Picky Bars - Ah, Fudge Nuts! Cacao-Abunga Brownie bar - Aug. 12, 2018

Chocolate of the Day:

Picky Bars
Ah, Fudge Nuts! Cacao-Abunga Brownie
Good
Weight: 1.6 oz. (45 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $2.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: REI, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate Brownie Theme Week.

Today's Ah, Fudge Nuts! Cacao-Abunga Brownie bar was from Picky Bars (Bend, OR).

This energy bar with the long name was thoughtfully constructed with a short list of ingredients by three professional athletes Lauren Fleshman, Jesse Thomas and Steph Bruce.

The gluten-free bar had a brownie and nut aroma, and a pleasant slightly fudgey chocolate chew. It contained 7 grams of protein, and had a clean finish—with no artificial after-taste that occasionally accompany some protein and energy bars.

Larabar - Double Chocolate Brownie Bites - Aug. 11, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Small Planet Foods, Inc. (distributed by)
Larabar - Double Chocolate Brownie Bites
Good
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 5.3 oz. (150 g.) in total package
Calories: 130 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $5.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, Los Altos, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate Brownie Theme Week.

These Larabar Double Chocolate Brownie Bites were distributed by Small Planet Foods, Inc. (Minneapolis, MN).

They had a soft chew and a light, brownie-like look and texture inside. They were also Gluten Free, Non-GMO, Vegan and Dairy Free. And they contained a relatively short list of ingredients: dates, almonds, semi-sweet chocolate chips, cocoa powder, coconut flour and sea salt. The dates gave them a dried fruit sweetness and moistness.

Westminster - Lucy's Brownie Crisp Triple Chocolate gluten-free crisps - Aug. 9, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Westminster Cracker Company, Inc.
Lucy's Brownie Crisp Triple Chocolate gluten-free crisps
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 4.5 oz. (127 g.) in total package
Calories: 100 calories in 1 serving (3 pieces)
Cost: $4.29 for 1 package
Purchased from: Sprouts Farmers Market, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate Brownie Theme Week.

Today's Lucy's Brownie Crisp Triple Chocolate Gluten Free Crisps were from Westminster Cracker Company, Inc. (Rutland, VT).

These Brownie Crisps had an aroma and flavor that were part brownie and part chocolate cookie. They were made with 72% chocolate chunks, 46% chocolate chips, sugar and a gluten-free flour blend, and they were, as advertised, light and crunchy.

In addition to being gluten-free, these brownie crisps were certified vegan and kosher; and contained no peanuts, tree nuts, milk or eggs; however, they did contain soy, oats and fava.* They were also Non-GMO Certified.

*Ingredients: Organic Cane Sugar, Flour Blend (Gluten-Free Oat, Garbanzo/Chickpea, Sorghum, Tapioca and Fava Flours), Vegan Chocolate Chips and Chunks (Sugar, Unsweetened Chocolate, Dextrose, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Extract), (Organic) Soy Milk (Contains Carageenan, Cocoa, Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Potato Starch, Leavening (Calcium Lactate, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Bitartrate), Cellulose Gum, Modified Cellulose), (Organic)Vanilla Extract, Baking Soda, Xanthan Gum, Salt.

Aloha - Chocolate Fudge Brownie bar - Aug. 8, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Aloha

Chocolate Fudge Brownie Organic Protein Bar

Good 

Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 1.9 oz. (56 g.) in 1 bar

Calories: 117 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $2.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Cunha's Country Store, Half Moon Bay, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate Brownie Theme Week.

Today's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Organic Protein Bar was made for Aloha (New York, NY).

The plant-based bar's protein was primarily derived from a pumpkin seed and brown rice protein blend and cashew butter.  

This organic protein bar's slightly chewy fudge brownie texture and flavor was almost enough to conceal a faint protein bar flavor.

Enjoy Life - soft baked Chewy Bars cocoa loco - Aug. 7, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Enjoy Life Natural Brands, LLC

soft baked Chewy Bars cocoa loco 

Good

Weight: 1.15 oz. (33 g.) / 5.75 oz. (165 g.) in box of 5 bars

Calories: 140 calories in 1 bar

Cost: $4.99 for 1 box of 5 bars

Purchased from: Sprouts Farmers Market, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate Brownie Theme Week.

Today's individually-wrapped, cocoa loco, soft baked Chewy Bars from Enjoy Life Natural Brands, LLC (Chicago, IL) were a nice, small size.

These snack bars were, as advertised, soft and chewy, and had a "brownie texture." They were, perhaps most significantly, allergy friendly—made in a dedicated facility and free of a dozen or more common allergens, including gluten, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, soy, egg, sesame and more.

If you have a sweet tooth, you're in luck. These cocoa loco bars were quite sweet. (They were made with an alternative flour blend and sweetened with tapioca syrup, organic cane sugar, chocolate chips and date paste.)

Kind - Pressed by Kind Dark Chocolate Banana bar - Aug. 6, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Kind

Pressed by Kind Dark Chocolate Banana bar

Good - Good +

Weight: 1.34 oz. (38 g.) in 1 bar

Calories: 130 calories in 1 bar

Cost: $1.67 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Safeway, Danville, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Costa Rica Theme Week.

The biggest agricultural exports in Costa Rica have been bananas and pineapples. So, today, we're honoring one of these fruits, the banana, two different ways. 

The first item was a Pressed by Kind Dark Chocolate Banana bar. It was rich and chewy, with concentrated dried banana moistness and sweetness, drizzled and backed with dark chocolate.

The second item was a blend of several left-over, single origin Costa Rican chocolate bars, melted into a fondue and eaten with banana chips (from Bare Snacks). Yum.

Sibu Chocolate - Costa Rica 45% Cardamom & Coffee bar - Aug. 5, 2018

Chocolate of the Day:

Sibu Chocolate

Costa Rica 45% Cacao Cardamom and Coffee Milk Chocolate bar

Good +++ - Very Good

Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar

Calories: 105 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar 

Cost: $10.00 (estimate) for 1 bar

Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Costa Rica Theme Week.

If you like cardamom, today's Costa Rica 45% Cacao Cardamom and Coffee Milk Chocolate bar from Sibu Chocolate (San Isidro, Heredia,  Costa Rica) will be a flavorful and delicious find.

The cacao used to make this bar was sourced from a single estate in Guacimo, Limon, Costa Rica, from a Rainforest Alliance Certified Cacao farm. 

This single origin milk chocolate bar had notes of upbeat cardamom (slight tropical punch, bubble gum note) anchored by a lovely coffee-milk (think high-end, coffee ice cream) flavor. The single origin chocolate provided a rich backdrop for these two flavor inclusions.

*Ingredients: chocolate (organic cacao beans, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, milk powder), coffee, cardamom