Chocolate Pairings that Grow Together - Origin Staple Crops
In our first exploration of “what grows together goes together,” we discovered how chocolate’s vibrant dance with origin fruits creates pairings that are as natural as they are delicious. But cacao’s home is a tapestry of abundance, and its story is woven with more than just fruit. Across the tropics, nuts, seeds, grains, and plants for vegan milks flourish alongside cacao.
Today, we delve deeper into origin pairings—crunchy native nuts, creamy plant-based milks, and hearty staples—each contributing to the flavor, texture, culture, and cuisine that shape the landscape of chocolate. These ingredients don’t just complement cacao; they share its roots, its climate, and its community, creating combinations that are harmonious, nourishing, and utterly irresistible.
Nuts: Crunch, Culture, and Nutritional Harmony
Why Nuts and Chocolate Work Together
From peanuts to sacha inchi seeds, origin makers are embracing native nuts and seeds not just for texture, but for their cultural and nutritional value. These ingredients, often harvested within the same communities that grow cacao, add protein, crunch, and regional nuance. Their cultivation supports biodiversity and provides vital income for farming communities. When paired, the creamy richness or earthy crunch of nuts balances and enhances chocolate’s flavor.
Sacha Inchi
AWKI Cognitive Chocolate Intensity features this Amazonian “super seed,” prized for its nutty flavor and omega-rich profile.
Cashews
MIA Madagascar Pure Dark Chocolate Bar with Cashew & Ginger Spice, Disidente Cashew, and Luisa Abram Cashew Nut Dragees showcase cashew’s smooth, buttery flavor, harvested from small producers and cooperatives.
Macadamia Nuts
Lydgate Farms Hawaiian Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts are 100% authentically Hawaiian, pairing crunchy, buttery macadamias with luscious Hawaiian chocolate for the perfect Aloha delight. Similarly, Chocolate Metiche's Macadamias & Chocolate 72% offer an incredibly indulgent 100% plant-based Mexican treat in gorgeous packaging that empowers women in macadamia production.
Pili Nuts & Pinipig
Theo & Philo Milk Chocolate Pili & Pinipig brings together the Philippines’ prized pili nuts and toasted pinipig (flattened rice), creating a uniquely Filipino chocolate bar.
Peanuts
To’ak Salprieta Peanuts Alchemy draws on Ecuador’s ancestral peanut-based preparation, while Siamaya Chocolate Thai Peanut Curry Dark Chocolate takes a modern twist on a classic Thai dish.
Brazil Nuts
Luisa Abram White Chocolate w/ Brazil Nuts offers a praline crunch that’s distinctly Brazilian. If your taste is for darker chocolate, Mission Chocolate's Oatmilk Brazil Nut & Sea Salt bar is sure to satisfy.
Baru Nuts
Native and nutritious, Mission Chocolate's Baru Nut bar are lightly roasted and placed atop fresh 70% dark chocolate for a crunchy texture and Brazilian flavor with nutty notes that span between almonds, peanuts, and cashews.
Pepitas (Pumpkin Seeds)
Cuna de Piedra Mayan Pepita 63% uses thick-seeded pumpkin varieties native to Mexico, adding a toasty, earthy note.
Plant-Based Milks: Creamy Alternatives from the Tropics
Why Plant-Based Milks and Chocolate Work Together
As more makers shift toward dairy-free options, plant-based milks made from local crops are becoming important allies. Rice milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, and even plantain or banana milk not only offer creaminess, but also align with cacao’s natural environment and sustainable production goals.
In regions where dairy is less accessible, these plant-based alternatives create a rich texture while maintaining an ethical, local sourcing story. They offer a soft, nourishing contrast to cacao—enhancing its complexity without overpowering its natural notes.
Coconut Milk
Cocoa and coconut are grown together in life-giving agroforestry systems worldwide. Yojoa Chocolate’s 45% Coconut Milk bar from Honduras, Luisa Abram’s Dark Coconut Milk Chocolate 52% from Brazil, Pridi Cacaofevier Kinky Coconut 52% from Thailand, Bon Fiction’s The Coconut Covenant 55% from India, Marou Chocolate Coconut Milk & Ben Tre 55%, Conexión Chocolate's Bullaranga 58% Coconut Milk Vegan Dark Chocolate from Ecuador, and One One Cacao's Coconut Dark Milk 65% from Jamaica all showcase the lush, creamy and indulgent synergy of coconut and cacao.
Cashew Milk
MIA Ghana Gold 55% Cashew M!lk Chocolate Bar grinds roasted cashews into dark chocolate, infusing creamy texture and nutty notes into pure roasted cocoa.
Hearty Inclusions: Local Staples Meet Chocolate
Why Chocolate Pairings with Ancient Grains and Local Indigenous Foods Work
While many cultures around the world add a touch of chocolate to the main dish, these bars flip the script by adding the main dish to their chocolate bars. Comforting flavors and textures of local staples like rice, tubers, and ancient grains add a familiar friend to chocolate’s richness, creating bars that are both satisfying and uniquely regional. Each bite delivers an inviting crunch or earthy note, while celebrating the crops and culinary traditions that thrive alongside cacao.
Ube
Auro Ube White Chocolate with Coconut Puffed Rice is a nod to Filipino Ube Biko, pairing creamy indigenous purple ube-infused white chocolate with sweet coconut and crispy puffed rice.
Sweet Potatoes & Plantains
Pure Chocolate Jamaica White Chocolate with Banana, Sweet Potato, and Plantain Chips and Likkle More Dark Milk Plantain Crisps offer crunchy, smooth textural contrasts with earthy, indulgent flavors.
Rice
Kanvela Salted Caramel Toast White Chocolate with Jasmine Rice Crackers features silky white chocolate, salted caramel, and the crunch of jasmine rice crackers from Chiang Rai, Thailand.
Cassava (Manioc Root)
Definite Chocolate Cassava 70% Oko Caribe pairs dark chocolate with the subtle, earthy crunch of Dominican cassava, while To’ak Umami Tucupí Alchemy fuses smoky, spicy, umami-packed Tucupí—fermented manioc and chilies—for a wild, unforgettable chocolate.
Quinoa
Cacaosuyo Milk Quinoa Crunch 40% pairs smooth Peruvian milk chocolate with lightly toasted quinoa—nutty, crunchy, and packed with Andean heritage.
Amaranth
Crunchy, nutty amaranth creates a protein-rich crunch in To’ak Caramelized Popped Amaranth Alchemy and Conexión Chocolate Lemon Verbena Amaranth 70%, both using heirloom Arriba Nacional chocolate from Ecuador.
Growing Culinary Traditions
From the Amazon to the Andes, from the Philippines to the Caribbean, these pairings reveal that chocolate is never just chocolate—it’s a celebration of everything that grows, thrives, and nourishes at origin. Each bar is a tribute to the land, the people, and the culinary traditions that make chocolate so much more than a sweet treat.
But our journey isn’t over yet. In our next and final installment, we’ll explore how chocolate connects with the wild and the unexpected. Get ready for bold flavors, aromatic adventures, and the ultimate proof that what grows together truly goes together.
For Ease of Shopping
You'll find several of the products and brands tagged above at the following retail partners.
The Chocolate Dispensary -
- Auro Ube White Chocolate with Coconut Puffed Rice
- Cacaosuyo Milk Quinoa Crunch 40%
- Conexión Chocolate Lemon Verbena Amaranth 70%
- Cuna de Piedra Mayan Pepita 63%
- Likkle More Dark Milk Plantain Crisps
- Marou Chocolate Coconut Milk & Ben Tre 55%
- Theo & Philo Milk Chocolate Pili & Pinipig
Bar & Cocoa -
- Auro Ube White Chocolate with Coconut Puffed Rice
- Cacaosuyo Milk Quinoa Crunch 40%
- Kanvela Salted Caramel Toast White Chocolate with Jasmine Rice Crackers
- Marou Chocolate Coconut Milk & Ben Tre 55%
- Mission Chocolate's Baru Nut bar
- Theo & Philo Milk Chocolate Pili & Pinipig
Caputo's -
- Cacaosuyo Milk Quinoa Crunch 40%
- Luisa Abram Cashew Nut Dragees
- Luisa Abram’s Dark Coconut Milk Chocolate 52%
- Luisa Abram White Chocolate w/ Brazil Nuts
- Marou Chocolate Coconut Milk & Ben Tre 55%
Yahara Chocolate & Tea -
- Cacaosuyo Milk Quinoa Crunch 40%
- Disidente Cashew
- Marou Chocolate Coconut Milk & Ben Tre 55%
Stay tuned for part three—where chocolate meets the wild side!
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