Chocolate and coffee go together so well. And when it’s done right, the combination can make the finest chocolate taste richer and bring out the subtle undertones of the coffee. However, to achieve the optimal pairing, you need to understand more about the flavour, acidity, and texture of both the chocolate and the coffee and how they interact together. 

Why Chocolate and Coffee Go Together So Well

Coffee and cacao have very similar plant origins and production processes, but it’s their chemical makeup that makes them so complementary. Both cacao and coffee contain caffeine and antioxidants, such as magnesium and catechins. They both have a wide range of different flavour profiles, with coffee containing over 1000 and cacao over 600! This means that it’s quite easy to pair them together, if you know the main flavour profiles of each.

While there are many ways to pair coffee and chocolate together, it’s often easier to start by choosing a coffee and looking at the most dominant flavour within the blend. 

Pairing Chocolate with Dark Roasts

Dark roasted coffees have their own flavour profiles and taste exceptionally good when paired with dark chocolate. Within the dark roasts, there are lighter roasts such as Vienna roasts which tend to be slightly sweeter through to Italian roasts which have a more bitter flavour. We suggest pairing sweet dark roasts with chocolate with at least 70% cacao content. Dark truffles will work exceptionally well, as will chocolates with sweet liquors. If you’re serving an Italian roast, try pairing it with chocolate with 60-85% cacao content, a dense chocolate cake or decadent, sticky brownies. 

In between these, you’ll find French roasts which are a combination of both bitter and sweet notes which means that they pair well with nearly all kinds of dark chocolates. Most espresso blends are roasted to a French roast so you can pair your espresso pick-me-up with any of the chocolate suggested above. 

Pairing Chocolate with Light Roasts

Light roasts tend to be more acidic, caffeine-rich and on the sweeter side. They feel lighter in the mouth than dark roasts, so they pair well with similar styles of chocolate, especially those that have strong vanilla undertones. 

Pairing with Nut-Toned Coffees

Coffees such as Brazilian, Columbian, Honduran, Peruvian, Mexican, and Indian blends fall into this category. As they have strong nut undertones, they pair well with milk to slightly dark chocolate with less than 70% cacao content. Fruity and spicy chocolates also work well with these coffees as they provide an interesting contrast and add additional complexity to the taste of the chocolate. When you’re serving nut-toned coffees, pair them with praline truffles, chocolate with chilli or fruity notes, chocolate cookies, brownies or cake. 

Pairing with Fruity and Floral Coffees

This category includes coffees that come from Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, Salvador, and Africa. Their strong fruit and floral tones pair exceptionally well with light and milk chocolates that contain less than 55% cacao. If you pair them with chocolate with a higher cacao content, you’re likely to overpower the gentle, delicate floral and fruit notes. Lighter, sweeter chocolate will complement the natural flavours of the bean, as will milk chocolate covered nuts. Pairing fruity and floral coffees with chocolate-dipped fruits, chocolate puddings and chocolate-filled puff pastries, such as a pain au chocolate, also works exceedingly well. 

Perfect Pairings for Spicy or Earthy Coffees

Spicy and earthy coffees tend to come from Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. They’re low in acidity and feel heavier in the mouth which means that they pair beautifully with slightly bitter chocolates, salty chocolate and chocolate-coated dried fruits. Choose chocolate with at least 50-70% cacao content.

As you can see, chocolate and coffee work in perfect harmony to provide a delightful taste experience. However, although these are just suggestions of what works with what. 

Why not turn your next coffee break into a mini tasting session? Try pairing your favourite brew with some of our handmade chocolates and see which flavour combinations surprise you. It’s a delicious experiment you won’t regret.