Last Updated on September 13, 2024
Chocolate is more than just an edible; its affiliation with a large plethora of emotions makes it one of the most sensual food items in the world. It is arguably the most beloved treat enjoyed by people of all sorts.
It can be consumed on its own, used as an ingredient in desserts, or gifted as a delightful present. Chocolate has also proven to be a powerful aphrodisiac.
With so many chocolate brands to choose from, it can be tough to decide which one to indulge in. Here are 15 of the most popular chocolate brands in the world, each with its own unique history and flavor profile.
The History of Chocolate

Before solid chocolate’s development, chocolate had long been enjoyed as a drink amongst central Americans. Its use dates back as far as 1900 BC.
Europeans managed to get their hands on cacao beans much later during the 16th century.
Solid chocolate, as we know and love it today, emerged during the early years of the industrial revolution. In 1828 Dutch scientist Coenraad van Houten developed a press that would make chocolate cheaper and more consistent. It would ultimately pave the way for modern-day chocolate.
In 1879 Rudolf Lindt – inventor, chocolatier, and the founder of Lindt, developed the conching process for chocolate. This would give the chocolate a decadent, smooth texture and better mouthfeel.
Lindt & Sprüngli
Year Founded: 1845
Founder: David Sprüngli-Shwarz & Rudolf Lindt
Country of Origin: Switzerland
Lindt & Sprüngli chocolate company, popularly known as Lindt, is a Swiss chocolate brand known for its impeccably high-quality chocolate products. The company uses the finest ingredients and exquisite craftsmanship to produce arguably the best chocolate in the world.
It is most sought after for its rich, creamy white chocolate and signature round truffles, famously known as Lindor, that melt in your mouth like liquid gold!
The hard chocolate exterior is filled with a lusciously creamy soft chocolate centre and comes in over 14 unique flavours.
Lindt boasts one of the largest chocolate factories in the world that also produces various chocolate bars, spreads, liqueurs, and ice cream.
Lindt & Sprüngli is also well known for its elegant and sophisticated packaging, making it a popular choice for gift-giving.
Ghirardelli
Year Founded: 1852
Founder: Domenico ‘Domingo’ Ghirardelli
Country of Origin: United States of America
Ghirardelli is an American chocolate brand known for its rich, creamy chocolate, particularly its chocolate squares, which come in various flavors such as dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate.
My favorite flavor is caramel chocolate. These bite-size squares are highly addictive; you won’t be able to stop stuffing your mouth once their taste sensitizes your tastebuds!
Ghirardelli has become a multi-label brand. They now offer baking mixes (the brownie mix is to die for), hot cocoa, and many other finger-licking products.
Ghirardelli boasts several chocolate parlours across the USA, where you can get yourself a selection of your favorite chocolates and delicious ice creams made with premium Ghirardelli chocolate.
In 1998 Ghirardelli was acquired by Lindt & Sprüngli and currently functions as Lindt’s subsidiary.
Godiva
Year Founded: 1926
Founder: Joseph Draps
Country of Origin: Belgium
Joseph Draps named this Belgian chocolate brand after the legendary Lady Godiva. Godiva is known for its luxurious chocolate truffles, and other chocolate treats, often packaged in elegant boxes.
It has a wide variety of flavors, including dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate. All its chocolates are made with the finest ingredients and high-flavor cocoa beans that are processed perfectly to give Godiva its silky smoothness.
Most importantly, Godiva signifies luxury and is an excellent gift to hand out during the holidays.
This Belgian chocolate’s complex flavor profile and unique texture makes it an ideal choice for chocolate fanatics.
Guylian
Year Founded: 1958
Founder: Guy Foubert
Country of Origin: Belgium
Guylian is known for its high-quality chocolate products, including its signature seashell-shaped chocolate pralines filled with a rich, creamy hazelnut ganache.
In addition to its chocolate pralines, Guylian also produces a wide range of chocolate bars, truffles, and other chocolate-based products. All of Guylian’s chocolate is made with cocoa beans sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms.
The company has won numerous awards for its chocolate products, including the Gold Award for Best Chocolate Truffle at the International Chocolate Awards.
Cadbury
Year Founded: 1824
Founder: John Cadbury
Country of Origin: England
Cadbury is one of the world’s oldest and most well-known chocolate companies, with a reputation for producing high-quality yet relatively affordable chocolate products.
The company is known for its wide range of chocolate products, including its signature Dairy Milk brand of milk chocolate. It also houses other chocolate brands under its umbrella, such as Roses, Heroes, and Boost.
Its sales skyrocket during Easter as stores are filled with the famous Cadbury chocolate Easter eggs and bunnies.
Cadbury has a long history of innovation in the chocolate industry, and it was one of the first companies to introduce milk chocolate to the market. Today, Cadbury’s products are sold in more than 50 countries worldwide.
The company has implemented various programs to support cocoa farmers and promote sustainable cocoa production. Cadbury is also a major sponsor of sports and cultural events worldwide; it, therefore, has a strong presence in the global confectionery market.
Kinder
Year Founded: 1968
Founder: Michele Ferrero
Country of Origin: Italy
Kinder is a popular Italian brand of chocolate that targets children. The majority of their chocolates consist of creamy milk chocolate and sweet milky cream that most adults will find overly sweet.
Michele Ferrero first introduced the Kinder brand in 1968 with the launch of Kinder Surprise, a chocolate egg with a toy inside.
Today, the Kinder brand includes a wide range of chocolate and confectionery products, including chocolate bars, chocolate eggs, chocolate-covered wafers, and chocolate-covered nuts.
Toblerone
Year Founded: 1908
Founder: Emil Baumann & Theodor Tobler
Country of Origin: Switzerland
Toblerone is a Swiss chocolate brand known for its distinctive triangular chocolate bars, made with a combination of milk chocolate, honey, and almond nougat.
Toblerone bars are available in various sizes and flavors, including milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, fruit & nut, and salted caramel. They make for a great gift on special occasions for friends and family.
In addition to its signature chocolate bars, Toblerone also produces a range of other chocolate products, such as chocolate truffles and chocolate-covered nuts.
The brand is known for its high-quality ingredients and smooth, creamy texture, as it uses only the finest cocoa beans in its chocolate products.
Toblerone has also become a household name and a symbol of Switzerland, and chocolate lovers in over a hundred countries enjoy it.
A fun fact about Toblerone: If you notice the mountain Matterhorn on the packaging, it has a hidden silhouette of a bear representing the Swiss city of Bern – this is where Toblerone was founded! We bet you never noticed that!
Ferrero Rocher
Year Founded: 1982
Founder: Michele Ferrero
Country of Origin: Italy
Ferrero Rocher is a popular Italian chocolate and confectionery company known for its chocolate truffles, which are coated in a layer of chopped nuts and wafers along with a creamy hazelnut chocolate centre.
In addition to its chocolate truffles, Ferrero Rocher also offers a wide range of chocolate and confectionery products, including chocolate bars and chocolate-covered nuts. It’s a bummer if you have a nut allergy because Ferrero Rocher’s are truly divine.
Ferrero Rocher is a great option to gift during the holidays. Its elegant and luxurious packing makes for the perfect gift on any occasion.
Ferrero Rocher has a strong presence in the global chocolate and confectionery market, and its products are sold in more than 170 countries worldwide.
The brand’s most popular products include Ferrero Rocher chocolates, Nutella chocolate spread, and Tic Tac mints.
Nestlé
Year Founded: 1866
Founder: Henri Nestlé
Country of Origin: Switzerland
Nestle is a Swiss multinational food and drink company and one of the world’s largest food companies.
It has a wide range of chocolate brands, including KitKat, Aero, and Smarties. Nestle is also known for its famous chocolate-covered wafer brand, KitKat, which is available in many different flavors worldwide.
Another famous chocolate product from Nestlé is Quality Street, which is a collection of assorted chocolate treats, all with unique fillings. Quality Street is a popular gift item for kids.
In addition to its chocolate products, Nestle also produces a wide range of other food and drink products, including coffee, milk, cereal, and frozen food.
The company is committed to sustainability and has implemented various programs to promote responsible water use and reduce its environmental impact.
Nestle has a strong presence in the global chocolate market, and its products are sold in over 180 countries around the world.
Hershey’s
Year Founded: 1894
Founder: Milton S. Hershey
Country of Origin: United States of America
Hershey’s is an American chocolate company known for its chocolate bars, including its signature milk chocolate bar, as well as its chocolate chips and chocolate syrup.
Hershey’s also produces other popular chocolate products, such as Kisses and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
The company offers great quality decadent chocolate at a very affordable price. An interesting fact is that the KitKat bars you find in America are exclusively produced by Hershey’s; the ones you’d find anywhere else in the world are produced by other manufacturers!
In addition to its chocolate products, Hershey’s also produces a range of other confectionery items, such as Ice Breakers, Twizzlers, and Jolly Ranchers.
Mars
Year Founded: 1932
Founder: Forrest Mars Sr.
Country of Origin: England
Mars is one of the largest chocolate brands in America and the main competitor to the likes of Hershey’s. The brand is incredibly popular globally; I’m sure you’ve all seen the signature Mars bar in black wrapping at your local stores.
Besides the signature Mars bars, the company produces many fan favorites such as Twix, Milkyway, M&Ms, 3 Musketeers, and Snickers (which is my favorite go-to chocolate bar of all time).
An interesting fact you might have yet to learn is that Mars is also involved in pet food production through subsidiaries like Pedigree and Whiska.
Milka
Year Founded: 1901
Founder: Carl Russ-Suchard
Country of Origin: Switzerland
Milka is a chocolate brand owned by the Swiss company Mondelez International. Milka chocolate is known for its creamy, smooth texture and distinctive purple packaging. The cow Lila with a bell around her neck is the tell-tale sign for Milka bars.
The brand’s chocolate is made with 100% pure Alpine milk, which gives it a rich, creamy flavor and texture.
In addition to its signature milk chocolate, Milka also produces a range of other chocolate products, including chocolate bars, chocolate-covered wafers, and chocolate-covered nuts. Milka is a popular chocolate brand in Europe, and it is known for its high-quality ingredients and innovative flavor combinations.
Some of Milka’s most popular products include its milk chocolate bars, strawberry yoghurt chocolate, whole hazelnut chocolate, caramel chocolate, and white chocolate.
Valrhona
Year Founded: 1922
Founder: Alberic Guironnet
Country of Origin: France
Valrhona is a French luxury chocolate brand that specializes in exquisite and magnificent chocolate. The luxury brand uses only the very best cocoa beans from around the globe and incorporates different flavor profiles in its chocolate that would suit all tastebuds.
Their chocolate products are used by professional pastry chefs and chocolate makers around the world, and the company is known for its innovative approach to chocolate.
Valrhona produces a wide range of chocolate products, including premium chocolate truffles, chocolate bars, individual chocolates, and assortments.
The company also offers a range of chocolate-making tools and equipment, such as chocolate moulds and tempering machines.
Dove
Year Founded: 1956
Founder: Leo Stefanos
Country of Origin: United States of America
Dove is an American chocolate brand. It is a subsidiary of Mars. In parts of the world other than the United States, Dove is popularly known as Galaxy.
The chocolate itself is made with the best ingredients and is known for its lusciously gobsmacking, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
The brand is known for its innovative flavor combinations, such as dark chocolate with almond and milk chocolate with caramel. Dove also offers a range of gift boxes and chocolate gift sets.
Ritter Sport
Year Founded: 1912
Founder: Alfred & Clara Ritter
Country of Origin: Germany
Ritter Sport is a German chocolate brand that is known for its distinctive square-shaped chocolate bars, which are available in a wide range of flavors.
Some of the brand’s most popular flavors include milk chocolate, dark chocolate, hazelnut chocolate, and white chocolate.
Ritter Sport has never compromised on the quality of ingredients and attention to detail. Each square that leaves their factory is consistent, incredibly rich, and flavorful.
The signature squares are available in various flavours, including Cherry & Almond, Strawberry Yoghurt, Dark Almond & Orange, and Cocoa Mousse.
If you’re interested in some fun facts and more information about some of these popular chocolate brands, check out this amazing video!
The FAQ Section: Ask Away
What is the difference between cocoa and chocolate?
Cocoa and chocolate are often confused as the same thing. However, Cocoa is the raw material that is used to make chocolate. It is made from the beans of the cocao tree, which are harvested, fermented, and roasted.
Whereas Chocolate is made by combining cocao with cocoa butter, sugar, and other ingredients to create a smooth, creamy texture.
What is the difference between milk chocolate and dark chocolate?
The main difference between milk chocolate and dark chocolate is the percentage of cocoa solids and milk solids which owes to their distinguished profiles in terms of flavour and texture.
Milk chocolate is creamier and sweeter, whereas dark chocolate is richer, slightly bitter, and more intense.