10 Foods That Pair Surprisingly Well with Chocolate

Chocolate is a yummy treat. You can pair many things with it. Here are 10 foods that surprisingly pair well with chocolate.

Sea Salt

If you are into that sweet and salty life, then look no further! Sea salt and chocolate pair together really well. Have you ever had a chocolate-covered pretzel? They taste like heaven because of the sea salt in them. Don’t sleep on this combination, it is quite delicious!

Cheese

red cherry tomatoes on green leaf — Photo by Önder Örtel

This one is a little odd. Cheese and chocolate are sometimes on the same charcuterie board, showing their combined power. You can have Brie and chocolate mixed together for a treat that will probably confuse your senses. Hey, don’t knock it until you try it.

Beer

black tinted glass bottle lot on brown and white wooden cabinet — Photo by Adam Wilson

Chocolate and beer have been combined for a long time now to make something special. You probably have heard of chocolate stouts, which incorporate chocolate in the beer-making process. You can also use beer in your favorite chocolate desserts to add extra flavor. Get ready for flavor overload with this combination!

Potato Chips

Potato chips are a salty treat that can be enjoyed with many different things. You can dip it into dips, have it on the side of your sandwich, or just have it as a snack by itself. However, you can also add chocolate to your potato chips to get that sweet and salty combo going. This might not seem as luxurious as sea salt, but it is still pretty good. Try your favorite potato chip dipped in chocolate today!

Meat

medium rare sliced steak in white ceramic plate — Photo by Jason Leung

Now I know you are probably thinking, what in the world is meat doing on this list?! Have you ever had the Latin-inspired dish, mole? That can contain chocolate! It really just depends on the chef, but if you are feeling adventurous, add some chocolate along to the spices that you are using to create mole. You will get a spicy, sweet combination that will have your taste buds begging for more. Meat and chocolate, huh? They might be on to something.

Spices

grey spoon lot — Photo by Pratiksha Mohanty

So many different spices can be blended with chocolate. You can blend chili, cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom. And those are just a few spices that can be used to give your chocolate a kick! Spices and chocolate go well together in some desserts too. Whoever said they didn’t want hot and sweet at the same time? I didn’t!

Peppers

bowl on red chilies — Photo by Thomas M. Evans

Here’s another example of hot mixing with sweet. Chili peppers and chocolate go together pretty well. They can be found in cakes, chocolate bars, and chocolate-covered fruits. Feeling brave? Take a bite out of a chocolate-covered pepper and see what happens. You will probably notice there isn’t as much heat from the pepper as usual.

Bacon

Bacon and chocolate are a dynamic duo. The fat and salt combine with the sweetness of the chocolate to give you a fantastic taste. Chocolate covered with bacon will melt in your mouth and give you the right ratio of sweet and salty.

Mushrooms

Now I can’t even really explain this one. Mushrooms and chocolate are quite a pair, a very surprising pair. Some chocolatiers love to make this combination and make it quite expensive to buy. There must be an art to mushrooms and chocolate, because I don’t see how they could ever taste good together, but someone apparently figured it out.

Flowers

Now I think I have seen everything! Flowers and chocolate do not sound ideal, because who would want to eat a flower? There is a way to use the flower to get its flavor and aroma into the chocolate that actually makes it taste pretty good. A lot of chocolatiers are using chocolate covered flowers as decorations for their desserts.