Ritter Sport launches six new bars dedicated entirely to dark chocolate

Ritter Sport is expanding its range by launching a line entirely dedicated to dark chocolate: six new bars designed to accompany every moment with all the pleasure of good chocolate.

For lovers of dark chocolate in its purest form and of intense aromatic profiles, this range represents a true sensory journey. Three “pure” recipes and three variants enriched with selected ingredients are united by the use of fine cocoa of the highest quality, redefining the concept of everyday tasting.

El Cacao: 14 years of experience in cocoa cultivation

For Ritter Sport, the flavour of chocolate begins long before the bar. In 2012 the company acquired land in Nicaragua by reclaiming an area that had been used for grazing and planting more than one million cocoa trees and 30.000 shade trees over the years. This is how El Cacao, the plantation through which Ritter Sport has chosen to develop direct expertise in cocoa cultivation and in the quality of the raw material, came into being.

Today, El Cacao covers more than 2.500 hectares, of which approximately 1.200 are cultivated according to an agroforestry system, which integrates cocoa trees with other plant species, helping to protect the soil and ecosystem. The remaining area consists of forests, waterways and wetlands, preserved to encourage biodiversity. Today, El Cacao employs around 450 people, to whom the company guarantees stable working conditions, fair pay, social protections and opportunities for training and professional development.

After 14 years of careful attention, investment and dedication, the plantation is now able to produce a harvest of fine cocoa sufficient to bring a new line to life, and Ritter Sport is sharing the results of this journey with all dark chocolate enthusiasts.

Six products, one journey of discovery into dark chocolate

Dark chocolate is not simply a percentage of cocoa, but a sensory universe made up of unique aromatic notes and distinctive flavour combinations. Made exclusively with fine cocoa from the Ritter Sport plantation, Mild Dark Chocolate 55% offers a smooth and balanced experience, ideal even for those who wish to discover this world.

The Nicaraguan cocoa from El Cacao, characterised by warm, rounded and enveloping notes, is then combined with the vibrant, clean acidity of fine cocoa from Peru in two recipes designed to create perfect structural balance on the palate, where the initial intensity develops into a harmonious finish. The result is Aromatic Extra Dark Chocolate 74%, with an enveloping, full-bodied flavour that offers an exceptional balance between fruity notes and roundness, and Intense Extra Dark Chocolate 81%, the ultimate expression of the Nicaragua–Peru fine cocoa blend, for those seeking a bold, lingering and deep flavour.

The intensity of the base of fine cocoa at 55% from El Cacao is then combined with carefully selected ingredients to create three recipes ranging from great classics to unusual pairings. Orange Dark Chocolate: a timeless classic that impeccably combines the notes of dark chocolate with the citrusy, fragrant notes of candied orange peel. Raspberry Dark Chocolate & Pistachio: an unusual and surprising recipe in which the rounded notes of cocoa meet the freshness of delicious raspberry pieces and the savouriness of roasted, salted pistachios. Coffee Dark Chocolate & Almond: an energetic and enveloping combination that brings together the fine cocoa from El Cacao with crunchy coffee granules and almond flakes.

A new way to enjoy dark chocolate

The six products are united not only by the use of fine cocoa, but also by a format completely reimagined to make every moment even more enjoyable and invite consumers to discover, one taste after another, the different aromatic nuances of cocoa. The new square bars weighing 75 grams are thinner than Ritter Sport’s classic standard and are divided into 16 squares, offering an even more delicate melt.

The packaging also accompanies this journey: the matt blue finish, gold details and colour shades inspired by the sunset at El Cacao make the new line immediately recognisable on the shelf.

One square at a time

Ritter Sport continues to do what has always set it apart: turning chocolate into a small yet significant moment of everyday pleasure. The six new products use 100% fine cocoa for the cocoa mass. In addition, since 2018, Ritter Sport has been the first major chocolate manufacturer to use exclusively cocoa 100% certified across its entire product range, according to the Fairtrade Cocoa and Rainforest Alliancestandards, synonymous with respect for standards protecting forests and the climate, and improving human rights and livelihoods, as detailed on the website.

The new line will be available at major retail outlets from September 2026.

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.