Tiny tiny chocolates

December 29, 2021 5:02 PM

I am looking for small, delicious, individually wrapped chocolates.

I started treating myself to a chocolate every morning as a reward for taking my often-forgotten morning pills. It's been super helpful but I think it's time to cut back on the Breakfast Dessert a bit due to cutting back on sugar and no longer wanting to have a Nice Box of Chocolates line item on the budget.

So, I'm looking for something small, delicious, and preferably individually wrapped so that I can put them with in my with my pills. Ideal size would be about a Junior Mint size. I'd like something a step or two above a Hershey's kiss in quality - and I prefer dark chocolate to milk. I'm willing to look outside the world of chocolate...I love mint and lemon flavors. But no hard candies, please!

Thanks! You're all so sweet!

posted by Gray Duck to Food & Drink (24 answers total)

I like Ghirardelli's dark chocolate sea salt caramel squares (they also have mint and other flavors).
posted by pinochiette at 5:05 PM on December 29, 2021 [4 favorites]

I think Dove Promises in Dark Chocolate might be exactly what you want, except I'm not sure if they'll be too big to put in with your pills
posted by kutsushita nyanko at 5:05 PM on December 29, 2021

I was thinking of those little Dove squares as well. We also have individually wrapped Mini York Peppermint Patties in my office that I find irresistible. Not super high end, and very slightly bigger than your spec, but if mint is your thing they really hit the spot.
posted by The Bellman at 5:16 PM on December 29, 2021

Dandelion's 100% chocolate is so good it might be worth wrapping it up yourself. So good, with no sugar. Maybe the baker's chips? Or breaking up the bars.
posted by clew at 5:21 PM on December 29, 2021

Apparently Christmas wiped out all the stock everywhere, but in a couple of months, google Lindt Lindor Mini Dark Chocolate Balls. The one place they are in stock is at the Canadian online Lindt store, but unfortunately they don’t ship outside Canada and I see you are in the US.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 5:21 PM on December 29, 2021 [1 favorite]

Another option I like is the Tiny Tonys from Tony's Chocolonely. The milk version is definitely on the sweeter side, but the dark chocolate is a good robust 70% and on the fruity side. They're a small step up from Dove or Ghirardelli both by price and quality, but one box should last you through about three months of Breakfast Dessert. :)
posted by Pandora Kouti at 5:21 PM on December 29, 2021 [4 favorites]

If you're looking to reduce the size from typical wrapped chocolates to something more like a junior mint size, perhaps high quality dark chocolate chips? Granted, they're not individually wrapped, but I honestly can't think of anything in that size range that is...
posted by stormyteal at 5:23 PM on December 29, 2021 [2 favorites]

See's Dark Chocolate Balls. In my circle, we call foil-wrapped Christmas balls units, and one is not enough.
posted by Rash at 5:25 PM on December 29, 2021 [6 favorites]

How about dried cherries dipped in chocolate? Not individually wrapped but also not necessarily messy if the chocolate is shiny. There’s a local fancy chocolatier in my city that makes them and they’re GOOD.

Canadian Smarties might work too. Similar to M&Ms but the chocolate is sweeter.

Riesen dark chocolate caramels are pretty good too
posted by nouvelle-personne at 5:32 PM on December 29, 2021 [1 favorite]

Sadly not individually wrapped but there's a lots of mini candy that's meant as frozen yogurt toppings or for baking that I think might work well for the size you want. Here's an example of tiny peanut butter cups and caramels, but there's a lot of similar options (of various quality chocolate) out there.
posted by Poogle at 5:37 PM on December 29, 2021

Popping back in to second Rash, they've nailed it on the size request with their See's Dark Chocolate Balls. Perfect thumbnail-sized spheres, wrapped, about the size of two Junior Mints stuck back to back. (I'll honestly be surprised if anything smaller that's wrapped shows up, that's getting to a difficult size.)
posted by Pandora Kouti at 5:39 PM on December 29, 2021

Oh, if there's a Japanese (ideally) or general East Asian supermarket you can go into, you might try Meltyblend or Meltykiss chocolates. They're all individually wrapped in their little boxes, and pretty small. There are various flavors but IME the chocolatey ones tend more toward rich than Hersheyesque. (They're coated in cocoa, which helps.)

Any Japanese or Chinese supermarket will have a bunch of small individually wrapped candies, though if the boxes/bags aren't transparent and you don't read the language, you might have to take photos and look them up later.
posted by wintersweet at 5:56 PM on December 29, 2021 [1 favorite]

Equal Exchange makes tiny dark chocolates. You might be able to buy them by the handful at one of the co-ops. If not, you could special order them there.
posted by Comet Bug at 5:57 PM on December 29, 2021 [1 favorite]

Alter Eco makes individually wrapped filled chocolates, and Equal Exchange and Endangered Species both have individually wrapped chocolates, all available in dark chocolate form. Pick them up at a heath food store, or online.
posted by Champagne Supernova at 6:05 PM on December 29, 2021 [1 favorite]

I got a package of the Candy Cane Truffles from Seattle Chocolates for Christmas, and they are scrumptious. Looking at their website, they have a variety of lovely-looking options. Size-wise, they're a tad smaller than a small tootsie-roll.
posted by hydra77 at 6:23 PM on December 29, 2021

I found this a few years ago, and apparently it's gained a little recognition: Pyramide des Tropiques - it's several tiny pieces of single-origin chocolate. They are about 5 grams each. There's a version available with full-sized bars, but it's really expensive -- you're not likely to confuse them :)
posted by amtho at 6:40 PM on December 29, 2021

It looks like there are a number of chocolate subscription services - one, Jackie’s, stands out for sending 15 bonbons every month - half a bonbon each day? Now would probably also be a great time to snag post-holiday deals on fancy stuff from places that make advent calendars, stocking stuffers, or pre-wrapped small treats for holiday gifts - I see some deals at Vosges, for example.
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 7:16 PM on December 29, 2021

When trying to lose weight, we use these dark chocolate mini York peppermint patties. Two or three of them substitute for a dessert. They're relatively inexpensive, meet your taste criteria (dark chocolate and mint), and in our experience are great when kept in the freezer.
posted by TimHare at 9:59 PM on December 29, 2021

These large baking chips are not individually wrapped but an excellent dark chocolate in about the size you want
https://chefshop.com/Grand-Cru-Dark-Chocolate-Arriba-Bitter-Sweet-72-P6153.aspx
posted by oneear at 10:10 PM on December 29, 2021

If you really want to splurge, Michel Cluizel squares. These were in rotation for my similar daily chocolate reward for a long time, and they are excellent.

Otherwise, +1 to the Tiny Tony's mentioned above.
posted by rhiannonstone at 10:37 PM on December 29, 2021 [1 favorite]

Andes mints.
posted by SquidLips at 11:09 PM on December 29, 2021

It's the perfect time of year to scoop up some heavily-discounted chocolate advent calendars. My local health food store has these Divine brand ones for cheap right now.
posted by mezzanayne at 11:28 PM on December 29, 2021 [1 favorite]

Not individually wrapped, but we like Valhrona feves - bigger than a chocolate chip, a little smaller than a Hershey kiss, delicious high quality chocolate. The form factor is probably intended more for baking but it's a great nibble. The Manjari linked is a personal favorite but I've never been disappointed in any of their chocolates, and you can go darker/less dark as pleases you.
posted by february at 5:37 AM on December 30, 2021 [1 favorite]

The chocolates from L.A. Burdick are mostly small and come in individual paper cups, but are not wrapped. They are delicious.
posted by The corpse in the library at 5:46 AM on December 30, 2021