I recently shared a post featuring dark chocolates you can find in most Australian and New Zealand supermarkets. You may have noticed that, over the past few years, chocolate prices have climbed significantly, and many brands that were once additive free have updated their recipes to include ingredients like soy or sunflower lecithin and added flavours.
With global cocoa shortages driving cocoa prices higher, many chocolate makers have understandably had to adapt. This has meant higher prices, smaller blocks, and, in some cases, recipe changes that reduce the amount of cocoa butter (one of chocolate’s most expensive ingredients), add lecithin, or replace real vanilla with added flavours.
SOY LECITHIN VS SUNFLOWER LECITHIN
Lecithin is an emulsifier that helps keep chocolate smooth, prevents the cocoa solids and cocoa butter from separating, and improves flow during manufacturing. It also allows manufacturers to use less cocoa butter, helping reduce production costs. The main difference is how they're produced. Soy lecithin is commonly extracted using chemical solvents such as hexane, while sunflower lecithin is typically separated mechanically after cold pressing, so harsh chemical solvents usually aren't required. If a chocolate contains lecithin, I personally prefer sunflower lecithin.
FLAVOURS
Added flavours help standardise or enhance the taste of chocolate and are often used instead of real vanilla bean or vanilla extract. Because flavour blends are considered commercial intellectual property, manufacturers are NOT required to disclose the individual ingredients they contain. Personally, I prefer chocolate without added flavours where possible, both because of the lack of transparency and because I find they can sometimes give chocolate a slightly artificial taste.
With additive free options becoming harder to find in supermarkets, I thought it was the perfect time to round up some Australian and New Zealand chocolate makers creating delicious, (mostly) additive free chocolate that you can support by purchasing directly from them online. Many of these brands use ethically sourced cacao, organic ingredients, and traditional chocolate making methods, with a real focus on quality. While not every brand is completely additive free or organic, they're all making beautiful chocolate that's well worth exploring. I've also included prices from each brand's website to make comparing and discovering new favourites a little easier.
Please note, I haven’t included Pico Chocolate or Alter Eco in this list as their chocolate isn’t available to purchase directly from them online, only through their stockists.
AUSTRALIAN
ADDITIVE FREE DARK CHOCOLATE BRANDS
BAHEN & CO CHOCOLATE MAKER TANZANIA 75% DARK CHOCOLATE BAR
Ingredients: Cocoa Beans + Organic Raw Sugar.
$9.99 | 75g
*Bean-to-bar chocolate made using traditional stone-ground techniques and ethically sourced, direct-trade cacao. Crafted in Margaret River, WA.
BAHEN & CO CHOCOLATE MAKER 75% DARK CHOCLATE ALMOND & SEA SALT
Ingredients: Cocoa Beans, Organic Raw Sugar, Margaret River Olive Oil, Australian Almonds, Maldon Sea Salt.
$9.99 | 75g
*Bean-to-bar chocolate made using traditional stone-ground techniques and ethically sourced, direct-trade cacao. Crafted in Margaret River, WA.
CABOSSE & FEVE CHOCOLATES 70% SI DARK CHOCOLATE BAR
Ingredients: Cocoa Nibs, Australian Cane Sugar.
$12.00 | 70g
*Ethically sourced ingredients, made in Victoria
BSKT WHOLEFOODS NATIVE DARK & SALTY CHOCOLATE BLOCK
Ingredients: Cocoa Mass, Organic Coconut Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Indigenous Old Man Saltbush (1.5%), Sunflower Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Flavour.
$23 for 3 blocks ($7.66 ea) | 70g
$42 for 6 blocks ($7.00 ea) | 70g
*Made on the Gold Coast
ALOUSS CHOCOLATE MAKERS 70% DARK CHOCOLATE AUSTRALIAN SINGLE ESTATE
Ingredients: Cocoa Beans, Cocoa Butter, Raw Sugar.
$9 | 45g
*Crafted from a family plantation in tropical north Queensland
CHOW CACAO DARK CHOCOLATE & SEA SALT BLOCK
Ingredients: Cacao* 67% (Paste*, Butter*), Coconut Sugar*, Sea Salt, Vanilla.
*Certified Organic
$8.95 | 60g
*Made in QLD with clean ingredients, organic cacao, and zero plastic packaging. Ships Australia wide.
MONSIEUR TRUFFE DARK
70% TASMAN SEA SALT
Ingredients: Cacao Mass, Sugar, Cacao Butter, Vanilla Powder, Tasman Sea Salt, Soya Lecithin.
$14 | 90g
*Uses ethically sourced ingredients + delivers Australia wide.
RATIO CACAO ROASTERS 63% MELBOURNE DARK BLEND
Ingredients: Cacao Beans (63%), Raw Cane Sugar.
$14 | 70g
*Made in Vic, they’re a micro batch bean-to-bar brand using only three ingredients in most of their bars.
NOOSA CHOCOLATE FACTORY 70% DARK CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA
Ingredients: Dark Chocolate (73%) [Cocoa Mass, Sugar, Cocoa Solids (70%), Emulsifier: {Soy} Lecithin Emulsifier], {Macadamias} (27%).
$14.10 | 150g
*Ingredients are locally sourced where possible, from fresh Queensland nuts to Australian-grown fruits.
LOCO LOVE LUVIO TOASTED COCONUT CHOCOLATE BAR
Ingredients: Chocolate (Cocoa Mass, Maple Sugar (17.6%), Cocoa Butter, Tigernut Flour (5.2%)), Filling (Maple Sugar (9.4%), Inulin, Cocoa Butter, Coconut Oil, Desiccated Coconut (7.8%), Tigernut Flour, Sea Salt (Fleur De Sel), Soy Lecithin, Vanilla Bean).
$13 | 90g
*Made in Byron Bay, ships Australia wide.
BELOVD COCOALINA CHOCOLATE - SALT OF THE EARTH 70% DARK CHOCOLATE
Ingredients: Cocoa Beans, Coconut Sugar, Spirulina.
$7.50 | 32g
*BELOVD chocolate is crafted without Top 9 Allergens in an allergy friendly facility
DEVA CACAO ORGANIC RAW DARK MACADAMIA CHOCOLATE BLOCK
Ingredients: Cacao Paste, Cacao Butter, Honey, Macadamias, Vanilla Bean, Sea Salt.
$14.70 | 85g
*Australia's first tempered raw chocolate naturally sweetened with 100% raw Australian honey.
HAIGH’S CHOCOLATE PREMIUM DARK CHOCOLATE
Ingredients: Dark Chocolate (Cocoa Solids(53%)(Cocoa Mass, Cocoa Butter), Sugar, Soya Lecithin, Vanilla).
$16.90 | 100g
*Ships Australia wide
CAILO CHOCOLATE 75% DARK CHOCOLATE
Ingredients: Organic Cocoa Beans from the Solomon Islands + Organic Unrefined Raw Cane Sugar.
$6.60 | 33g
*only available in the Perth region
ALESSANDRO LUPPOLO 63% DARK CHOCOLATE ALMOND BLOCK
Ingredients: Cocoa Bean, Sugar, Almond, Cocoa Butter.
$18.50 | 100g
*Handmade in Melbourne
ATYPIC CHOCOLATE 88% VEGAN DARK CHOCOLATE BAR
Ingredients: Cacao Beans, Organic Cacao Butter, Cane Sugar, Non-GMO Sunflower Lecithin.
$14 | 70g
*Handmade in Melbourne
ZOKOKO MBINGU 70% DARK CHOCOLATE BAR
Ingredients: Cocoa Mass, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Emulsifier (Sunflower Lecithin).
$18.95 | 85g
*Made in NSW, single origin chocolate with a focus on quality, traceability, and supporting cacao growers.
NEW ZEALAND
ADDITIVE FREE DARK CHOCOLATE BRANDS
SOLOMONS GOLD VELVET NIB 70% CHOCOLATE BAR
Ingredients: Cacao Beans, Organic Coconut Sap Sugar, Roasted Cacao Nibs, Organic Cold-Pressed Virgin Coconut Oil.
$8.95 | 85g
*Tested for Lead & Cadmium
One of the things I love about Solomons Gold is their transparency. They regularly test their cacao beans and chocolate and publicly share the results. Their latest testing found no detectable lead (less than 0.01 mg/kg) and cadmium levels of just 0.13 mg/kg - up to 6x lower than the European Union's limit for dark chocolate.
SOLOMONS GOLD DARK ORANGE 70% CHOCOLATE BAR
Ingredients: Cacao Beans, Organic Coconut Sap Sugar, Organic Cocoa Butter, Natural Orange Oil.
$6.95 | 55g
*Tested for Lead & Cadmium
HOGARTH CHOCOLATE MAKERS BLACK VELVET 72% DARK CHOCOLATE BLOCK
Ingredients: Cocoa Solids 72% (Cocoa Beans, Cocoa Butter), Sugar, Vanilla.
$12.00 | 70g
*Located in Nelson, delivers worldwide.
COROMANDEL CHOCOLATE 72% DARK CHOCOLATE
Ingredients: Cacao Mass, Cane Sugar, Cacao Butter.
$15.00 | 80g
*Ethically sourced ingredients + handcrafted in Whangamatā.
BENNETTO NATURAL FOODS CO 70% CACAO
Ingredients: Cocoa Mass*, Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter*.
*Certified Organic and Certified Fairtrade
$29 for a pack of 3 blocks - $9.66 each | 80g
or $56 for a pack of 6 blocks - $9.33 each | 80g
*NZ shipping only, but Bennetto chocolate is also available in Australia.
BENNETTO NATURAL FOODS CO 60% CACAO - COCONUT FLAKES
Ingredients: Cocoa Mass, Cane Sugar, Toasted Coconut Flakes (15%), Cocoa Butter, Vanilla Beans.
*Certified Organic and Certified Fairtrade
$29 for a pack of 3 blocks - $9.66 each | 80g
or $56 for a pack of 6 blocks - $9.33 each | 80g
*NZ shipping only, but Bennetto chocolate is also available in Australia.
OCHO CHOCOLATE 70% CACAO VANUATU
Ingredients: Vanuatu Cacao Beans (70%), Sugar.
$15.50 | 95g
*Craft bean-to-bar chocolate made in Dunedin
RAGLAN CHOCOLATE PAPUA NEW GUINEA 70% DARK CHOCOLATE
Ingredients: Cacao Beans & Organic Cane Sugar.
$12.99 | 90g
*Hand crafted in Raglan
FOUNDRY SOLOMON ISLANDS 70% DARK CHOCOLATE
Ingredients: Cacao Beans & Organic Cane Sugar.
$15.50 | 70g
*Micro batch bean-to-bar chocolate made from scratch in Auckland, using just two ingredients: cacao beans and organic sugar.
BARON HASSELHOFF’S GROVE THANG - YUZU OLIVE OIL & MACADAMIA CHOCOLATE BAR
Ingredients: Cacao (Pacific Blend), Organic Sugar, Macadamias (Nuts), Cocoa Butter, Yuzu Olive Oil.
$13 | 70g
*Handcrafted in Wellington
SHIRL + MOSS WAIHEKE OLIVE OIL & SEA SALT 65% DARK CHOCOLATE
Ingredients: Cacao Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Cacao Butter, Marlborough Sea Salt.
$16.50 | 80g
*Small batch chocolates made in Auckland with sustainable and fair trade cacao.
AO CACAO 70% DARK CHOCOLATE MILNE BAY, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Ingredients: Organic Cocoa Nibs, Organic Raw Sugar.
$14 | 50g
*Fairtrade and sustainable, delivers worldwide.
LUCID CHOCOLATIER CHUNCHO ESP 72% DARK CHOCOLATE
Ingredients: Cacao Mass*, Panela.
*Organic
$16 | 50g
WELLINGTON CHOCOLATE FACTORY SAMOA 70% DARK CHOCOLATE
Ingredients: Dark Chocolate [Samoan Cocoa Beans, Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Sunflower Lecithin].
$15 | 75g
*Fairtrade chocolate made in Wellington and ships to Australia + NZ.
If you know of any other amazing Australian or New Zealand chocolate makers creating incredible chocolate, let me know in the comments and I'd love to add them to this list too!