If you’ve ever been to Sweden you’ve likely had a bit of a culture shock when you browsed the chocolate aisle in the supermarket. So many weird types of chocolate, and so many delicious ones! And if you’ve never tried any, which ones should you go for? Not to worry, I’ve compiled this list of the best Swedish chocolates based on various factors such as flavor, texture, ingredients, and balance.
ℹ️ This list of recommendations is compiled by myself, a Swede, in collaboration with my better half, an American who’s lived in Sweden for 10+ years. I’ve included both of our preferences when ranking these chocolate brands, in order to present a list that will be as relevant as possible to you, the reader. I’ve also included links to where you can buy Swedish chocolate if you’re in the US and UK.
- The Best Swedish Chocolate Brands (Our Picks)
- The Best Swedish Milk Chocolate Brands Ranked
- The Best Swedish Dark Chocolate Brands Ranked
- Other Types of Swedish Chocolate You Should Try
- The Most Popular Chocolate Brands in Sweden
- Swedish Chocolate with an International Twist
- Is Swedish Chocolate Any Good?
The Best Swedish Chocolate Brands (Our Picks)
Kids and adults alike go bonkers for these chocolately balls of awesomeness, that you can even easily make yourself with some oats, sugar, butter, cacao, vanilla, coffee, and coconut flakes.
But when you’re out and about having a coffee or just too lazy to make your own, the chokladboll from Delicato is definitely the best choice.
They have the perfect flavor, richness, and texture that you look for in a Swedish chocolate ball, and go especially well with any type of coffee (as there is a little bit in them as well).
Kexchoklad is one of the most popular chocolate brands in Sweden, and for good reasons too; it’s got a unique texture, a great flavor balance, and is very cheap to boot!
It is certainly also one of the more unique types of chocolate you’ll find on this list, but if I had to compare it with a big international chocolate brand I’d say Kit-Kat is the closest comparison (Kexchoklad wins easily though!).
This may not be the highest quality chocolate you’ll taste — considering it has a fairly low amount of cacao, combined with palm oil being one of the ingredients (there is a strong trend towards moving away from palm oil in more premium chocolate) — but it still always delivers a great flavor combination along with a balanced amount of sugar.
If money is no issue, I always opt for darker chocolate that has a higher concentration of cacao, and in my book there is one chocolate maker that stands out on top of the rest: Malmö Chokladfabrik (translates to “Malmö Chocolate Factory”).
I prefer their Havssalt (Sea salt) flavor personally, but there are tons more that are worth trying if you are unacquainted, such as the Sambirano Madagascar, Kaffekross, and Master Blend.
This particular chocolate maker is not only around the corner from where I live, it’s also housed in Sweden’s oldest chocolate factory! It opened in 1888 under the name Malmö Choklad och konfektfabriks AB before it became known as Mazetti’s, and it became one of Sweden’s largest producers of cacao powder and confectionary chocolate during the 20th century.
The original company was eventually bought up by Finnish chocolate maker Fazer in 1975, and the new owner eventually moved out production from the Malmö factory in 1992.
However, in 2004 a group of enthusiasts re-opened production in the old factory under the name Malmö Chokladfabrik, and have produced award-winning chocolate ever since.
Their chocolate has been found by independent tests to contain the highest amount of antioxidants out of all Swedish chocolates, making it the healthiest choice out of all the chocolates on this list.
They also have a higher proportion of cocoa butter, as opposed to the cheaper cocoa powder, making their bars creamier and tastier than the competition.
Every Swede has at some point been battling it out to get their favorite piece of chocolate in a Paradis box, wether it’s around the christmas table or at a birthday party.
It’s a box full of assorted milk chocolate pralines, and along with its more traditional sibling the Aladdin box, it’s by far the most popular chocolate boxes of Sweden.
The only negative about Paradis & Aladdin is that they recently removed the popular Trillingnöt (“triple nut”) praline to cut costs, despite an uproar from consumers who couldn’t believe that they’d remove the most popular praline from the box.
The Best Swedish Milk Chocolate Brands Ranked
Kexchoklad
- Great flavor for the price
- Crunchy texture
- Balanced; not too intense
- Contains palm oil
- Not for the serious chocolateur
Arkipelag Värmdö
- Roasted hazelnuts
- Handmade chocolate
- Organic
- Perfectly balanced flavor
- Expensive
Marabou Helnöt
- Whole hazelnuts within
- Classic milk chocolate flavor
- A bit on the sweet side
Daim
- Hard almond crunch on the inside
- Nice balanced flavor
- Contains palm oil
- Sticks in your teeth a little
Dumle
- A Swedish classic from 1948
- Soft cola on the inside
- Balanced flavor
- Contains palm oil
- They no longer produce the Dumle Stick
Marabou Schweizernöt
- Crushed hazelnuts within
- Classic milk chocolate flavor
- A bit on the sweet side
- Not as much nuts as Helnöt
Tarragona
- Whole hazelnuts within
- Nice balanced flavor
- Contains palm oil
Marabou Mjölkchoklad
- Nice balanced flavor
- A bit on the sweet side
Marabou Dubbelnougat
- Great for nougat fans
- Creamy hazelnut and almond
- A bit on the sweet side
- Contains palm oil
Cloetta Sport Lunch
- Crunchy wafers within
- Not too sweet
- Contains palm oil
Cloetta Plopp
- A favorite for kids
- Yummy creamy inside
- A bit on the sweet side
- Contains palm oil
Cloetta Center
- A favorite for kids
- Soft toffee filling
- A bit on the sweet side
- Contains palm oil
Marabou Japp
- Creamy cola filling
- A bit on the sweet side
- The meringue used to be crunchier
Cloetta Polly
- A mix of dark and milk chocolate on the outside
- Chewy on the inside
- Contains palm oil
Marabou Crisp
- Crispy rice puffs
- Nice balance
- Contains palm oil
- Not much flavor on the inside
Marabou Co-Co
- Great for fans of coconut
- Chewy on the inside
- Contains palm oil
- A bit on the sweet side
The Best Swedish Dark Chocolate Brands Ranked
Malmö Chokladfabrik Havssalt
- Made from whole cacao beans
- High in antioxidants
- High proportion of cocoa butter (rather than the cheaper powder)
- Expensive
Arkipelag Rindö
- Handmade chocolate
- Coffee flavor
- High proportion of cocoa butter (rather than the cheaper powder)
- High proportion of cocoa butter
- Expensive
Marabou Fin Havssalt Pekan
- High cacao content (70%)
- Pecan and Ocean Salt combo
- High proprtion of cacao butter
- Expensive
Marabou Fin Karamelisserad Nöt
- High cacao content (70%)
- Caramelized Nut flavor
- High proprtion of cacao butter
- Expensive
Other Types of Swedish Chocolate You Should Try
Chokladboll
- Intense chocolate experience
- Healthy oats & shredded coconut
- Seriously addictive
- Perfect texture
- Can be a bit messy to eat
Double Chocolate Oat Cookie Crisps
- Deliciously crispy
- Roasted oats
- Seriously addictive
- Dark chocolate
- A bit on the sweeter side
Ballerina Mörk Choko
- A Swedish fika classic
- Delicious dark chocolate filling
- Seriously addictive
- Chocolate cookies
- Impossible to stop eating
Ballerina
- A Swedish fika classic
- Delicious chocolate cream filling
- Seriously addictive
- Impossible to stop eating
Haupt Lakrits F*cking Fabolous x Malmö Chokladfabrik
- Artisinal Swedish salt licorice
- White Chocolate from Malmö Chokladfabrik (Malmö Blond 40%)
- Uniquely Nordic flavor
- Not for everyone
Haupt Lakrits Heta Svenskjävlar (Hot Swedish B*stards)
- Artisinal licorice
- Carolina reaper chili
- Uniquely Nordic flavor
- White chocolate
- Not for everyone
Haupt Lakrits Chokade Svensjävlar (Choked Swedish B*stards)
- Artisinal licorice and salmiak
- Uniquely Nordic flavor
- White chocolate
- Not for everyone
Lakritsfabriken Chili Chocolate Licorice
- Artisinal licorice sticks
- Uniquely Nordic flavor
- Dark chocolate
- Chili flakes
- Not for everyone
Noblesse Mörk Choklad Crisp Box
- Nice balanced flavor
- Dark chocolate
- Crispy texture
- Contains palm oil
Noblesse Original Choklad Crisp Box
- Nice balanced flavor
- Dark chocolate
- Crispy texture
- Contains palm oil
Paradis Box
- Something for everyone
- Two layers
- A staple on holiday parties (christmas, easter, etc.)
- Has gotten worse over the years
- Contains palm oil
Aladdin Dark Box
- Something for everyone
- Two layers of dark chocolate pralines
- A Swedish Christmas classic
- Contains palm oil
The Most Popular Chocolate Brands in Sweden
The most popular chocolate brands in Sweden based on sales reports (Uber Eats 2022, Wolt 2021) and study responses (Sifo 2021) are Kexchoklad, Marabou Mjölkchoklad, Daim, and Dumle.
Judging by data I’ve compiled from delivery services Uber Eats (2022) and Wolt (2021), here are the most sold chocolate brands in Sweden:
- Cloetta Kexchoklad
- Marabou Milk Chocolate
- Dubbel Nougat
- Delicato Chocolate Ball
- Ballerina
A study conducted by SIFO on behalf of Weight Watchers (!) also gives us an insight into which the most popular chocolates in Sweden are.
Here is how the 1134 Swedes in the study answered the question “What’s your favorite small candy?” (I’ve only included chocolate answers for relevancy):
- Daim (28%)
- Dumle (24%)
- Center (23%)
- Polly (23%)
- Lys Melk (12%)
Swedish Chocolate with an International Twist
Marabou Oreo
- Marabou + Oreo combo
- Contains palm oil
Marabou TUC
- Salty crackers soaked in chocolate
- Contains palm oil
Marabou Popcorn
- Popcorn flavored chocolate
- Customer-picked flavor
- Contains palm oil
Marabou Digestive
- Milk chocolate with Digestive crackers crumbs
- Contains palm oil
Is Swedish Chocolate Any Good?
Swedes are among the biggest chocolate and candy eaters in the world, so it’s no shock that the country has a thriving chocolate industry as well, both on a commercial level and on a more artisanal level.
Chocolate makers such as Malmö Chokladfabrik, Chocolatte, Standout Chocolate, and Eje’s Choklad have won numerous international awards for their artisanal chocolate, and even the bigger brands Marabou and Cloetta have started to spread internationally over the past few decades.
See some of the awards Swedesh chocolate makers have one below:
Here is a list of the awards Malmö Chokladfabrik has won:
- 7 medals in International Chocolate Awards Scandinavian Competition (2016)
- 2 medals in Academy of Chocolate (2017)
- 2 medals in International Chocolate Awards European Semi Finals (2016)
- 9 medals in the 2016 British Great Taste Awards and 7 medals in the 2017 awards
- 1 silver and 1 bronze medal in the International Chocolate Awards World Cup (2016)
Here is a list of the awards Chocolatte has won:
- 5 medals in International Chocolate Awards Scandinavian Competition (2018)
- 2 medals in International Chocolate Awards Scandinavian Competition (2019)
- 2 medals in International Chocolate Awards Scandinavian Competition (2020)
- 1 silver and 1 bronze medal in the International Chocolate Awards World Cup (2018)
Here is a list of the awards Standout Chocolate has won:
- 15 medals in International Chocolate Awards European, Middle Eastern and African Bean-to-Bar Competition (2021)
- 6 medals in International Chocolate Awards World Finals (2021)
Is Marabou Chocolate Any Good?
Marabou makes two of the five most sold small chocolates in Sweden, and their Aladdin and Paradis boxes sell more than one box per Swede during the Christmas holidays (so a bit more than 10 million).
Their Mjölkchoklad (milk chocolate) has been a favorite for the Swedish people since 1957, and is sweet, mild, and all in all very balanced. Due to this it should go down well for most people, though the most serious of chocolateurs will likely find it too sweet, and may frown when they see that it contains palm oil.
Sources:
https://www.elle.se/mat-och-vin/topp-10-vart-mest-alskade-smagodis/4821546
https://www.bäst-i-test.se/mjolkchoklad
https://www.radron.se/tester/mat-dryck/choklad/
https://www.testfakta.se/sv/livsmedel/article/stor-guide-till-den-nyttigaste-chokladen
https://thatsup.se/stockholm/guide/guiden-till-stockholms-bästa-chokladbutiker/
https://www.skd.se/2016-06-08/prisregn-over-malmo-chokladfabrik
https://www.delicato.se/vara-bakverk/Kondisbitar/Delicatoboll-1363
