8 Milk Chocolate Bars To Add To Your Cart And 7 To Leave On The Shelves

Growing up, I associated milk chocolate with Hershey's. I loved the classic brand immensely, to the point where I dressed up as a Hershey's Kiss for Halloween one year. Over time, and especially once I started earning my own money, I began sampling milk chocolate bars from other brands and discovered what I'd been missing. 

Some bars feature grass-fed milk, while others contain standardized industrial milk. Some bars contain refined cane sugar, while others proudly feature unrefined coconut sugar. Some bars are thick, and some bars are thin. There's no end to the diversity of milk chocolate bars, and so I set out to discover which commonly available ones belong in your shopping cart and which should be left on the shelf.

Aside from eating chocolate all my life, I've spent a good amount of time refining my palate to better appreciate cacao. At workshops around the world, I've learned to differentiate Swiss chocolate from Belgian chocolate and employ proper tasting techniques. I've seen workers laying out cacao beans to ferment on the side of the road (not ideal), and I've even picked a cacao pod straight from the tree. I've integrated these experiences into my review, ranking each chocolate bar according to factors like the individuality of its flavor, its smoothness, and its aroma. You can find more information about my methodology at the end of this article.

A few of my fellow writers once ranked Lake Champlain Chocolates as the best chocolate brand you can buy. In fact, it beat two dozen other brands in the process, several of which are included in this review. I was first introduced to the brand at its Vermont-based factory over 10 years ago, and I was only too happy to sample this 38% cocoa milk chocolate bar again.

My memory did not fail me; this bar was just as delightful as I remember it. The first thing I noticed was how cleanly it snapped, a sign of excellent tempering. Meanwhile, its aroma was agreeable and not overwhelmingly sweet. Then, the instant I put a piece in my mouth, I knew this chocolate would be slow to melt. While I savored it, I appreciated the complex flavor of the cocoa, the fruitiness of which was boosted by vanilla extract. Thanks to its superb textures and flavors, this was easily one of my favorite milk bars I sampled.

I wanted to like Tony's Chocolonely's milk chocolate bar. Considering its large size and the brand's ethical commitments, I got this bar at a good price. Plus, the whimsical geometric design was fun, and its thickness made me feel like I was going to be treated to a few minutes of luxury.

This aesthetic appeal turned out to be an illusion, though; the quality of this bar didn't keep me coming back for more. It melted rather quickly in my mouth, and the cocoa flavor wasn't all that memorable. I would have enjoyed this bar more if it had been higher than 32% cocoa, or if there had been mix-ins. The caramel sea salt milk chocolate bar, for instance, may have been a winner. You might also do well to add Tony's Chocolonely's white chocolate bar to your cart; a fellow writer ranked it first among over half a dozen store-bought white chocolate bars.

I know it's not good to be jealous, but that's the only word that can describe how I feel about the writers who got to review 25 Lindt Lindor truffle flavors. Nevertheless, I was grateful to be able to sample the Lindt classic recipe milk chocolate bar for this review. It impressed me not only with its flavor, but also with its aroma and texture.

Right away, I was enticed by the strong notes of vanilla in this bar's aroma, as well as its firm, snappy texture. Each piece was slow to melt in my mouth, showing off the chocolate's creamy nature. There was not one bit of waxiness in this product as there was with some of the cheaper chocolates in this review.

Note that this product differs from Lindt's extra creamy milk chocolate bar. The latter features the additional ingredients of butterfat and salt — though based on my experiences with Lindt, I'm sure it's equally spectacular.

When I was a kid, I was enamored with Cadbury, knowing that it was originally a British brand (and therefore associated with Harry Potter, and therefore cool). But as an adult, this Cadbury dairy milk milk chocolate bar didn't quite hit the spot.

Yes, it was a small step up from the Hershey's milk chocolate bar, which I'll describe shortly. But it was chalky to the touch and melted quickly in my mouth. Furthermore, it was blatantly reliant on natural and artificial flavors, and the complexity of cocoa was largely absent. Still, it was sweet and chocolatey and enjoyable, but not enough for me to recommend it over the other brands in this review.

Don't write off Cadbury completely, though. I agree with a fellow writer that you should absolutely add both the milk and royal dark Cadbury mini eggs to your Easter basket. I'll even vouch for the creme eggs.

I once applauded Chocolove for being one of the best chocolate brands to include in a Mother's Day gift basket, but it's really a great option for anyone, any time of the year. You can start by buying the Chocolove milk chocolate bar. As is the case with the brand's other bars, each piece has a bubbled shape that does wonders for this chocolate's texture. It rests comfortably on the tongue, melts at a reasonable pace, and is substantially creamy.

This bar especially stood out for its use of butter oil, which I rarely see in chocolate. Depending on how it is made, butter oil can share similarities with clarified butter and ghee, and in this chocolate, I could taste its caramel-like notes. If you don't like butter, you might not enjoy Chocolove's milk chocolate bar because its flavor is pretty evident. But then again, I don't know of many people who don't like butter, so I think this product is a clear winner.

Okay, okay, I'm not going to discourage you from buying Hershey's milk chocolate bars when making s'mores. If you grew up melting slabs of Hershey's into an ooey, gooey summer dessert, you may never be able to use another brand. After all, the flavor of Hershey's is distinct and nostalgic, and using another brand might disrupt the delicate marshmallow-to-chocolate ratio.

However, I've not had a piece of Hershey's milk chocolate on its own in years, and after this taste test, I wouldn't recommend buying it for that purpose. Its texture was somewhat grainy and waxy, and it melted very quickly in my mouth. Its aftertaste was sour, too, allegedly due to a process called lipolysis that results in butyric acid. This acid can even be detected in the chocolate's aroma, though you might not notice if you aren't told to sniff. The sourness of Hershey's milk chocolate combined with its unappealing textures made for a disappointing mouthfeel and a promise to myself to never buy it again (unless I'm making s'mores).

By no means was Whole Foods' 365 milk chocolate a perfect product. But overall, it was an enjoyable chocolate and came at a good value for its price tag (it's even fair trade certified). At 34% cacao, this bar had a bright, agreeable flavor with strong floral notes and a generous helping of vanilla. It was creamy and, while a bit too sweet, not cloying when eaten in small amounts.

I would have liked it if this chocolate bar had been thicker, but its texture was otherwise fine. It was even reasonably snappy, despite its soft, luscious nature. It melted at a reasonably slow rate in my mouth and left a clean aftertaste, too.

Based on the ingredients list, I wasn't able to identify who might make 365 milk chocolate for Whole Foods. However, the label states that it's produced in Canada. One Redditor claimed that these bars tasted better when they were made in Italy, but I think this version is definitely still passable.

Most of the chocolates in this review are good enough that I'd happily accept a bar for free, if not pull out my credit card and buy one myself. The Great Value milk chocolate bar I sampled, however, went straight to my "give away" pile. It was my least favorite bar, no contest.

Immediately, I noticed this bar possessed a strange flavor, though I wasn't able to identify what exactly was responsible. Perhaps it was the "natural" vanilla flavor (a term that sounds pretty, but is rather ambiguous). Or maybe the off putting flavor was the result of anhydrous milk fat, a less common ingredient that is used to stabilize chocolate and add creaminess. Whatever it was, the slightly sour aroma and extremely grainy texture of this chocolate did nothing to help. I likely wouldn't even use this chocolate bar for baking, lest it ruin the dish.

Before this taste test, I was already an ardent fan of MilkBoy's white chocolate with bourbon vanilla and milk chocolate with crunchy caramel and sea salt bars. When my local Food Lion first started carrying them, they were only $2 apiece (probably a mistake, considering the high quality of these bars). I was therefore pleased to find that the MilkBoy alpine milk Swiss chocolate bar was also quite tasty.

Right away, the illustrations of cacao pods on each piece captured my attention. But that was only surface-level enjoyment. Upon biting into this bar, I was treated to a grassy, almost smoky flavor, which helped set it apart from other bars in this review. True, that grassiness is not for everyone, but I liked the complexity it added, especially because milk chocolate often lacks heterogeneity. This bar succeeded on the textural front, too, striking me as exceedingly velvety. Overall, this was a satisfying milk chocolate that didn't leave me pining for more. I'd definitely buy it again and savor each piece slowly.

When I'm baking bread, muffins, cookies, or cake that are already sweet by nature, I often use Lily's dark chocolate style baking chips. That's because Lily's products forgo cane sugar — replacing it with sugar substitutes like erythritol, isomalt, and stevia extract — and the nutrition coach in me appreciates that. However, when I need a high-quality chocolate to shine, I typically use another brand.

Similarly, it's not often that I would reach for a Lily's creamy milk chocolate style bar just to enjoy. When I'm savoring a piece of chocolate on its own, I don't want to encounter any strange aftertastes from sugar substitutes. That's what happens with this bar. Furthermore, it's a bit grainy, and the milk flavor is lackluster. That said, it still boasts some pleasantly fruity notes, even though the novelty of that fades the longer this chocolate sits in your mouth. This product is a great choice for those avoiding sugar, but otherwise, I would avoid it.

A fellow taste tester once proclaimed that Milka's dark chocolate bar was the best popular German candy they sampled. I believe it; when I was an exchange student in Austria, I indulged in several different flavors of Milka, and none of them disappointed. The alpine milk chocolate bar was always my favorite, though.

I'll readily admit that the cocoa flavors in this bar didn't knock my socks off as much as they did in others. However, for a mass-produced, highly commercialized chocolate bar, this was quite a good specimen. That's partly due to the fact that this bar uses alpine milk rather than factory farmed milk; the flavor differences were subtle, but certainly noticeable. Smooth and creamy, and even a touch less sweet than some of the other products in this review, this was an agreeable chocolate. It melted a bit too quickly on my tongue, but I was willing to forgive that for this product's positive qualities.

This may be a hot take, but I didn't think the Hu simple milk chocolate bar was worth the hype (or the money I paid for it). This surprised me, considering that I would keep a constant stock of the nut butter filled bars in my pantry if I possessed more self-control. The milk chocolate product, however, disappointed me for being neither here nor there. And by that, I mean its cacao content was 48%. Once you cross 50%, it's typically said to be dark chocolate territory. Indeed, if this bar had been more distinct from its dark chocolate companions, it may have earned a higher ranking.

Not only that, but the texture of this bar wasn't up to par. It was too grainy, lacking the smoothness I so value in chocolate. That's probably a result of the brand using unrefined coconut sugar and forgoing emulsifiers. Even the flavor didn't bowl me over; the grass-fed milk lent a grassy flavor, but not a particularly appealing one. That issue may have been solved with a touch more sugar to cut through the earthy undertones.

There are several clear differences between the bettergoods and Great Value brands, and if you need proof, just sample the bettergoods premium Swiss milk chocolate bar alongside its Great Value counterpart. Like me, you'll find that the former is worth buying again and again.

From the get go, I was enamored by the beautiful imprints of cacao pods on this bar, a pleasant surprise considering the austere design of the package. Not only did those imprints add to the aesthetic experience, but they also provided a lovely texture for my tongue to explore while savoring this chocolate. And savor it I did; after inhaling its bold aroma, I found that this product was superbly smooth and creamy. It melted a bit too quickly in my mouth, but there was not much to complain about otherwise.

Like a few other milk chocolate bars I sampled, this one does contain hazelnut paste. Its flavor is very subtle, but that's something to keep in mind if you are allergic.

Here's one more hot take before we wrap things up: The Ritter Sport alpine milk chocolate bar is not nearly as mouthwatering as its flavored companions. I'm head-over-heels for the dark whole almonds bar, and my husband and I both know to grab a peppermint bar for one another whenever we encounter it. However, this alpine milk chocolate bar failed to lure me back for more.

Primarily, it lacked the complex cocoa flavors I was hoping for. Ideally, it would have been a bit higher than 30% cocoa. The thick squares were creamy, but melted too quickly in my mouth, so I didn't have enough time to savor and explore this chocolate before needing to reach for another piece. I'm left wondering whether the fine milk version of the Ritter Sport bar, which features 35% fine Peruvian cocoa, would taste better.

If I were buying chocolate solely based on packaging, any bar from the Endangered Species brand would be at the top of my list. The Endangered Species milk chocolate bar is adorned with sea otters, offering insights into their struggle for survival (each purchase helps support environmental initiatives, with different bars featuring different animals).

But on a different note, this milk chocolate is worth buying for its flavors and textures, too. It's a darker milk chocolate, clocking in at 48%. While it still easily fell into the milk chocolate camp, I also noticed more nutty, smoky notes from the cacao than I did in bars with a lower percentage. I was also happy to find that while vanilla was present, it took a backseat; cheaper chocolates are often overly reliant on natural or artificial vanilla flavor to mask lackluster, or even off-putting, flavors. Finally, this bar had a good snap and melted at a somewhat slower pace compared to other bars, allowing me plenty of time to enjoy it.

Each of these bars can be found at grocery stores nationwide, though some are easier to find than others. I ranked bars with distinct cacao flavors more highly than those where the cacao was weak, and I also paid close attention the quality of the milk; alpine milk and grass-fed milk are not inherently better, but sometimes lend appealing flavors. 

I noted when a bar had an inviting aroma, and also whether its texture lent a suitable mouthfeel. Grainy and waxy chocolates lost points, while smooth, creamy chocolates came out ahead. Of course, milk chocolate usually melts more quickly than dark chocolate, but I still wanted each piece to last long enough in my mouth for me to watch its flavors blossom and evolve. Finally, while I sometimes noted price in my review, it did nothing to boost or demote a product.