Eat Unsweetened Chocolate in Portland

I like to eat unsweetened chocolate bars and I like it. Yes, that’s the 100% cacao product with no sugar added—not even alternatives like coconut sugar, allulose, monk fruit, or stevia. You are probably thinking, “What is wrong with this gurl?!?”

I know this might be a hard sell for some of you reading this—and I know it’s a controversial take, esoteric at best—but I am here to encourage you to take a chance on it. In exchange, you get a payoff of deep cacao flavor, complex tasting notes, and a new chocolate experience.

Why the Heck Would You Even Eat Unsweetened Chocolate?

Well, the origins of my interest in unsweetened chocolate started when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. In response to that diagnosis in April 2018, I cut out three things: sugar, red meat, and alcohol while going through treatment. 

At the time I was concerned that I would miss out on chocolate forever if I gave up sugar, but then I thought, “Why not try unsweetened chocolate and see how it is?” And so I tried it, liked it, and came to appreciate chocolate without sugar. And yes, I even crave it to this day.

What I Look for in an Unsweetened Chocolate Bar/Product

For me, flavor notes of nuts, caramel, and dark fruit are particularly appealing. Also important to me is the texture of a bar. Overly grainy, dry and chalky are not something I want to eat. A smooth texture adds so much to the enjoyment of these chocolate bars. Also: A little goes a long way.

Truly, there are some legitimately tasty unsweetened chocolate bars out there. However, some are pretty much inedible—overly sour, having the aforementioned chalky texture, or simply not interesting. Even some of the fanciest chocolate makers create 100% cacao bars that are best melted down, relegated to the mixing bowl with sugar. 

Here are some suggested unsweetened chocolate bars I recommend giving a try. I like to eat them on their own and sometimes with a few pieces of dried cherries. I’ve also heard that some people like to eat 100% cacao bars with nut butters.

Unsweetened Chocolate Made in Portland

Creo Chocolate

Purely Dark 100% Cacao bar (website). Ingredients: heirloom Arriba Nacional cacao beans and cocoa butter (pressed from the same beans) from Ecuador. Weight: 1.75oz (50g).

Tasting Notes: honey, caramel, nuts, red fruit.

Creo Chocolate is based right here in Portland. Their factory is on NE Broadway and they have two retail locations—one at the factory and a lovely store at in NW Portland (usually they offer you a sample of something when you walk in).

They source Ecuadorian cacao beans directly from the farmers there and make their chocolate in small batches. You can take a factory tour, too. Their unsweetened bar has a natural sweetness to it and the texture is smooth. 

122 NE Broadway and 629 NW 23rd Avenue, Portland. Creo Chocolate website

Ma Cacao (FKA Buddha Chocolate)

Ceremony Bar, 100% Cacao (website). Ingredients: single origin Ucayali River Peruvian cacao (organic), organic cacao butter. Weight: 2oz.

Tasting Notes: black cherry, caramel, coffee.

I first tried their chocolate when they were over on NE Sandy Blvd near Bakeshop and Case Study. I was walking home from a radiation session, and decided to pop in. I bought their Ceremony Bar and had to confirm a number of times that there was no sugar in it. The texture is less smooth than some others, but does not distract from the enjoyment. I like picking up this bar at one of their farmers market tables.

Various locations. Ma Cacao website

Ranger Chocolate Co.

Ranger 100, Polochic, Guatemala, 100% Dark Chocolate Bar (website). Ingredients: cacao from Guatemala. ”The cacao used to make this bar is some of the finest we have worked with. Aged for 18 months, this chocolate has a smooth and lush texture with a beautiful rich brown color.” Weight: 2.25oz (64g)

Tasting Notes: sourdough, molasses, caramel, star fruit, toasted sesame.

I’ve only had this bar once, but I remember it being a good experience. They use organic, sustainable, and fair trade cacao at their factory in the Kerns neighborhood. There you can also have coffee, pastries, and purchase their chocolates and other products (e.g., caramel, granola). I’ve also seen their chocolates at Whole Foods.

118 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. Ranger Chocolate Co website

Cloudforest

No Sugar Chocolate (website). Ingredients: cacao beans from Bolivia. Weight: 10oz (283.4g).

Cloudforest makes many delicious things, including this container of unsweetened chocolate pieces (technically not in bar form). They use this chocolate to make their Agua de Cacao, a water-based chocolate drink that is delicious. 

Note: Their Magic Spread, a type of chocolate-hazelnut spread that is sweetened with dates, is ridiculously good.

935 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland. Cloudforest website

Unsweetened Chocolate Bars Made Elsewhere but for Purchase in Portland

François Pralus

Le 100% Criollo Chocolate Bar (website). Ingredients: 100% cacao solids. Weight: 100g.

Tasting notes: citrus, berries, balsamic, roasted coffee

This is one of my favorite unsweetened chocolate bars. The texture, for one, is so smooth and lovely. I love the rich, toasty flavor of the chocolate. I ate a lot of these during cancer treatment. Available at Providore, The Meadow, and Whole Foods

Original Beans

Cusco 100% (website). Ingredients: Cacaomass. Weight: 70g.

Tasting notes: dried flowers, grass.

I picked up this bar at The Meadow and thoroughly enjoyed it. There definitely is a natural sweetness in there, paired with deep cocoa flavors and a smooth texture. Super yum. I haven’t seen it at The Meadow lately, but always check when I’m in there. 

Rózsavölgyi Csokoládé 

The Naked Cocoa 100% (website). Ingredients: cocoa beans. Weight: 50g.

Tasting notes: floral aromatic notes, red fruits, almonds, coffee.

This is pricey chocolate but it’s gorgeous to look at, pleasant to eat. The bar has a beautiful design etched into it, the shape is a square, and the packaging art is fun. It also tastes great with a slight natural sweetness and a pleasing texture. I first bought this at Providore.

Honorable Mention

Woodblock Chocolate

While they focus mostly on creating chocolate bars up to 70% cacao content, they do offer high-cacao Salt & Nib Mendiants. At their manufactory they sell some that are 90% cacao, topped with nibs and flaky salt. They are very good, though technically sweetened.

1715 NE 17th Avenue, Portland. Woodblock Chocolate website

RIP

Trader Joe’s

Montezuma’s Absolute Black 100% Dark Chocolate with Cocoa Nibs. Ingredients: dark chocolate, cacao nibs. Weight: 3.5oz (100g)

This was a very affordable and tasty 100% cacao bar that has been discontinued. Sure, it was close to Baker’s chocolate, but it satisfied—and on a budget (I think it cost $3.99). It tasted a lot like baking cocoa but with more oomph