6 Chocolate-Covered Coffee Beans, Ranked

Why choose between chocolate and coffee when you can have both? Chocolate covered espresso beans merge two realms of culinary excellence, and if the maker knows how to complement and draw out the sweet, bitter, fruity, and nutty notes of both cacao and coffee, then you're in for a real treat. I set out to determine which brands achieve the best textures and flavors, as well as which brands are just getting the job done. Of course, this article might inspire you to make chocolate covered espresso beans at home – it's easier than you might think — though the best products on this list set high standards that are difficult to achieve.

When assembling a lineup of products, I was immediately surprised by how many flavors chocolate covered coffee beans come in. For this test, I sampled dark, milk, cappuccino, and even amaretto chocolate covered espresso beans. Though I couldn't always directly compare such flavors, I was able to do so with the texture of each product. I ranked beans adorned in rich, silky chocolate higher than those coated with chewy chocolate, and I also gave higher marks to the beans that had more depth of flavor. You can find more information on my methodology at the end of this article.

I used to think that Nuts.com was only a vendor that restaurants and cottage bakers would turn to when sourcing bulk ingredients like, well, nuts. As it turns out, though, this company offers a wide range of products from pecans to flax seeds to caramels. There is no dearth of variety, either; for example, 10 types of chocolate covered espresso beans are currently listed online. I chose to review the NY Espresso Mix, because it features five flavors of beans in each package: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, cappuccino, amaretto, and "twist."

Though these beans weren't terrible, I wouldn't buy them again. With their thick, chewy layers of chocolate, these beans felt like a cheap candy store product rather than a treat for adults. I yearned for a firmer chocolate with more bite. For the most part, the flavors weren't outstanding, either. The milk chocolate and twist beans were too sweet, while the cappuccino beans lacked richness and depth of flavor. All three seemed to just fit the bill of their advertised flavors.

On the other hand, I enjoyed the dark chocolate beans, which remained bright and sweet despite their higher percentage of cacao. The amaretto beans, too, were pleasantly surprising with their unique nutty flavor, and they proved that amaretto can shine in many ways outside of beverages.

SunRidge Farms' dark chocolate espresso beans are made with Fairtrade chocolate and Fairtrade organic roasted coffee beans, along with cane sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla extract, milk, pure food glaze, and either soy or sunflower lecithin. I initially thought this product might be one of the most gourmet products included in this review, given how proudly it advertises its Fairtrade chocolate and espresso beans. The fact that I bought it at Whole Foods also contributed to that impression. Nevertheless, these beans easily fell short of the other products on this list.

SunRidge Farms' chocolate covered espresso beans weren't bad at all, but they didn't stand out for anything in particular, either. Each morsel was coated in a glassy layer of chocolate, and the pieces were fairly chunky in size. As with the Nuts.com product, I felt that these beans relied too heavily on a cloying layer of chocolate to mask average espresso beans.

My first impression of this product was that I was biting into a chocolate covered raisin. It took me a moment to figure out why, but then I realized: The chocolate on these beans was slightly chewy, reminding me of Raisinets. The chocolate wasn't as high quality as I would have liked; I yearned for it to be darker, bolder, and richer in mouthfeel. However, I did appreciate the underlying hint of vanilla. Meanwhile, the beans were slightly bitter — not excessively so, but something worth taking note of if you lean more sweet.

You might find these Coffee Lover's Espresso Beans hanging in the aisle of your Trader Joe's, away from the other chocolate products. The 2.5-ounce pouches are easily stashed in purses and backpacks and, being among the best Trader Joe's items under $3, they're extremely tempting to buy on every grocery run.

I found these chocolate covered espresso beans to be bolder than most other products. In that sense, they live up to their name; because they don't hide behind mountains of chocolate, you might not like them if you're not already a fan of coffee. The chocolate is firm, and it supports the small, crunchy espresso beans well. These beans could even be added to yogurt in place of granola for an extra boost of caffeine in the morning.

Despite their striking nature, this mix does offer an outstanding array of flavors other than the bitter fruitiness of espresso. Advertised to mimic coffee varieties like cappuccino, caramel latte, and coffee and cream, these beans kept me coming back for more out of curiosity, as well as appetite. The caramel latte beans especially lived up to their name, while the coffee and cream ones reminded me of sipping on a white chocolate mocha during the holiday season.

I don't have many complaints regarding this product. If anything, I'd like the beans to be slightly larger. They only missed out on a top three ranking due to the other products' exquisite flavors and textures, especially when it came to the espresso beans.

These were the chocolate covered espresso beans I grew up eating at swim meets, and also the ones I began reaching for as a new mother. Despite my fond memories of these beans, I set my brand loyalty aside and approached them with a blank slate.

It's no wonder that Trader Joe's dark chocolate covered espresso beans are considered top-of-the-line by so many consumers. They're widely available, and my taste test confirmed that they are perfect for everyday consumption. Erring on the sweeter side, but without being cloying, these beans will delight fans of dark chocolate — and perhaps even those who tend toward lighter percentages of cacao. Striking the perfect balance of sweet and bitter, these beans didn't feel like an overly indulgent dessert, but rather a well-rounded pick-me-up that I could reach for from morning to afternoon. 

I especially appreciated the glossy exterior of these beans and the thick layer of chocolate encasing each one. Most of the morsels were large in size, with a hefty chunkiness that made just three or four seem like enough. The chocolate had a rich mouthfeel, too, setting this product apart from other brands that skimp on chocolate quality.

Knowing how much caffeine is in a chocolate-covered espresso bean helps me limit myself when it comes to these beans. My only complaint is that the espresso beans within didn't pack as much fruitiness as the Domori ones (which I'll describe momentarily).

Across many European cities, signs of Illy are everywhere. Literally. Cafés proudly advertise the fact that they source coffee from this Italian brand, knowing that its reliable nature will attract many customers. I'm personally not a fan of Illy coffee, but I set that fact aside for this taste test — and I'm so glad I did.

Domori, an Italian brand itself, knocked these chocolate covered coffee beans out of the park. From the moment I saw the recyclable paper packaging, I had an inkling that this product would bring a unique set of flavors and textures to the table. When I tore the 1.41-ounce pouch open, my theory was further strengthened. These beans weren't as glossy as some of the other products on this list, instead featuring a rough chocolate layer made without confectioner's glaze (and therefore without shellac). Each morsel had a more rustic feel, and while I don't necessarily categorize that as better or worse, I did feel that these beans were less candy-like and better suited for snacking.

A bite into these beans confirmed every thought I had leading up to my first handful. The espresso beans were far crunchier than most of the other products on this list, and they also had a very fruity flavor profile that I adored. This latter point is crucial, considering that most of the other beans lacked depth in flavor. My main complaint about this product is that the chocolate could have been a touch sweeter and thicker.

I recently included Dandelion Chocolate in my roundup of the best chocolate brands to spoil Mom with for Mother's Day. However, it wasn't until this taste test that I sampled the brand's chocolate-covered espresso beans, which feature Ritual Coffee Roasters beans and Dandelion Chocolate's 70% Ecuadorian chocolate (Feve, another San Francisco based chocolate company, applies the coating via hand panning techniques).

One only need to look at the beans' appearance to recognize that they stand quite apart from other products that bear the same name. The dusty brown coating on each bean reminded me of cocoa-dusted truffles, and yet, I was pleasantly surprised to find that they left no powdery residue on my fingers. These beans' similarity with truffles didn't end with their appearance. The chocolate was so smooth, velvety, and rich, that I felt a high-end truffle was slowly melting on my tongue, rather than a chocolate covered coffee bean. I could indeed taste the notes of s'mores, blueberries, and toasted almonds in this Ecuadorian chocolate, as advertised, as well as a hint of macadamia nut.

Finally, the espresso beans blew me away with their crunchy texture and superb flavors. That's not altogether surprising, given that Ritual Coffee offers some of the best espresso blends on the market. Because the beans took so long to chew and swallow, their flavors had time to fully develop and release. Due to their vibrant flavor, this is another one of those products that coffee lovers will best appreciate. Just one bean was enough to satisfy my palate.

For this taste test, I sampled chocolate covered espresso beans in a variety of flavors. Some starred confectioners glaze, while others were more rustic. Some were expensive, and others were quite affordable. Despite these differentiating factors, I was able to rank the products according to their relative textures, as well as the flavor quality of both the espresso bean and chocolate. 

For instance, while some espresso beans were nothing to write home about, I gave higher marks to those that starred fruity, nutty, or otherwise remarkable depths of flavor. I particularly applauded bolder beans that didn't hide behind excessive sweetness. I sampled these products side by side, comparing similar flavors as applicable. For example, I ate the dark chocolate espresso beans one after another before moving on to the milk chocolate beans.