Every now and again, I have someone who reaches out to me with a suggestion (or two or like a dozen) of things I haven't tried yet. While I may not get to it right away, I do love it when readers reach out to me with a suggestion. So tonight's review goes out to Btandjt on Instagram for suggesting Simply Lite Dark Chocolate Bar. Thanks for the great suggestion!
The pros: Simply Lite Dark Chocolate Bar tastes every bit dark chocolate without being very bitter, but some how doesn't taste artificial in any meaningful way.
The cons: This bar came with a warning label. No really. It might help you lose weight in one way or another. In fact, the warning label on this chocolate may remind you of this famous SNL sketch (80 second video).
The verdict: While this bar isn't branded Trader Joe's, it is found in the checkout aisle. In fact, I've probably failed to notice this bar more than 50 times before someone suggested that I try it. Needless to say, I found it on the bottom shelf of the checkout aisle with one other flavor that contains almond. I figured I would start with the plain.
For $1.99 you are getting a 3.5 ounce bar of dark chocolate that is 50% cocoa. But that isn't what makes this bar special. The company is called Simply Lite. It's both sugar-free and gluten-free. Now, the higher percentage cocoa bars tend to rely less and less on sugar and more on their cocoa attributes. If you read my Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Lover's Bar, I find out which of my Instagram followers are hardcore true bitter chocolate lovers. That bar made me realize, I wasn't about the bitter chocolate.
Bittersweet it is. However, the sweetness in this bar comes from Malitol which is a sugar substitute. Regardless of your feelings on sugar substitutes, there might be some that you like and some that you hate. For me, I now no longer drink Diet Pepsi since they made the switch away from Aspartame. I can tell the difference a mile away. Sometimes my mom makes apple sauce with Splenda thinking I'll be none the wiser (I know Mom). However, with this I didn't sense an aftertaste. If someone had handed this to me and told me it was a regular bar of chocolate, I would not have been able to tell.
Perhaps, if I did eat the whole bar maybe I would know. I've eaten three squares and will stop at three. Unlike most bars, this one might punish you if you eat too much. How many is too much? I wasn't about to find out. While I do try to lose weight, this warning label reminded me that perhaps getting on a treadmill to go running is better path to weight loss than say having the runs.
Aside from any nasty effects from overconsumption and artificial sugar complaints, I had a hard time coming up with any complaints about this bar. It's bittersweet so you'll get notes from both the chocolate and the fake sugar which magically tastes like sugar. It's reminded me of a Hershey's Dark but more sophisticated and adult. It reminded me of the Hershey's Dark bars that I had when I was a kid before their chocolate seemed to become increasingly waxy tasting. The bitterness lasted a bit on the palate, but the sweetness appeared upfront. The chocolate didn't seem to have discernable fruit, floral or earthy notes on my palate. However, it seemed well balanced between the sweet and the bitter.
If you like a balance of sweet and bitter then this is a good bar to reach for. Just be sure to not enjoy the bar in one sitting. Despite the warning, I would buy this again. It managed to satisfy my sweet and chocolate cravings.
Here is the visual run down of what you get if you buy this product:
The package of Simply Lite Dark Chocolate Bar:
The nutritional information, ingredients and allergy information:
A little note about the lack of sugar and potential side effects:
Out of the package you get:
Would I buy this again? I was surprised on how good this Simply Light Dark Chocolate bar was for being sugar-free. Enjoyed in moderation, it's well done and worth trying.
Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe's for a searchable list.
Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!
Dr. Judith A Berlowitz says
Can I order these from you? TJ's no longer stocks it because it contains milk.
becomebetty says
Sorry, I'm only into reviewing items.