7 Grocery Chains With the Best Chocolate Selections
We've all been there: You are getting ready to check out with your shopping cart full of groceries, and waiting at eye level in the checkout lane is a perfectly wrapped bar of chocolate. You suddenly remember that you love chocolate, and the next thing you know, you have an entire shopping bag full of various kinds of chocolate bars.
In general, you can find a decent selection of chocolates at just about every major grocery chain, especially if you are looking for popular brands like Lindt, Godiva, or Ghirardelli. But if you are looking for the true crème de la crème when it comes to chocolate, you will have to do some extra digging. Not every grocery chain is going to sell top-tier European chocolates, or organic brands that are so dark they use practically 100% of the cocoa bean. But the grocery chains that do offer more than your standard Hersey's and KitKat bars are known among chocolate aficionados as a cut above the rest.
If you are on the hunt for some unique brands of chocolate on your next grocery run, keep these chains in mind, as they are the ones that will sell either premium European brands or better-for-you chocolates with less added sugar and more natural ingredients.
Trader Joe's
From its Dark Chocolate Sunflower Seed Butter Cups to Organic Milk Chocolate Truffle Bars, Trader Joe's proves once again that it offers some of the most unique products out there. The fan-favorite supermarket chain is home to a plethora of specialty chocolate items at affordable prices. "Trader Joes has amazing chocolate, and a huge variety," gushed one fan on Reddit. "They have bars, candies, pretzels, deserts[sic], and on and on. Even better is they are cheap. All the ones I buy are imported from other countries and are incredible."
If you are a fan of dark chocolate, a 2022 Consumer Reports study on the level of potentially harmful heavy metals in the popular sweets likely gave you pause. The report flagged two popular Trader Joe's dark chocolate bars, in addition to several other products made by Hershey and other confectioners. However, Trader Joe's has defended the safety of its products and criticized the study's methodology.
Costco
Costco members have praised the warehouse over the years for a variety of reasons, from its top-notch meat department to its wide array of pantry items. But for those with a sweet tooth, Costco also offers a number of great chocolate treats, including many under its own Kirkland house brand.
One fan favorite is the Kirkland Signature Chocolate Covered Almonds, which one Redditor described as "dangerous," adding that they "ate 1/3 of the jar in one day once." Keep your eyes peeled for higher-end imported chocolates as well. Another Redditor last year spotted a box of Neuhaus-brand Belgian chocolates at Costco for $79.99, which sounds pricey but commenters described it as "great price for amazing chocolate" and a "complete steal," given the brand's prestige and high quality.
Whole Foods
Whole Foods differentiates itself from competing grocery store chains with its responsible sourcing and quality standards for all kinds of foods, including sweets like chocolates. The upscale retailer stocks a lot of premium brands like Chocolove and Hu Foods. "They have a lot of high quality organic chocolate," wrote one fan on Reddit. "You'll notice that the natural stuff has very few ingredients. Well worth the try!"
Aldi
Don't sleep on Aldi. The national discount supermarket chain has a number of products fans cannot get enough of, not to mention the fact that it has several great in-store private brands. Another thing Aldi has plenty of is great chocolate— one fan called it the "[b]est chocolate in the U.S." Shoppers on Reddit point to several high-quality European brands of chocolate for sale at the German-owned Aldi, including Moser-Roth and Choceur.
Grocery Outlet
Grocery Outlet is more than just a discount supermarket chain where shoppers can go to score big savings. As it turns out, it is also a bit of a hidden gem when it comes to great assortments of chocolate. Shoppers can buy several unique chocolate brands like Ritter Sport, as one shared on Reddit, with several noting how good of a find it was. Another Redditor specifically pointed out that they could find brands like Scharffenberger, Dagoba, Lindt, and Milka, all at low prices.
Cost Plus World Market
World Market is more than just a furniture store. The California-based retailer offers many grocery items as well, from wines to dried pasta and sweets, including "unique gourmet chocolate" from around the world. The worldly assortment includes selections from Iceland, Belgium, and Germany. One former employee also shared on Reddit how World Market carries a good selection of sugar-free chocolates as well, including the brand Guylian.
Walmart
America's largest food retailer is no slouch when it comes to chocolate. The mega box store carries all of the major U.S. brands and even big-name European labels like Milka and Cadbury. Walmart's own in-store brand Great Value also includes an assortment of chocolates, which some fans on Reddit find strikingly similar to Lindt.
