The Aldi Dark Chocolate Customers Should Keep Out Of Shopping Carts

While milk chocolate provides folks a fix of something sweet, many flock to dark chocolate for a more complex experience. This treat has a particularly sophisticated profile, presenting many levels of bitterness along with notes of fruit, spice, and nuttiness depending on the exact product in question. German-based discount grocery chain Aldi has plenty of noteworthy products and some to avoid, including its dark chocolate bars. A few consist of balanced flavors that complement each other in every bite, and others can be overly bitter or lacking character. Foodie has tested which chocolate bars you should buy from Aldi, and one definitely missed the mark.

Unfortunately, Aldi's Choceur Dark Chocolate, made with 49% cocoa, was one of the more disappointing treats that hit the ranking. Overall, it wasn't terrible — even subpar chocolate is still chocolate, after all. Still, when biting into the dark stuff, one expects a rich, punchy flavor full of personality, which this bar was decidedly lacking. 

The crisp texture led us to believe a more palatable encounter was in store. Yet, it only exhibited slight hints of coffee over a mild, uninspiring taste, which was all the more unexpected from a confection that was so dark it was nearly black. However, while Aldi's Choceur Dark Chocolate made with 49% cocoa was rated as a treat to avoid, some of the discount grocer's other options made a better impression.

While some dark chocolate bars don't stack up, plenty of Aldi's imported chocolate tastes exquisite. Moser Roth Sea Salt Dark Chocolate is one example. In the ranking, this variety was one of the creamiest choices Aldi has to offer. It leans more savory than sweet — even for dark chocolate — while a liberal application of sea salt complemented the rich, balanced flavor.

Although Choceur was a letdown with one of its dark chocolate options, it found redemption in its Roasted Hazelnuts Dark Chocolate. This bar capitalizes on the harmonious combination of toasty hazelnut flavor and just enough bitter notes to balance the bar as a whole. Whispers of roasted coffee complement the fudge-like aroma that makes this particular choice stick out as exceptional.

One other notable treat from Aldi was the Moser Roth 70% Cocoa Dark Chocolate bar. The shadowy color and bittersweet smell tell you right away that a traditional dark chocolate experience awaits your palate. The dominant taste of cocoa should impress most dark chocolate lovers, yet the bitterness might be too bold for some. This bar was the most representative of what dark chocolate should be in our contributor's mind, so dark chocolate fans shouldn't hesitate to grab a bar or two on their next trip to Aldi.