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For many tourists, the best thing about travelling to a new country is the opportunity to try new foods. Every country has cuisine that is fascinating and delicious in their own way – and Chilean chocolate is no exception.
For tourists with a sweet tooth, sampling new desserts and confectionaries is always a treat. From wafer-heavy chocolate bars to chocolatey pastries and Swiss rolls, Chile has plenty of delightful chocolate sweets and desserts to try.
Not only that, but they also have amazing chocolatiers to visit next time you’re in Santiago. Let’s dive right in!
Chocolate Bars
Chilean chocolate bars are not too different to those you’d find in the U.S but they do have features that set them apart.
Probably the biggest difference between Chilean chocolate bars and other chocolate bars is how many of them have wafers! They love wafers in Chile, and nuts too, and you’ll find a couple of chocolate bars below that combine the two.
Sahne Nuss is a chocolate bar made with whole almonds and is incredibly popular in Chile. It’s also a hefty bar, and the smooth, silky milk chocolate contrasts beautifully with the crispy roasted almonds.
Super8 2.0
Super8 is another popular chocolate bar in Chile, and the Super8 2.0 is a revamped version of the classic candy bar.
It’s wider than the original chocolate bar and with a sprinkling of peanuts on top. It’s definitely more substantial of a treat than its predecessor.
Hobby
Hobby is another thick, substantial chocolate bar that is rather underrated! Each bite gives you a generous dose of caramel and nougat that only makes this bar even more dense than it looks.
But compared to the Super8 2.0, and Sahne Nuss, it’s actually a pretty compact candy bar – but it still packs a mighty punch!
Negrita
Negrita has been described as the ‘cool grandma’ of Chilean candy bars and it’s easy to see why.
Not only has it been around forever, but it’s a comforting, beloved chocolate with an irresistibly appealing vintage feel. The packaging alone is not only pretty, but totally retro.
It’s a creme-filled sandwich cookie with a rich chocolate coating that you’ll swear is dark chocolate!
Unlike other Chilean chocolate bars it’s not wafer-based, which is a nice change!
Winergy
Probably the best named Chilean chocolate bar on the list (seriously, if you saw this chocolate bar on a shelf, wouldn’t you want to give it a try?)
Winergy is reminiscent of a Snickers, but with less of a salty flavor. Still, it does have a heavy nougat filling that might be off-putting to some.
Golpe
Another heavyweight chocolate bar, Golpe, follows in the Chilean chocolate bar tradition of being a wafer chocolate bar. It’s not only a heavy bar, but a big chocolate bar too. In fact, many have trouble finishing it!
But each bite is super rewarding, with different textural elements happening with every bite. There’s crispy balls, wafers, as well as layers of caramel.
TuYo
Not one of the most popular bars in Chile, TuYo is another wafer-stick offering but what sets it apart from the other chocolate bars on this list is that it is made of white chocolate!
White chocolate is divisive among chocolate lovers, and the combination of white chocolate and wafers is definitely an intriguing one. What’s more, TuYo comes in a bold, attractive package that only adds to its allure.
Despite this list being packed with wafer bars, this is actually the most lightweight bar on the list.
But Chilean chocolate bars do manage to make wafer bars filling! Some may not appreciate the white chocolate and wafer combination, but there’s no doubting how unique this chocolate bar is.
Chocman
You can find Chocman in convenience stores across Chile, with a cakey texture and a sweet majar filling. It has vintage looking yet basic packaging that is definitely not as appealing as Negrita.
The bar is spongy but leaves you wanting more, and the chocolate coating is nowhere near as generous as the other chocolate bars on this list. If a Winergy resembles a Snickers, then a Chocman resembles a Tootsie Roll.
The filling and sponge cake elements are so light in your mouth that they move like a ghost through your palate. Other Chilean chocolate bars might leave you stuffed, but a Chocman leaves you wanting more!
Chilean Chocolate Desserts
If you’re a fan of sweet, creamy desserts and cakes, then you’ll find plenty in Chile. While the country doesn’t have a lot of its own specialty desserts, it’s safe to say that the cuisine of Chile has a sweet tooth, and is inspired by the desserts of many other countries.
In Chile you’ll find plenty of pastries, and dishes filled with manjar. Manjar is almost like a dulce de leche, and is a pudding made of milk or cornstarch that is found in cuisines throughout Central and South America.
Chile doesn’t have a lot of chocolate based desserts, but the below desserts can be served, coated in, or filled with chocolate.
Alfajores
The number one pastry in Chile, Alfajores is also a beloved dish in Argentina, and other Spanish-speaking countries. What makes Alfajores so appealing is how every country adds a new twist to them.
Chilean Alfajor is usually composed of two light, crispy biscuits that are made with egg yolks and cornstarch. They also incorporate manjar, which acts as an adhesive between the two biscuits.
The Alfajor can be coated in dark chocolate or covered in desiccated coconut powder. Not only are Alfajores popular desserts, but are often enjoyed as a sweet snack accompanied by tea. Alfajores would definitely make an excellent accompaniment to a Chilean afternoon tea!
Alfajores can also be filled with chocolate or marmalade rather than manjar.
Cuchuflis
Cuchuflis is almost like a wafer cookie rolled in a tube and filled with dulce de leche. It’s extremely crispy and lighter than Alfajores, and is made with butter, egg whites, flour, sugar, and vanilla flavoring.
Cuchuflis can also be enjoyed smothered in any type of chocolate you want – dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or white!
Cuchuflis is best enjoyed with tea or coffee, or as a sweet snack.
Brazo de Reina
Brazo de Reina translates into ‘queen’s arm,’ and is a Chilean take on a Swiss roll. For those who have never heard of a Swiss roll, it’s a soft, flat, spongy cake. You can spread jam, whipped cream, or chocolate on it then roll until the filling creates a swirl effect in the middle.
In Chile they often enjoy Brazi de Reina with manjar and it’s very popular to serve during the Christmas holiday.
Chilean Ice Cream
This is kind of a cheat addition but Chile offers ice cream in a wide variety of flavors you won’t find anywhere else.
Undoubtedly the most interesting flavors are inspired by fruits you can only find in South America, such as lucuma (or ‘eggfruit’ as it’s known colloquially), and chirimoya.
In northern regions of Chile like San Pedro de Atacama you’ll find algarroba (or carob, which has a flavor similar to chocolate). Other plant varieties include chañar and rica rica.
The leaves of the aromatic rica rica are often used to make the famous Chilean drink Pisco Sour. Meanwhile, in the southern regions of the country, the most popular ice cream is marquis ice cream that is made from a berry only found in Patagonia.
Chilean Chocolatiers
Chile not only has amazing chocolates and desserts to offer, but terrific chocolatiers. Let’s take a look at a few of the best in the country’s capital, Santiago.
La Fete is all about producing the highest quality chocolate treats from truffles, pralines and calugas using the freshest ingredients possible.
You can visit their Santiago store to sample these delicious treats, but if you’d rather order online all produce is tightly sealed and kept under strict conditions to ensure that when they arrive at your door they are as fresh as can be!
Bombones Varsovienne offers a wide variety of chocolates and calugas that are uniquely flavored. You can customize your orders to get a truly bespoke selection of chocolates, making treats from Bombones Varsovienne perfect gifts for all occasions.
Xoco Por Ti opened in 2013 with an idea to merge a chocolate shop with a specialty coffee bar. Run by self-described ‘chocolate baristas,’ here you can sample hot chocolates, frappes, and ice creams made from the finest chocolates in South America, as well as chocolates from around the world!
Chocolates Sausalito is a traditional Chilean chocolate shop in Providencia (a district in the north of Santiago), that sells all you could wish for from a chocolate shop – bars, bonbons, sweets, pralines, if it’s made with chocolate they’ve got it!
You can even order personalized chocolates for special occasions, and while their main chocolate offerings are sweet milk chocolate, they also offer bitter and sugarless chocolate treats for those with specific dietary needs.
