Sted Foods - Peppermint Candy Cane 50% Dark Milk Chocolate bar - Feb. 20, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Sted Foods
Peppermint Candy Cane 50% Dark Milk Chocolate (Seasonal)
Good ++
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 5 oz. (141.5 g.) in pack of 10 small bars
Calories: 78 calories (estimate) in 1 small bar
Cost: $23.00 for pack of 10 small bars 
Purchased from: Sted Foods, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate & Mint Theme Week.

Today's Sted Foods Peppermint Candy Cane 50% Dark Milk Chocolate bar was made by TC Foods, LLC (Fergus Falls, MN).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate and mint/peppermint.

Texture: smooth, creamy dark chocolate with tiny, crunchy, peppermint candy bits. 

Flavor notes included: rich, flavorful and smooth, chocolate-y, dark milk chocolate--matched with just the right amount of authentic-tasting peppermint. This 50% cacao chocolate was sweet, but without being overly so--even though we tiptoed back into December candy cane territory.

I liked being able to share bars from this pack of 10 small peppermint candy cane bars over the winter holidays. And today I enjoyed this cheerful mint mini bar myself on a cold, crisp day.

Thank you to Sted Foods for their choice of quality/natural and organic ingredients.

Ingredients: organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic whole milk powder, organic peppermint candy (organic cane sugar, organic brown rice syrup, natural peppermint flavor, organic vegetable and fruit concentrate for color (radish, apple and black currant).

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. "Made in a facility that uses sesame seeds, pecans, almonds, coconut, cashews, hazelnuts, and milk."

Seattle Chocolate - Candy Cane Dark Chocolate Truffle Bar - Dec. 23, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Seattle Chocolate
Candy Cane Dark Chocolate Truffle Bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $N/A - gift from family member
Purchased from: N/A - gift from Megan (thank you!)

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate Truffle Bars Week.

Today's Candy Cane Dark Chocolate Truffle Bar was from Seattle Chocolate Company (Seattle, WA).

What is a chocolate truffle bar? Some of this week's truffle bars have a softer filling (ganache). Others, like those offered from Seattle Chocolate Co. bars offer a more uniform bar-like texture, but have sweet, filled chocolate truffle-like flavor(s). 

Aroma and flavor notes for today's Candy Cane dark truffle bar included: aromatic peppermint candy and smooth dark chocolate with very faint sweet lemony herb (wood sorrel, oxalis) and very faint and well-balanced earth--enough to give it a little bold flavor (and contrast with the sweet peppermint), but not enough to be that noticeable.

I enjoyed the crunchy peppermint candy (candy cane) bits embedded in the smooth, creamy dark chocolate. 

This peppermint + dark chocolate (aroma, texture and flavor) blend evoked memories of Christmas candy canes and winter holiday peppermint bark.

It was sweet, and there was a slightly addictive more-ish quality to it. So be forewarned if you have a sweet tooth and you plan on having "just one" bite.

Ingredients: "Dark chocolate (cocoa mass*, cane sugar, cocoa butter*, organic soy lecithin, natural vanilla), candy cane (cane sugar, rice syrup, colors (red cabbage and purple carrots), pure peppermint oil), non-hydrogenated coconut oil, pure peppermint oil." (* = Rainforest Alliance Certified)

Allergen-related information: "Contains soy and coconut. This product is manufactured in a plant that processes milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, and wheat products."

 

Chuao Chocolatier - For the Love of Peppermint (bar) - Dec. 26, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chuao Chocolatier

for the love of Peppermint (bar)

Good

Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total bar

Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $ missing information

Purchased from: REI, Mountain View, CA

Happy Holidays, and welcome to Day #1 of Crunchy Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's "For the Love of Peppermint" (bar) was from Chuao Chocolatier (Carlsbad, CA). The company was co-founded by two Venezuelan brothers in 2002. 

This chocolate bar was one of at least three holiday-themed bars the company has offered this season. Today's bar was the company's "ode to the wonder and glee of the season...dark chocolate...mixed with crushed candy canes..."

When opening the package for this bar, the aroma of cooling peppermint wafted out. This peppermint was a prominent part of the tasting experience. The slightly bold dark chocolate took a back seat to the sweet but powerful mint candy. The bar offered a refreshing, wake-up, holiday experience. And the candy cane bits did add crunchy texture to the otherwise smooth dark chocolate.

Lily's Candy Cane 70% Dark Chocolate bar - Jan. 16, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Lily's Sweets, LLC
Candy Cane Dark 70% Dark Chocolate bar
Good +
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.); 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $4.19 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, Los Altos, CA

Welcome to the last day (Day #9) of Chocolate and Peppermint Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Alternative Sweeteners Week.

Cane sugar is the expected sweetener for most bean-to-bar chocolates. However, one sees brown sugar, coconut sugar, honey and a variety of other sweeteners in chocolate bars and confections.

Today's Candy Cane 70% Dark Chocolate bar from Lily's Sweets, LLC* (King of Prussia, PA) was made with unsweetened chocolate (no sugar added). Instead of sugar, it was sweetened with Non-GMO Erythritol (a sugar alcohol) and Stevia Extract (from a plant).**

This gluten free and vegan dark bar broke with a hard snap (a sign of a good temper), and had a fairly creamy texture and melt—although it was slightly gritty in one or two bites. "Natural peppermint flavor" provided the authentic candy cane zing.

Thank you to Toni and Margaret for tasting help!

*The company is named after Lily, a cancer survivor. And a portion of proceeds from Lily's bars go to cancer research each year.

**"Ingredients: Unsweetened chocolate, Erythritol, Inulin, Cocoa Butter, Natural Peppermint Flavor, Stevia Extract, Organic Soy Lecithin, Vanilla."  

Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) is a naturally sweet plant from South America that has been used for centuries to sweeten teas, medicines and other items, particularly in Brazil and Paraguay, and has been processed and marketed as an alternative sweetener around the globe in more recent times.

ChocolateBet: December 24, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 box
Trader Joe's
Candy Cane Coal
Very Good
Weight: 1.62 oz. (46 g.) / 3.25 oz. (92 g.) total box/package
Calories: 215 calories
Cost: $1.99 total package
Purchased from: Trader Joe's, in Mountain View, CA

Tradition has it that ill-behaved children will receive a lump of coal in the bottom of their Christmas stockings, instead of toys. Trader Joe's (Monrovia, CA) package of Candy Cane Coal makes light of this story -- with "lumps of crunchy, minty, chocolate delight." And, these tiny pieces of sweet, chocolate covered coal were pretty darn good.

Merry Christmas Eve to all.

ChocolateBet: December 22, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
Vosges Haut Chocolat
Peppermint Candy Cane Truffle
Good+
Weight: .4 oz. (11.3 g.) / 6.4 oz. (181 g.) total 16-piece assortment box
Calories: 60 calories
Cost: $part of a larger ($43) holiday truffle assortment box
Purchased from: Vosges, Chicago, IL

Happy holidays to all. I've been building up to a candy cane and chocolate crescendo before Christmas this year. Today's chocolate, a  candy cane truffle from Vosges (Chicago, IL), made with 65% dark chocolate, arrived nestled in an attractive, holiday assortment box.

Even though the candy cane bits on top had started to fuse together/melt -- perhaps due to holiday excitement and/or being shipped halfway across the U.S. -- the smooth, dark filling helped pull together the tasting experience.

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Peppermint Candy Cane Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: December 20, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 small cup
WestSoy
Chocolate Peppermint Stick Soy Beverage
Good - Good +
Weight: 3.5 oz. (99 g.)/ 32 fl. oz. (1 Qt.)(946 mL) total container
Calories: 85 calories (estimate)
Cost: $3.29 total container
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Peppermint Candy Cane Theme Week - and today's chocolate came in the form of a chocolate (soy) beverage, flavored with peppermint and a mini candy cane garnish. The chocolate WestSoy beverage was creamy and, as advertised, good chilled or warm. I tried both.

ChocolateBet: December 19, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
Godiva
Peppermint in Dark Chocolate bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (43 g.) total bar
Calories: 230 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $0.15 (with store coupon)
Purchased from: Kohl's, in Mountain View, CA

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Peppermint Candy Cane Theme Week. Santa's elves were presumably hard at work whipping up candy cane flecks -- from the canes shown on the wrapper -- to create the light pink peppermint filling for these dark chocolate truffle bars. Each of the four squares marked off on this bar were branded with the distinctive letter "G" for Godiva.

I liked that this bar was not too sugary sweet. The texture of the chocolate was what I'll call fudge clay like -- but not in a bad way. The chocolate was substantial enough to prevent any peppermint filling from leaking out of the bar, without being too hard and waxy as overly thick molded coverture chocolate can be. Eminently practical if you're packing this bar for a snack in the cold mornings or the warmer afternoons.

ChocolateBet: December 18, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 sundae
Rick's Rather Rich Ice Cream
Peppermint ice cream hot fudge sundae
Good+
Weight: Small size
Calories: 290 calories (estimate)
Cost: $5.00 (estimate)
Purchased from: Rick's Rather Rich Ice Cream, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Peppermint Candy Cane Theme Week. There are lots of interesting peppermint ice creams out there -- all good candidates for hot fudge sundaes.

Rick's Rather Rich is a great, local ice cream parlor down the road from my house, so I'm a frequent customer there. I dolled up this fresh-tasting Rick's Peppermint ice cream sundae with whipped cream, hot fudge and a cherry in my car -- with a few mini Bob's Candy Canes. OK, it was a bit of a mess, but now it really feels like the holidays.

Russell Stover - Candy Cane Snowman - December 17, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

1 snowman
Russell Stover
Candy Cane Marshmallow Snowman
Good - Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.)
Calories: 110 calories
Cost: $0.50 for 1 Santa
Purchased from: Walgreens, Palo Alto, CA

When candy canes start to appear everywhere, images of snowy landscapes and Christmas generally follow. And where there is snow, there are snowmen and snow creatures.

Today's chocolate, Russell Stover's Candy Cane Marshmallow Snowman,  captured all these themes in one gooey, crunchy treat. A pink peppermint marshmallow center was coated with chocolate, and then topped with crushed candy cane pieces.

Once unwrapped, the snowman did look rather forlorn without a hat, eyes, nose, and other features. So, the least I could do was pop some googly eyes on the poor fellow, before taking a bite out of him.

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Peppermint Candy Cane Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: December 16, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:
2 pieces
Tootsie Roll Industries
Candy Cane Tootsie Pop Drops
Good - Good+
Weight: .3 oz. (8.5 g.)/ 3.5 oz. (99 g.) total box
Calories: 30 calories for 2 pieces
Cost: $1.00
Purchased from: Target, Mountain View, CA

There's nothing like the fresh taste of peppermint candy canes to usher in the Christmas holidays. Today was Day #1 of Chocolate and Peppermint Candy Cane Theme Week.

This year store shelves seemed to brim over with peppermint and chocolate candy options. Tootsie Roll Industries (Chicaco, IL) is famous for their individually wrapped chewy chocolates, and for Tootsie Pop suckers with the chewable chocolate center inside a hard, bite-able candy globe on a stick.

Today's Peppermint flavored, white and red-striped, Tootsie Pop Drops contained a "Chewie Tootsie Roll Center." These candy drops were more about the peppermint than the chocolate, but it was a fun to try a new variation on a traditional candy. And, as with the Tootsie Pop suckers, good luck trying to patiently suck down to the chocolate center, without wanting to bite them open right away. ("How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?" asked the cartoon wise owl on the old Tootsie TV commercials..."One...two...three...(crunch!)"

ChocolateBet: December 24, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

2 pieces
Frango
Candy Cane (mint chocolates) - Limited Edition
Very Good+
Weight: 16 oz. (453 g.) for 1 box
Calories: 80 calories (estimate) for 2 small pieces
Cost: $15.40 total (30% off sale) originally $22.00
Purchased from: Macy's, at Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto, CA

I shared this box of crunchy Candy Cane and chocolate sweets with family at a holiday dinner get-together.

My sister, who lived in Seattle, WA, for many years assured me that Frango mints originated in Seattle -- and that a smaller department store that originated these chocolates/mint line was bought up by Marshall-Fields department store. Eventually Macy's bought out Marshall-Fields, or Macy's became the Frango distributor. Glad to hear that a favorite sweets brand survived all these transitions. (Frango is also listed in wikipedia for more info.)

I believe the limited edition chocolates can only be found at specific times of the year, and that these Candy Cane chocolate mints fit under this category.