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 37:
TaucherliChuno 72%
72%darkNicaragua - Rank 38:
AcaoyerNicaragua Waslala 70%
70%darkNicaragua - Rank 39:
Friis HolmDark Milk 55%
55%milkNicaragua13 awards - Rank 40:
Friis HolmDark Milk 65%
65%milkNicaragua11 awards - Rank 41:
Duffy'sNicaragua Amarillo 100%
100%darkNicaragua - Rank 42:
Hasnaâ ChocolatsFlor de Pancasan 72%
72%darkNicaragua - Rank 43:
Feitoria do CacaoNicarágua Nibs 57%
57%milkNicaragua - Rank 44:
ArgencoveBatch No 18 80%
80%darkNicaragua1 award - Rank 45:
KocoatraitNicaragua Plain Dark 68%
68%darkNicaragua - Rank 46:
Cacao en BromaZeus 90%
90%darkNicaragua - Rank 47:
ArgencoveDark Milk 60%
60%milkNicaragua1 award - Rank 48:
ArgencoveCaramelized Cacao Nibs 70%
70%darkNicaragua7 awards - Rank 49:
ArgencoveMasaya 70%
70%darkNicaragua9 awards - Rank 50:
ArgencoveMombacho 70%
70%darkNicaragua10 awards - Rank 51:
ArgencoveCocibolca 70%
70%darkNicaragua8 awards - Rank 52:
ZotterLabooko Milk Chocolate Nicaragua 60%
60%milkNicaragua1 award - Rank 53:
Duffy'sNicaragua Oh Juno! Milk 45%
45%milkNicaragua1 award - Rank 54:
DeseoCzarna Porzeczka 45%
45%milkNicaragua - Rank 55:
BonnatEl Castillero 75%
75%darkNicaragua2 awards - Rank 56:
Nordic ChocolateKvanne 65%
65%darkNicaragua & Ecuador - Rank 57:
ArgencoveBanana Cinnamon Clove 70%
70%darkNicaragua3 awards - Rank 58:
Duffy'sNicaragua Amarillo 72%
72%darkNicaragua4 awards - Rank 59:
Choco TalesDark 70%, Nicaragua
70%darkNicaragua - Rank 60:
The Organic HouseBanana Foster 65%
65%darkNicaragua2 awards - Rank 61:
ZotterLabooko Milk Chocolate Nicaragua 50%
50%milkNicaragua - Rank 62:
chocoMeRugoso 70%
70%darkNicaragua2 awards - Rank 63:
EthiquableCoco Passion 75%
75%darkNicaragua - Rank 64:
ZotterLabooko uno Thank You
50%milkNicaragua - Rank 65:
ZotterLabooko Weiße Schoko White Chocolate
35%whiteDominican Republic & Nicaragua - Rank 66:
BlanxartNicaragua 85%
85%darkNicaragua - Rank 67:
OmnomCaramel Milk
50%milkNicaragua2 awards
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.
