Our guide to coffee and chocolate pairing
28 Apr 2025
What is it about these two tropical beans that makes them work so well together? These two beans in a pod create an incredible flavour experience for a reason…
Together, coffee and chocolate create one of life’s simple pleasures. We’re big fans of this flavour combination — and no, it’s not because of the caffeine! At Hotel Chocolat, we’re constantly looking for new ways to balance these beans to create delicious and exciting coffee chocolates, ranging from bars to truffles.
While this might be a relatively well-known combination, there’s more to the process than mixing coffee and chocolate. Each variety of coffee and cacao bean boasts its own flavour profile, meaning that if you get it right, you can experience a taste experience like no other.
Why do coffee and chocolate go together so well?
It might seem like a bit of a no-brainer, but there’s a reason why coffee and chocolate go so well together. Coffee and cacao beans both have deep, intense flavour profiles, and instead of clashing, they complement one another.
Plus, the flavour profiles of each can change depending on the region where the beans are grown, giving loyal guests like you an almost limitless variety of combinations to try.
At Hotel Chocolat, we source our cacao beans from all over the world, from the rocky and mountainous region of Ecuador to the luscious and vibrant island of Saint Lucia. Many different factors can affect the resulting taste of the cacao bean, including the amount of sunlight it receives, the soil it’s grown in, and the quantity of water it gets each year.
Some cacao beans’ growing conditions give them a slightly tart, red berry flavour profile. As such, these kinds of beans make the perfect dark chocolate. Other beans impart smoky, savoury notes or aromatic summer fruit flavours. To discover the complex and nuanced world of the cacao bean, why not dive into our Single-Origin Chocolate range?
This flavour diversity is very similar to that of the coffee bean. So, what does this all mean? Well, because both coffee and cacao can boast such depth and hold their own against other flavours, it makes them the perfect match.
However, it’s also important to know how to pair the right beans together. For a heavenly coffee-chocolate tasting experience, you’ll want to get that combo just right.
Coffee and chocolate pairings you can’t miss out on
With so many types of chocolate and coffee out there, we thought it would be handy to list them in one place, matched perfectly together for the most unique flavour experience.
Light roast coffee + white chocolate
A light roast is your most mellow coffee option. Lighter and somewhat fresher than darker roasts, light roasted coffee combines beautifully with white chocolate.
Light roasts are more acidic and fruity with a delicate flavour, meaning that they shouldn’t be overpowered with bold flavours. Our white chocolate contains 36% cacao butter or more for the creamiest finish — perfect for pairing with a mug of light roast coffee. Alternatively, drizzle some of our melted White Chocolate Batons over whipped cream to top your coffee off with something extra indulgent.
To echo the natural flavours of light roast coffee, you could even get adventurous with fruity chocolates like our:
Medium roast coffee + milk chocolate
A medium roast is one of the most versatile coffee options, making it a great pairing with milk chocolate. Beans that evoke red fruit and deep berry flavours tend to go best with a high-cacao milk chocolate like our Supermilk chocolate range.
If you can’t get your hands on high-cacao chocolate, we recommend looking for milk chocolate that’s around the 40% cacao benchmark. Anything lower, and it might not be able to hold its own against the punchier notes of medium roast coffee.
Try grating our 40% Milk Chocolate Slab over the froth for a cappuccino that boasts extra depth, or swirling a baton or two through an Americano to enjoy the melted, velvety tastes of coffee and chocolate in harmony.
For a memorable flavour experience, why not try nut and caramel chocolate alongside your sip? Bites of chocolate with crunchy nuts like our Supermilk Caesar Selector or gooey caramel centres like our Salted Caramel Selector will complement the smooth richness of medium roast coffee without clashing.
Dark roast coffee + dark chocolate
Bold, punchy, powerful. Unsurprisingly, a dark roast demands a chocolate that can meet its standards. Look for dark chocolate with 70% to 100% cacao solids for a deep, indulgent flavour combination.
Our Rare and Vintage Dark Chocolate Batons contain 100% cacao. Although this might sound daunting, we promise it’s unlike anything you’ve tried before. Slightly savoury, these batons have a malty edge, making them the perfect pairing alongside a flat white, a macchiato, or a double espresso. Plus, their long, curved edges make them ideal for swirling into a hot drink of your choice.
Dark chocolate with a hint of salt is also an excellent way to introduce some contrast and crunch to your bite. Try our Dark Chocolate Salted Caramelised Almonds or our Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Selector to uplift the senses.
How to enjoy chocolate and coffee in day-to-day life
For those who’d prefer to enjoy coffee and chocolate together in one swift yet glorious gulp, chocolate-flavoured coffee is the ideal option. Sometimes there’s nothing better than a warming mug of coffee and chocolate.
Our Chocolate Mocha Latte and Caffè Latte Sachets balance coffee and chocolate notes effortlessly. The problem with most mocha blends tends to be that they don’t commit to quality with both blends. We believe the flavours of both cacao and coffee are equally important.
As such, we use gossamer-fine grated chocolate flakes for an indulgent chocolate flavour. We combine this with our Rabot Estate coffee beans for a roasted, deep taste unlike any other. These beverages let you experience the indulgent tastes of both beans with each sip, meaning you can enjoy your favourite tastes with ease.
Pair with The Velvetiser™ for even quicker results. In a matter of minutes, you can slowly sip on a little bit of decadence, warmed to the ideal temperature and velvetised for the smoothest results.
Why not try our Everything Latte Selection for 10 latte single-serve sachets whenever you fancy?
Explore our coffee chocolate range
No matter if you find solace in our coffee chocolate range or our coffee-flavoured hot chocolate collection, find the best combinations with Hotel Chocolat.
Don’t forget to explore our delectable white, milk, and dark chocolates to pair with your perfect coffee roast.
