Chef’s Kiss: Supermarket Dark Chocolate, Tested and Rated for Baking

When a baking recipe calls for “good-quality dark chocolate”, what’s it really asking for? That vague description is both a gift and a trap, and the choc you choose can be the difference between a flat, sugary bake and one that’s glossy, rich and deeply flavoured. A truly good chocolate doesn’t just taste better – it behaves better during the baking process, too.

For this special baker’s edition of Chef’s Kiss, I tested some of the most common supermarket dark chocolate bars, plus two benchmark couverture (professional) products, which you can find in specialty kitchenware outlets and online. 

Each product was tasted blind, followed by my brownie-cookie hybrid “brookie” recipe. Part fudgy brownie, part crisp-edged cookie, the brookie is a high-stakes bake in which chocolate isn’t just present, it’s exposed with nowhere to hide. Texture, sweetness and depth all matter in this context. 

For that reason, I focused on the 70 per cent range, as the high cocoa butter content ensures a smoother melt and a cohesive brookie batter. Meanwhile, better-quality beans offer a flavour complexity that stands up to high oven temperatures rather than disappearing into sugar. In recipes like this – as well as brownies and ganache – chocolate isn’t a background note. It provides structure, texture and flavour all at once.

The brookie test really made things clear: if flavour is your number-one priority, the couverture products stand well above the rest, and still tasted like themselves after baking. However, not every bake calls for luxury. Several supermarket products – while perhaps less exciting – are rock solid where it counts, delivering flavour and consistency on a budget.  

Valrhona Guanaja 70 per cent 

Sample price: $29 (250g) at Chef’s Warehouse  
Made in France
Ingredients: Cocoa beans, sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin) natural vanilla extract. Minimum 70 per cent cacao.

The clear winner overall. Flavour came through in layers: deep cocoa, bitter edge, a flicker of dried fruit. Crucially, Valhrona held its character after baking. Where other products dulled or sweetened, this stayed complex. Consistent when melted and glossy in the dough, the brookie had a rich, almost truffle-like centre. If you care about flavour above all else, look no further. I could only source Valrhona’s “feves” for this test, but keep an eye out for the 70-gram snacking bars.  

5/5

Callebaut 70.5 per cent

Sample price: $25 (400g) at Savour School
Made in Belgium
Ingredients: Cocoa mass (70.5 per cent cacao solids), sugar, fat-reduced cocoa powder, emulsifier (soy lecithin), natural vanilla.  

Callebaut tasted slightly less complex than Valrhona, though it was still smooth, creamy and had a clean cocoa-forward profile. It was also incredibly well-behaved, delivering a balanced, reliable result in the brookie bake – melting evenly, incorporating seamlessly, and producing a consistent texture in every batch. If you bake often and want to level up from supermarket chocolate, consider this if you haven’t already. 

4.5/5

Whittaker’s Dark Ghana 72 per cent

Sample price: $9 (250g) at Woolworths
Made in New Zealand
Ingredients: Cocoa mass (72 per cent cocoa solids), sugar, emulsifier (soy lecithin), vanilla flavour. Minimum 70 per cent cocoa beans. 

The darkest entry in the Whittaker’s range was slightly brighter and fruitier than expected, with an approachable, well-rounded flavour. It really surprised in the brookie test and tasted a touch sweeter, but in a good way. That’s going to work for you, especially if you’re baking for a crowd. It melted well, but also held its structure nicely as chunks, creating pockets of molten chocolate throughout the bake. 

4/5

Lindt Excellence 70 per cent

Sample price: $6.75 (100g) at Coles
Made in France
Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla. Minimum 70 per cent cocoa solids.

For whatever reason, Lindt always seems to be on special at the major supermarkets. That’s a good thing, particularly if you’re in the market for a dark snacking chocolate that’s also smooth and creamy. In the brookie, it softened a little too much; both in flavour and structure. The result was certainly pleasant, just not as well defined in this context. Still, if you want a crowd-pleasing option (one that might be on sale), Lindt delivers.

4/5

Nestle Plaistowe 70 per cent

Sample price: $8 (180g) at Woolworths
Made in Australia
Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, milk fat, emulsifier (soy lecithin), flavour. Minimum 70 per cent cocoa solids. 

Look, not my favourite to eat on its own. A little bit flat and nostalgic-sweet for my liking. In the brookie test though, Plaistowe proved why it’s been a baking staple for so long. The chocolate melted cleanly, never split, and produced a reliably good texture every time. While the standalone flavour might not be the most exciting, it translates well in the oven. If you want a no-fuss, dependable result, this quiet hero will save you. 

3.5/5

Coles Finest Belgian block dark 70 per cent

Made in Belgium
Sample price: $4 (100g) at Coles
Ingredients: cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, natural vanilla flavouring, milk solids.

This one really surprised me in the straight-to-the-gob test. The addition of milk solids accounts for the smoothness on the palate and, as a milk chocolate lover, that’s a welcome addition for me. In the bake, though, that addition – while lovely for eating – dilutes its potency and makes for a fairly one-note bake. This one’s a great budget option if you’re looking for quality, smoothness and melt – and something pleasant to eat in both baked and unbaked forms.

3.5/5

Cadbury Dark 70 per cent

Sample price: $7.50 (180g) at Coles
Made in Australia
Ingredients: cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa powder, cocoa butter, flavour, milk solids.

I could’ve gone for Cadbury’s Old Gold, but instead chose this product, which is pitched exclusively towards home bakers. The flavour was certainly on the milder side, and that really showed in the brookie. Any complexity dampened considerably once baked, leaving a substantially sweeter and less intense result. Good in terms of availablity, less so for big choccie impact. 

3/5

Woolworths Belgian Dark 72 per cent

Sample price: $4 (100g) at Woolworths
Made in Belgium
Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa powder, emulsifier (lecithin). Minimum 72 per cent cocoa solids. 

Somewhat bitter and slightly temperamental when melted. It needed careful handling to avoid seizure, though I was rewarded with a decent cocoa hit in the bake. Certainly not my first choice in the supermarket aisle. That said, this is an accessible and budget-friendly option that’ll do the job in a pinch. Just keep a close eye on it. 

2.5/5

You Had Me at Cake by Emelia Jackson is out now. Published by Murdoch Books (RRP $39.99)