9 Bettergoods Chocolates, Ranked

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Perhaps you've seen bettergoods somewhere during a previous Walmart visit. The font is squat and chunky, while the packaging typically has vibrant colors to make the private label brand stand out on a shelf — rubber ducky yellow, orange paired with pink, various shades of blue squiggles. But perhaps what you don't know is that it's supposed to offer "exceptional ingredients & exciting flavor," according to Walmart's website; I was intrigued by the bold colors and claims and wanted to try out the brand's selection of one of my favorite foods: chocolate. 

I firmly believe chocolate — dark, specifically — is one of the best foods on the planet. I still make exceptions for milk chocolate, if it can hold its own. So, I selected as many chocolate-coated and candy-like items from bettergoods as possible. To rank them, I wanted them to taste as described, have ingredients that pair well, have the right proportions of chocolate and any other filling or addition, be worthy of purchasing from Walmart specifically, and, most of all, taste good. 

To me, this kind of product is meant to emulate a high-end brand like Compartés Chocolates. The packaging and look of the chocolate remind me of an award-winning brand. That's why I was really enamored by the exterior of the bettergoods Dubai Style Pistachio Crème Milk Chocolates. As I opened it, I had a vision of it being my favorite chocolate and thought it would be wonderful to put out for guests — but my vision was shamefully incorrect. 

It basically tastes like a cube of milk chocolate with a very tiny, nondescript, slightly crunchy center. The chocolate is so thick, with only a small amount of pistachio crème and kadayif filling. Kadayif is typically very noticeable, with a crunchy mouthfeel and a memorable texture on the tongue, but I didn't get any of that here. Not only is it not worth the price, but it also feels like a major letdown for what we already know is an extremely successful flavor combination. You should absolutely stick with some other Dubai-inspired chocolate bars instead.

The Milk Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels description advertises all kinds of standouts like kettle-cooked caramel and premium flavors; it uses butter, sure, as well as corn syrup to achieve the final product, and these are common when crafting chewy caramels. I can appreciate a sea salt caramel, but the sheer sweetness of milk chocolate and caramel is quite overwhelming for me. In the case of these caramels from bettergoods, I definitely think dark chocolate would have been better suited. The rich, robust, earthy cocoa could have toned down this treat's sweetness.

As it is, it's just not something I would necessarily want to add to my regular Walmart purchasing habits, and overall, it wasn't too enticing to eat. It's good if you like milk chocolate caramels, but it won't transform a caramel hater into a lover — that much is clear. This is a basic product, and it's made well, but you can find sea salt caramels all over grocery stores. If you are loyal to one from a store you like, there's no reason to switch to Walmart. These aren't excellent enough to warrant a trip, and they're so sweet, thick, and chewy that it makes it difficult to enjoy. Still, they execute their flavors better than the Dubai-style chocolate.

Bettergoods' Dark Chocolate Almonds are nicely crunchy with a thick bittersweet chocolate coating. It's a classic combination that's much loved. We've probably all consumed a pairing of chocolate and nuts at some point; it comes in so many forms, like chocolate almond bark and nut clusters. And thankfully, there's nothing inherently wrong about these, but they don't stand out. I can't tell you that the flavors are so fantastic that you have to stop what you're doing and drive to Walmart to pick out this exact bettergoods item. 

I reckon you can snag dark chocolate almonds at multiple grocery stores. They're tasty, and perhaps you can get some if you're already shopping the aisles of the chain grocer, but they're not worth a separate trip or stocking up on. This is a safe, totally tasty product that gets the job done, but other options are more interesting and perhaps at least somewhat unique to Walmart (that means you can't just find it at every single grocery store you go to). Though they are (surprisingly) the only dark chocolate option I tried in this taste test, there are better treats to come.

Do you like chocolate turtles? Well, bettergoods offers the same flavor combination of chocolate, pecan, and caramel in the aptly named Small Batch Milk Chocolate Pecan Caramel Nut Clusters. It has a liberal chocolate coating, with a caramel layer and tiny pecan bits. Pecans are a softer nut, at least compared to something like a super-crunchy roasted almond, so I wish the pieces were slightly larger to add texture dimension to the soft, melty, gooey ingredients. 

The salt does little to offer balance and just seems like it was placed on top to be part of the salted caramel phenomenon. There needs to be way more pecans and larger pieces of them to make this more satisfying; I wanted more from this chocolate (don't misread that as "more chocolate" because more chocolate is not needed whatsoever), and it didn't hit the mark. There are plenty of other bettergoods treats I'd select over this one. That said, the reconfigured turtle is a classic combination and a familiar choice if you want something nostalgic. I like the trio over the somewhat plain choccy almonds.

I have mixed feelings about this Milk Chocolate Salted Caramel Flavored Cashews treat. For one, it has a very strong aroma. There's no actual buttery caramel like in the previous treat, so it just relies on flavoring to convey the taste. This creates a noticeably strong taste and scent that could disrupt someone's overall experience. That said, I think it adds some sweetness and dimension to the cashews and milk chocolate, which help make it considerably more captivating to snack on. 

However, these also suffer from some strange sizing disparities. Sometimes I'll get a big, thick cashew, and other times I get little tiny nubbins. This doesn't exactly give a standardized experience. Not just that, but sometimes you get what looks like a decent-sized chocolate, but it only contains a nut fragment with a pretty thick coating of chocolate. Additionally, these don't feel roasted because they are somewhat soft, as I expect a non-roasted cashew to be. It doesn't explicitly state they are roasted, so I think this could have added more textural complexity. The chocolate is too thick, the caramel flavoring is slightly overwhelming, and the cashews leave something to be desired. Every handful is a little different, but it still seems the most unique offering thus far to get fifth place.

Store-bought cookie butter is utterly scrumptious, in my humble opinion. It is wonderfully spiced with these fun little crispy bits of cookie that make it a multi-sensory experience. I was definitely interested in how the Premium Swiss Cookie Butter Filled Milk Chocolate Bar tasted, and I can report that it's good. I was in the middle of an extreme heat wave as I tried this, so it melted in my apartment; I had to pop it in the freezer just to open it and break off a piece without it totally turning into brown goo in my fingers. Thankfully, this is one of the more successful bettergoods treats solely because the chocolate is so thin. 

A lot of the other lower-ranking things seemed disproportionate to the filling and the amount of chocolate. Here, it's slightly more even just because the chocolate itself is thin and spread out; however, I still want more cookie butter. It's thoroughly coated in chocolate, so every bite starts with the milky-sweet essence and then gives way to the more flavorful cookie butter. I definitely wish there was more cookie butter in here, as that alone helped this rank a little higher, both because of the complex flavor and the mildly crisp texture.

As we worked our way up the ranking, we noticed a better flavor and texture dynamic, and that's obvious in this treat, too. I can appreciate the Orange Flavored Milk Chocolate Pecans combination because it reminds me of Terry's Chocolate Orange, but it adds a nutty accomplice. Pecans star as the crunchy element that brings this treat together. Without the nuts, this leans quite sweet. I prefer a dark choco version of Terry's Chocolate Orange, so this would be my preference here. The sweetness and milkiness mellow the complexity while ramping up the flavor. 

I like this combination because it's memorable; if you're familiar with this kind of combo, you already understand how nicely the flavors can work together. Even so, you can't always find it at grocery stores, so this is an unforgettable and delicious option. I also believe the pecans add a mild nuttiness and a light crunch that set this apart from other options on the market. The use of pecans is a curious choice, but it seems to work. I think the flavor combo is interesting enough that I'd reach for it over all the aforementioned sweets, with an enticing textural and flavor blend that makes it stand out from bettergoods' lineup.

We're making progress, bettergoods. The Milk Chocolate Praline Hazelnuts and Quinoa is obviously the most marvelous of anything so far. As its name implies, it includes hazelnuts covered in a crunchy praline, then coated in bettergoods' classic overly thick chocolate — my top critique of everything on this list. There's a lot of good things happening in this treat, though. 

I love the crrrunch of hazelnut, which makes it feel substantial as I bite into each round. It offers resistance to the otherwise soft, meltable milk chocolate. Though there are various types of pralines, you can expect a sugary, sweet, and nutty combination; the praline in this treat is minimal, but it contributes a sugary layer and smaller, crunchable pieces. I found it easy to eat multiple pieces and was drawn to it over the orange-infused option. However, it still has some faults that hold it back. I can't really feel or taste the quinoa; perhaps there is a single microscopic piece somewhere in there, but it doesn't offer much textural intrigue. If you like Nutella and other chocolate and hazelnut sweets, this is a great option.

Okay, wow, we're here. We're at the top of my ranking, and why does it feel underwhelming — like we achieved nothing? While I don't think these Milk Chocolate Sun-Dried Figs are the most amazing chocolate items out there, they're easily the best from bettergoods. This combination of dried chewy figs works well with the creaminess of the milk chocolate. It creates a pleasant combination that's rich but not overwhelming. You could grab a few pieces and feel satisfied. 

The duo is unexpected and impressive enough to warrant a pit stop at Walmart, especially if you're already shopping for other essentials. I don't see figs and milk chocolate paired very often, so it feels and tastes captivating; even a Google search yields limited and expensive options. The biggest caveat in this chocolate is the size disparity. Some are teensy-weensy morsels while others are larger and more substantial when you chew them. 

I'd assume this tactic helps reduce waste, which is totally fine, but it makes the bites seem uneven and somewhat awkward. The figs have a natural sweetness, a jam-like texture, and tiny seeds that add a bit of textural contrast to the melty chocolate. Bettergoods' Milk Chocolate Sun-Dried Figs end up feeling the most elevated, tasty, and well-balanced, making them my top pick.

I wanted chocolates that were coated in chocolate or somewhat chocolate-candy-esque; therefore, I didn't select chocolate bars, except for one flavor that I felt most closely mimicked a candy. Though bettergoods offers a wide range of products, its chocolate selection is somewhat limited. Still, I selected just about everything in the category and ranked them according to how well the flavors delivered on their advertised qualities and whether they tasted good and balanced. 

The overall execution and proportions of the chocolates were significant factors as well, but they also had to be flavorful and unusual enough to warrant buying from Walmart. I tried these desserts several times over a couple of days to gather my thoughts. For the smaller treats, I had multiple pieces (several almonds or chocolate fig morsels), but I merely split later sweets into smaller pieces (like the Milk Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels). 

The products that ranked toward the bottom were imbalanced in some way (too sweet, too little filling, etc.), but as you work your way up the rankings, it becomes clear why an option performs so well. While none of them were particularly unpleasant-tasting, I would not feel inclined to purchase most of these again, since there are plenty of other brands and treats out there that are more appealing to me. My top two are good enough that I'd buy them for a party or something. If you like milk chocolate or any of these flavor combinations, they're a great purchase.