Canadian Chocolate Bars are Epic, eh!
It's no surprise that us Canadians love chocolate, but compared to Americans we prefer richer, smoother chocolate.
These were the results when The Food Network writer, Catherine Jhoen conducted a taste test comparing Canadian chocolate bars to American bars. Of course, the outcome resulted in our Canadian chocolate bars being the most loved ones.
Most of the participants claimed that the American chocolate bars were "bland" and "chalky" in comparison to the Canadian chocolate bars.
American chocolate bars use a different recipe, along with some other additives that result in a more coarse and waxy texture.
Now, don't get me wrong, I would never advise you to turn down any chocolate bar, but if you want to be patriotic in your chocolate bars, here are some of our most loved Canadian classics!
Caramilk
Rich and creamy milk chocolate that is filled with silky, golden caramel! Caramilk has been around since 1968. This retro chocolate bar has been inducing visions of caramel spilling onto lips for generations! The Caramilk bar has always been indulgent and so sweetly mysterious. Rightly so, as the question has always been "How do they get that caramel inside?" The Caramilk secret is a very real phenomenon and is actually locked in a vault at 277 Gladstone Ave. which happens to be the place where they make these luscious Canadian chocolate bars. We love our Cadbury Caramilk and we'll gladly eat them while pondering the Caramilk question!
WunderBar
This bar was described as "the greatest candy bar ever created" by Danial Tovrov, a reporter for the International Business Times. You just might need a trip to Canada for this one! (Yes, it's that good). Wunderbar is the best peanut butter and chocolate experience you will ever have. A chewy peanut butter filling, with rich caramel and some rice crisps, all smothered in Cadbury chocolate. One of the best renditions of peanut butter, caramel and chocolate in the world, and it's Canadian! Made by Cadbury Canada, the Wunderbar is a Canadian gem!
Crispy Crunch
With its perfectly crispy peanut butter flake surrounded in milk chocolate, the Crispy Crunch is one Canadian chocolate bar you do not want to miss! Crispy Crunch was first made in 1912, it has been devoured for generations! An old-fashioned, classic Canadian Chocolate Bar that was originally made by the Neilson Company and was sold to Cadbury Canada in 1996. During the '90s Crispy Crunch became available on the US market but it failed to impress them. That just means there's more for us hungry Canadians to eat!
Coffee Crisp
If you ask a Canadian how they like their coffee, they might just say "crisp"! This bar is one of the most popular Canadian chocolate bars. Layers of crisp vanilla wafers, sandwiched in between a coffee-like candy, all coated in ripply, milk chocolate. As the slogan says, "makes for a nice light snack". Coffee Crisp is made proudly made by Nestle Canada. These iconic Canadian chocolate bars have been made since 1939 and are still on the top of any chocolate lovers list!
Cherry Blossom Candy
Only us Canadians know about this delicious treat all wrapped up in a cute little, vintage-looking yellow box! Cherry Blossom Chocolate is an old-fashioned concoction, consisting of a juicy maraschino cherry, surrounded in a mixture of roasted peanuts, coconut and milk chocolate. Sounds good eh? No wonder we've been eating these for over 100 years! Originally made by Lowney, the Cherry Blossom Candy came out in the 1890s and Canada was its original home!
Glosette Raisins
The number one candy sold in movie theatre's across Canada! Yes, Americans have Raisinettes, but let's face it they are nothing compared to our Glosette Raisins! Plump, juicy sweet raisins, covered in thick, glossy milk chocolate. A trip to the movies is just not complete without a box of these! The Glosette brand does not only contain chocolate covered raisins. It also has chocolate-covered peanuts and almonds! These are morsels of pure Canadian sweetness! Eating all three will hopefully last you through even the longest of movies!
Mr Big Chocolate Bar
If you're really hungry this is the Canadian chocolate bar for you! Mr. Big Chocolate is the largest chocolate bar coming in at an astounding 8 inches long! Wow! Now that's what I call a real chocolate bar! Mr. Big Chocolate Bar is packed with crispy vanilla wafers. rice crisps, creamy caramel and crunchy peanuts all covered in Cadbury chocolate. Despite all of Mr. Bigs' plethora of yummy add-ons, this Canadian Chocolate Bar has a light and chewy bite to it, at the same time very filling and satisfying. Mr. Big Chocolate Bar is one of a kind, and we're proud to say Canadian! Made in Toronto by Cadbury Canada.
Eat More
The Eat More Chocolate Bar is an old-fashioned Canadian classic! Made of rich dark toffee, peanuts and chocolate every bite is chewy, stretchy and purely delicious! It was first made by the Lowney company until it was acquired by Hershey Canada in 1987. Eat More is a change from the usual chocolate bar and makes for a very addictive snack. You truly do want to Eat More of them! There is no other bar that compares to our Eatmore!
Big Turk
Big Turk is exclusive and very distinctive. Not only to Canada, but some would also say that it's an acquired taste! The Big Turk bar consists of chewy, magenta coloured Turkish Delight that is wrapped in a delicious, rippled coating of milk chocolate. Love it or hate it, Big Turk has been around since 1974. It always makes us proud to be Canadian! Another bonus to this Canadian Classic is that the Big Turk contains 60% less fat than the average bar, making it a great choice for an afternoon pick me up. The Big Turk Chocolate Bar does truly seem to stand alone as I have never seen another Canadian bar quite like it. Perhaps that's why there are so many die-hard fans. The Big Turk Chocolate Bar is deliciously one of a kind!
Jersey Milk Chocolate Bar
This old-fashioned Canadian Chocolate bar has been loved since 1951. Made of squares of velvety, smooth delectable milk chocolate. Yes, it sounds simple, but the Jersey Milk Chocolate bar is anything but, it is exquisite! This Canadian classic was made by William Neilson who claimed that he made nothing but the best! He was right, and our chocolate-eating Canadians know the quality and the simple deliciousness of the Jersey Milk Chocolate.
Honourable Mentions...
The British and Canadians see eye to eye for the most part, but chocolate to chocolate? Well, that's sort of a different story. We've indulged in countless British chocolate bars and agree they are delicious. But there are a few "Canadian Classics" that may have originated in Britain but are made in Canada with an original, dare I say, the better recipe!
Smarties Candy
Do you eat the red ones last? If you're Canadian, you'll know what I'm talking about. Once marketed towards children, Smarties Candy had the alphabet printed on them, and were intended to be used as a learning tool! Don't we all wish we learned our ABCs with Smarties Candy? Even as an adult, I just cannot resist these candy-coated, brightly covered pieces of milk chocolate candies. If you ask for Smarties in the states, you will end up with what we know as "Rockets", which are a completely different thing. As a Canadian, my Smarties will always include chocolate!
Dairy Milk Chocolate Bars
I have never met a single one that I didn't care for. It's a love story for our Cadbury Chocolate Bars. Every single one is just too easy to devour. Coming in a wide variety of flavours, the list is extensive and so impressive. Surely there is a Dairy Milk Chocolate bar to suit everyone's tastes. Our exclusive Cadbury Canada recipe is just a little different than the British versions. The Gladstone Factory, right here in Toronto Ontario makes 500 every minute! That's a lot of Dairy Milk Chocolate Bars just waiting to be eaten!
Crunchie Bar
Simple, sweet and right to the point! It's honeycomb toffee that is surrounded in Cadbury chocolate. The Crunchie Bar most definitely has the perfect name, as you will feel the crunch, with every last delicious bite! This Crunchie Chocolate Bar seems to be a top choice for every candy lover. It is the best of both worlds. Crispy and sweet with the smooth and creamy texture of our divine Cadbury chocolate.
Aero Chocolate Bar
Nestle attempted to launch this chocolate bar in the US in the 1980s. Unfortunately, the Aero Chocolate Bar did not become a hit with the Americans. That means more Aero chocolate bars for us! The Aero Chocolate Bar is a rich milk chocolate bar with the unique addition of a bubbly texture. With its aerated chocolate throughout the whole bar it seems almost magical! How do they make all those glorious bubbles? Made by Nestle Canada, the Aero Chocolate Bar is beautifully bubbly!
Maltesers
While a similar treat called "Whoppers" exists in the States, they just cannot be compared to our beloved Canadian Maltesers Candy. Not all malt balls are created equal, clearly! Maltesers Candy is a malted honeycomb center that is coated with a generous helping of milk chocolate. They are crispy and light, with the perfect amount of sweetness. Although they were first created in the 1930s, some things never go out of style. Eat the whole bag at once or save some for later. In any case, they make for a convenient and delicious Canadian snack!
What are your favourite Canadian Chocolate Bars?
I suppose there is delicious chocolate from all over the world, but none seem to compare to our Canadian Chocolate Bars. Our American and British friends do have their fair share of palatable candy. We just simply love ours more!
Tell us about your favourite Canadian Chocolate Bar.
Did your favourites make our list?
24 comments
Actually The Big Turk bar came out way before 1974. It was originally made by Smiles and Chuckles the company who made the original Turtles.
What became of the graham square cookie bar, I remember eating them in 60 and 70 down in Eastern Canada be I haven’t seem them in years
Oh yes the Ganong bar with the elusive name that I’ll google after I send this. I remember having 4 or 5 crates of that bar that lasted me the better part of a year. Rich dark chocolate, peanuts and fudge make up this classic treat. Definitely worth looking for.
Steve Thornton I remember that chocolate bar – it was called the Neilson Canadian and it had a black wrapper. I think there were tiny pieces of nuts in it. Also loved Neilson Treasures and 4 Flavours. Burnt almond was one of my favourites. Very sad to see most of these great Canadian chocolate bars gone :(
I think several viewers missed the identified segue from “Strictly Canadian” to “Originally British”… virtually all the bars people have mentioned with a “Hey, we have those two” (except for the poster from Australia who remained mum as to which ones are available there) are in the “Originated in the UK” category. The Caramilk was the biggest surprise for me, when I arrived in the US: despite Cadbury having a liquid-caramel-enclosed chocolate bar there as well (by a different name, Caramello), it is clearly not the same as the Caramilk bar (from the first time I tried one, especially with a bag of salty, plain potato chips).
Thanks for sharing this list, BTW! Despite having studied in the US, some of these I hadn’t realized are only available in Canada. Considering the amount of money Cadbury was putting into promoting some of these during the ’80s and ’90s (like Caramilk, Mr. Big, Oh Henry!, and Sweet Marie), growing up I naturally thought they all originated in the US!
There was a ”Four-Flavors Bar” that seems to have disappeared by about 1990. It was a rectangular sectioned bar that was divided into four sections, each section with its own (some were a liquid) ”insides” like caramel,
Half of these are household names in Australia. I guess by “Only in Canada” you mean “Not the US”.
South Africans also claim the crunchie and smarmities as ours. And we also have Aero and the cadbury slabs. That Mr big chocolate sounds and looks like our cadbury Lunch bar. We getting played by these companies. Lol
Really? Crunchies are national icon in South Africa. Smarties are just about everywhere and so is aero and Maltesers. Seems this article is more about what chocolates you won’t find anywhere in the USA, not the whole world.
I remember a 1960s-era chocolate bar called “Canadian.” It was simply milk chocolate and it was delicious. A bit like a Jersey Milk but not the same. Anybody else remember that? I haven’t seen it since I was a kid, and that was a long, long time ago.