For a single dark chocolate treat with some sweetness, start with a 70% cocoa bar. Consider 75–85% if you want a more pronounced cocoa flavour, or 100% only if you deliberately want an unsweetened bar. Check the exact bar’s flavour description and allergen statement: cocoa percentage and vegan wording cannot settle those questions on their own.
A 70% cocoa bar is a starting point if you want a recognisably dark flavour without choosing an unsweetened bar. Divine describes its 70% bar as having subtle sweetness; the flavour of another 70% bar may differ.
If you enjoy a more pronounced cocoa taste, compare the descriptions of 75%, 85% and 100% bars rather than treating them as interchangeable. Montezuma’s 100% Absolute Black is an unsweetened choice.
Look for the claim on the specific bar, such as Fairtrade cocoa or a vegan recipe. If the bar is for someone with an allergy, read its ingredient and precautionary allergen statements separately from those claims.
Choose the flavour and format you want first, then check the exact bar’s ingredients and allergen information before buying it for yourself or someone else.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Cocoa and flavour | Compare cocoa percentage, the flavour description and the sugar figure per 100g on the bars you are considering. Percentage alone does not describe every flavour note. | I would like some sweetness in a dark bar, or I am deliberately looking for a stronger cocoa taste. |
| Allergens | Read the exact pack’s ingredients and precautionary statements for milk, nuts, peanuts and other relevant allergens. Do not use a vegan claim as an allergy-suitability statement. | The person eating this bar needs its allergen information checked before I choose it. |
| Sourcing claims | Check which ingredient or product carries a stated claim, such as Fairtrade. Read any qualification attached to that claim. | I care about a specific sourcing claim, rather than a general premium description. |
| Pack format | Confirm the weight and whether the item is one bar, a baton pack or a case. Check the current listing and the physical pack before purchase or gifting. | I want one bar as a treat, not a multipack or a different chocolate format. |
A 100% cocoa bar is an unsweetened choice, but percentages alone do not tell you whether a bar has vanilla or fruit notes.
Use the percentage to narrow your choices, then read the flavour description and ingredients for the exact bar.
Lindt says its EXCELLENCE 70% bar is made to a vegan recipe but is not suitable for people with a milk allergy. Montezuma’s Absolute Black is made without milk yet carries a precautionary warning for milk, nuts and peanuts.
For an allergy-sensitive recipient, check the selected pack’s full allergen statement against their avoidance requirements.
Hotel Chocolat’s 70% Dark Chocolate Batons come as 15 fingers, while the Green & Black’s business listing describes a case of 15 bars. Neither format is the same purchase as one conventional slab.
Confirm the pack type and weight before deciding whether an item meets your single-bar brief.
These examples show how particular bars differ; a claim or warning for one product should not be assumed to apply to every bar from its brand.
Divine describes its 90g 70% dark bar as having a deep cocoa flavour with subtle sweetness.
Lindt EXCELLENCE is a 100g bar with at least 70% cocoa solids.
Absolute Black is Montezuma’s 100% cocoa bar for shoppers deliberately seeking unsweetened chocolate.
M&S lists 75%, 85% and 100% cocoa bars, giving shoppers several cocoa-intensity options.
Its 70% Dark Chocolate Batons offer a fingered format rather than one conventional slab.
Green & Black’s describes a 90g Dark 70% bar in a business box of 15.
These Joybuy listings are 90g or 100g dark chocolate bars spanning 70% to 85% cocoa, including plain and fruit-flavoured options. Choose between them by the cocoa level, flavour and exact pack information that matter to you.
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Consider this 100g bar if you want a single treat with a more pronounced cocoa profile. Its stated cocoa content is 85%; check the pack’s allergen statement before sharing it with anyone who has an allergy.
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This 90g bar fits a choice centred on 70% dark chocolate with some sweetness. Check the exact pack’s sourcing claims and allergen statement if either affects your choice.
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Choose the 85% rather than the 70% variant if a more pronounced cocoa taste is what you want. This is a 90g bar; read its own allergen statement rather than assuming it matches the 70% variant.
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This 100g bar offers a cocoa level close to the 70% starting point for a single-bar treat. It contains soya, so check the full pack label for all relevant allergen information.
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Consider this 90g bar if you want a raspberry variation on 70% dark chocolate rather than a plain slab. The listing gives conflicting vegan, milk and soya information; check the physical pack before relying on any dietary or allergen claim.
Start around 70% if you want dark chocolate with some sweetness; consider 85% for a more pronounced cocoa flavour. Choose 100% only if you want an unsweetened bar. Montezuma’s lists 0.6g sugars per 100g for its 100% Absolute Black, but cocoa percentage alone will not tell you all the flavour notes or allergens in another bar.
Not automatically. Lindt says its EXCELLENCE 70% bar has a vegan recipe but is not suitable for people with a milk allergy because it is made in a facility that uses milk. Montezuma’s says its 100% Absolute Black is made without milk but may contain traces of milk, nuts and peanuts. Check the exact pack for the intended recipient.
Use a listing to narrow your choice, then read the physical pack before eating or gifting the bar. M&S advises shoppers that ingredients, dietary and allergen information can change, so its product pages should not replace the label on the item purchased.
Not if you specifically want one conventional slab. Hotel Chocolat describes its 70% Dark Chocolate Batons as a pack of 15 fingers; check the stated pack format and weight when comparing it with a single 90g or 100g bar.