Here, you will find a review of the top 16 German chocolate brands. Also, review 3 brands you thought were German but not German chocolate brands like Kinder (Italian), Lindt (Swiss), and Milka (Swiss).
German people not only enjoy eating chocolates from their neighboring countries but also produce exceptional sweet treats by themselves.
Germany, along with Belgium and Italy, is among the top 3 chocolate-producing countries.
Germany has everything from white chocolate and milk chocolate to countless delightful creations.
Ritter Sport, Edle Tropfen in Nuss, Schogetten, Merci, Mozartkugeln, and Storck Chocolates are some of the most known German chocolates.
Let’s start our review of 19 chocolate and sweets manufacturers that satisfy anyone’s sweet tooth.
1. Ritter Sport
The now-known chocolate brand Ritter Sport Schokolade came into being in 1932.
Ritter Sport is a chocolate treat almost every German child grew up with and is still popular amongst German people of all ages.
Behind the name lies the idea of Clara Ritter. She thought of creating a convenient chocolate bar that would fit into any sports jacket’s pocket without having to break, yet maintaining the same weight as a regular bar.
Besides its pocket-friendly design, the company is also easily recognized for its bright-colored packaging, with each flavor having its own solid color.
Moreover, Ritter Sport’s packaging advanced even further with its famous “snap-open” pack, also known as the “Knick-Pack” in German, providing modern and practical packaging.
Ritter Sport comes in a massive amount of delightful flavors, comprising 37 versions.
Flavors include plain milk and dark chocolate to exceptionally innovative flavor combos, including Honig Salz Mandel (Milk chocolate with salted almonds and honey), Mandel Orange (Milk chocolate with almond pieces and candied orange peel), or Neapolitan (Milk chocolate with Neapolitan wafers filled with hazelnut cream and pralines).
Official website of Ritter Sport Schokolade.
2. Edle Tropfen in Nuss (Ludwig Schokolade)
Ludwig Schokolade is one of the leading confectionery suppliers in Europe.
For more than 150 years, Ludwig Schokolade has been keeping its tradition alive, selling delightful chocolate treats and chew products under its renowned brands Schogetten, Trumpf, FRITT, and Mauxion brands.
The company’s most popular products are classics like Edle Tropfen in Nuss, Schogetten, Feinschmecker, Wappenklasse, Goldnuss, and Aero.
Ludwig Schokolade highly respects ethical and social principles in business affairs and promotes sustainability regarding the environment and natural resources.
Ludwig Schokolade is a member of “The Good Inside Cocoa” and certified partner alongside “Fairtrade”, “Rainforest Alliance”, “UTZ Certified” and a member of the German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa.
Additionally, Ludwig Schokolade makes use of RSPO-certified palm oil in each of its products.
Official website of Edle Tropfen in Nuss.
3. Schogetten (Ludwig Schokolade)
Let me introduce you to another German chocolate brand, Schogetten from Ludwig Schokolade.
Schogetten is an extremely famous chocolate bar manufacturer that has been satisfying sweet tooths since 1962.
The German chocolate bar is pre-cut into 18 individual pieces and embodies a wide range of mouthwatering flavors.
From Caramel Brownie, Latte Macchiato, and Trilogia Erdbeere (Trilogy Strawberry) to fine dark chocolates, Salted Caramel Crisp, Pistachio, and Coconut Almond, the brand is definitely no disappointment in variety.
Official website of Schogetten.
4. Hachez
Hachez is a Bremen-based chocolate manufacturer founded by Joseph Emile Hachez in 1890.
Hachez is best known for its “leaf” chocolates. Once, in 1923, when Hachez was walking, he noticed beautifully shaped autumn leaves, which later inspired him to recreate these shapes with chocolate.
Hachez provides an assortment ranging from 33% to 88% cocoa solids and is popular for unusual yet delicious flavor combinations like Peppermint, Cranberry-Melon, and Mango-Chili.
Hachez has distribution partners in 17 countries across Europe, Asia, South Africa, and the US and is Germany’s second-largest chocolate manufacturer.
Official website of Hachez.
5. Mozartkugeln (Reber)
Started by Peter Reber in 1865, the Munich-based confectionery company has been enticing countless sweet lovers with its exquisite creations of pure perfection.
Reber is most famous for its flavourful Mozartkugeln, which means “Mozart Balls” in German.
Today, more than 500,000 Mozartkugeln are produced daily, with the company owned by the family’s 5th generation.
These Mozartkugeln are small, round confections composed of pistachio marzipan, a hazelnut nougat center, and then double-coated in light chocolate and dark chocolate.
One box contains 12 individually wrapped Mozart Balls with the famous Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s portrait on top.
Besides the prestigious Mozartkugeln, Reber also makes a huge variety of unique chocolate delights and chocolate bars, along with beautiful gift boxes full of enchanting sweet treats.
Mozartkugeln is also a famous sweet in Austria and is made by numerous other brands.
Official website of Reber.
6. August Storck
August Storck KG is a German giant when it comes to candy production.
Founded in 1903 by August Storck, who later became August Oberwelland, the company is a family-run business that earned success to such an extent that today 15 brands work under August Storck.
Each of them sells one successful product after the other.
The most popular brands include Merci, Moser Roth, Knoppers, Bendicks, Campino, Riesen, and Toffifee.
Official website of August Storck
7. Moser Roth
Moser Roth is a widely known chocolate bar you can easily find at any Aldi (a famous supermarket chain) in Germany.
Initially founded in 1841, the chocolate brand is now owned and produced by the German candy company Storck for Aldi Markets.
Due to its first-class quality and incomparable taste, Moser Roth is Aldi’s luxury brand of chocolate and even received an award in 2007 from the German Agricultural Society.
Every product in the Moser Roth product range is made with carefully selected and UTZ-certified cocoa, which encourages sustainable farming while preserving the earth’s natural resources.
Moser Roth wows with a fine-quality range, including white vanilla chocolates, rich dark chocolates with an 85% cocoa content, and many beautiful varieties of seasonal treats.
And if that wasn’t enough, Moser Roth chocolate is quite affordable too.
8. Merci
Merci is known as the perfect sweet gift if you want to show heartfelt gratitude towards someone.
“Merci” which means “thank you” in French, is an idea that was born in 1965 in Germany.
Proclaimed as “The Finest Assortment of European Chocolates”, Merci offers a delicate selection of rich and best-quality chocolates.
Merci’s variety includes delicious flavors like Hazelnut-Almond, Praline-Crème, Dark Cream, Cream Truffle, Marzipan, Plain milk chocolate, Coffee and Cream, and Dark Mousse.
Each chocolate is shaped in a convenient-sized bar and individually wrapped, having its own color.
Today, people from over 100 countries across the world say “thank you” with a Merci as a special gift.
Official Website of Merci
9. Baur Chocolat
Bauer Chocolat is a traditional German chocolate manufacturer owning a very creative business concept.
Besides delicious chocolate bars made from good quality chocolate, Baur Chocolat offers an amazing assortment of different shapes and figures made from chocolate.
Whether ladybirds, footballs, hollow chocolate figures, or filled May beetles, Baur Chocolat has something suitable for every season and occasion.
Official website of Baur Chocolate.
10. Rübezahl Chocolates
Rübezahl Chocolates, or in German Rübezahl Schokoladen, is a chocolate producer and one of the world’s largest manufacturers of chocolate figures.
Established in 1949 by Josef Cersovsky, who came from the Giant Mountains in the Czech Republic and Silesia. The company was named after the mountain spirit Rübezahl, mentioned in many legends and fairytales.
The most famous products are chocolate figures of Santa Claus and Easter Bunnies, of which over 100 million are produced each year and exported to more than 50 countries.
Since 2019, Rübezahl Schokoladen GmbH has been part of the Rübezahl-Riegelein group of companies and sells its products under renowned brands like Riegelein, Friedel, Sun Ric, Gubor, Fanshop Sweets, and Chocri.
Official website of Rübezahl Chocolates.
11. Bendicks
Surprised to see Bendicks as German chocolate? In 1988, Bendicks became a subsidiary company of German candy manufacturer August Storck.
Bendicks is a chocolate brand widely known for its “quintessentially British” Bittermints.
Bendicks Bittermints is a unique composition of an intense mint fondant combined with extravagant dark chocolate with a content of 95% cocoa solids.
Despite the mint being that strong and the chocolate being that bitter, they surprisingly go extremely well together and create a miraculously delicious taste.
Bendicks was born in 1930 when Oscar Benson and Colonel “Bertie” Dickson purchased a small confectionery in London. They used the first syllables of their surnames, and the brand’s name, Bendicks, came to life.
Only 1 year later, Benson’s sister-in-law came up with the idea to combine extremely bitter dark chocolate with a strongly flavored mint-fondant.
As a result, a one-of-its-kind chocolate treat was created and is made by its original recipe up to the present day.
Official website of Bendicks.
12. Halloren Chocolate Factory
Founded in 1804, the company became especially famous during the former German Democratic Republic and maintained its fame even after reunification.
The Halloren Chocolate Factory (in German: Halloren Schokoladenfabrik) is Germany’s oldest chocolate factory and most popular for its Halloren Kugeln or “Halloren-globes”.
The chocolate balls consist of a marzipan-like filling coated by a thin layer of fine-quality chocolate.
These chocolates come in a great variety of flavors, including Apple-Cinnamon, Stracciatella, Double chocolate, Raspberry-Yogurt, and many more.
Official website of Halloren Chocolate Factory.
13. Alpia
Alpia Chocolate is a German classic that offers a huge variety of chocolate delicacies made from premium quality chocolate and fine ingredients.
Alpia mainly uses milk chocolate in its product range, including chocolate bars in numerous flavors, crispy chocolate cornflakes, Alpina Schokolinos (chocolate-covered hazelnuts), Chocolate Pretzels, and a lot more.
Official Website of Alpia.
14. Feodora
Feodora is a prestigious chocolate brand straight from Bremen, one of Germany’s hotspots for chocolate.
The brand’s name was born in 1910 by Friedrich Meyer, who paid tribute to the princess of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg.
Being one of the oldest chocolate brands in Northern Germany, Feodora is best known for its chocolate bars made from first-class chocolate and real bourbon vanilla.
The chocolate is constantly churned for 72 hours straight and, therefore, ensures the exceptional smoothness and rich taste for which it’s famous.
Feodora offers a wide selection of chocolate bars, praline boxes, and many other chocolate creations, from milk chocolate to bitter dark chocolate.
Official Website of Feodora.
15. Die gute Schokolade
Out of all the chocolate brands in the world, “Die Gute Schokolade” also known as “The Change Chocolate” may be one of the unique ones.
“The Change Chocolate” is a children-led initiative to bring positive change to the world.
In 2011, some children, along with the heads of Bühler (the world market leader in cocoa processing equipment), came up with the idea to create a product that easily sells and would help to plant trees.
With this concept in mind, the team contacted around 350 confectionery manufacturers from around the world and asked them to donate 1 Euro per ton of the luxury chocolate product. But to their surprise, none of them responded.
So, they decided to make their own chocolate, and voilà, not even a year had passed when Die Gute Schokolade, the best-sold fairtrade chocolate in Germany and was in 1st place among the 25 best Milk Chocolate Bars in Germany in 2018.
With every 5 chocolate bars sold, the chocolate brand plants 1 tree in Mexico and has already planted more than 6 million as of December 2020.
Not only does this chocolate fight against the climate crisis, but it is also extremely delicious due to its high-quality chocolate with vanilla, caramel, and nutty tastes.
Currently, “The Change Chocolate” is only sold in Germany and Austria.
Official Website of Die gute Schokolade.
16. Porta (Weinrich)
If you’re a chocolate lover and enjoy surprisingly good fillings within your chocolate bar, then Weinrich’s Porta is definitely for you.
Porta is a German-made chocolate bar owned and produced by Weinrich’s. Since 1895, the Weinrich Chocolate Factory has been making delightfully sweet treats for chocolate lovers, including its Porta range.
Porta is made to suit every taste at a reasonable price offering a wide selection of filled chocolate bars like blood orange, strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, forest fruits, mango-passion fruit, and classic choco bars like white, milk, and dark chocolate.
Official website of Weinrich.
Chocolate brands you thought were German but are not German
If you’re a German, you are about to question your whole life. If you’re not, there are some brands you could swear by that you knew were German but are not.
17. Kinder
Shocking isn’t it? Kinder is not a German brand?
Even the brand’s name is pure German, which translates into “Children” and the kid with the blonde hair on the typical Kinder chocolate bar pack also looks German.
Yet, here we are and came to know that Kinder is a chocolate brand owned and produced by the Italian multinational confectionery company Ferrero.
The famous and iconic chocolate bar was created by Michele Ferrero along with the brand’s name Kinder, developed in 1968 in Alba, Italy.
The sweet treat was first introduced to the Italian and German markets and has become ever since one of the most loved and enjoyed chocolate confectioneries by many people from all around the world.
Other legendary creations under the Kinder brand include Kinder Bueno, Kinder Joy, Happy Hippos, Kinder Pingui, and Kinder Maxi King.
Official website of Kinder.
18. Milka
Milka is no doubt one of the most beloved and prominent chocolate brands in the world.
Best known for its 3 main ingredients, cocoa beans, sugar, and 100% Alpine milk, Milka has been enjoyed by many Germans up to this day.
But then again, Milka is actually not a German chocolate brand.
Milka originated in Switzerland in 1901 but is now owned by US-based company Mondelēz International since the year 2012. Mondelēz International is the parent company of many famous brands like Oreo, Cadbury, Milka, and Chips Ahoy.
The brand’s catchy name was coined by joining the product’s two main ingredients “Milch” (Milk in German) and “Kakao” (Cocoa in German).
However, despite the brand’s Swiss roots, Milka has been mainly produced in Lörrach, Germany.
Official website of Milka.
19. Lindt
Chocolatier giant Lindt (officially Lindt & Sprüngli AG) is a notorious confectionery company famous for its grandiose chocolate bars, truffles, and many other sweet creations.
The Lindt success story began in 1845 when David Sprüngli-Schwarz and Rudolf Lindt set the foundation of the prestigious company.
The Kilchberg-based brand also owns a museum present in the same city.
Even though Lindt is a Swiss brand, its products are made in 12 factories across the world, of which the German city of Aachen is one of them.
Today, Lindt successfully runs more than 410 shops and cafés all around the globe, highlighting the brand’s exquisite chocolate creations, macarons, cakes, ice cream, and handmade chocolates.
Official website of Lindt.
Chocolate Economy of Germany
Recently in 2020, Germany became the frontrunner in the chocolate industry with a total of $4.96 billion (USD) worth of exports, which is equal to 17% of the world’s total exports.
These numbers are expected to double by the year 2025, with a forecast to reach a whopping $9.6 billion (USD).
The Swiss actually started making chocolate in the 17th century, yet they are the biggest consumers per capita. Germany is in 3rd place, right after Switzerland and Austria.
But what’s more interesting is that out of these top chocolate-producing countries, none of them are actually major sources or producers of cocoa.
The five key countries in cocoa production are Cote D’Ivoire, Ghana, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Cameroon.
There isn’t really a core reason why European countries are the leading chocolate manufacturers. Generally, it is the enormous popularity and adoration of chocolate among Europeans ever since its introduction.
My Other Guides on Germany
You can read my other guides on Germany by clicking on the links below.
