Review: Ghirardelli's New Milk Chocolate Bars Blew This Dark Chocolate Lover's Mind

Listen up, chocolate lovers: There's a new trio on the block, and you'd be remiss not to try the lineup, like, now. That's pretty high praise, coming from me. Not only am I not the biggest chocolate gal out there, but I famously don't like milk chocolate, so the fact that even I enjoyed Ghirardelli's new trifecta was pretty stunning. 

Three "smooth & delicious" bars join Ghirardelli's lineup as the Premium Milk Chocolate Bar line, and trust me, you'll want to add these milk chocolate bars to your cart. Keep reading for the dirty details on each bar, including tasting notes, nutrition, price points, and how to get your hands on them. And, for all the dark chocolate purists out there: Take this as a sign to break out of your shell a little. You probably won't regret it. 

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

I went into this tasting with as little bias as possible, though I was skeptical that the milk chocolate bars would impress me. I often find milk chocolate to be, well, too milky for my palate. Still, I wanted to be as objective as I could when embarking on this taste test. 

To determine whether these chocolates are worth buying, I ate one square of each and evaluated how well they lived up to their names. I considered the inclusions in each (when applicable), as well as how "melty" they became in the mouth, and my overall impression of their feel and flavor on the palate. I've had some of Ghirardelli's chocolate squares in the past, so I also had those in mind when I was testing these bars. 

Up first is a plain, no-frills milk chocolate bar from the brand, which comes in a stunning light blue package. It doesn't look at all remarkable out of its packaging, but don't let looks deceive you. I thought this milk chocolate was deceptively good, even though I'd never have bought it on my own.

Firstly, I have to highlight the texture, which was out-of-this-world silky and creamy. Seriously — I think the phrase "melt in the mouth" was made for this chocolate. Even better, it melts slowly and with intention. You'll get a long time to savor each square before it's gone; it even lingers long after it's fully melted. As far as its flavor goes, I can say that this milk chocolate has a comparable depth to dark chocolate. Though it's not as dark, obviously, there's a good complexity here; I got warming notes of milk and a really rich cocoa flavor. The bar wasn't overly sweet, nor did it feel as candy-adjacent as some milk chocolates do. 

Up next, we have Ghirardelli's new Sea Salt Almond Milk Chocolate bar. Anything that combines chocolate and almonds is guaranteed to be a winner in my book, so I wasn't surprised to find that I was quite endeared to this one, too. Everything I said about the previous Milk Chocolate bar applies to this one — after all, I'm assuming this is the same chocolate base, just with some inclusions. 

As I'd expect, the salt was a lovely touch, and it wasn't overdone at all. It also wasn't present texturally — just in the flavor of the bar. I also got the almond flavor throughout the square, but I do think the company could have included more almond pieces, though we could chalk that up to personal preference. Still, the bar was lightly textured without being overwhelming, and offers a good middle ground for almond chocolate fans. 

Lastly, we have Ghirardelli's Caramel Crisp Milk Chocolate bar. It wasn't what I was expecting, but that's my own fault for not paying attention to the picture on the front of the package. I thought I'd get a caramel-filled square with this one. I didn't, but I wasn't disappointed. 

Despite not being filled with gooey caramel, I got plenty of caramel flavor, and I actually really liked the "crisp" element present in the bar. It didn't feel gimmicky, like the crisped rice I've found in a lot of "crispy" chocolate — instead, it was subtle, meaningful, and offered a gentle texture to bring interest to the milk chocolate. It felt like an elevated version of other crispy chocolates, and I appreciated the maturity present.

Should you try Ghirardelli's new milk chocolate bar lineup? Absolutely, even if you're a dark chocolate purist. It's time to branch out a little! Who knows? You might find a new sweet (but not too sweet!) treat to indulge in whenever that sweet tooth starts to itch. 

I also have the sneaking suspicion these would be incredible candidates for whatever bake you have planned. I haven't tested this theory yet, but their silky-smooth texture feels like it would melt particularly well in, say, a chocolate chip cookie. No matter what you decide to do with them, they'll make for quality additions to your candy cabinet — they may even become your new go-to. 

If you buy Ghirardelli's chocolate bars through the company's website, they'll cost you $7.95 each, so I'd expect them to be sold at stores with a slight markup. You should be able to find the new bars at plenty of retailers — including Walmart, Target, Kroger, CVS, and Walgreens — and there's nothing indicating that this is a limited release. I certainly hope they'll be around for the long haul. 

Each bar contains slightly different nutrition values, but one serving is two pieces of chocolate for all three bars. One serving of the Caramel Crisp bar has 130 calories, 8 grams of fat, 15 grams of carbs, and 1 gram of protein; the Sea Salt Almond bar has 140 calories, 8 grams of fat, 14 grams of carbs, and 2 grams of protein per serving, while the Milk Chocolate bar has 130 calories, 8 grams of fat, 15 grams of carbs, and 2 grams of protein per serving.