Which chocolate type is most common in craft chocolate?

Dark is the largest category on Chof. That fits what you see in many craft lineups: makers often start with dark bars because they show origin and roast most clearly.

What is dark milk chocolate?

Dark milk is a hybrid style with the cocoa intensity of dark chocolate (often 50 to 70%) and the dairy softness of milk chocolate. It can keep some origin character while feeling rounder and creamier.

What are the different categories of chocolate?

Chocolate is usually grouped into four categories – dark, milk, white and ruby – by what is (or is not) added to the cocoa. Craft makers add further varieties such as dark milk, plant-milk, raw, caramelised white, filled and inclusion bars, plus sugar-free versions of each.

What counts as a single-origin chocolate?

A single-origin chocolate is made from cacao beans that all come from one country. A single-estate or single-farm bar narrows this further to one growing region or one farm.

Types of Chocolate Bars

The main kinds of chocolate bars are dark, milk, white and ruby, plus craft categories like dark milk, plant milk, filled and inclusion bars. Compare every variety by ingredients, milk, sweetener and cocoa percentage. Counts come from published bars in the Chof catalog.

Quick answer

What are the main types of chocolate bars?

Start with the classical families: dark, milk, white and ruby. From there, craft makers branch into useful sub-styles such as dark milk, plant milk, filled bars, inclusions, raw chocolate, caramelised white and bars made without added sugar.

A guide to the types of chocolate bars

There are four classical kinds of chocolate – dark, milk, white and ruby – and a growing set of craft sub-styles. Here is what each type means, with live examples from the Chof catalog.

Dark chocolate: Cacao mass, cocoa butter and sugar, with no dairy. The clearest style for tasting origin and roast.
Milk chocolate: Chocolate with added dairy milk. Sweeter and creamier than dark, but still serious when the cacao is well chosen.
White chocolate: Cocoa butter, sugar and milk, but no cocoa solids. The best are made with real cocoa butter, not vegetable fat.
Ruby chocolate: The "fourth chocolate" – naturally pink and tart, made from ruby cacao beans.
Dark milk: A hybrid with the cocoa intensity of dark (often 50 to 70%) and the softness of milk.
Inclusion bars: Bars with non-cocoa ingredients added – sea salt, nuts, dried fruit or cookie pieces.
Filled bars: A centre of praline, ganache, caramel or jelly inside a chocolate shell.

Plant-milk, raw, caramelised white and sugar-free bars round out the modern categories. Browse any category below to see every bar, its cocoa percentage, origin and tasting notes.

DarkUsually cacao mass, cocoa butter and sugar. Often the clearest style for tasting origin and roast.637 chocolate bars InclusionsBars with non-cocoa ingredients added, from sea salt to dried fruit, nuts and cookie pieces.454 chocolate bars Dark MilkHigher cocoa than typical milk chocolate, often 50 to 70%. Dark intensity with milk softness.63 chocolate bars MilkMade with dairy milk. Sweeter and creamier than dark chocolate, but still serious when the cacao is well chosen.53 chocolate bars Unsweetened DarkUsually 100% cacao with no added sugar. Direct, intense and useful for comparing roast and origin.48 chocolate bars FilledBars with a filling such as praline, ganache, caramel or jelly.34 chocolate bars WhiteMade with cocoa butter, sugar and milk, but no cocoa solids. Check the ingredients: real cocoa butter matters.21 chocolate bars RawMade with unroasted cacao. Expect a different, sometimes fruitier or greener profile.14 chocolate bars Sugar-free DarkDark chocolate made with alternative sweeteners instead of sucrose.14 chocolate bars Caramelized WhiteWhite chocolate caramelised before moulding. Often gives biscuit, dulce de leche and toasted sugar notes.9 chocolate bars Plant MilkDairy-free milk-style bars made with ingredients such as oat, almond or coconut.8 chocolate bars Sugar-free MilkMilk chocolate made with alternative sweeteners instead of sucrose.1 chocolate bar

Rare and emerging styles

These smaller categories are worth separating from the classics. They show how makers experiment with roasting, milk alternatives, alternative sweeteners and white-chocolate technique.

Raw14 Caramelized White9 Plant Milk8 Sugar-free Dark14 Sugar-free Milk1

Frequently asked about chocolate types

What are the main types of chocolate?
The main chocolate types are dark (cocoa, cocoa butter and sugar), milk (with added dairy), white (with cocoa butter but no cocoa solids) and ruby. Modern makers also produce dark milk, plant milk, inclusion bars, filled bars, raw, sugar-free and caramelised white.
Which chocolate type is most common in craft chocolate?
Dark is the largest category on Chof. That fits what you see in many craft lineups: makers often start with dark bars because they show origin and roast most clearly.
What is dark milk chocolate?
Dark milk is a hybrid style with the cocoa intensity of dark chocolate (often 50 to 70%) and the dairy softness of milk chocolate. It can keep some origin character while feeling rounder and creamier.
What are the different categories of chocolate?
Chocolate is usually grouped into four categories – dark, milk, white and ruby – by what is (or is not) added to the cocoa. Craft makers add further varieties such as dark milk, plant-milk, raw, caramelised white, filled and inclusion bars, plus sugar-free versions of each.
What counts as a single-origin chocolate?
A single-origin chocolate is made from cacao beans that all come from one country. A single-estate or single-farm bar narrows this further to one growing region or one farm.