These Are The 5 Best New Chocolates Of 2026, So Far

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The grocery store candy aisle can be a little overwhelming. There is a seemingly endless variety, from gummies and hard candies to licorice and chocolate bars. Plus, there's always something new to try as candy companies push the limits of sweet (and sour) treats. Even chocolate has its own big trends, from unique flavor pairings to the launch of plant-based products. Established brands are constantly rolling out fresh takes, which means we're only halfway through 2026 but have a whole menu of delicious chocolates to enjoy.

These new offerings lean on fillings, textural mix-ins, and even some seemingly space-aged technology to offer new varieties of a product that has been enjoyed for thousands of years. The old standbys aren't going anywhere — what's a s'more without a Hershey's milk chocolate bar — but it's time to add a little variety to your afternoon pick-me-up or movie night snacking. From chocolate bars to candies to eat by the handful, these are the best new chocolates of 2026, based on rave reviews from retailer websites and enthusiastic social media fans.

Tony's Chocoloney has been selling colorfully wrapped, uniquely shaped chocolate bars since 2005, with a mission to end forced labor and unethical working practices within the chocolate industry. While the brand has had a Milk Chocolate Caramel Sea Salt bar in rotation for a while — our taste tester ranked it No. 6 out of 14 flavors — the chocolate industry activists didn't release a filled chocolate bar until April 2026. Enter the Gooey Caramel Sea Salt Crunch bar, which combines milk chocolate with creamy salted caramel and crunchy caramel pieces.

Reviewers are raving. "A really incredible tasting chocolate, the gooey center was to die for! The milk chocolate was perfect and super creamy. The caramel with the salt combination was amazing," says one Walmart reviewer. "The sea salt added a fun little crunch but it wasn't too salty, and the caramel was gooey and sticky in a way that felt so satisfying in my mouth," said another. If the caramel-chocolate combination wasn't enough, take this Instagram commenter's advice: "I love [the caramel flavor] mixed into my ice cream."

Dubai chocolate continues to be a major trend, spotted everywhere from the candy aisle to Starbucks' matcha menu. The combination of chocolate, pistachio, and kataifi is a flavor and texture symphony that has become a new classic, but that doesn't mean we've forgotten the OG nut filling: peanut butter.

Russell Stover hasn't forgotten about peanut butter and chocolate either with the American Style Milk Chocolate Candy Bar with Peanut Butter & Kataifi. The creamy peanut butter filling is swirled with kataifi — the crispy bits that give Dubai chocolates their signature crunch — and enrobed in milk chocolate.

"I'm a dark chocolate gal but these exceeded my expectations. They had just the right texture inside, think slightly fluffy but some crunchies, a good peanut butter flavor, and a melt in your mouth texture," says one Kroger reviewer. A fan on Instagram's only qualm? The size of the package. "4.2 ounces?! Gonna need a bigger bag! I can't stop eating these!"

Freeze-dried candy: It's not just for astronauts. M&M's soft-launched (pun intended) these treats in November 2025, but they didn't land nationwide until January 2026. Unlike traditional Caramel M&M's, which have a soft center surrounded by milk chocolate and the iconic candy coating, the Caramel Pop'd variety are all crunch. Inspired by the viral TikTok trend of putting Caramel M&M's in a freeze dryer, these bite-sized candies feature a crispy, airy center that bursts out of the coating of chocolate and colorful candy shell. Now you can enjoy the puffy, crunchy candies without any extra kitchen equipment.

"The crunch, the chocolate, the whole thing is amazing. This is the best thing I've had in a long time," says one reviewer on the M&M's website. Another calls them a "delightful new experience for the M&M connoisseur." Reddit users compare the flavor to malted milk balls. If that sticky-meets-crumbly texture isn't your cup of tea, an Amazon reviewer has a suggestion: "Put these in the freezer for an even more crunchy texture that won't easily stick to your teeth."

We are definitely Trader Joe's fans, and the Milk Chocolate Bar with Almonds and Honey Nuggets is one of our favorite hidden gems of 2026. It has major Toblerone vibes, pairing creamy milk chocolate with chunks of almonds and sticky honey bits — minus the iconic triangle shape. In fact, the shape of the bar is something to note: It's scored in a variety of sizes instead of uniform squares or rectangles (reminiscent of the Tony Chocoloney bar design).

While we don't know who makes Trader Joe's chocolate bars, we do know they're good. The Milk Chocolate Bar with Almonds and Honey Nuggets is made in Belgium. Trader Joe's says the bars are 15% whole almonds, which provides a serious crunch. A reviewer on Facebook noted the perfect amount of salt "to keep you going back for another bite." We aren't the only ones obsessed with this new treat. "If you buy it, you will eat the whole bar and wish you had four more. And then they'll stop selling them and you'll be so upset," says an Instagram reviewer. The bars are only available for a limited time, so that tip to stock up isn't wrong.

Dark chocolate and caramel are a match made in confectionary heaven. The combination of slightly bitter, mildly fruity chocolate and rich, buttery caramel is only enhanced by one thing: sea salt. Hershey's released its own take on this classic candy in July 2026, offering bite-sized sweets by the bag that aren't available in retail stores — only from Hershey's directly. 

Even with all that gate-keeping, the caramels have earned perfect five-star reviews on the Hershey's website. One reviewer, who purchased the caramels at Hershey World, says, "They are without a doubt the best dark chocolate sea salt caramels I've had, and I've tried many. I've always loved [Hershey's] dark chocolate, so combining it with the perfect caramel texture (not too soft, not too hard), just the right amount of sea salt, and individually wrapping them so everything stays protected and fresh ... absolute perfection." Another adds, "I would trek to Chocolate World by foot daily just to get a bag of these."

Thankfully, you don't have to be in Pennsylvania (or near the Hershey's store in Times Square) to get the caramels. They're available on the Hershey's website, and ice packs are included in shipments free of charge.