Blue skies, flowers blooming, birds singing…it’s that time of the year again! With spring firmly in swing, and with winter blues fully shaken off, we’re on the hunt (for eggs) and the newest, most exciting, chocolate products! We’ve scoured the grocery aisles, stalked social media and found fascinating new chocolate products. We’ve tasted them all, alongside our customers, and will tell you what’s hot and what’s not for this season’s offerings.
Every month, chocolate makers across the globe release new products, each one vying to stand out amongst the other options and grab your attention. One trend we’ve watched grow and grow ever since the viral TikTok video showing it off has been the global hit Dubai-style chocolate. What with its thick, creamy filling of pistachio butter and crispy knafeh strands, this has taken the world by storm.
And, as with many trends in our social media age, when something goes big, everyone wants to make their own bar to jump on that bandwagon. We’ve got two huge contenders looking to do so on this list… which is better we’ll get to shortly.
And, with springtime, other chocolate makers are trying to get a jump on festive flavours reimagining classic Easter treats as chocolate bars. Grabbing chocolate-loving tour guides of The Chocolatarium, and chocolate-loving tourists alike who have visited our store, we’ve had them taste, rate and review each of the chocolates on this list.
The Best
Lindt Dubai-style — £10 8/10
Starting with the heavy hitter and a bar that needs no introduction. Boasting 45% pistachio, this bar pairs decadent smooth Lindt chocolate with a nutty pistachio filling. While loved by many for its taste, and combining ubiquitous branding with this ubiquitous chocolate to bring to the masses. Dubai-style chocolate is difficult to find most of the time, with the classic one being relegated to Dubai itself.
This one, with expectations high, led to several disappointing reviews. Many stated that though it boasts being 45% pistachio, the flavour was more like peanut butter, being “Reese’s-esque”. Though about less than half the filling of the classic Dubai bar, many thought this better, with the “perfect amount of filling” though several wanted more to it. The pairing of creamy Lindt chocolate was loved, especially as it enhanced the nutty taste of the chocolate. Coming in at a whopping £10 per bar, many stood by their high ratings but stated they would reserve it as a gift or for a special occasion. One taster announced they were ‘in love!’ with this chocolate. A winner, we say.
Lidl J. D. Gross Dubai Style — £3.99 6/10
Lidl’s been getting in on the Dubai chocolate hype with their own limited edition pistachio knafeh bar. Originally limited to their TikTok shop, after selling out in multiple drops, Lidl decided to bring the bar to their stores, limiting it to two bars per customer. So, does the bar live up to the hype built around it?
Well, firstly the taste. Most thought the bar was very sweet, and divisively, people were split on whether or not they could even taste the pistachio flavour to being the perfect balance. Some people remarked the chocolate was “a bit KitKatty”, probably from the knafeh pastry inside the bar. Most people enjoyed the texture, giving it a good crunch. However, this couldn’t save it for others, as they believed the bar was weak in comparison to other ‘knock-off’ Dubai-style bars. We’re looking at you, Lindt.
This bar came in at a 6/10, however, many remarked they would prefer this one over the Lindt one due to the price difference alone.
You can find it in Lidl stores near you
Cadbury Dairy Milk X Biscoff — £2 8/10
Household name chocolate maker Cadbury has done it again. Collabing with another loved biscuit to create something special. Move over Oreo, this time it’s Lotus Biscoff’s turn. With plenty of Biscoff pieces sprinkled throughout the Dairy Milk chocolate, each bite has the perfect crunch and burst of Biscoff flavour. For the sweet-tooth enjoyers among us, this one is a winner. However, some believe the chocolate overpowers the lighter Biscoff flavour, and the biscuit was a bit dry. Regardless, this bar was ultimately a crowd-pleaser. Does what it says on the tin, a simple and delicious pairing.
A New Range of KitKats
KitKat has dropped several new bars to add to their repertoire of wafer flavours. You’ve had the original, now we have…
Double Chocolate (9.5/10)
Marbled with a beautiful milk and dark chocolate swirl, this bar has a good “balance of dark and milk, with more chocolate, making it even better”. Other tasters thought it was indiscernible from a regular KitKat, but those with a taste for dark chocolate appreciated it more.
Hazelnut (8/10)
Enjoyed by hazelnut lovers, the slightly salty taste enhanced the nutty profile, though others remarked it tasted no different to a regular KitKat.
Salted Caramel (7/10)
Another marbled munch, this KitKat has a good caramel taste, with people disliking it for being too sweet. The caramel flavour is longer lasting once the chocolate is gone, so a great aftertaste, if a little subtle. A few remarked that the bar would become sickly after a while.
Vegan (7/10)
Remarkably, this was heralded as a successful vegan chocolate, with many saying it tasted no different from a regular KitKat. Some stated it had more wafer than the original, so whether you prefer the wafer over chocolate or the opposite will decide if this one is for you.
Find these bars in most grocery stores
The Rest
Quirky Hot Cross Bun — £6
Notable Scottish chocolate maker of strange chocolates (we’re looking at you Irn Bru popping candy and Buckfast chocolate), Quirky aren’t afraid of out-of-the-box flavours. Trying to replicate a classic hot cross bun flavour is firmly in their wheelhouse. Hot cross bun is a ubiquitous Easter treat, and while full of spices, dried fruit and orange peel, the chocolate came under fire for a lack of chew and spread of fillings.
Most people didn’t receive a piece of dried fruit in it, though the cinnamon flavour was very pronounced. Many liked the chewy texture of the additions, with many saying the chew gave a good impression of the bun. Overall, however, this one was far from the favourite of those tried. If you like hot cross buns, this is a great seasonal chocolate to give a try.
iChoc Choco Cookie — £2.99
Coming in with a strong plant-based contender, iChoc, notable for vegan-friendly chocolates, comes out swinging with a chocolate cookie chocolate. The almond/coconut base chocolate is sprinkled with crunchy cookie chunks to add a munch and crunch to the tasting experience. In fact, the crunch is satisfying and punchy, though the chocolate suffers from a ‘claggy’ texture, with the chocolate almost catching in the back of people’s throats. One taster said if you’re looking for something sweet, they could easily ‘eat half the bar in one sitting’.
Find it here (add after put on choc website)
COCO Chocolatier Carrot Cake — £6
Ranking higher on our in-house tastings, even making it to the acclaimed Tasting Room wall of fame, COCO’s carrot-cake-flavoured bar divided tasters. This bar, consisting of classic carrot cake spices of cinnamon, is pebbled with dried pieces of carrot, to enhance the texture experience.
Many remarked, jokingly, that they were glad the bar was ‘healthy’ thanks to the carrot inclusion, but most found very little carrot taste at all. Most stated it tasted more like a cinnamon bar, and sometimes that cinnamon overpowered even the chocolate. People liked it for being memorable, but it wasn’t at the top of many people’s lists. A shame really, but means more for us!
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