Things to consider when choosing a chocolate caramel bar
The whole world seems to have developed a sweet tooth, and today there are more chocolate caramel bars on the market than ever before. Choosing the best one might seem like an impossible task, but by considering the following recommendations, you will be united with your new favorite candy bar in no time.
Don’t be fooled by the cover
If a candy bar has a beautiful wrapper, don't just assume it will taste good. For example, a chocolate caramel bar could be wrapped in a rainbow-colored gold-infused paper, but it says nothing about its flavor or quality.
To get a good idea of the quality of the bar you wish to buy, you need to read the ingredients. Therefore, the ingredients are the first thing you should look at when making a purchase.
Cocoa content
Dark chocolate: The cocoa content will tell you how bitter the chocolate will taste. The higher the cocoa content, the darker the chocolate. Dark chocolate has 50%-90% cocoa solids, and if this is the case, a chocolate bar wrapper will typically advertise the percentage of cocoa on the cover.
Dark chocolate often does not contain milk. However, this is not always the case. Dark chocolate with milk added is known as dark milk chocolate and is beautifully rich and a little less bitter than regular dark chocolate.
Milk chocolate: If you want a less bitter taste, opt for milk chocolate. Milk chocolate contains 10%-50% cocoa solids and also contains milk. Some people find the combination of milk chocolate and caramel too sweet. However, many customers adore it.
White chocolate: White chocolate caramel bars are not as common as the previous two options. This is because they are extremely sweet and creamy. If this interests you, you might want to try caramelized white chocolate instead. It’s more of a caramel/chocolate infusion instead of white chocolate with a caramel filling. White chocolate contains no cocoa, only cocoa butter, milk, and sugar.
Chocolate flavor
As well as being dark, milk, white, or dark milk, chocolate can also be flavored. Common flavors include orange or mint.
Awards
If a caramel chocolate bar has won a foody award, it will be displayed on the wrapper. Who doesn’t want to sink their teeth into an award-winning bar of chocolatey goodness?
Fair Trade
Buying fair trade chocolate ensures the people involved in making it are treated fairly. Fair trade standards encourage and help farmers organize as associations and cooperatives so they can earn fair prices.
Inspections are held regularly by fair trade certification organizations to make sure children aren’t being exploited. If it is found that they are, fair trade acts immediately to protect the children.
If a product has a fair trade label, it signals that the cocoa crops come from an environmentally sustainable source. It also means no toxic agrochemicals were used as well as GMOs.
Companies using the fair trade label have to pay farmers in developing countries a fair price to use it. The farmers are paid a price that allows them to give their workers good working conditions and a decent wage. It also allows the farmers to make cocoa cooperatives.
Buyers of cocoa also give money towards community development. This allows cocoa farmers to train workers, increase product quality, build infrastructure, and create safe drinking water in their communities. The money given also helps create local schools and health clinics.
Although being fair trade doesn’t affect the flavor, as you can see, choosing a fair trade product can make a massive difference to an entire community.
Type of caramel
Generally, there are two main types of caramel: hard and soft. Therefore, when looking for a chocolate caramel bar, you will mostly find chocolate bars filled with soft caramel. However, you can also buy chocolate bars filled with hard caramel as well.
The type you choose depends entirely on your tastes. Keep in mind that if you are buying for children, a soft caramel-infused chocolate bar will create a lot less mess!
Salted caramel
Salted caramel is extremely sweet with hits of salty umami. This depth of flavor is what makes it a common choice for high-end chocolate bars. We love salted caramel, but it is not for everyone. If you are looking purely for sweetness, opt for the classic soft caramel center.
Extra ingredients
You don't have to just have chocolate and caramel. You can look for chocolate caramel bars that include nuts, nougat, fruit, or honeycomb toffee. You may also be able to find a bar with different types of chocolates, either layered or swirled into the mix.
Allergies and vegan
Allergens are written in bold in the ingredients section. So if you are lactose intolerant, you will find milk is written in bold if the product contains any. This is also useful for vegans. Although now most companies provide a vegan label on their food, many won’t even if the food is vegan. An excellent way to work around this is to look for the vegetarian label and check the bold ingredients to see if they contain egg or milk.
Not all chocolate caramel bars are gluten-free. If you are gluten-sensitive, check the ingredients and see if the chocolate bar has been made in a factory where gluten is handled.
How we choose the best chocolate caramel bar
We judge the portion size and how much chocolate bar you get for your money to choose the best chocolate caramel bar. We also consider how well the chocolate stays in shape when we snap a piece off and how delicious it tastes. We read a lot of customer reviews to ensure we only suggest the most popular and well-loved products.
Chocolate Caramel Bar FAQ
Q: Can I eat a chocolate caramel bar and still lose weight?
A: You can eat a chocolate caramel bar and still lose weight, as the two are not mutually exclusive. Count your calories and the amount of sugar you eat or drink. Stick within the daily recommended allowance for your sugar, and within the calorie range you need to lose weight, and you will still lose weight.
We recommend eating at least five portions of vegetables every day and drinking at least six glasses of water. For example, on a day you eat your chocolate caramel bar, eat vegetables low in sugar instead of fruit which also contain a lot of sugar.
Q: What are the top chocolate brands in the world?
A: Ferrero Rocher is the best-selling chocolate brand in the world. Other popular brands include Ghirardelli, Guylian, Lindt, Patchi, Toblerone, Cadbury, Mars, and Godiva.
Q: How is caramel made?
A: In the 7th century, sugar cane was discovered by the Arabs in Persia. When they heated the cane, it created a dark brown liquid. They called this ‘Kurat Al Milh, ’ meaning ‘a ball of sugar.’ The name ‘caramel’ is derivative of this saying.
Nowadays, caramel is made from sugar, milk, or cream, invert/glucose syrup, milk, and butter. These ingredients are mixed and cooked at 245°F. To make toffee, the same mixture is cooked at a warmer temperature of 338° F.
The mixture turns brown during something known as the Maillard reaction, which happens between sugar molecules and the nitrogen part of the protein in the milk, and it is what causes the color to change to brown.