In my opinion, the greatest chocolate wrapped espresso beans have a chocolate to coffee bean ratio of 2:1, making the chocolate twice as significant as the coffee. So I’m not going to laud the praises of mediocre chocolate-covered coffee beans just because there’s an affiliate program. Every brand of chocolate coffee beans on this list has been personally tasted, photographed, and evaluated by me.
When I was producing my own chocolate and roasting my own coffee, one of my favorite pleasures was chocolate-covered espresso beans. I really began this blog shortly before leaving for a few months to work on a coffee and cocoa plantation in Ecuador, but that’s another tale.
I created this because every comparison I saw of the finest chocolate-covered espresso beans to purchase was from folks who had never even tasted the items, much alone compared them. This seemed like just the type of crazy project I needed right now, so I set out to locate the greatest chocolate-covered coffee beans money could buy by really sampling every choice out there, one by one. This is a work in progress, so please provide suggestions for your favorites in the comments section!
Contents
My Top Selections
Trader Joe’s Flavour Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans are the best buy.
Decaf Espresso Beans with Dark Chocolate Coating
Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spice Espresso Beans are a seasonal highlight.
Domori Chocolate Coated Coffee Beans are of the highest quality.
Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Coated Espresso Beans are the cheapest.
Chocolate-Covered Espresso Beans at Their Finest
Pumpkin Spice Espresso Beans from Trader Joe’s
They are very delightful. I’m not sure why I hadn’t seen them before this year, but considering this is a seasonal item, I aim to purchase 10 bags before they run out. These beans are a sweet delicacy with a spicy aftertaste and a faint sense of bitterness, similar to the popular PSL that Trader Joe’s pays tribute to every autumn.
I’ve never had a pumpkin spiced latte before, but after having these, I certainly will. They’re very addicting and easy to consume in large quantities, so keep them away from children.
71g (2 serves) (2 servings) Trader Joe’s price: $0.99 (also available on amazon) Price per ounce: $0.40 White chocolate is a kind of chocolate. Size: 2.5 oz.
Pros
cheap
lovely packing
excellent bittersweet and spicy balance
Cons
only accessible seasonally
It contains just coffee beans, sugar, and a little of fat.
Chocolate-Covered Coffee Beans from Domori (Dragees)
Domori Chocolate makes these Italian chocolate-covered coffee beans in Turin, the hub of Italian cuisine. Turin is generally regarded as one of the greatest chocolate towns in the world, as well as the city of the famed hazelnut-growing province of Piedmont. These chocolate-covered beans represent those decades of excellence, with a thick 67% chocolate coating crafted from sustainably sourced cacao.
They are smaller than typical chocolate-covered coffee beans, with less of the shiny material to make them stand out. The taste, on the other hand, is superb, with each crunch exposing more of the creamy, melty chocolate that coats each espresso bean.
40g (2 serves) (2 servings) Bar & Cocoa charges $5.00 for this item. The price per ounce is $3.55. Dark chocolate is one kind of chocolate. 1.41 ounces in size
Pros
chocolate sourced responsibly
lovely packing
Italian-style dessert (more velvety mouthfeel)
Cons
expensive
Dark Chocolate Coated Espresso Beans from Trader Joe’s
These are the greatest chocolate-covered espresso beans for you if you prefer your coffee robust and bitter with a dash of sweetness. Although the sizes vary greatly and a lot of shellac is used to make them so glossy, the general taste is mildly bitter and sweet. Due to the alkalization process, they offer a moderate chocolaty taste in comparison to the other chocolate coffee beans described here.
Trader Joe’s has been selling them for at least 8 years, with my first encounter with them being in 2015 or 2016. The tiny beans are the most bitter and astringent, while the larger ones contain many dark chocolate espresso beans.
397g (13 serves) (13 servings) Trader Joe’s price: $5.00 (also available on amazon) The cost per ounce is $0.36. Dark chocolate is one kind of chocolate. 14 ounces in size
Pros
cheap
Cons
Chocolate has a bland flavor.
The first component is sugar.
The coffee beans are incredibly dark roasted, almost charred.
Chocolate-Covered Decaf Espresso Beans
These decaf chocolate coffee beans have a lovely crunch at first, but the taste is rather artificial. Since the coffee beans within are so little, this would be an excellent choice for trail mix. Every other one I tried had a fragile bean that went powdery as I bit into it.
The first component is sugar, which makes them exceedingly sweet, but it also makes it easier to ignore their bland taste and go on to the next one. In terms of decaf chocolate espresso beans, they are most likely one of your finest bets (aside from making your own).
454g (15 serves) (15 servings) Nuts.com charges $13.99 for this item. The cost per ounce is $0.88. Dark chocolate is one kind of chocolate. Weight: 16 oz.
Pros
relatively low-cost
simple to order in conjunction with other specialized pantry goods
Cons
pretty delicious with no complexities
Cacao and coffee are sourced from undisclosed sources.
essentially the only choice
Scented Chocolate Coated Espresso Beans from Trader Joe’s (1oz.)
Although most of the coffee beverages portrayed in Trader Joe’s flavored chocolate wrapped espresso beans are best guesses, the tastes definitely speak for themselves. If I had to choose, they are the greatest chocolate-covered espresso beans in terms of value for money. These taste much superior than Trader Joe’s large container of chocolate-covered coffee beans, yet they only cost 12% more per ounce.
Yet, there is no indication on the container or the company’s website of how, where, or how much they pay for the coffee and cacao utilized in this product. So I can’t answer to the ethics of how they acquired their ingredients, but the mix of fats and sugars is very fantastic.
They are also great for sharing since there’s guaranteed to be one for every coffee fan in your life (or at least in the room!) with 5 varieties. Three of the tastes are also caffeine-free; neither white chocolate nor blonde chocolate contain caffeine. I like the white chocolate ones since I have a sweet tooth. Since the coffee beans used in all of the flavors are somewhat bitter, you may mix and match the tastes to create your perfect coffee cup without brewing.
71g (2 serves) (2 servings) Trader Joe’s price: $0.99 (also available on amazon) Price per ounce: $0.40 Chocolate varieties include dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate. Size: 2.5 oz.
Pros
cheap
lovely packing
excellent combination of bitter beans and sweet, well-balanced chocolate
Cons
There is little nuance to the tastes; it is just chocolate and coffee.
Cacao was most likely supplied from underpaid farmers in Cote dIvoire.
The New York Espresso Blend
This combination of various flavored chocolate wrapped coffee beans packs a sweet and coffee punch, yet the chocolate taste isn’t overpowering. This is most likely due to the fact that three of the five types of beans in the combination are coated in white chocolate. It implies that as long as the coffee beans aren’t completely burned, they’ll never be harsh enough to overshadow the sweetness of the coatings.
If you enjoy sweet chocolate espresso beans, this is the one for you. But, if you appreciate being able to distinguish the tastes and textures of the many alternatives, the Trader Joes mix is a superior purchase. Even in strong sunshine, I had trouble differentiating between the milk and dark chocolate wrapped coffee beans, and the taste difference was practically imperceptible.
454g (15 serves) (15 servings) Nuts.com charges $12.99 for this product. The cost per ounce is $0.81. Chocolate varieties include dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate. Weight: 16 oz.
Pros
inexpensive
simple to order in conjunction with other specialized pantry goods
Cons
pretty delicious with no complexities
Cacao and coffee are sourced from undisclosed sources.
Chocolate Espresso Beans Frequently Asked Questions
Espresso beans were traditionally a deeper roast bean used to generate robust, thick shots of espresso. Yet, because of the popularity of blonde espresso, there is no longer any differentiation, even though most espresso beans are still dark roasted.
Sure, since the coffee beans have a moderate caffeine concentration while the chocolate has little to no caffeine (depending on type of chocolate used).
Espresso blends are often created using darker roast coffees that have lower caffeine levels, although the majority are also made with tiny yet high-caffeine robusta coffees. As a result, most chocolate-covered espresso beans contain 8-10mg of caffeine per serving.
Although most chocolate-covered coffee beans are high in sugar, having a few dark chocolate-covered espresso beans per day may be healthful in moderation.
Chocolate-covered coffee beans may be stored in an airtight container in a cold, dark area for up to 6 months, or in the freezer for up to a year (though that also changes the texture).
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