The Functional Chocolate Company - Mellow Mint Truffle Carefree Chocolate (bar) - Feb. 23, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

The Functional Chocolate Company 
Mellow Mint Truffle flavor Carefree Chocolate 60% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 252 calories in 1 bar (6 squares)
Cost: $6.39 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Vitacost, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate & Mint Theme Week.

Today's Mellow Mint Truffle flavor Carefree Chocolate 60% (bar) was made for The Functional Chocolate Company LLC (Evergreen, CO). It contained a blend of inclusions (see ingredients list) to help reduce stress.

Aroma and flavor notes included: sweet and smooth dark chocolate infused with refreshing mint flavor--that extended into a pleasant, light (non-astringent) green tea (and very slightly floral - vanilla, sweet herb (lemon balm) and flower (chamomile) finish.

The English peppermint was nice (not too overwhelming.) And I was happy to taste another member of the mint family--lemon balm--in this chocolate.

The texture was relatively smooth, with a very faint (barely detectable) finely ground (powdered) herb/leaf granularity in one or two bites that did not bother me in the least.

I enjoyed this chocolate mint bar. The flavors were authentic, balanced and...yes, mellow. (Nothing was too intense or spiky.) It was sweet, but not overly so.

Note: I did not experience any noticeable effects from the "proprietary calming blend" in this bar; however, if you have any medical conditions, please read information listed below.

Ingredients: "Ethically Sourced Dark Chocolate (Unsweetened Cocoa Mass, All Natural Pure Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Non GMO Soy Lecithin (Emulsifier), Natural Vanilla Extract), Natural Flavors"..."L-Theanine, Pharma Gaba(R) - Gamma Aminobutyric Acid, English Peppermint Oil (Black Mitcham), Passion Flower Extract, Lemon Balm Extract, Chamomile Extract, Organic Madagascar Vanilla Extract, Kava Kava CO2 Select Extract (60% Kavalactones), Ancient Sea Salt w/54 Trace Minerals"

Allergen-related information: "This product is manufactured in a facility that processes milk, soy, tree nuts and peanuts. Consult your doctor before use if you are on medication, have a medical condition or are pregnant or nursing."

Raaka Chocolate - Day Break Functional Dark Chocolate (bar) - Dec. 23, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Raaka Chocolate
Day Break Functional Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. 28 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $4.25 for 1 bar + shipping 
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Mushroom Week.

Today's Day Break Functional 63% Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar) made by Raaka Chocolate (Brooklyn, NY).

Aroma and flavor notes included: dark chocolate (rich, chocolate-y, caramel); bright, dark ripe berry/berry syrup; sweet green (noccino); very faint wood and warm spice notes. This was a great morning, winter warmer chocolate.

Texture: smooth, almost creamy texture--with no detectable mushroom powder/grit (thank you!).

This blend was well executed, well balanced and full of appealing flavors. There were no "off" loamy notes, or strong bitter or acidic notes, or anything that tasted like fungi/mushrooms to me.

Cacao origin: Semuliki Forest, Uganda.

Maker's notes: "Focus and Energy"...."infused with seven adaptogenic herbs and 530 mg. of mushrooms, carefully crafted to jump start your day."

Ingredients: "organic cacao beans, organic coconut sugar, organic cacao butter, organic cordyceps mushrooms, organic chaga mushrooms, organic yerba mate, organic moringa, organic schisandra berry, organic rhodiola, organic cinnamon"

Allergen-related information: Contains coconut sugar. "gluten free, vegan"

Mid-Day Squares - Functional Chocolate Bar - Almond Crunch - Aug. 30, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Mid-Day Squares

Functional Chocolate Bar - Almond Crunch

Good +

Weight: 2.33 oz. (66 g.) in total pkg. of 2 squares 

Calories: 340 calories in 2 squares (1 package)

Cost: $3.69 for 1 package of 2 squares

Purchased from: Sprouts Farmers Market, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Cold Chocolate Theme Week, featuring frozen and refrigerated chocolate items.

Today's Almond Crunch Functional Chocolate Bar (2 bar-like squares in one package) hailed from Mid-Day Squares (Montreal, Canada). 

The company offers refrigerated bars/squares (including today's Almond Crunch--and two Squares product line sibling flavors: "Fudge Yah" and "Peanut Butta").

This square duo had a pleasing aroma with fudge nut brownie and chocolate almond granola notes; and had more (visible) layered soft and crunchy textures and flavors than a conventional chocolate bar, making it more complex and interesting. (It was topped with a layer of raw, dark chocolate.)

Flavor notes included: chocolate brownie with crunchy, nutty almond bits, and natural, sweet green and maple/caramelized brown sugar and nuts and crispy (implied flour-free chocolate, almond lace) cookie notes.

Seeking to transcend traditional snacks and traditional powdery/dry protein bars, these functional chocolates were defined as: "a chocolate bar with the functions of a protein bar."

Each package/pair of 2 refrigerated organic, gluten-free squares contained 12 g. of "clean" plant protein (almonds, brown rice, sacha inchi,* hemp, etc.--with no soy or dairy), and fiber, yet tasted like a "real" dark chocolate bar with crushed almonds that just happened to be more filling.

Ingredients: Organic roasted almonds, semi-sweet chocolate, (chocolate, cocoa butter, cocoa powder (processed with alkali), coconut sugar, 

Allergen-related information: "Contains almonds, coconut...May contain hazelnuts, peanuts."

*Sacha Inca protein comes from edible seeds from a shrubby plant (Plukenetia volubilis) that grows in Peru and other Amazon-proximate South American countries. These nut-like seeds are also known as sacha, mountain or Inca peanuts. 

The seeds develop inside unique, flower- or star-shaped pods; and each of the four or five "petals" contain a nut-like seed. 

Ultimate Superfoods - Ojio Shape Shifter Cayenne bar - Jan. 17, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Made for: Ultimate Superfoods, Inc.
Ojio Shape Shifter Cayenne Metabolism 66 percent bar
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 193 calories in 2/3 bar
Cost: $5.95 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Ojio Shape Shifter Cayenne Metabolism bar from Ultimate Superfoods, Inc. (Moorpark, CA) looked exciting and a little scary. Do I really want to be a shape shifter?

In addition to spices like turmeric and cinnamon, this 66% cacao chocolate was powered by some cayenne pepper heat and many other flavor and functional inclusions (ginseng, green coffee, garcinia cambogia, pine bark extract, etc.).

Surprise! There was no need to fear. This was a well-tempered bar that broke with a hard snap. And it had well-balanced, rich chocolate and spice flavors. There was no strange medicinal flavor, and this offering did not take the "fun" out of functional chocolate.