Best Nicaragua Chocolate
The 67 best Nicaraguan chocolate bars on Chof made with cacao from Nicaragua, ranked by the Chof Score.
The Nicaragua regions named most often on these bars are Waslala, Matagalpa, Northern Nicaragua and El Castillo. Makers most often list the cacao as Trinitario, Criollo and Nacional. Across these bars, the notes that repeat most are Caramel, Citrus, Nutty, Honey, Raisin and Red Fruit.
Ranked by the Chof Score
- Rank 1:
Friis HolmBarba 70%
70%darkNicaragua12 awards - Rank 2:
Friis HolmDon Alfonso 70%
70%darkNicaragua3 awards - Rank 3:
Friis HolmMedagla 70%
70%darkNicaragua11 awards - Rank 4:
ZOTORugoso 75%
75%darkNicaragua1 award - Rank 5:
20nord20sudKubaly Waslala 72%
72%darkNicaragua - Rank 6:
Rosa CaninaNicaragua 80%
80%darkNicaragua - Rank 7:
Friis HolmChuno 70% Double Turned
70%darkNicaragua16 awards - Rank 8:
MaüaNicaragua 70% Flor de Sal
70%darkNicaragua - Rank 9:
MaüaNicaragua 75%
75%darkNicaragua - Rank 10:
Friis HolmRugoso 70%
70%darkNicaragua9 awards - Rank 11:
Friis HolmNicaliso 70%
70%darkNicaragua14 awards - Rank 12:
ZOTOEl Castillero Trinitario Blend
70%darkNicaragua - Rank 13:
MesjokkeD.A.R.C. Angel
72%darkNicaragua - Rank 14:
ChocolatoaNicaragua Raan Comucor 70%
70%darkNicaragua - Rank 15:
Friis HolmNicaliso Green Cinnamon 70%
70%darkNicaragua4 awards - Rank 16:
Friis HolmJohe 70%
70%darkNicaragua11 awards - Rank 17:
Goodnow FarmsEl Carmen Nicaragua 77%
77%darkNicaragua8 awards - Rank 18:
The Heart of CacaoNicaragua O'Payo 70% Pure
70%darkNicaragua - Rank 19:
Friis HolmLa Dalia 100%, The Lazy Cocoa Growers Blend
100%darkNicaragua4 awards - Rank 20:
Friis HolmChuno 70% Triple Turned Single Bean
70%darkNicaragua2 awards - Rank 21:
LivstoryNicaragua O'Tuma 100%
100%darkNicaragua2 awards - Rank 22:
La Fleur de Chocolat72% Nicaragua Bean to Bar Chocolate
72%darkNicaragua - Rank 23:
Friis HolmRugoso 70% Bad Fermentation
70%darkNicaragua9 awards - Rank 24:
Friis HolmLa Dalia 85%
85%darkNicaragua11 awards - Rank 25:
Friis HolmO'Payo Milk Sansho 50% with Green Sansho Pepper
50%milkNicaragua - Rank 26:
MaüaPulpa de Cacao 70%
70%darkNicaragua - Rank 27:
MesjokkeWinter Spiced
72%darkNicaragua - Rank 28:
Standout ChocolateSwedish Fika / Coffee & Cinnamon Bun
69%darkNicaragua1 award - Rank 29:
TërtNicaragua O'Tuma
darkNicaragua - Rank 30:
Friis HolmO'Payo Milk 50%
50%milkNicaragua23 awards - Rank 31:
Nordic ChocolateBlåbär
65%darkNicaragua - Rank 32:
ArgencoveApoyo 70%
70%darkNicaragua9 awards - Rank 33:
Friis HolmO'Payo 68%
68%darkNicaragua14 awards - Rank 34:
Nordic ChocolateNicaragua 75%
75%darkNicaragua - Rank 35:
Storm & BilleKaffenibs 70%
70%darkNicaragua - Rank 36:
ZotterLabooko Nicaragua 70%
70%darkNicaragua
Bars with awards
35 bars with cacao from Nicaragua have award results on Chof. Showing the 12 with the newest results. How Chof lists awards
Barba 70%
by Friis Holm
Chuno 70% Double Turned
by Friis Holm
Dark Milk 55%
by Friis Holm
Dark Milk 60%
by Argencove
Dark Milk 65%
by Friis Holm
Don Alfonso 70%
by Friis Holm
Johe 70%
by Friis Holm
La Dalia 85%
by Friis Holm
Masaya 70%
by Argencove
Medagla 70%
by Friis Holm
Nicaliso 70%
by Friis Holm
Nicaliso Green Cinnamon 70%
by Friis Holm
What is Nicaragua chocolate known for?
Nicaraguan chocolate is smooth and nutty, with caramel, soft red fruit and a mild acidity that makes it easy to like. Cacao grows mainly around Matagalpa, Waslala and the Rio San Juan, and the country retains Criollo genetics that give its best bars a gentle, rounded character.
Nicaragua sits in a comfortable middle ground between the bright acidity of Madagascar and the deep cocoa of West Africa. Expect nuts, caramel and a restrained fruitiness rather than anything sharp, which makes Nicaraguan bars a good introduction to single-origin chocolate.
The country holds pockets of old Criollo and Criollo-influenced cacao, prized for low bitterness. Growing areas in the north around Matagalpa and Waslala, and in the south by the Rio San Juan, supply a steady flow of beans to craft makers across Europe and North America.
Top makers using Nicaragua cacao
Popular cocoa percentages for Nicaragua
Frequently asked about Nicaragua chocolate
What does Nicaraguan chocolate taste like?
Gentle is the word: toasted nut and caramel with a restrained fruitiness and none of the sharpness of high-acid origins. If you are choosing a first single-origin bar, Nicaragua is one of the most likeable places to start.
Which regions of Nicaragua grow cacao?
Chiefly Matagalpa and Waslala in the north and the Rio San Juan area in the south. Between them these regions supply much of the fine Nicaraguan cacao used by craft makers in Europe and North America.
How are the best Nicaragua chocolate bars chosen?
The Nicaragua bars are ordered by the Chof Score, an internal quality signal built from what the maker discloses: how precisely the origin is named, how clean the ingredient list is (no PGPR, vanillin or vegetable fats), how much of the fermenting, drying and roasting is documented, and what lab evidence exists. The exact weights are deliberately not shown: the ranking is a tasting starting point, not an absolute leaderboard. Community ratings are shown on each bar but do not move this ranking.
What do the Nicaragua bars on Chof have in common?
The Nicaragua regions named most often on these bars are Waslala, Matagalpa, Northern Nicaragua and El Castillo. Makers most often list the cacao as Trinitario, Criollo and Nacional. Across these bars, the notes that repeat most are Caramel, Citrus, Nutty, Honey, Raisin and Red Fruit.
How many Nicaragua chocolate bars are listed on Chof?
Chof currently lists 67 chocolate bars made with cacao from Nicaragua.
Which makers work with Nicaragua cacao on Chof?
Ordered by how many bars each has, the makers using Nicaragua cacao on Chof start with Friis Holm, Argencove, Zotter, Nordic Chocolate and Maüa.
What cocoa percentages of Nicaragua chocolate are most common?
The most common cocoa percentages for Nicaragua cacao on Chof are 70%, 72%, 50%, 75% and 65%.
Which brands make Nicaragua chocolate?
32 chocolate makers on Chof work with Nicaragua cacao. Each bar links to the brand that made it.
Where can I find Nicaraguan chocolate brands?
Chof lists 67 Nicaraguan chocolate bars made with cacao from Nicaragua, from 32 different makers. Browse them above.
Cacao varieties in Nicaragua chocolate
Bean varieties the makers of these bars list for Nicaragua, as stated on the label. Open one to see what it is, how it tastes, and how to tell a real one.
Learn more
Chof Monthly
One email a month: the bars and makers added to Chof, the highest Chof Scores among them, and where to buy them.
Scan a bar from Nicaragua in Chof
Log your tasting, save the origin profile, and compare it with more bars from Nicaragua.
