9 Unusual Chocolate Flavors That Actually Work

Plenty of chocolate brands carry bars in flavors like peppermint, coffee, sea salt, orange, and almond. These are tried and true combinations that have pleased consumers for years by complementing the bitterness of cacao with sweet, salty, tangy, sour, and sometimes even spicy elements. But have you ever bit into a chocolate bar infused with kumquat? Or savored a bar filled with black glutinous rice?

Curious to expand my horizons as a lover of all things chocolate, I gathered a handful of chocolate bar flavors that surprised me with their creative, unexpected ingredient lists. I put each one to the test, examining how well it lived up to its name and description, noting the quality of chocolate in terms of taste and texture, analyzing the balance of flavors, and paying attention to the length and satisfaction of the aftertaste.

Don't get me wrong: I enjoyed every bar on this list. After all, every product featured is sold by an artisanal brand that places heavy emphasis on ingredient quality and sourcing. However, I ranked some flavors higher than others, depending on how well they met the criteria listed above. While sampling the flavors (each one at least twice), I assigned them numerical values according to their performance. This list is organized according to those scores. More information on methodology can be found at the end of this article.

The first time I tasted pulut hitam was at a breakfast buffet in Bogor, Indonesia, and suffice it to say that I was grateful for it being served buffet-style. The thick, creamy, comforting rice porridge is prepared with black glutinous rice, coconut milk, and sugar, as well as pandan leaves for earthy notes to help balance out the sweetness. So, naturally, when I saw that Fossa Chocolate, a bean-to-bar chocolate maker hailing from Singapore, carried a Pulut Hitam 44% Dark Chocolate bar, I sprung at the opportunity to taste it.

One thing's for sure: Fossa did not hold back in developing this flavor. It's bold, and you won't be searching your palate trying to detect notes of black rice. Now, whether you'll like it or not is a different story. Having no significant emotional attachment to pulut hitam, I personally prefer it in porridge form. I thought the black glutinous rice could have been subtler in this bar, allowing the flavors of cacao more room to breathe. However, if pulut hitam is a matter of nostalgia for you — for instance, if this chocolate bar is a convenient way to taste flavors of your childhood — then you might enjoy it more than me.

That said, I noticed that there were multiple layers of flavor to this chocolate that revealed themselves as the bar melted in my mouth. Similarly, the soft, grainy texture was well-balanced and unobtrusive, surfacing the longer I held the bar on my tongue. So, give this flavor a chance before chomping down on it and swallowing; it might just surprise you with its evolution.

If I lived in a world where there were no mosquitoes, I might have bestowed a higher ranking upon Cacao Hunters' 64% Dark Chocolate with Lemongrass. But alas, this bar bore a striking resemblance to the mosquito repellents I always spray on myself while camping. Unfortunately, it was an association with the mosquitoes that my brain made upon tasting this flavor rather than one of happy bonfire memories. While the flavor was not strong enough to make me want to give up the bar in my hands, it did not suit me as much as some of the other flavors.

Despite all this, I attempted to imagine myself in a mosquito-less world while assessing this bar. If I had to assign this flavor a season, it would be summer. It was bright, and it offered the perfect balance of bitter cacao and sweet lemongrass. The flavor of lemongrass was not sharp, but infused my mouth like a flower blossoming in the sun. While I usually like darker chocolates, the 64% ratio of this bar was obviously necessary to keep it upbeat and playful. Nevertheless, a lovely hint of bitterness is present in the aftertaste.

But here's the best part: Of all the chocolate bars I tasted, this one had the best texture. A remarkably smooth and silky chocolate, it left me wanting to try other Cacao Hunters flavors, such as the Campesino variety that features cinnamon and clove. While I took several points off for flavor, I do recommend trying this product if you enjoy, say, lemongrass tea or coconut lemongrass fish curry.

Have you ever added chocolate to your sourdough? Even if you don't make bread at home, melting a square of chocolate on toast can be deeply satisfying. Sometimes, though, there just isn't enough space in the belly for bread at the end of a meal. That's where Pump Street Sourdough & Sea Salt 66% Dark Chocolate comes into the picture. It's got a lot going for it in terms of taste and texture, but it could still use a bit of refinement.

Pump Street is not only a UK-based chocolate maker, but it is also a bakery. It's therefore easy to see the inspiration for this bar, which features sourdough crumbs and Halen Môn sea salt (a Welsh brand). The salt was in excellent proportion — enough to excite my taste buds, but not so much that the bar tasted like the sea. As the chocolate continued to melt in my mouth, the sourdough flavor began to play peek-a-boo. However, I might not have even realized that I was having sourdough crumbs if I were given the bar without its wrapper. I knocked a few points off this product because the sourdough flavor could have been slightly tangier. Plus, while the underlying chocolate was satisfactory, it did not blow my socks off like some of the other brands on this list.

To end things on a positive note, I appreciated how this bar's pleasantly gritty, crunchy texture emerged gradually. It stood in contrast to the chocolate's smooth surface adorned with aesthetically pleasing circular motifs. A bar of many layers, this one is a crowd-pleaser, even if imperfect.

From your favorite banana chocolate chip muffins recipe to a homemade batch of chocolate-banana (vegan) ice cream, there's no denying that chocolate and bananas were practically made for one another. I used to pack a Nutella banana sandwich every day in my school lunchbox, so I wasted no time in trying Theo & Philo's 60% Dark Chocolate with Green Banana Chips & Pink Salt.

Right off the bat, this bar reminded me of a Crunch chocolate bar. And yet, it contains absolutely zero crisped rice. Instead, the crunchiness came almost entirely from green banana chips, which led the way in flavor, too. Don't worry about this bar having a fake or overly forward banana flavor. Although the green banana chips became just a smidge too bitter once the aftertaste rolled around, they were, for the most part, in perfect balance with the chocolate. Meanwhile, the Himalayan salt blended beautifully into the background, but was nevertheless detectable in between the notes of banana.

As for the chocolate itself, it was an agreeable 60% that was neither too dark nor too milky. This bar would not be my first choice if I were in the mood to sit and ponder over complex layers of cacao. But it just might be a great fix for a salty, crunchy craving.

Passionfruit may not be as ubiquitous in the United States as other tropical fruits like pineapple and mangoes. But if the surge in passionfruit margaritas and passionfruit smoothies is any indication, Americans have just as much of a taste for it as anyone else in the world. It's just a matter of accustoming our palates to the sweet, tart, and impressively versatile fruit. Perhaps the best place to start is with Rhyme and Reason Dark and White Passionfruit Chocolate.

If "dark chocolate" initially threw you off, I implore you to give this bar a chance. You'll hardly notice the underlying layer of dark chocolate when your mouth is filled with the floral tartness of passionfruit and the sweetness of white chocolate. This bar is very bright and will make you feel as though you are lounging on a beach in the tropics — perhaps in Ecuador, where the cacao is sourced. If you are a fan of tart sorbets, this bar is a sure shot to satisfaction.

One of my only complaints with this product was that the dark chocolate layer could have been thicker to help balance out the passionfruit. Aside from that, the texture was a tad bit grainy (perhaps because the bar is infused with passionfruit powder) and not quite as smooth as I would have liked.

Fjåk is not a brand that can often be found in the United States, but if you ever are lucky enough to see it, this is your sign to splurge a little. For this review, I tasted the Brown Cheese 45% Milk Chocolate variation, which contains dairy not only in the form of dry milk, but also in the form of brown goat cheese.

In Norway, brown goat cheese is otherwise known as brunost. This sweet, yet sharp delicacy consists of whey, cream, and milk, and it is often used to top bread and waffles. After tasting this bar, I can confirm that it pairs exquisitely with chocolate as well. There was no need to worry about this bar tasting cheesy; the brown goat cheese lent a subtle flavor that added dimension to the chocolate without jostling for attention.

Instead of being overwhelmed by the tanginess of cheese, I found that the bar's caramel notes stood out far more prominently. In fact, I felt that the chocolate should have been a hair darker to help prevent the bar from becoming cloyingly sweet. Even so, a generous sprinkling of salt helped keep the sweetness from becoming too overbearing. In terms of texture, this product was slightly rough, making each bite engaging. The granules of brown goat cheese and Nordic salt were just the right size. My only other complaint was that the bar's aftertaste was weak. Regardless, I was happy to observe that it left a cleanness on my palate instead of a sugary film.

Genmaicha green tea meets dark chocolate in this bar from Raaka, a Brooklyn-based brand that specializes in bean-to-bar unroasted dark chocolate. Genmaicha is a Japanese pantry staple that features toasted rice in addition to green tea. Given how splendidly rice pairs with chocolate, it's no wonder why Raaka chose it as a star ingredient. And while the brand could have opted to stay in the same vein and lend the bar texture with rice crisps, puffed quinoa is used instead to lend an even greater breadth of flavor.

I'll start with my one and only critique: The green tea flavor was too subtle for my taste buds. The unroasted nature of Raaka chocolate sets the brand apart as much as its creative flavors. However, while unroasted cacao beans may retain more complex, fruity flavors than their roasted counterparts, the former's tangy, bitter notes can sometimes prevent other flavors from taking the spotlight. In this bar, I immediately noticed the green tea flavor because I knew to look for it. That said, it's subtle and not everyone will be able to detect it.

Despite this caveat, I awarded Raaka's green tea crunch bar a high score thanks to its many layers of flavor and texture. As the bar melted in my mouth, the chocolate became tangier and more full-bodied. I also adored how its texture was clean and smooth at first before becoming crunchy. This was not the kind of crunchy where you would annoy your co-pilot if munching on it during a long drive. Rather, this chocolate bar possessed a soft crunch of sorts that did not demand excessive chewing. All in all, this was a delightful experimental bar.

Pucker up, buttercup! When you were a kid, did you ever suck on wedges of lime just for fun? Do you still ever do that as an adult? If you answered yes to either of those questions, reach for a bar of Marou Chocolat's Ginger and Lime 69% Dark Chocolate. Marou Chocolat is a bean-to-bar chocolate maker in Vietnam that celebrates local flavors and ingredients. This bar in particular features cacao, dried lime, and dried ginger from the area around Bà Rịa. While this chocolate would definitely pair well with Vietnamese cuisine, it would also function as a superb dessert following a Mexican meal.

The subtleness of the ginger in this chocolate will please many people, especially because ginger chocolates can often come across as spicy and overbearing. While I thought that the ginger could have made itself a little more evident, I liked that there was a hint of spice that made my tongue tingle without setting my palate on fire. This heat complemented the tartness of the lime, which had a delightfully puckering effect. The aftertaste of this chocolate was very, very strong, but in a refreshing and enjoyable way.

I suggest taking your time with this chocolate, allowing it to melt in your mouth without rushing to chew and swallow. There is not much variation in texture here, so you must let the flavors unfold on their own time. With a mild rating of 69%, the cacao is neither too dark nor too milky and plays nicely with the other flavors.

In the United States, kumquats may not be what you see on your average grocery store's produce shelves, even though they are grown prolifically in Dade City, Florida. These small citrus fruits boast a vibrant yellowish orange hue and are known for their sweet peels and sour flesh. They are frequently eaten plain, or else incorporated into baked goods, preserves, or cocktails.

Despite the fact that kumquats can be sour, Belvie's Kumquat 55% Dark Milk Chocolate was in no way a shock to my palate. In fact, this chocolate was not even as tangy as many of the orange flavored chocolates I have tasted from popular brands like Chocolove or Endangered Species. Instead, this bar was deceptively simple. At first, it tasted like any high-quality milk chocolate without any bells or whistles. But as it melted in my mouth, the dark chocolate flavor came out to play before finally being joined by the subtle notes of kumquat. The citrus flavors continued to brightly pop on the top of my palate as I savored the bar. Finally, the aftertaste of this chocolate lingered in my mouth and was pleasantly refreshing.

Few chocolates are perfect, and I did have one minor critique of this bar. It had a slightly powdery texture, meaning that it could not melt in my mouth as cleanly as some of the other products on this list. Even so, the layers of flavor were so outstanding that it easily earned the top spot.

In selecting the flavors on this list, I strove to pick ones that I had rarely, if ever, heard about and certainly never tasted. To be fair, I chose only one flavor per brand, which also allowed me to sample a wider range of flavors. I assigned a numerical value to each chocolate based on how accurately it met its packaging description; the quality of the chocolate's flavors and textures; whether the flavoring was too obtrusive, too subtle, or just right; and how enjoyable its aftertaste was. While I would recommend every bar on this list to a friend, some of them stood out to me more than others, and I have organized this list accordingly.