Cocoa Couriers | Monthly Artisan Chocolate Club

Marla’s Nutty Chocolate Espresso Covered Frozen Bananas

Treat yourself to an adults-only dessert this week, with Marla’s easy recipe for Nutty Chocolate Espresso Covered Frozen Bananas.

This recipe is a fun twist on the classic chocolate dipped bananas that you grew up on and love. Aside for espresso, Marla also tops the frozen bananas with crunchy nuts and even healthy chia seeds.

Tracy’s Chocolate Fudge for Fall

Baby, it’s cold outside... So come on inside and treat yourself to some fudge!

In celebration of the fall season, Tracy has shared her grandma’s recipe for the ultimate chocolate fudge. You can enjoy this dessert all on it’s own, or top it with your favourite kind of nut.

You’re Invited To The Cocoa Couriers Club

We’re excited to announce the launch of our redesigned site, and the brand new Cocoa Couriers club. Become a member of the Cocoa Couriers club by subscribing here! If you appreciate the finer things in life, you can tell the difference between store-bought candy bars full of artificial flavours and decadent handcrafted chocolate. You deserve high quality, healthy, and safe ingredients without compromising on flavour. Good chocolate shouldn’t be difficult to find, and your search will be over once you join the Cocoa Couriers club. As a Cocoa Couriers club member, you’ll finally be able to satisfy your cravings for artisan chocolate. New selections are delivered monthly, for you to indulge in the best-tasting organic and fair trade chocolate bars. Discover bean to bar chocolate makers from across the world, all within the comfort of your own home. Members also gain access to exclusive perks, which you’ll be able to enjoy for as long as you’re subscribed. Visit the subscription page to learn more about the Cocoa Couriers club, and find the right membership plan for you.

There’s no denying that the combination of fruit and chocolate is irresistible. If you aren’t sold yet, try these exquisite chocolate bars and get back to us.

Dark With Raspberries by Vintage Plantations

The Dark with Raspberries chocolate bar from Vintage Plantations is a really nice infusion of sweetness and tartness. Their dark chocolate is incredible on it's own, but the raspberries add another element to the mix. The bright colors of the raspberries make the bars beautiful to look at, while their tart sweetness awakens your taste buds. There is a generous amount of raspberries in this bar, which ensures you’ll get them with every piece you break off.

Blueberry 75% by Brasstown Chocolate

Brasstown Chocolate is dedicated to creating the finest artisan chocolate, and it shows in this decadent Blueberry 75% chocolate bar.

The 75% dark chocolate bar is incredibly smooth, and made from organic cacao beans and cocoa butter. The strong chocolaty flavors are well paired with the real blueberries that are embedded in the chocolate. The Ecuador cacao gives an amazing richness to the chocolate you're guaranteed to love.

Black Fig by Dick Taylor

The Black Fig chocolate bar features a delightful blend of 72% Madagascar Origin Cacao and dried black mission figs grown in California. This bar is remarkably beautiful, as expected from Dick Taylor. Even the back of the bar catches the eye with the bright colours of the fig. The great chocolate flavor and texture go very well with the chewiness of the dried fig. The addition of fruit creates a nice sweetness perfect for infusion lovers.

Winter Wonderland by Hello Cocoa

The Winter Wonderland deserves high praise for it's remarkable performance at our annual tasting event as it quickly become everyone’s favorite. The 74% dark Venezuelan cacao used by Hello Cocoa has an unbelievably rich chocolate flavor. The creaminess of the chocolate pairs remarkably well with the fruity and acidic flavors of the cranberry and orange zest. Not only do you get a smooth chocolate with chewy flavor pockets of cranberry, but you also have cacao nibs throughout the bar adding a nice crunchy texture as well. This bar satisfies many textural senses while balancing really well. Even though it's not winter yet, this is a must taste chocolate bar!

When it comes to brownies, we usually reach for the walnuts. However, you’ll be hooked once you try them with pecans.

Madécasse crafts their chocolate from Madagascar cocoa, and even makes over 90% of their bars in the island.

The 70% Dark Toasted Coconut is a deliciously decadent infusion bar. Natural vanilla is infused into the chocolate for subtle undertones that enhance the flavour of the cocoa. Then the fragrant layer of toasted coconut adds a delightful crunch. If you also think chocolate and coconut make for a perfect match, then you’ll love the taste of this chocolate bar.

75% Dominican Republic by Palette de Bine

Palette de Bine is a small batch chocolate maker from Mont-Tremblant, Québec. Their focus on quality and simplicity results in decadent bars like the 75% Dominican Republic. This bar has a bold taste, yet retains great balance in flavours. A must-try for the adventurous chocolate lovers who enjoy slightly darker chocolate bars.

Mocha by Hello Cocoa

Hello Cocoa, a bean-to-bar chocolate maker from Fayetteville, Arkansas. Their handmade Mocha chocolate bar is deliciously rich and perfect for all you coffee lovers.

This chocolate bar has a 52% Milk chocolate base, and is infused with Mama Carmen's "Black Apple Espresso". Trust us when we say that a little coffee infusion goes a long way to brighten up your day! The delight with a milk bar is that the bold chocolate flavor profile takes a back seat, leaving room for the infusion to really take charge of the bar. We found that with the mocha bar, retaining the 52% chocolate base provided an incredible flavor that complemented the espresso very well.

Mint & Nibs by Raaka Chocolate

Forget those grocery store ice pops full of artificial colours and flavours, and instead try making Abbey’s healthy recipe for banana cream pie popsicles with berries and a chocolate magic shell.

These popsicles are made with real bananas and berries, which are not only nutritious but look amazing too. Whether you plan on serving these to friends, or treating yourself to a cool snack, make sure you make the chocolate magic shell. The decadent chocolate makes these popsicles a summer favourite.  

Vintage Plantations pioneered the unique approach of working with farmers to make chocolate. This results in high quality chocolate bars like the 65% Dark Chocolate with Toasted Almonds.

The slivered almonds and sprinkle of sea salt make for a delectable pairing. It’s the perfect chocolate bar for fans of the salty and sweet flavour combination, and those looking for that irresistible almond crunch.

14 Kinds of Chocolate

Did you know there are 14 different kinds of chocolate? Discover them all below, so you taste the ones you haven’t yet. 14 also happens to be the number of days left until the new Cocoa Couriers club is launched!

1. Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate often has little to no milk, and a higher cocoa butter content than other kinds of chocolate. As a rich source of antioxidants, dark chocolate is considered a healthy superfood.

2. White Chocolate

White chocolate is a chocolate derivative made with sugar, milk, and cocoa butter. Unlike other types of chocolate, it doesn’t contain any cocoa solids.

3. Milk Chocolate

Milk chocolate is the most common type of chocolate. It can be made with milk, milk powder, or even condensed milk.

4. Unroasted “Virgin” Chocolate

Unroasted chocolate is arguably the closest to raw chocolate. While cacao beans are traditionally roasted, there are chocolate makers that skip the roasting process to preserve the bold cacao flavours.  

5. Fair Trade Chocolate

Fair trade chocolate is made from cacao beans purchased from farms with decent working conditions. This includes paying above market price to improve the quality of life of farmers.

6. Organic Chocolate

Organic chocolate is made from cacao beans which were grown without the use of harmful chemicals such as synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides.

7. Unsweetened Chocolate

Unsweetened chocolate is usually used for cooking and baking as it contains no sugar.

8. Bittersweet Chocolate

Bittersweet chocolate contains a little sugar and vanilla. Since it less bitter than unsweetened chocolate, it can be used for either cooking or eating.

9. Semi-Sweet Chocolate

Semi-sweet chocolate is much sweeter than bittersweet chocolate, and is very versatile. As a dark chocolate it contains no milk.

10. Couverture Chocolate

Couverture chocolate contains a high percentage of cocoa butter, and often used by professional pastry chefs. Couverture chocolate is typically glossy with a creamy mellow flavour.

11. Compound Chocolate

Compound chocolate is the result of combining chocolate with vegetable fat, instead of cocoa butter. It is a lower cost alternative to true chocolate, often used by candy bar manufacturers.

12. Modeling Chocolate

Modeling chocolate is a paste used to decorate cakes and pastries. Since modeling chocolate is made with corn syrup, glucose syrup, or golden syrup, it can easily be formed into various shapes.

13. Chocolate Chips

Chocolate chips are shaped like flat-bottomed teardrop, and were created for chocolate to be easily used in chocolate chip cookies.

14. Cocoa Powder

Nearly all of the cocoa butter is removed from chocolate in order to make cocoa powder. Cocoa powder is used for both baking and for drinking with milk and a sweetener.

The Countdown Begins...

Officially 15 days until the new Cocoa Couriers club is unveiled!

This summer, we learned that heat and chocolate do not mix. As we all hit pause to enjoy the outdoors, the Cocoa Couriers club had to hit the pause button too.

While spending our summer vacation continuing the search for the finest artisan chocolate makers in the world, we were inspired by all of the beautiful chocolate bars and their creative packaging.

The Cocoa Couriers club needed an upgrade, as our members deserved only the best.

We’re now putting the finishing touches on our newly designed site and subscription boxes, and can’t wait to unveil them to you on September 20th. Join us as we count down the days to our relaunch!

Being dairy-free used to be pretty tough, but luckily there are more delicious options available every year. Instead of using any dairy, many bean to bar chocolate makers opt for allergy-friendly coconut or rice milk. Although, many artisan chocolate bars are crafted with only organic cacao beans and raw sugar.

These chocolate bars are irresistibly smooth yet completely dairy-free.

75% Ecuador by Brasstown Chocolate

The award-winning 75% Ecuador chocolate bar is crafted from Nacional beans from Manabí, Ecuador. Ecuador is known for fine aroma and flavorful cacao, which you can clearly taste in this airy Brasstown Chocolate bar. At first you’ll experience fruit and nut characteristics, which then give way to distinct floral notes with honey and marshmallow and a strong chocolate flavor.

Vegan Milk by Vintage Plantations

The Vegan Milk is one of the smoothest bars you'll ever taste. Vintage Plantations crafts this chocolate bar with rice milk for a velvet smooth texture. As the chocolate melts, you’ll enjoy the slight sweetness that makes the Vegan Milk bar a perfect after dinner treat.

70% Guatemala by Starchild

The 70% Guatemala is made with Cacao Verapaz beans originally sourced all the way from the lush tropical hills of Guatemala. Starchild brings out the full potential of these flavourful cacao beans by handcrafting the chocolate bar in small micro batches. Traditional methods of stone grinding are used, and the only other ingredients include organic unrefined coconut sugar, cacao butter, and a touch of the finest vanilla. This bar is incredibly elegant with strong, bright, and rich flavour notes.

If you’re over banana ice-cream (though seriously, how magical is banana ice cream!?), then this recipe is for you. And don’t worry, you don’t need an ice-cream machine to make it.

Instead of using bananas, Jessica’s no-churn ice cream is made with a creamy avocado and rich coconut milk. It’s the perfect solution to this ridiculously hot summer. Try making your own batch of vegan creamy chocolate-avocado ice cream, and see for yourself!

Raaka Chocolate is a small batch bean to bean chocolate maker from Brooklyn. The Pink Sea Salt chocolate bar, as with all of their bars, is unroasted or otherwise known as “Virgin” chocolate. This allows Raaka Chocolate to preserve the complex, and often surprising, flavours of the cacao beans.

If you enjoy a pinch of salt with your chocolate, you’ll love the Pink Sea Salt chocolate bar. Taste this bar, and you’ll notice how the salt activates your flavour sensors. You’ll soon notice citrus notes and warm hints of berry.

Whether you’re looking for a nut-free gift, or have a nut allergy yourself, the last thing you want to do is risk it with a “may contain nuts” warning label. You don’t need to worry, because these chocolate bars are guaranteed nut-free as they are each handcrafted to perfection by artisan chocolate makers.

74% Dark Venezuelan by Hello Cocoa

The 74% Dark Venezuelan bar is a great nut-free addition to the Hello Cocoa lineup. You’ll love it's simple, smooth, and amazingly satisfying flavor profile. This chocolate bar is crafted with Criollo cacao beans grown in coastal Venezuela, which are perfectly delicate and fruity. Dark chocolate never tasted so approachable, yet rich. You may also taste hints of gardenia, light apple, as well as strawberries and cream. The Criollo bean is very much to chocolate what the fine Arabica bean is to coffee. There are only a few Criollo trees left in the world, and the scarcity of the bean adds a level of appreciation to this chocolate bar.

72% Vietnam by Palette de Bine

The 72% Vietnam chocolate bar is an award-winning masterpiece from Quebec’s Palette de Bine. This bar is very well balanced, appealing to those looking for chocolate that isn’t too sweet or too dark. The simplicity and exquisite taste of this wonderfully smooth chocolate bar will delight you.

Dark Milk by Sirene Chocolate

The Dark Milk tasting pair includes both a Madagascar and Guatemala chocolate bar. These are some of Canada's finest, and are made in the beautiful Victoria, British Columbia by Sirene Chocolate. The bars themselves are little bit thicker, which makes them last much longer as they melt during tasting. This gives you a prolonged enjoyment of the flavors in these dark chocolate bars with added milk. The Guatemalan beans have an almost maple-caramel flavor, while the Madagascan beans add a hint of raspberries and cream.

Turn up the romance with only two ingredients: strawberries and a dark chocolate bar.

If you’re feeling lovey-dovey, the last thing you need is the stress of planning an elaborate dessert. Chocolate covered strawberries are healthy, easy to make, and best of all taste incredible.

Try Rachel’s recipe for perfect dark chocolate covered strawberries to make date night even sweeter!