Top 10 Christmas Chocolate Pairings: What to Serve with Holiday Treats

Chocolate pairings are all the rage these days, we’ve even done a blog all about it. But once you’ve tried cheese, savoury snacks and coffee, you may ask what’s next? Well, we’re here to bring you a festive edition, with chocolate pairings you’ve probably never tried. If you’re anything like us, chocolate makes up a lot of our Christmas, so let us break down the best chocolate pairings with your favourite festive treats…and maybe a few rogue options worth testing.

 

10. Mulled Wine

 

Pairing chocolate with mulled wine is a no-brainer. As one of the most festive drinks, full of Christmasy spices, it pairs excellently with chocolate. We recommend 70% dark chocolate, something where the savoury and sweet spices balance well with not-overly-bitter chocolate.

We’d suggest Bare Bones Single-Origin Philippines 70% Dark Chocolate, which has red berry notes to it, that will sing well with the mulled wine. Alternatively, an orange-infused chocolate such as Willie’s Cacao’s Luscious Orange 65% Dark Chocolate will bring a citrussy punch to the drink and amp up the sweetness.

                  

9. Mince Pies

 

Another staple of the festive season, no Christmas feast is complete without mince pies. Modern mince pies are much less about heavy meat and gravy, and more about a sweet and spiced mix of dried fruits encased in a buttery shortcrust pastry. These spices can be overpowering, and similarly to mulled wine, pairing 70% dark chocolate with mince pies works well.

But beyond that, subtle white chocolate will work well with the buttery crust, and the vanilla taste will elevate the mince pie without covering up or combating the spices. We recommend Montezuma’s Great White as the perfect pairing.

 

8. Gingerbread

 

Whether in cake form or as the cute gingerbread people biscuits, gingerbread is an adored Christmas treat. With a punchy ginger flavour backed up by the chewy molasses sweetness of brown sugar, we need a chocolate pairing that enhances this flavour.

By complementing the ginger flavour with other warm spiced chocolates, like Chocolate Society’s Cinnamon Toast Blonde Chocolate or Chocolate Tree’s Winterspice, we can build a palette of seasonal flavours that blend well together. 

 

7. Cranberry Sauce

 

An odd option to pair with chocolate, but we’re open to avant-garde ideas. While best paired with turkey and ham, the sour and sharp taste of cranberry sauce would work well.

Using white chocolate can cut the tartness of the cranberry sauce, especially if using something that matches the sour flavour, like Chocolate Tree’s Lemon and Poppyseed. Alternatively, by using dark chocolate seasoned with salt, we can reduce the bitterness of the cranberry with salt to enhance both flavours. Mellow’s Sea Salt Kattegat 70% is a good shout!

 

6. Christmas Pudding

 

A rather divisive Christmas treat, Christmas pudding is full of punchy flavours of citrus, warm spices, dried fruits, and the acidic burn of brandy or cognac. For Christmas pudding lovers, we suggest milk chocolate, simple and straightforward, to add sweetness to the savoury dessert. Our top picks include Willie’s Cacao’s Milk of the Stars, Milk of the Gods and COCO’s Colombian 40%. 

 

5. Brussels Sprouts

Yes. You read that correctly. While some may recoil at the suggestion of pairing Brussels sprouts with chocolate, we want to be creative and use chocolate in a way to add new dimensions to festive foods. With Brussels sprouts, thanks to their robust vegetal flavour and cruciferous flavours, it can be difficult to find something to match it.

We suggest white chocolate to sweeten the Brussels sprouts and add a creaminess to them. Dare we even suggest Willie’s Cacao’s Matcha white chocolate, with the earthiness of the matcha working with the earthiness of the sprouts. 

 

4. Chestnuts

Is there anything more Christmassy than chestnuts roasting over an open fire? No, we haven’t done that either, but we sure love to eat chestnuts during the festive season. Thankfully, chocolate and nuts are one of the classic combos, and with the caramelly taste of chestnuts, they work well with many varieties of chocolate.

Firstly, try salted caramel chocolate, like H&J’s Salted Caramel or COCO’s Salt and Pepper Caramel. Alternatively, emphasising the nuttiness, try Chocolate Tree’s Super Nuts.

 

3. Eggnog

Whether you love it or hate it, nothing screams Christmas like a mug of eggnog. Rich and creamy, with a light taste of vanilla and nutmeg, we need something gentle to pair with.

Generally, white chocolate is a good complement, building on that vanilla flavour. However, sweet milk chocolate will also pair well, by adding an additional cocoa flavour to the taste, building a more complex flavour alongside the nutmeg. 

 

2. Holiday Spirits - Baileys, Tia Maria, etc.

When it comes to a festive tipple, Baileys and other liqueurs come to mind. The perfect pairing for a Baileys hot chocolate would be either milk or plain dark chocolate. If you want a sweeter drink, go with milk, but dark is oh-so more sophisticated. 70%-80% is the sweet spot!

 

1. Hot Apple Cider

Another festive beverage, warmed apple cider is comforting and fruity, and choosing the best chocolate to work with the bubbles and flavour could be quite tricky. We recommend caramel-infused milk chocolate, to add a different sweetness to the drink, such as Kernow’s Caramel Sea Salt.

Also, to mimic the harmony of apple pie, you can try cinnamon enhanced white chocolate to seal the deal, such as Chocolate Society’s Cinnamon Toast.