Fair trade chocolate taste test-organic & gluten free
Fair trade chocolate taste test
I love me some chocolate.
The problem is, the kinds I’ve always eaten, are generally full of stuff I want to start avoiding. In addition to ingredients, there are practices to produce some chocolates that I DON’T want to support.
That led me to head to a local Midwest grocery store to see what options were available–still chocolate, but better choices.
The fair trade chocolate taste test criteria
My daughter came along who loves to study nutrition. She was a great help in steering me away from the things I’d normally choose (full of sugar, sugar and more words for sugar), and together we studied the labels of new options.
No easy task for a sugar addict! If you decide to try this, make sure to not go to the store hungry. 🙂 Please note that these chocolates are not low-calorie or health foods. They simply are better options.
We set criteria to search for: fair trade, organic and gluten free/or non -GMO.
Plus, we looked for dark chocolate. It is known to have healthier benefits, and if you are going to have a treat, why not choose the best possible?
Let’s dig in and see 8 choices, along with our opinions. My two daughters and I all had decidedly different preferences! We’ll each rate with one thumb, for a total of three possible thumbs up.
Noir Dark by jelinachocolatier.
72% cocoa, imported, fair trade. I thought this had a bitter flavor, but it was not bad after chewing a second. That said, I wouldn’t buy it again. I like things sweeter. One daughter really enjoyed it though. 1 out of 3 thumbs.
Dark Coconut Toffee organic chocolate with butter and sea salt by Alter Ego.
Organic, fair trade, 47% cocoa. Yu-hum. I liked this one, it was sweet and had just a milk coconut flavor. I’d definitely buy again, the kids? Eh. 1 out of 3 thumbs.
Dark Chocolate with forest mint by Endangered Species Chocolate.
Fairtrade, non- GMO, Gluten-free, 72 % cocoa. Subtle mint. 2 out of 3 thumbs.
Noir 80% Dark by Chocolat Stella
Fairtrade, organic, 80 % cocoa. Mmm, slight hint of vanilla and definitely sweeter than the other dark chocolates we tried. Delish. 3 thumbs out of 3.
Firecracker sea salt, a dash of chipotle and popping candy crackle by Chuao Chocolatier.
Gluten-free, ethically sourced. Wow. This one was a shocker. At first, tasty. Then, weird. Then, spicy. One girl liked it alot. It was like Pop Rocks in your candy bar, and then the spice got hotter as you chewed.
What a trip! Had to reduce to a 2 thumb review. One stomach couldn’t take any more sweet :). So this was a decidedly split 1 out of 2 thumb review.
Earl Grey by jelinachocolatier
72 % cocoa, fair trade. One girl REALLY liked it, as much as I disliked it. It tasted just like tea. Really, like tiny tea flakes. Ugh, never again for me. Definitely for her. 1 out of 2 thumbs up.
Dark Salted Brown Butter by Alter Eco
70 % cocoa, organic, fair trade, soy-free, gluten-free, non- GMO. Of all the bars this was the sweetest, slightly salty. For someone transitioning into smarter chocolate, this is a great choice. We all gave this a thumbs up.
Fleur de sel sea salt by jelinachocolatier
72 % cocoa, fair trade. Dark chocolate flavor, just enough salt to give you that savory kick. If you like any kinds of chocolate with sea salt, give this one a try. 3 indifferent thumbs.
Final Verdict on tastiest fair trade chocolate
There you have it, in the name of science, friendship and all that is sweet… our unofficial taste test. Or is it official since I used “bold” in the text? 🙂
My personal favorite was Brown butter, one daughter liked Earl Grey and one liked Firecracker.
But oh, even with a small bite from each bar? Overload. Overload. Overload.
If you have a favorite, post it in the comments! Especially if you can recommend a caramel without corn syrup, or partially hydrogenated oil.
