30 Best Chocolate Brands of All Time
Chocolate has been around for several centuries dating back to the Mayans after the discovery of cocoa beans. Later, chocolate arrived in Europe, and they took it to the next level by adding sugar and milk. It’s safe to say the world wouldn’t be the same without sweet, delicious, and fantastic chocolate. There isn’t a person on the planet that doesn’t love it. Of course, there are many different flavors, including dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate. There are also thousands of chocolate brands worldwide. They all cater to chocolate lovers and their unique tastes. Many of the best chocolate brands are a big part of society. Several of the best brands are older than most historical sites.
Each brand has hundreds of different products filling up shelves. At the heart and soul of all chocolate brands is the classic chocolate bar. However, each brand has its own unique take on chocolate. For instance, some companies use traditional formulas and methods. Other companies take a different approach. They focus on fair trade and utilize raw, organic, and natural materials. In the end, it’s all the same thing. Delectable chocolate.
1. Endangered Species Chocolate
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Endangered Species Chocolate is about healthy chocolate, focusing on fair trade and helping wildlife worldwide. They concentrate on healthy ingredients, including smooth dark chocolate, fair trade cane sugar, natural California-grown almonds, organic craft caramel, and gluten-free, organic rice crisps. It’s one of the only chocolate brands that donates 10% of its profits to its various partners. In the last few years, they donated $2.6 million toThe Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and the National Forest Foundation.
2. Mars
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Mars, Incorporated is a gigantic company with several different divisions, including pet food, snacks, and animal care. However, their bread and butter have always been mouthwatering chocolate. They’re one of the greatest American chocolate brands. Indeed, the billion-dollar company built its brand on the backs of iconic chocolate bars that are still best sellers. They innovated chocolate and introduced the world to the classics such as M&Ms, Milkey Way, Snickers, Twix, 3 Musketeers, and of course, Mars Bars.
3. Tootsie Roll
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In 1896, Leo Hirshfield changed the world forever when he invented the Tootsie Roll. He even named the delicious chocolate after his daughter Clara, who he nicknamed “Tootsie.” Undoubtedly, the success led Tootsie Roll to become one of the world’s leading chocolate brands. The unique chocolate taffy became an instant hit and competed with the top bars of the time. The key ingredients feature cocoa beans, skim milk, and syrup.
4. The Hershey Company
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The Hershey Company has dominated the chocolate game since the early 1900s. They’re undoubtedly one of the most recognizable chocolate brands in history. They first became a household name with the invention of the Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar and the iconic Hershey’s Kiss. Later, they added M&M’s, Kit Kat, and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups to their product line. They remain a leading brand in the chocolate industry.
5. Ritter Sport
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The German-based Ritter Sport is one of the best-known chocolate brands. Indeed, the classy chocolate bar strives to be a notch above the rest. The brand includes a long line of products featuring dark chocolate. Of course, they also have white chocolate for all the chocolate lovers. The chocolate bar is also known for its colorful packaging. The original idea for the elegant bar was for it to fit in a sports jacket. Hence the name, Ritter Sport.
6. The Cadbury Company
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The Cadbury Company reinvented the chocolate bar to become one of the largest chocolate brands in the world. Indeed, they changed the milk chocolate bar forever with the creation of the Dairy Milk Bar. Later, they added the game-changing Creme Egg, and they never looked back. Subsequently, the company contributed to the Easter holiday again when creating Mini Eggs. They have a wide range of chocolate products and remain one of the most recognizable chocolate brands.
7. Hotel Chocolat
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The British company Hotel Chocolat redefined the phrase classy chocolate. The company started in the late 1980s and underwent various incarnations before rebranding as Hotel Chocolat. Hotel Chocolat is the only company that purchased a farm to grow the cocoa beans they use in their products. Therefore, they’re not dealing with any middlemen and control every aspect of the beans and manufacturing. They have a wide variety of dark chocolate, truffles, and milk chocolate in their famous product line.
8. Loving Earth
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The Loving Earth company values healthy organic chocolate and helping cocoa farmers in small communities. The Australian-based chocolate brand is known for its raw organic chocolate and aims to benefit the cocoa farmers in rural villages. Indeed, they work closely with the Ashaninka community of the Peruvian Amazon. Their product line features numerous healthy and organic choices perfect for vegans. Loving Earth is quickly becoming one of the best chocolate brands in the world.
9. Mondelez Interntional
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Mondelez International is a giant confectionery and snack food company with thousands of products. However, the center of the company is good ol’ reliable chocolate. Their renowned chocolate brands include Cote D’ Or, Milka, and Toblerone. Of course, Toblerone is also one of the most famous Swiss chocolate brands. Mondelez purchased the popular chocolate bar to add to its already impressive lineup. The famed chocolate brand has faced a few controversies but strives to dominate the world of chocolate.
10. Theo Chocolate
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The theobroma cacao plantinspires the Seattle-based chocolate brand Theo Chocolate. The company even took its name from the crucial plant. Theo Chocolate is a fair trade company that uses raw, organic material for its sweet and savory vegan chocolate. They work closely with the cocoa farmers and get their beans from Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Congo, and Madagascar. They have a great line of chocolate bars, including Fantasy, Holiday, Limited Edition, and Classic.
11. Scharffen Berger Chocolate
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Scharffen Berger Chocolate is unlike any other company. They specialize in dark chocolate and feature several different versions. They’re involved in every process of chocolate making, from choosing the beans to roasting, molding, and presumably, eating. In 1996, they moved to San Francisco to open a small factory. In a few short years, it became one of the top chocolate brands in the world.
12. Dove Chocolate
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Dove Chocolate traces its origins to Chicago in the late 1930s. It slowly grew from being a popular local treat to a worldwide phenomenon. In the mid-80s, Mars purchased Dove to continue its dominance. Regardless, Dove persisted in carving out a place for itself in the chocolate business. They found a way to perfect the classic chocolate bar. They have numerous famous bars such as Dove Milk Chocolate Large Bar, Dove Ice Cream Bars, Dove Individuals, and Dove Dark Chocolate Large Bar.
13. Thrive Market
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Thrive Market is an online-based company that specializes in raw organic food. It’s basically a large grocery store that provides all types of natural and vegan food. However, they’re also known for their incredible chocolate bar line. Their chocolate brands include Organic Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate and Crystal Sea Salt Dark Chocolate. They only use the best raw and organic materials for all chocolate bars, a company feature.
14. Kinder Chocolate
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Kinder Chocolate is one of the leading chocolate brands in the world. It began in the late 60s in a town in Italy. The Kinder Chocolate bars were such a big hit they expanded their business. They’re now one of the most recognizable chocolate brands in the industry. They have an extensive product line, including Kinder Bueno, Kinder ChocoFresh, and Kinder Surprise. Chocolate is for all ages, but Kinder markets its products to children. The Kinder surprise is popular with kids and features a milk chocolate egg with a toy inside.
15. Jacques Genin Chocolat
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In the world of chocolate, chef Jacques Genin is a rebel and rule breaker. He didn’t break into the industry the typical way. Instead, Genin taught himself chocolate making, and the rest is history. He quickly established himself as one of the leading chocolate makers in the world. Genin provides his delicious chocolate and caramels to the top hotels in Paris. Of course, his chocolate isn’t available at the corner store. His stunning chocolate factory is a chocolate lover’s dream come true.
16. Nestle
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Nestle is a massive company involved with food products, tea, coffee, and baby food. However, the addictively delicious chocolate made them the company they are today. Without it, they’d probably just be making Nestea. In 1988, Nestle purchased the legendary chocolate company, Rowntree. They automatically became the number one chocolate brand in the world. Indeed, they now have access to some of the most iconic chocolate created, including Quality Street, Aero, After Eight, Yorkie, and Smarties.
17. Godiva Chocolatier
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In the late 1920s, the Draps family opened the first Godiva shop in Brussels, Belgium. It soon became one of the finest gourmet chocolate brands in the world. There’s an elegance and high quality to their chocolate that put their competition to shame. Their impressive product line features top-of-the-line Belgian chocolate. They’re best known for their Dark Chocolate collection and signature chocolate truffles. The Draps family named the company after the legend Lady Godiva.
18. Lindt
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Few chocolate brands meet the high standards of Lindt. The Swiss chocolate company strives to produce the best quality of chocolate possible. It helped make them one of the biggest chocolate brands. The Lindor chocolate bar first hit stores in the late 40s. The bars are now hugely popular and have unique wrappers. They also have several seasonal treats that often hit shelves during Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Christmas.
19. Ghirardelli Chocolate Company
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Chocolate first appeared in the United States in the 1800s. However, there were only a few companies that realized its potential. The Ghiradelli Chocolate Company traces its origins to Italy and small towns across South America. In the 1850s, the company officially opened its doors in San Francisco. The brand’s one of the oldest chocolate companies in the United States. Ghirardelli continues to produce the highest quality gourmet chocolate. The Swiss chocolate company Lindt purchased Ghirardelli Chocolate to add to its impressive brands.
20. La Maison du Chocolat
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Chocolate has always been an international delight. People love it all over the world since chocolate speaks every language. However, some of the best chocolate comes out of Paris, France. The chocolate makers have a unique skill set that few others have. La Maison du Chocolate first appeared in Paris in the late 70s. Eventually, a chain of chocolate shops opened worldwide, and the company continued to expand.
21. Toblerone
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In 1908, cousins Theodor Tobler and Emil Baumann created the iconic chocolate bar Toblerone. Emil came up with the recipe, but Tobler came up with the unique triangle design. The fascinating shape of the chocolate and mouthwatering recipe turned the bar into a household item. Eventually, the Mondelez Chocolate Company purchased Toblerone to add to their lineup. It remains one of the most popular chocolate brands and comes in several flavors.
22. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
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No human or alien in the universe hasn’t had a delicious Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. It’s one of the most popular chocolates in the world. Reese created a brand and legacy well before Hershey’s purchased it. H.B. Reese started the company in the late 1920s, and the brand exploded in popularity. Despite being part of Hershey’s, it’s a chocolate that stands on its own. The brand now features a wide variety of Peanut Butter Cups and the hugely popular Reese Pieces.
23. Milka
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Several countries around the globe produce the finest chocolate ever created. However, not many compare to the high quality of Switzerland. Milka is one of the few chocolates with ties to two great chocolate-making countries, Germany and Switzerland. It grew in popularity rapidly and eventually moved production to Germany. The company is well known for its various chocolate bars, including Alpine Milk, Almond Caramel, Broken Nuts, and Milka and Oreo.
24. Cote d’Or Chocolate
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Belgian chocolate spread across the world due to its unique taste. Each country has a distinctive style of chocolate making, but Belgium is on a different level. The chocolate company Cote d’Or is one of many brands that helped spread Belgian chocolate. It’s best known for creating top-of-the-line gourmet chocolate and truffles. The company dates back to the 1880s and passed to several different owners. The current owners Mondelez continue to expand the classic Belgian chocolate around the planet.
25. Guylian Chocolate
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Guylian Chocolate is one of the top Belgian chocolate brands. Guy and Liliane Foubert started the company out of their home in the late 50s. It grew to become a large company with various products and cafes. They don’t only produce some of the best chocolate in Belgium. The company has a reputation for donating to multiple charities. For instance, they often donate to Project Seahorse, which helps save and preserve marine wildlife.
26. L.A. Burdick Chocolate
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L.A. Burdick’s chocolate is one of the more expensive brands, but it’s worth it for chocolate lovers. L.A. Burdick is high-quality chocolate, unlike those sold at the local store. It’s not massed produced in a giant factory getting pumped with sugar. It’s elegant chocolate carefully crafted to be the perfect piece. The company combines the chocolate-making of three different countries into one brand. It has little of the French flavor mixed with Swiss and American styles. The combination creates top-quality chocolate that leaves customers wanting more.
27. Prestat Chocolate
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The Prestat Chocolate Company is one of the few chocolate makers that can claim they have royal customers. Of course, every company tries to treat its customers like royalty. Regardless, only one brand sells chocolate to the Royal Family of England. The brand started in France and soon expanded to the UK. Prestat came to England in the 1900s and quickly caught the attention of Queen Elizabeth II. The Royal Family even issued Prestat royal warrants for their work with chocolate. They’re one of the top chocolate shops in the world.
28. Ferrara Candy Company
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Chocolate is a significant product worldwide, but no country loves consuming it as much as America. Americans love their chocolate. Therefore, the most prominent chocolate companies operate in the United States. The Ferrara Candy Company is one of those brands. The company can trace its roots back to the early 1900s. It continued to evolve with its different owners over the years. Eventually, Ferrara took over the responsibility of several Nestle chocolate bars, including Butterfinger, Baby Ruth, and Crunch.
29. Valrhona Chocolate
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For decades, the French-based company Valrhona has created some of the highest quality chocolate to come out of the country. Since the 1920s, Valrhona has produced chocolate from the small village of Tain L’Hermitage. The company never forgot its roots and dedication to creating the best chocolate experience. The elegant chocolate is carefully crafted and topped with hazelnuts. Plus, Valrhona uses the absolute best cocoa beans and ingredients to maximize the flavor. The tasty French chocolate is one of the most popular brands in the world.
30. Green & Black’s Chocolate
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The British appear to have a particular skill in creating the sweetest and most delicious chocolate in its history. Several prominent British companies created chocolate and candy using the typical method. However, the country also has brands that take a more healthy approach. Green & Blacks maintain the British chocolate-making style while incorporating a healthier lifestyle. The company uses Trinitrario beans to create unique chocolate products and bars. At the same time, they use organic materials in certain products.
