Thursday, February 18, 2016

Chuao Chocolate!

Right around the holidays, Chuao Chocolatier sent me some of their vegan chocolate bars to review. But I was deep in cashew brittle, cupcakes, and other holiday treats, and I didn't get around to trying them before I had to start my 28-day white sugar-free Abundance Diet in January. During my cleanse, every time I opened my pantry, these bars stared out at me, screaming "Eat me! I'm filled with antioxidants! I'm practically health food!"

But my willpower is strong. I resisted until February 2nd, when I immediately tore into a couple bars and savored every sweet, cocoa-rich bite. Chuao (pronounced "chew-wow") makes both vegan and non-vegan chocolate, but they only sent me their vegan dark chocolate flavors. Each bar is loaded with premium dark chocolate (60% cacao) and flecked with fun add-ins. And since Chuao is on the Food Empowerment Project's approved chocolate list, this is chocolate you can enjoy with a clear conscience knowing that no human rights were violated in the making of this chocolate (for more on child slavery in the chocolate industry, check this out).

There's Ooh Ahh Almond, Spicy Maya, Triple Nut Temptation, and Peace, Love, & Peppermint.


The Ooh Ahh Almond is probably my fave of the bunch! Crunchy, whole almonds are kettle-cooked in sugar and sea salt and surrounded by sweet dark chocolate. I've always been a fan of the salty-sweet combo, and I love the crunch from the almonds.


If you love Mexican hot chocolate, the Spicy Maya is for you! I'm a little obsessed with the chocolate-cinnamon-cayenne combo right now, and I can't get enough of those spices in my hot cocoa at night. This bar is like eating my fave hot cocoa. Cinnamon, pasilla chile, and cayenne are embedded in dark chocolate. But it's not too spicy. There's just the tiniest little kick.


Triple Nut Temptation is LOADED with nuts! In fact, I learned today that it makes a pretty awesome tide-you-over-til-lunch snack when you've had an early breakfast. I had an 8 a.m. meeting this morning, so I ate breakfast very early (for me, anyway). I was starving again by 10:30, but a few squares of this bar satisfied me for a bit. Roasted hazelnuts, almonds, and pistachios are surrounded by dark chocolate!


Sadly, the Peace, Love, & Peppermint is a seasonal flavor, so you can't get it now. I should have gotten this post up before the holidays because, man, it is delicious! It's all flecked with candy cane bits!

Other vegan flavors by Chuao include the Orange A-Go-Go (with candied orange and bergamot) and Salted Chocolate Crunch (with breadcrumbs and sea salt). They have a ton of other interesting flavors that aren't vegan (but that I wish were), like Strawberry Waffle Wild, Potato Chip, and Cinnamon Cereal Smooch.

6 comments:

Adriana Robles said...

I may be indigenous Cora, but spicy Maya sounds like my kind of chocolate. :9<3

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Babette said...

Chocolate with almond is definitely a favorite of mine, so if I see Chuao chocolate in my area, I will get a bar.

I've been making hot cocoa with marshmallows and cinnamon lately... if I make one today, I'll add cayenne!

Jennifer said...

Yeah, the nut loaded bar is like 50% nuts 50% chocolate. I picked it up once and you can feel all the lumpy nuts inside XD

Unknown said...

Wow, all those chocolates look so good!! I would have eaten them all the first day!

Unknown said...

Now I'm craving for some chocolate!

vegan.in.brighton said...

That almond bar sounds perfect!