Consumers go to the dark side as they embrace dark chocolate

New FONA report shows 20 percent global growth for dark chocolate since 2016.

This year Mars introduced Deeper Dark Chocolate (70 percent Cacao) and Deepest Dark Chocolate (82 percent Cacao) Promises. The new products are just one of the many dark chocolate confections being launched globally as more consumers reach for dark chocolate.

More and more consumers are going to the dark side. In fact, dark chocolate has seen 20 percent global growth since 2016.

That’s according to FONA’s new report, “Flavor Insight: Dark Chocolate.”

Dark chocolate differs from milk chocolate in that it contains 50-90 percent cocoa solids, cocoa butter, and sugar. Meanwhile milk chocolate contains anywhere from 10-50 percent cocoa solids, cocoa butter, milk in some form, and sugar.

While it has taken many consumers a while to embrace the dark chocolate flavor profile — which has a stronger bitter taste than milk chocolate — they seem to be embracing it now.

FONA cited Datassential’s Flavor Tool, which shows that dark chocolate is in the 96th percentile among all food and flavors, meaning that consumers love dark chocolate more than 96 percent of all other items.

Specifically, when it comes to dark chocolate:

70 percent of consumer love or like it
97 percent know it
90 percent have tried it

And dark chocolate has equal popularity across all regions of the U.S.

Globally, Europe is the top global region for dark chocolate-flavored new product introductions.

And worldwide, from 2015-2020, there have been 5,275 dark chocolate-flavored new product introductions. Coconut is the top flavor paired with dark chocolate globally.

The top dark chocolate-flavored product categories globally include:

50 percent bakery
23 percent snacks
12 percent desserts and ice cream
6 percent breakfast cereals
3 percent hot beverages

Meanwhile, in North America alone there have been 917 new dark chocolate-flavored new products introductions from 2015-2020.

North America accounts for 17 percent of the dark chocolate-flavored new product introductions. Peanut butter is the top flavor paired with dark chocolate in North America.

The top dark chocolate-flavored product categories in North America include:

46 percent snacks
27 percent bakery
11 percent desserts and ice cream
5 percent breakfast cereals
3 percent hot beverages
3 percent dairy

FONA also found that Foodnetwork.com shows 1,417 total recipes when searching for dark chocolate. The recipes include mostly desserts from dark chocolate cheesecake, dark chocolate mousse to dark chocolate oatmeal and even dark chocolate martinis.

With so many delicious options, it’s easy to see why consumers are increasingly reaching for dark chocolate.

For the full report, which also includes specific new products featuring dark chocolate and more data regarding how it’s being used in restaurants, visit FONA’s website.

Crystal Lindell, Former editor-in-chief of Candy Industry Magazine. While here she has worked on Candy Industry Magazine, Food Engineering Magazine and Food Safety Strategies. She holds a master’s degree in public affairs reporting from the University of Illinois – Springfield and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Western Illinois University. And her favorite breakfast is a cup of espresso and Twix bar.