Julie Pech founded The Chocolate Therapist “empire” while on a mission to marry two of her loves: chocolate and nutrition. She even wrote a book on the subject, The Chocolate Therapist: A User’s Guide to the Extraordinary Health Benefits of Chocolate, which I’m hoping to read as justification for my new found chocolate addiction.
Honestly, I think Julie’s strategy was genius. She paired The Chocolate Therapist Dark Chocolate Bars with a nutrition resource. it’s a great gift for loved ones, or for ourselves, that shouts both indulgence and practicality. Plus, her handcrafted delights have a rustic, cacao appeal that will quickly rope in many chocolate purists.
Tasting Notes for Chocolate Therapist Dark Chocolate (Dairy-Free Varieties)
We sampled several of the Chocolate Therapist dark chocolate bars with 72% cacao and 55% cacao, leaning toward that latter in many flavors. The 72% was earthier, more intense and slightly more bitter than some of the other 70% bars we have tasted, while the 55% were sweeter, but still “grown-up” and complex. Below our my tasting notes.
Please note that the Chocolate Therapist also makes milk chocolate products that contain dairy. We’re only addressing their dark chocolate varieties, which are made without any milk ingredients.
The Purist (72%)
Good, but a little more intensely cacao and bitter than I like for regular noshing. I lean toward cocoa buttery dark chocolate, while this was on the rustic side.
Extreme Therapy (72%)
I’ve really grown to love smooth chocolate with pure bites of cacao nibs, and was generally pleased with this variety. The cacao is earthy and almost cacao nib-like on it’s own (in flavor) so aside from the textural shake-up, I didn’t feel that the nibs affected the overall warm and earthy flavor, and even found this bar to have a little more appeal than The Purist.
Super Hero (72%)
Wowsers, whole dried cherries and literally whole almonds smattered on this dark bar! The cherries were a bit too chewy, and the overall vibe is definitely for chocolate-covered almond fans.
Blue Suede ‘Shews (72%)
This was the most intriguing of the bunch in my opinion. I loved the sweet blueberries against the contrasting dark with the mellow, nutty cashews.
Berried in Chocolate (55%)
Slightly bitter for a 55%, but intense in cacao with a pleasantly sweet contrast. There were whole dried berries randomly scattered about – I actually would have liked a more generous hand with the fruit.
Down By The Sea Salt (55%)
Everything about this bar was delightfully harmonious. The sea salt was ever-present, yet it melded nicely and helped to marry the bitterness of the cacao with the sweetness. The almond slices on the back of the bar were a nice touch, if not a little lopsided in distribution.
Double Shot (55%)
Pure espresso granules give this bar a big boost! I’m not a coffee fan, but think this could be bliss for mocha lovers. The flavor was clean, perfectly sweet and definitely caffeinated (one little square was enough of an energy jolt for this chocolatista). Tony (a coffee fan) thought it had really good flavor to it rather than tasting like ground coffee.
The Facts on Chocolate Therapist Dark Chocolate
Price: $9.75 per 3-pack of 2-ounce bars
Availability: The Chocolate Therapist Dark Chocolate Bars are available through the company’s website below.
Certifications: We didn’t note any certifications on The Chocolate Therapist Dark Chocolate Bars.
Dietary Notes: By ingredients, The Chocolate Therapist Dark Chocolate Bars are dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, peanut-free, vegan, and vegetarian.*
For More Product Information: Visit The Chocolate Therapist website at www.thechocolatetherapist.com.
*Always read the ingredient and nutrition statement prior to consumption. Ingredients, processes, and labeling are subject to change at any time for any company or product. Contact the company to discuss their manufacturing processes if potential allergen cross-contamination is an issue for you. No food product can be guaranteed “safe” for every individual’s needs. You should never rely on ingredient and allergen statements alone if dealing with a severe food allergy.
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Intense cacao
Refined, yet rustic, this dark chocolate selection has intense cacao appeal. We leaned toward the sweeter 55% cacao bars, which were a touch less bitter, and came in scrumptious varieties like sea salt with almonds and espresso.
