and for your kind support.