10 Pricey Dark Chocolate Brands Chefs Swear By

When it comes to chocolate, which type reigns supreme, milk or dark, is often up for debate. While this may largely be a matter of opinion, dark chocolate is often considered healthier than milk. It's typically preferred by professional chefs — like myself — for baking, owing to its higher cacao content. This generally translates to a more robust flavor.

With so many different brands of dark chocolate on the market, it can be challenging to decide which are worth buying and which you should leave on the store shelf. I have spent years producing gourmet desserts and baked goods, using the highest quality dark chocolate money can buy at my restaurant. I also consulted with friend, pastry chef, and former Food Network star, Gale Gand, to get her hot tips for selecting chocolate brands with the highest quality ingredients.

In an interview for Daily Meal on the topic, Gand notes, "I look for clean ingredients on the label in the chocolate I pick and real cocoa butter for the fat. I find European brands to be slightly superior (they tend to conch longer so have a smoother texture) to American ones, but do buy domestic chocolate at times." Another key factor to consider is the cocoa percentage on the label, which reflects the cocoa mass present. The higher the percentage, the lower the sugar content and the more intense the chocolate flavor. Read on to discover the pricey dark chocolate brands that chefs swear by.

When it comes to chocolatiers with superstar status, few are as well-known and well-respected as Thierry Atlan. The chef, whose New York city store has been producing the highest quality chocolates, ice cream, and macarons since it opened in 2022, is something of an international legend. Winner of the Best Craftsman of France for chocolate in 1997, the chef has had a storied career. He was an instructor at the famed LeNotre School in Paris, executive chef of Disneyland Paris, and as a consultant for chocolate companies across the globe.

His personal brand showcases the finest couverture, made exclusively from Valrhona chocolate using French chocolate-making techniques. It produces a number of different types of confections, bites, barks, clusters, and bars featuring unique flavor combinations inspired by Atlan's travels and a fusion of American and French sensibilities. Perhaps the highlight of his collection is his array of dark chocolate tablets made in varying cocoa percentages. These include the Single Origin Dominican Republic Dark Chocolate Tablet 100% and the Blend From Africa Dark Chocolate Tablet 85%.

Among the greatest secrets to the success of the dark chocolate produced by the Atlan brand is where he sources his cocoa beans from. His preferred beans include those from Madagascar, which are known for their intense fruity and sour notes; and those from Sao Tomé, which have uniquely smoky qualities that elevate his chocolate to the next level.

Established in Paris in 1977 by esteemed pastry chef Robert Linxe, La Maison du Chocolat was the first venue of its kind in the city devoted strictly to the art of making chocolate. It has since expanded to include locations across the globe, all dedicated to the goal of "rehabilitating chocolate in all its nobility."

The brand and original store has since been taken over by winner of the "2007 Best Craftsman of France" for chocolate, Nicolas Cloiseau. Cloiseau made history for being the first chocolatier to develop a signature technique for perforating chocolate to create an intricate lattice-like pattern. This technique relies on tempering, sculpting, etching, drilling, and smoothing out a disk of dark chocolate until it is perfectly smooth and intricately-patterned.

What makes this brand so distinctive is its commitment to viewing chocolate-making through the lens of fashion and luxury. Cocoa beans are selected with the same care typically reserved for winemaking, with particular attention paid to terroir. Each year, chocolate is crafted with new tastes and fads in mind, keeping up with modern trends while maintaining a fidelity to French technique and the highest quality ingredients. Its dark chocolate is especially well-regarded for its delicate texture and unique flavor combinations. This includes a dark chocolate ganache with passionfruit pulp, and many are included in a one-of-a-kind 84-piece box that generally retails for around $150.

When it comes to chocolate with a sense of adventure, Vosges Haut-Chocolat delivers. This brand was established stateside in 1998 by Katrina Markoff, who was a protegée of Ferran and Albert Adria of El Bulli fame. The trademark mission of the brand is to "Travel The World Through Chocolate." This is accomplished in a number of ways, from sourcing the highest quality, sustainably-grown beans to the development of flavors that fuse ingredients from cultures across the globe.

Another feature that distinguishes Vosges Haut-Chocolat from other finer quality, luxury chocolates is the artistry with which its chocolates are packaged. Each box arrives pristinely encased in a decorative purple box befitting expensive jewelry. Its bars are equally as attractive, adorned with imagery of the ingredients contained within each sample. Among the more unique offerings from the brand is a Mini Exotic Chocolate Bar Library, which features milk and dark chocolate samples in a case resembling a library book shelf.

Among its more unique dark chocolate flavor combinations are the umami-rich Mo's Dark Chocolate Bacon Bar and the sweet and savory Parmesan Walnut and Fig Chocolate Bar. The latter is crafted using 24-month aged Parmigiano Reggiano, Turkish figs, California walnuts, and Tellicherry peppercorns combined with a 62% dark chocolate. There is also a Dark Chocolate Truffle Collection available in nine- and 16-piece options, complete with truffles ranging in cocoa percentages between 62% and 75% that are infused with internationally-sourced flowers, roots, herbs, and spices.

The Lindt & Sprüngli corporation has a long and storied history dating back to 1845, when David Sprüngli first founded a small confectionary shop in Old Zurich, Switzerland. This successful venture later merged with the chocolate company, "Rod. Lindt & sons," in 1899. The latter was the brainchild of a Swiss gentleman by the name of Rodolphe Lindt, the inventor of the conching process, which has become the signature calling card for the highest quality chocolates in the world.

Conching is a technique by which chocolate is processed to produce a smooth, silky texture. It takes cocoa and sugar particles and heats, mixes, and aerates these for several hours using a specialized machine until these are refined into a velvety paste. Lindt & Sprüngli stands apart from many other chocolate manufacturers because of the extensive conching it subjects its chocolate to using state-of-the-art equipment, which produces a superior mouthfeel. It also uses only premium, sustainably-sourced, fair trade cocoa beans.

Perhaps the most well-regarded dark chocolate offerings under the Lindt & Sprüngli umbrella is its selection of Lindt Excellence Bars. These are available in various cocoa percentages from 70% to 100%. They also come in a variety of unique flavors, including Chili Dark Chocolate, A Touch of Sea Salt Dark Chocolate, and Intense Orange Dark Chocolate.

With retail stores in Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and beyond, one might expect Pierre Marcolini to be more of a household name. However, this relative anonymity is by design. The masterful chocolatier keeps things on a small scale so that he can control every step of the chocolate-making process with his bean-to-bar approach.

The Willy Wonka-esque chocolatier and winner of best pastry chef at the 2020 "World Pastry Stars" event has been producing his elegant chocolates since opening his first store in Brussels in 1995. His philosophy is simple, yet revolutionary. He produces small-batch chocolates featuring only the finest beans that can be sustainably-sourced from across the globe. The chef travels far and wide locating beans that reflect the unique terroir of a region and transforms these raw beans by processing them meticulously until they are transformed into an impossibly smooth couverture that is used to produce his inspired creations.

When you purchase a box of dark chocolate from Pierre Marcolini, you are paying for quality, yes, but you are also investing in a work of art. Each carefully packaged creation is based on a theme, from the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival to Valentine's Day to Christmas. Among the more simple preparations that are no less spectacular are his Malline of Saveurs du Monde, a box of 25 dark chocolate squares made from the finest grand cru beans money can buy hailing from Madagascar, Sao Tomé, Bali, Peru, and Cuba.

Established in 1922 in the French Alps, Valrhona has been producing the finest chocolates used by bakers and chefs alike for over a century. This chocolate frequently makes an appearance in the most decadent desserts, cakes, and even the iconic Parisian-style hot chocolate that was a favorite of none other than Julia Child.

Not unlike some of the other selections on this list, what sets this chocolate apart from others is its fidelity to sourcing quality beans ethically, sustainably, and with a commitment to fair trade. Valrhona offers a number of different types of chocolate in its catalog that range in cocoa percentage from 35% to up to 80%. Its Cooking Range products come in dark, milk, and white chocolate varieties featuring beans hailing from across the globe. It also is available in flavor infusions, including praliné Almond Hazelnut 50%, Inspiration Passion Fruit, and Inspiration Yuzu.

Its latest introduction is the Confection 80% line, which features four Pure Origin or single origin chocolates from Ghana, the Dominican Republic, Madagascar, and Ecuador, featuring zero cocoa butter. Intensity is the name of the game with this line of dark chocolate. It is made using bovine gelatin, gracila algae, and pectin to achieve a smooth texture. The line is best-suited for ganaches and crémaux, including ice cream, mousses, and soufflés.

When it comes to premium chocolates, Gale Gand is a Callebaut aficionado. She invests in this Belgian import whenever she can get her hands on it because it is "sold in bulk, it melts, coats, and tempers well ... it doesn't seize easily and is pretty forgiving." The brand, which emerged in 1911, is one of the largest chocolate producers in the world with locations in countries across the globe.

The company operates with a key principle behind all of its chocolate-making decisions. Known as Cocoa Cultivation and Craft (CCC), this principle ensures beans are sourced sustainably, fermented, and roasted with quality control in mind. This guarantees that only the rarest cocoa beans types in the world are selected and that every batch of chocolate possesses distinct qualities in aroma and flavor.

Though Callebaut makes products designed for professional and home cooks alike, its selection of callets, which are small, disc-shaped pieces that are ideally-suited for baking are what make this brand unique. Its dark chocolate offerings are robust, with varieties available in different cocoa percentages and from diverse locales, including Sao Tomé, Brazil, and Tanzania. Each type of callet is distinguished by its fluidity, meaning how readily the chocolate flows when melted, which determines its best uses in recipes. Those with higher fluidity are better-suited for detailed molds and coatings, while ones with lower fluidity are better for baking, ganaches, and mousses.

Launched in 1842 by Charles Barry, French chocolate brand Cacao Barry has been sourcing and producing the finest chocolates using innovative techniques and meticulous sourcing practices. The brand, which is now housed under the Barry Callebaut Group umbrella, maintains an autonomous identity that primarily focuses on chocolates and couvertures, as well as cacao powders, nibs, mass, and butter, all designed to inspire chefs across the globe in their own creations.

Cacao Barry excels in acquiring single origin cocoa beans that are 100% sustainably-sourced through its Cocoa Horizons program. Its catalog of chocolates are available in Heritage, Origine, Plantation, and Purete varieties. Each of these focuses on distinct qualities, including affordability or robust flavor, that make them more or less suitable for a chef's individual needs. Couvertures are sold in differing cocoa percentages, shapes, and fluidity levels.

Perhaps its greatest innovation of late is its Cacao Powders Collection, which comes in Nature Cacao and Décor Cacao varieties that are both natural and dutched. These powders differ in flavor, quality, and darkness levels, with some being rich and intense and others being more fruity and light. These powders also come in varying PH levels, different fat contents, and diverse levels of water solubility. This allows them to be used for every type of application from baking to decorative garnishes.

When it comes to chocolate bars, the Theo brand knocks it out of the park. The domestic brand — which was founded in Seattle, Washington, in 2005 — has become something of a heavy-hitter. It is widely available from retailers across the nation, and its factory hosts regular tours for the chocolate-curious among us to get a closer look at the bean-to-bar process.

This company was the first organic, fair trade chocolate producer in North America. It relies on third-party certification to ensure its beans are all sustainably-sourced and maintain rigorous quality standards. The brand aims to produce 12,000 pounds (or 60,000 bars) of chocolate daily, which is no small feat considering each bar contains the beans harvested from four cocoa pods.

Its extensive line of dark chocolate offerings range in cocoa percentages between 55% and 85%. The catalog of flavors are diverse and often reflect limited-time-only offerings that are seasonal, such as Gingerbread Toffee, Peppermint Crunch, and Nutcracker Brittle. That said, some personal favorites include more basic flavors, like the Sea Salt bar that contains 70% cocoa. The Black Coffee bar, which contains 85% cocoa, is dynamite for eating as-is or can be a game changer when baking a chocolate cake or brownies.

Whether you indulge in chocolate bars, truffles, or cordials, Godiva is a brand that consistently outperforms others for quality and taste. The brand has been producing fine chocolate since it was introduced in Brussels, Belgium in 1926. It was named for British noblewoman Lady Godiva, a moniker that conveys decadence, luxury, and nobility.

What Godiva excels at is variety. Its selection of truffles is staggering, offering flavor combinations to appeal to virtually any palate. Each truffle is made from sustainably-sourced cocoa beans that are refined to sensual perfection. From there, chocolate truffles are designed from the ground up, with a focus on the artistic design and how it captures the flavor combinations within every bite.

Among its newer offerings is its Gold collection of pralines, which are a multi-sensory delight. The 15-piece dark chocolate box features five distinct flavor combinations: Dark & White Chocolate Lady Godiva, Salted Caramel Lion of Belgium, Gone with a Pistachio Feather, Dark Chocolate Ganache Sweetheart, and Midnight Swirl. Another festive and fun offering is its seasonal Chocolate Advent Calendar, which contains 24 pieces of white, milk, and dark chocolate with various fillings and add-ins behind every door.

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