Tony’s Chocolonely Leads By Example With Their Utterly Delicious, Slave-Free Chocolate Bars

When I first discovered the wonders of Tony's Chocolonely a few of years ago from their chocolate truck touring the country, I was shocked.

And that's not just because their chocolate is utterly delicious (which it definitely is). The brand also introduced me to the painful truth that, unfortunately, the majority of the chocolate we eat is made using illegal slave and child labor—but it doesn't have to be. The brand is on a mission to make chocolate 100% slave-free, starting with their own incredible bars.

So when the team behind the brand reached out to me again to see if I'd be interested in sampling and reviewing their latest bars and to again share the Tony's Chocolonely story. I was more than happy to agree, and even happier to taste the 10 delicious bars they sent me.

The Brand

Tony's Chocolonely isn't just a chocolate company. They're also dedicated to processes that remove child slavery as an element of chocolate production, while raising awareness about this pressing issue—and leading by example with their own delicious slave-free chocolate. They do this by working directly with partner cooperatives, so they can trace every bit of chocolate directly to its source and make chocolate that's sustainable as well as ethical. The chocolate is then made into fine Belgian chocolate in 6.35 oz. bars, and they sell for just $5.95 each on their website.

 

The Chocolates

32% Milk Chocolate

Tony's Chocolonely Milk Chocolate bar was their first product ever, and it seemed like the perfect place to start my chocolate-tasting adventure. Upon peeling off the paper wrapper, the foil inside made me feel like I was unwrapping a Willy Wonka chocolate bar in search of a golden ticket. On the inside of the paper was info about Tony's Chocolonely's important mission, and within the foil was a beautiful bar of milk chocolate.

(via Tony's Chocolonely)

Now, these bars are big. The pieces of the bar are also unequal, representing inequality in the chocolate chain while also cleverly hiding the map of West Africa (where the brand sources its chocolate). I broke off a small piece and took a bite of the sweet, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate and couldn't resist instantly snacking on another. This chocolate is rich, creamy and everything you'd expect from high-quality Belgian chocolate, and like every other bar we've tasted, it only took a couple of nights to polish the whole thing off.

 

70% Extra Dark Chocolate

For something completely different, we turned to the Extra Dark Chocolate bar next. Dark chocolate can be hit-or-miss for me, with cheap dark chocolate barely seeming any different than the standard stuff, but too dark chocolate being bitter and unpalatable. This lovely bar is neither, striking the perfect balance of earthy richness without tasting like burnt, bitter junk. Rich cocoa is paired with sweetness to perfection, and while it might not convert any milk chocolate fanatics, dark chocolate fans are going to be in love. It's proof that Tony's Chocolonely knows exactly what they're doing with their chocolate. And did we mention this bar is also vegan?

(via Tony's Chocolonely)

 

Dark Milk Chocolate

Like the name says, this bar sits somewhere between milk and dark chocolate, and it does that well. It's got the creamy, sweet balance of milk chocolate while also channeling that grounded dark chocolate flavor. It's the perfect compromise between the two, and sure to win over both milk and dark chocolate lovers.

(via Tony's Chocolonely)

 

Dark Chocolate Almond Sea Salt

Now, Tony's Chocolonely does their plain chocolate bars well, but their most beloved chocolates just might be their bars with tasty extras added in, like this Dark Chocolate Almond Sea Salt bar. The dark chocolate in this bar isn't quite as strong, but still richly delicious, allowing the add-ins to shine through. The almond pieces add great texture and a wonderful nutty flavor,  accented by salt. As a big fan of salted chocolate, I give this one a huge thumbs up.

(via Tony's Chocolonely)

 

Milk Chocolate Hazelnut

If you're a Nutella fiend like me, you know that few things go together better than chocolate and hazelnut. This bar incorporates full hazelnuts so you can be sure that they don't skimp, and their buttery flavor is heavenly when paired with the sweet milk chocolate. They seriously give the chocolate-hazelnut spread a run for its money.

(via Tony's Chocolonely)

 

Milk Chocolate Honey Almond Nougat

Tony's Chocolonely always seems to know precisely what ingredients to add to their chocolate, and the honey almond nougat in this bar is no exception. This bar's tiny chunks of nougat, made from honey and almond, are sweet and sticky and endlessly tempting, and of course they taste delicious with their amazing milk chocolate.

(via Tony's Chocolonely)

 

Dark Chocolate Pecan Coconut

Here's another one for the dark chocolate lovers. This bar has that mighty, dark chocolate taste I've come to know and love, with just the right amount of sweetness. You get the full effect of the coconut in both the flavor and that classic grated coconut texture, with nutty bits of pecan complementing it beautifully. And this one's also vegan-approved!

(via Tony's Chocolonely)

 

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White Chocolate Raspberry Popping Candy

Now, for something different. This is the only white chocolate bar I've tried from Tony's Chocolonely, and the flavor profile is nothing like the others. It's made with sweet, buttery white chocolate that's packed with freeze-fried raspberry, contrasting it with tart berry flavor. And then there's the popping candy. I didn't really taste it among the real fruit flavor, but I did feel that occasional crackle on my tongue. I'm not usually the biggest white chocolate fan, but I found this one to be a real treat.

 

(via Tony's Chocolonely)

 

Milk Chocolate Caramel Sea Salt

The combination of sea salt, chocolate and caramel is one of the all-time greats, and I didn't expect less than perfection here. Of course, my expectations were matched, and then some. The milk chocolate is delicious as always, especially with every crunchy caramel piece embedded inside, and it's all made even better by the inclusion of sea salt.

(via Tony's Chocolonely)

 

Dark Milk Chocolate Pretzel Toffee

Last, but definitely not least was the Dark Milk Chocolate Pretzel Toffee—my favorite of the bunch. It starts with Tony's Chocolonely's flawlessly balanced milk/dark hybrid chocolate and makes it even better with crunchy toffee bits and satisfying chunks of pretzel. The texture is unparalleled, and four of us managed to eat this whole bar in a single after-dinner sitting.

(via Tony's Chocolonely)

 

Bottom Line

What's not to love about Tony's Chocolonely? Their chocolate tastes amazing, has offerings for pretty much every kind of chocolate-lover, is slave-free and aims to change the world. Even the price is on point, at just under $6 per massive bar on their website, which is far less expensive than many premium Belgian chocolates. I have to say I'm a fan—and that giving these out as gifts will make you very popular indeed.

 

Eager to learn more? Click HERE to learn more about what I discovered from the Tony's Chocolonely Truck.