Ocho Candy - Organic Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Minis - Nov. 19, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Ocho Candy

Organic Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Minis
Good ++

Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total package of 8 minis

Calories: 280 calories in minis
Cost: $ Missing information 
Purchased from: Missing information

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week. 

This post is about good memories.

Today's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Minis were from Ocho Candy, Inc. (Oakland, CA). Ocho closed down earlier this year after 14 years in business. (Fortunately, these were in my chocolate vault.)

Ocho Candy's founders were committed to making higher-quality chocolate candy bars--before many companies had even considered Organic and Fair Trade, or gluten-free, chocolate bars, or dropping artificial colors and ingredients. They made some great small candy bars.

And speaking of memories, I chose today's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter mini bars because they reminded me of a chocolate, peanut butter and fresh banana milk shake I fell in love with--at a poolside bar in Maui, many years ago. I made a delicious fresh banana milkshake at home and enjoyed these Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Minis with the shake, and pretended I was back in Hawaii. 

The two-bite bars had a smooth dark chocolate outer layer and a both creamy and very slightly crunchy peanut butter interior. The sugar and salt levels in the peanut butter filling were perfect for my taste. 

These individually-wrapped treats were easy to share and transport; but a smaller bar size didn't help with portion control. I'll just have one more...I thought, three times.

Ingredients: *Dark Chocolate, (*+Cacao Beans, *Evaporated Cane Sugar, *+Cocoa Butter, Sunflower Lecithin), *Peanut Butter (*Peanuts), *Cane Sugar, *+Cocoa Butter, *Peanut Flour, *Sugar (*Cane Sugar, *Tapioca Starch) and Sea Salt. (* = Organic; + = Fair Trade Certified by Fair Trade USA)

Allergen-related information: Contains: Peanuts. Made on Shared Equipment That Processes Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Milk, Eggs, and Wheat.

 

Ocho Candy - Egg shaped milk chocolate with Peanut Butter filling - Apr. 15, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Ocho Candy, Inc.
Egg shaped milk chocolate with Peanut Butter filling
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total package of 10 eggs
Calories: 340 calories in 6 eggs (2 servings)
Cost: $4.99 (estimate) for 1 package of 10 eggs
Purchased from: FarmFresh To You, online order 

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Peanut Butter Theme Week.

Today's package of Certified Organic, Egg shaped milk chocolate(s) with (a) Peanut Butter filling were distributed by Ocho Candy, Inc. (Oakland, CA) and made in ("Product of") Trinidad and Tobago.

Tis' the season...Spring and Easter. Cue the chocolate eggs.

These individually-wrapped, chocolate and peanut butter eggs had an appealing chocolate and peanut candy aroma* and flavor.

The chocolate egg "shell" was creamy. The filling contained both creamy and crunchy peanut butter, as well as tiny crunchy sparkles of salt/sugar that added some textural interest.

Yes, they were sweet, but also had nicely balanced flavors and were rather addictive. The Easter/Spring Bunny on the package kept tossing chocolate eggs to me. It would have been rude to say no.

Ingredients: Organic milk chocolate (organic sugar, organic fair trade cocoa butter, organic whole milk powder, organic fair trade chocolate liquor, organic soy lecithin (emulsifier), organic vanilla), organic peanut butter (organic peanuts), organic peanut flour, organic fair trade cocoa butter, organic cane sugar, organic sugar (organic cane sugar, organic tapioca starch), and sea salt.

Allergen-related information: Contains peanuts, milk. Made on shared equipment that processes peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, and wheat.

*The aroma was almost Butterfinger like. The chocolate-covered Butterfinger candy bar (with a fine flaked, crunchy peanut candy interior) was first created almost 100 years ago (in the 1920s) in the U.S. The brand is now owned by Ferraro.

Ocho Caramel and Reese's milk chocolate peanut butter filled trees - Dec. 25, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Ocho
Organic Caramel Trees - Milk Chocolate
Good +
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33 g.) / 3.88 oz. (110 g.) in total package
Calories: 150 calories in 3 pieces
Cost: $1.99 (estimate) for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Reese's
(The Hershey Company)
Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter - Tree stuffed with Reese's pieces
Good
Weight: 1.1 oz. (31 g.) in 1 small package
Calories: 160 calories in 1 package
Cost: $0.79 for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Holiday Tea and Spirits Theme Week.

Decorating holiday trees this week, and hiking outdoors with friends and family inspired the choice of two filled chocolate "trees" on Christmas Day. It was also a beautiful day outdoors today, with live trees and lit up trees of all kinds, everywhere.

Hope you all enjoyed the holidays.

Ocho Caramel Trees
The individually-wrapped, diminutive Milk Chocolate Caramel Tree from Ocho was oozing with fresh, authentic-tasting caramel. And the chocolate tasted authentic and relatively high-quality as well. Did I mention these were Organic as well?

Ocho, based in Oakland, CA, was an early player in the healthier candy bar market, with offerings that not only lacked artificial colors or preservatives, but also were organic and better tasting than their packaged candy ancestors.

The Reese's* Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Tree

Reese's small novelty holiday tree was filled with colorful, candy-coated, crunchy Reese's pieces. Stuffing the "ornaments" inside the peanut butter tree, made for a sweeter, crunchier tasting experience than the standard peanut butter cup.

*The H.B. Reese Candy Company is a subsidiary of Hersheys (The Hershey Company, Hershey, PA). The two companies became one in the early 1960s.

Ocho - Dark Chocolate Caramel Sea Salt 60% Dark mini bars - Oct. 4, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Ocho (Five Star Organics)

Dark Chocolate Caramel 60% Dark Sea Salt Caramel (Mini)

Good - Good +

Weight: 1.34 oz. (38 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total package

Calories: 180 calories in 3 small mini bars/pieces

Cost: $2.99 for 1 package

Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Salt and Savory Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's Ocho Dark Chocolate Caramel 60% Dark With Sea Salt individually-wrapped Minis were from Five Star Organics LLC (Oakland, CA), an early producer of organic candy bars.

These organic, two-bite-sized caramel mini bars with sea salt were covered in 60 percent cocoa dark chocolate.

As with most caramel chocolates, these were fairly sweet, but these Non GMO and Gluten Free treats were made with organic butter and organic cane sugar and with no artificial ingredients with a balanced touch of sea salt. Thank you Five Star Organics.

Ingredients: Organic dark chocolate (organic cacao beans, organic evaporated cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin), organic tapioca, organic cane sugar, organic sweetened condensed milk (organic milk, organic sugar, organic milk butter (organic cream, salt), water, salt and organic vanilla extract.

Five Star Organics - Ocho Peanut Butter milk chocolate bars - Feb. 9, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Five Star Organics LLC
Ocho Peanut Butter milk chocolate bars

Good

Weight: 1.3 oz. (38 g.) / 3.52 oz. (100 g.) in total package

Calories: 210 calories in 3 pieces

Cost: $ missing information for 1 package of 8 mini bars

Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Peanuts Theme Week.

Today's individually-wrapped Ocho Peanut Butter - peanut butter in milk chocolate small bars were from Five Star Organics LLC (Oakland, CA).

These organic, peanutty, miniature candy bars were covered in smooth, creamy milk chocolate and would be easy to share with others. Ocho is the Spanish word for eight. And there were eight little bars in this package.

Five Star Organics - Organic Ocho PB&J bar - June 16, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Five Star Organics LLC
Organic Ocho PBandJ Bar
Good +
Weight: 1.45 oz. (41 g.) in total bar
Calories: 210 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $1.50 (sale) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Peanuts Theme Week.

Many of us have wished for better, healthier versions candy bars for many years. The founders of Ocho Candy had decided to create bars along these lines when they opened shop in 2011.

In a world where the imperatives of consistency and high-volume production can tilt products away from a short list of higher-quality (more expensive) ingredients, the Ocho lineup has proven that you can produce a better candy bar.

Certified gluten free, today's organic, milk chocolate covered PBandJ bar had authentic peanut butter and raspberry jam flavors and textures.

Five Star Organics - Ocho Organic Caramel Egg - June 3, 2018

Chocolate of the Day:

Five Star Organics LLC

Ocho Organic Caramel Egg

Good

Weight: 1.16 oz. (33 g.) / 3.88 oz. (110 g.) in total package

Calories: 150 calories in 1 serving (3 eggs)

Cost: $5.79 for 1 package of 10 eggs

Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Caramel Theme Week.

The founders of Five Star Organics LLC (Oakland, CA) wanted to remake the standard candy bar, without extra additives and preservatives. The resulting line of organic bars and confections satisfy a candy craving and are made with higher-quality organic ingredients than you might find elsewhere.

The chocolate egg "shell" tasted better than bulk commercial chocolate used to cover caramel eggs. And the generous caramel filling with a hint of sea salt, while quite sweet,* satisfied the sweet tooth.

*Try pairing sweeter milk chocolate caramels with a handful of almonds or other whole food, to slow down a sugar spike.