Food | Chocolate
Supah Star Dark Chocolate Superfood Bars
I found this chocolate when I visited a local organic farm-to-table restaurant. It was the only chocolate they sell. And I understand why. It’s made from whole food wildcrafted cacao. DELICIOUS. Handmade with 100% organic ingredients.“Enjoy 6 of the world’s most nutrient dense foods (Goji Berries, Coconut, Hemp Seeds, Chia Seeds, Maca Root & Cacao) that support and nourish all the systems in your body…Every ingredient in our chocolate is as close to a whole food as it can be. We do NOT use emulsifiers (thickening agents) or fillers. Lots of bars have tons of other stuff in them to stretch out the Cacao…making the true experience of the Cacao dull and bringing a major focus to the sweetness only. The actual Cacao we use is exquisite…..like all our ingredients. Read more about the Cacao we use here. The Cacao that we use is WILDCRAFTED…very unique in this day and age of high tech agriculture and farming. We can taste the difference and are very grateful it’s available to US to pass on to YOU. It also has a higher mineral content and nutritional integrity.” Sweetened with coconut sugar. Best chocolate I’ve found yet!
Coracao Chocolate
I found these chocolates at my local community food store, who often carries products not found elsewhere. Simple and delicious organic HEIRLOOM chocolate sweetened with coconut sugar. 81% dark heirloom chocolate comes in bars in several flavors, and they also have boxes filled with pieces in flavors you would recognize from a candy store. Great for gifts.
Cacoco Drinking Chocolate
I found this chocolate at my local farmer’s market. It’s different from any other I’ve seen because it’s WHOLE chocolate made from heirloom cacao grown in healthy soil. Virtually all other chocolate is processed and separated and then mixed together again. This chocolate takes the whole cacao beans as they are and grinds them, then “rather than the standard processed cocoa powder, cane sugar, and milk, we add all organic superfood herbs and spices [plus a bit of coconut sugar and Himalayan salt] to our fair trade chocolate blends for an amazing vitality elixir with anti-oxidants, minerals, and essential fatty acids, as well as a pharmacopeia of bliss inducing compounds that are most present in heirloom cacao varietals from healthy soil… CACOCO is the purest form of cacao directly sourced from beyond-organic farms, that not only improve the health of the environment but produce a chocolate that showcases the finer nuances of well maintained soil and cultivation and highlight the terroir of the region…We currently source all of our heirloom cacao from organic and regenerative farms in Ecuador. CACOCO is currently working in tandem with Terra Genesis International (TGI)* to build a regenerative network of businesses committed to rebuilding supply chains based on regenerative principles.” I tasted them all at the farmer’s market and liked the 80% Extra Dark best. This is not a powder, it’s more like a crumble that needs to be well-mixed.
Hnina Gourmet Artisan Chocolatier
Raw dark chocolate truffles and sprouted nuts & seeds gourmet treats, made by a French woman to address her need for pure, raw, dark chocolate and a gourmet experience. “we use 100% raw organic natural and unprocessed traceable ingredients originating from both local organic farms and the world’s best sources of fair-trade sustainable pure organic fair trade raw cacao, sprouted nuts, sprouted seeds, raw honey, pure maple, dates and pure organic vanilla beans.. The quality of each pure ingredient is the reason for the taste, healthy properties and overall quality of the finished product. We tolerate no GMOs or harmful pesticides; we use no refined processed sugar, soy lecithin or dairy, no colorants or preservatives, no palm oil, vegetable oil, high fructose syrup or corn syrup, no wax or other shining agents, many of which are often present in the most popular, even high end chocolates.
Honey Mama’s Chocolate
“Honey Mama’s bars are raw honey-sweetened cocoa treats made from five nutrient-rich ingredients. Each bar has a base of raw honey and virgin coconut oil, with the addition of cocoa powder, Himalayan pink salt, and either sprouted almonds OR shredded coconut. That’s it! We’re committed to sourcing the highest quality direct–trade, non–GMO, and organic ingredients we can find to make a product that naturally stimulates well-being and is out-of-this-world delicious! To learn more about the fabulous ingredients that go into our bars, click here. For more information on our suppliers, click here. These bars are simply delicious!
Phat Fudge
An all-organic fudge made from grass-fed butter, tahini, cacao, ground coffee, turmeric, cinnamon, sea salt, maca, raw honey, vanilla, and cayenne.
Ulimana
“Let thy dessert be thy medicine” is the motto of these chocolatiers. A proprietary blend of raw, fair trade, organic cacao, low-glycemic organic coconut nectar, organic cacao butter, and organic food flavorings. “Creating exceptional tasting chocolate with healing, nutritional properties was the passion behind UliMana Chocolate Truffles when we began in 2005 in Asheville, NC and this is the mission which continues to drive us forward today. As the first raw chocolate company, we remember the light that went off when we discovered raw chocolate to be one of the most, if not the most, nutrient rich and complex foods known to man, and how our bodies have the ability to thrive as long as we eat real, unadulterated food. And this is the light we see in others as we continually educate people on the benefits of raw chocolate and how they too can thrive.Our creative and joyful chocolatiers are devoted to making our truffles using the purest and finest, certified organic ingredients. UliMana Chocolate Truffles are hand rolled with care, often to the sound of stories, laughter and singing of the women gathered around the truffle table. This is truly a chocolate made with joy in every bite.” Can’t wait to try these!
Rawclates
Chocolate bars made from raw, artisan stoneground cacao, coconut sugar and superfoods. “All of Rawlates’ handcrafted gluten free, kosher artisan chocolates are made locally in Brooklyn, NY, created with a passion for pleasing the most enthusiastic chocolate lover…Hadara blends her 25 years of expertise in culinary arts and healing practices to create each unique Rawclate.” I tried these and they are delicious. Very low glycemic. Soy-free, dairy-free, non GMO, organic.
Pure 7 Chocolate
Raw, organic, unprocessed chocolate bars and bites, sweetened with organic honey. 72 or 80 percent cocoa. “We craft raw artisan chocolate using the world’s purest and best organic ingredients, and use innovative low heat techniques to keep the chocolate in its most pure and potent form. After lots of experimenting (and lots of tasting), we came up with a groundbreaking method of making mouth-watering chocolate, sweetened naturally using only raw honey. What’s not to love? There’s no dairy, soy, gluten, refined sugars, preservatives, or chemicals in our chocolate – only organic, pure ingredients.” I’ve tasted this chocolate and it’s delicious! Even though it’s raw and pure, it’s like a regular chocolate bar…only better.
Spicely Organics
More than one hundred organic spices and seasonings, many that you won’t find in your natural food store. “All of our organic spices and seasonings are shipped, steam-sterilized and packaged under our very strict guidelines, ensuring that each and every one of our customers are able to trust and enjoy any and all of our products. By respecting the earth and its environment and the natural organism that is the human body, each and every one of our spices and seasonings are ethically sourced and are free of added chemicals or hazardous materials. We set our production standards extremely high as we understand that you expect the same. Browse and enjoy Spicely Organics spices and seasonings with the peace of mind that comes from knowing we support wholesome nourishment in all of its delicious forms..” Also a small selection of organic teas and organic chocolate flavored with their teas and spices (sweetened with organic cane sugar).
Zenbunni Chocolate
A very different and pretty amazing chocolate! One of the best if you want to eat chocolate in it’s purest form as a superfood. First they start off with artisinal stone ground biodynamic cacao and then handcraft bars using “a wide open range of certified biodynamic, organic, and wild foraged heirloom spices, herbs, leaves, flowers, nuts, oils, salts and minerals to soothe, inspire, amaze, delight, health and nurture you, all graciously provided by Mother Nature.” They have many astounding flavors, sold individually and in sets. Sweetened with a “proprietary mineral-rich sugar blend of biodynamic cane jaggery (whole cane sugar), and organic coconut flower nectar.”
Gnosis Chocolate
This is my personal #1 choice for chocolate. Not only is it delicious, but it is made with “ethically sourced RAW Cacao from Bali, Ecuador, Peru, Grenada, & Madagascar – and add low-glycemic sweeteners (including coconut sugar), nutrient-dense superfoods & medicinal herbs sourced fastidiously from the Amazon to the Himalayas.” Their products are certified Organic, Vegan, and Kosher, and are free of soy, gluten, and dairy. “The result is a functional, decadent chocolate that will delight your taste buds, awaken your senses & provide profound nourishment.” I can vouch for that! Choose from chocolate bars, truffles, trail mixes, cocoa elixers, and supplements. Use promo code “toxicfree10” for 10 percent off your purchase ($30 minimum).
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Listen to Gnosis Chocolate founder Vanessa Barg on Toxic Free Talk Radio |
CocoVia
CocoVia wholefood supplements give you all the benefits of eating chocolate, without the calories, fat, or sugar (of course, without the pleasure of eating chocolate too!). They use their own patented Cocapro process to guarantee the highest concentration of cocoa flavanols in a dietary supplement. “Cocoa flavanols are the beneficial phytonutrients (also known as plant-based nutrients) found naturally in cocoa, and no other food on Earth can match cocoa’s unique blend of flavanols. That’s why experts refer to the cocoa bean as nature’s most surprising ‘superfruit.’ When consumed daily, cocoa flavanols are scientifically proven to help support healthy circulation†, which is important for overall health as well as cardiovascular health, cognitive health, skin health, blood flow and exercise performance” You can also use this unsweetened powder in recipes that are provided on the site.
Taza Chocolate
Stone ground, organic, fair trade chocolate. “We stone grind organic cacao beans into perfectly unrefined, minimally processed chocolate with bold flavor and texture, unlike anything you have ever tasted.” High percentage cacao 95%, 87%, 80%…this is seriously bittersweet. Chocolate discs, chocolate covered treats and a lot more.
Theo Chocolate
“The first Organic and Fair Trade fair for Life Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Factory in North America…Since 2006, we’ve been making the highest quality chocolate from the world’s best cocoa beans, grown in the most sustainable ways possible.” All organic ingredients, including organic sugar. Chocolate bars with unusual flavors, caramels, confections, gift boxes.
Chocolate Bar Database
2008 chocolate bars, representing 473 chocolate makers, and counting, all indexed by name, maker, ingredients, origin, and organic, milk, no soy, and more. Most contain sugar, some contain soy, and other things you might want to watch out for, but this is such a good resource to help you find the chocolate that is right for you, or to find the ingredients of a brand of chocolate you are wondering about. Debbie and Vic have tasted all these chocolates, with a pile of wrappers for proof.
Videri Chocolate Factory
I was walking down the street in Raleigh, North Carolina and happened to find this chocolate factory that makes wonderful, simple chocolate bars with all organic ingredients. Though these chocolate bars contain sugar, I’m including them because they are otherwise free from any artificial ingredients. Organic fair trade cocoa, real vanilla beans…”No soy lecithin, no xanthan gum, no emulsifiers or artificial flavorings. Just whole, organic and fair-trade ingredients.” The handful of flavors are delicious: a good dark chocolate, a milk chocolate that’s 50% cacao, and then dark chocolate with sea salt and another with pink peppercorns. That’s it. Simple. Organic. Chocolate.
Sunspire Chocolate Chips and Candies
A variety of organic fair trade chocolate chips and candies that are different than the usual in several ways. First, their chips come in in 42%, 44%, 51% and 65% (bittersweet) cacao, and are made with organic sugar and actual organic vanilla. They are also free of soy lecithin. Their Chocolate Dream chips are dairy and gluten free. The grain-sweetened chocolate chips taste very good–very chocolately, rather than too sweet. “Our cocoa is grown in Central America and South America by growers who use fair labor practices and provide us with the finest cocoa beans. These are blended, roasted, and stone ground, and cured in REAL vanilla… We use malted barley as a sweetener for a number of reasons. Master chocolatiers prefer the fact malted barley allows the true chocolate taste to dominate, as opposed to sweeteners that become the predominant taste, masking the chocolate. In addition, barley malt is a complex carbohydrate derived from natural grains…Our candies are created in the handmade tradition using old-time candy making techniques. After all, the founder of Sunspire is a fourth generation candy maker.” As of this writing, these products are not sold on their website, but the site has a store finder. You can find their products in most natural food stores, and on-line at Toxic-Free A-Z .
Rapunzel Chocolates
High quality Swiss chocolate bars and cocoa powder made from 100% organic ingredients. Most are sweetened with Rapunzel’s Rapadura whole organic evaporated sugar cane juice. Chocolate is purchased through their ‘Hand-in-Hand’ fair trade program. They have 70% bittersweet bars and semisweet bars with simple flavors.
Green & Black’s Chocolates
Intense, dark organic chocolate bars imported from England, with wonderful additions like hazelnuts and currants, organic butterscotch, organic crystallized ginger, and more. Also a 70% cocoa bittersweet and a milk chocolate. Sweetened with organic raw cane sugar.
Equal Exchange CHocolate
Organic fairtrade chocolate bars, cocoa powder and hot chocolate mix. “The bars combine famous Swiss standards in chocolate making with cocoa from three farmer cooperatives in the Dominican Republic and Peru; sugar from four cooperatives in Paraguay and Costa Rica; and milk (in the Milk Chocolate) from a cooperative in the U.S. These high quality bars come in three varieties: Milk Chocolate (38% cocoa); Dark Chocolate with Almonds (55% cocoa) and Very Dark Chocolate (71% cocoa). ”
Dagoba Organic Chocolate
Love is actually listed on the ingredients list for these exceptional chocolates. Named “best organic chocolate” by Food & Wine magazine and other connoisseurs, Dagoba makes “Premium Hand Crafted Organic Chocolate in uncharted flavor landscapes for the palate.” Their mission is “to create the purest, most exquisite chocolate products available by melding ancient principles and modern methods, offer new and exotic products to the chocolate market and most importantly, help create a better world through organic/sustainable agriculture, ethical trading and eco-friendly manufacturing practices.” Check their website for some intriguing and hard-to-find organic chocolate products: 73% Chocodrops (chocolate chips), Chocolate-coated Coffee Beans, Cacao Nibs, Chocolate Syrup, Cacao Powder. They offer 59% SemiSweet, 74% Bittersweet, and 87% “eclipse” chocolate bars, plus 59% SemiSweet with such flavors as Raspberries-Rosehips, Lavender-Blueberries, and Mint with a Hint of Rosemary. They also have “single origin” bars that are made with beans from unique ecosystems that are fully described on the website. If you like hot chocolate, try their Xocolatl Hot Chocolate–“We’ve resurrected the legendary cacao drink of the Aztecs by adding chilies and a hint of cinnamon to our award-winning Hot Chocolate.” Labels are printed on recycled paper with vegetable-based ink. “Our facility is 100% powered by renewable energy sources and is dedicated organic – no conventional chocolate ever passes through our machinery.” Sweetened with organic evaporated cane juice.
Chocolate Alchemy
Complete instructions on how to roast and process cacao beans into chocolate. “We have a simple but lofty goal. To unearth the esoteric knowledge needed to make great, real, home made chocolate from scratch, and pass that information on to you in a straight forward and approachable way.” They sells raw beans, but they are not organic and their recipes call for white sugar. Still, this is the place if you want to try making your own chocolate from raw beans.
