Luxe Digital’s founders are proudly Belgian and self-confessed chocoholics—so naturally, Europe’s rich history of chocolate making and confectionery craftsmanship (looking at you, Belgian Praline) is deeply ingrained in our minds.
By embracing an uncompromising artisan approach, the world’s finest chocolatiers stretch well beyond the routine and deep into the extraordinary. It’s where the richest cacao, carefully sourced from around the globe, merges with superior techniques to create mouthwatering masterpieces.
From family-owned longstanding names to innovative leaders, the most expensive chocolate in the world comes from producers with one thing in common: A complete dedication to gourmet chocolate like nothing else around.
What you need to know
- Europe, despite not growing cacao, is the world’s largest chocolate producer and exporter.
Europe processes more than a third (35%) of the world’s cacao, according to the International Cocoa Organization. - Europeans consume nearly half (45%) of the world’s chocolate (CBI).
18. Hotel Chocolat – United Kingdom
With a mantra of “more cocoa, less sugar,” there’s no wonder that Hotel Chocolat has shunned the 20th-century trend of using chocolate as a conveyor for added sweeteners.
Instead, two entrepreneurs, Angus Thirlwell and Peter Harris, joined forces to make chocolate exciting again, with a focus on authentic cacao beans and their irresistible taste. The 100% Dark Chocolate Batons are the quintessential take of their mission.
There are now 126 Hotel Chocolat locations, plus a luxury eco-hotel on a working cacao farm in the Caribbean.
| Country of origin: | United Kingdom |
| Most expensive chocolate: | 100% Dark Chocolate Batons |
| Highest price: | $0.08 per gram |
17. Guylian – Belgium
Romance and chocolate go together hand in hand. And when the stars align just right, this sensational combination leads to something greater than the sum of its parts.
In 1958, Belgian chocolatier Guy Foubert married fellow sweets aficionado Liliane, and together they founded Chocolaterie Guy-Lian.
Over a half-century later, the Guylian name has blown into one of the best chocolate brands, producing iconic seashell chocolates sold around the world.
| Country of origin: | Belgium |
| Most expensive chocolate: | The Original Seashells |
| Highest price: | $0.10 per gram |
16. Vosges Haut Chocolat – United States
When Katrina Markoff launched this luxury chocolate brand, her vision went far beyond any preconceived notion of what it meant to create the best chocolate.
Through food, Vosges Haut Chocolat sparks curiosity and opens hearts. Unique infusions blast through barriers, merging chocolate with other flavor-forward ingredients like chipotle chiles, matcha, masala, and aged cheeses.
These expensive chocolate bars and truffles are available in an extensive lineup of attractive collections and gift sets.
| Country of origin: | United States |
| Most expensive chocolate: | Classic Parcel |
| Highest price: | $0.11 per gram |
15. MarieBelle New York – United States
Using the finest selection of Criollo cacao beans and natural ingredients, MarieBelle gourmet chocolates are unparalleled in taste. But they’re also a treat for the eyes.
Each one of these costly chocolates is adorned with iconic designs from New York culinary experts, bringing another dimension of artistry to one of the most expensive chocolates in the world.
Maribel Lieberman’s passion for the best chocolates has won over the hearts of celebrities, including Oprah, Susan Sarandon, and Jennifer Lopez.
| Country of origin: | United States |
| Most expensive chocolate: | Cien Chocolate Ganache Blue Box |
| Highest price: | $0.18 per gram |
14. Godiva – Belgium
Any discussion of the best chocolate in the world is certain to have the Belgian powerhouse Godiva appear. Since 1926, it has been fearlessly dedicated to using the finest ingredients in its artfully crafted gourmet chocolates.
Now available in more than 100 countries, it’s difficult to find a more successful luxury chocolate brand. Yet somehow, Godiva beats the odds and remains dedicated to living up to the extreme demands of Belgian chocolate-producing tradition.
| Country of origin: | Belgium |
| Most expensive chocolate: | Godiva Gold Ballotins |
| Highest price: | $0.21 per gram |
13. Patchi – Lebanon
As another luxury chocolate brand that sees beyond the obvious, Patchi helps ignite passion through shared experiences and elevating pleasure.
In 2008, Patchi partnered with Harrod’s to create a box of Swarovski-studded, silk-wrapped chocolates that sold for a whopping $10,000 in 2008, equal to about $14,125 today.
While Patchi’s creations aren’t typically that stratospherically high, they’re still some of the most expensive chocolates in the world. Their limited edition boxes sell now for $0.22 per gram.
| Country of origin: | Lebanon |
| Most expensive chocolate: | Limited Edition Chocolate Ballotin |
| Highest price: | $0.22 per gram |
12. Amedei – Italy
Winning one award might be a fluke. Taking home over 92 international distinctions, however, is not. Amedei’s chocolate-making expertise is undeniable.
This luxury chocolate brand finds the ideal balance between tradition and innovation. The finest cocoa beans serve as the foundation, but the state-of-the-art Tuscan laboratories backed by 30 years of experience are where artistry comes to life.
Every one of their 150 creations is remarkable, but the Porcelana Bar uses the rarest cocoa variety in the world, hailing from Venezuela, to create one of the world’s most expensive chocolates.
| Country of origin: | Italy |
| Most expensive chocolate: | Porcelana Bar |
| Highest price: | $0.22 per gram |
11. Pierre Marcolini – Belgium
From the age of 14, Belgian-born Pierre Marcolini has remained fully committed to chocolate excellence. After winning the World Patisserie Championship a decade and a half later, he opened his first shop in 1995 and started to create some of the best chocolate in the world.
Following in the rich tradition of esteemed Belgian chocolate, Marcolini scours the globe to find the best cocoa beans everywhere from Peru to Indonesia. The Grands Crus box brings you on a journey through the world’s premier cocoa producers.
Almost 80 expert artisans combine efforts in the Brussels factory to create their unique handmade recipes.
| Country of origin: | Belgium |
| Most expensive chocolate: | Grands Crus |
| Highest price: | $0.23 per gram |
10. Valrhona – France
Good things come to those who work together and are willing to find collaboration around every corner. And that’s precisely what Valrhona has done since 1922.
Not only does this French producer make some of the world’s costliest chocolate, it also provides many of the top pastry chefs with the high-quality chocolate they need to succeed.
Valrhona’s excellence lies in sourcing the most unique cocoa varieties throughout the globe. It also ambitiously creates a thriving community of sharing chocolate knowledge at the L’École Valrhona.
| Country of origin: | France |
| Most expensive chocolate: | Grand Cru Organic Andoa |
| Highest price: | $0.25 per gram |
9. The House of Grauer – Switzerland
Focused on expanding the pleasure of smoking beyond the cigar, these expensive chocolates come from a Swiss cigar producer that’s willing to step outside the box.
By leveraging the experience of a Swiss master chocolate maker, Grauer helps open your palette to a world of harmony between cocoa and tobacco. Combining these two complex flavors brings out an unparalleled experience you’re sure to remember.
The cocoa is sourced from Cuba, Madagascar, and Bolivia, and transformed into these delectable treats through traditional Swiss techniques.
| Country of origin: | Switzerland |
| Most expensive chocolate: | The Aficionado’s Collection |
| Highest price: | $0.26 per gram |
8. Cluizel – France
Starting with a direct relationship with seven renowned cacao growers, Cluizel takes pride in its beans with the best possible traceability. Once the fermented beans arrive in France, they’re crafted in gourmet chocolate and truffles using masterful skills since 1948.
The family-owned business magnifies the natural chocolate flavor without additives, creating some of the purest and most expensive chocolates in the world.
By prioritizing passion, respect, and transmission of knowledge, Cluizel creates a sustainable model for producing its luxury chocolate.
| Country of origin: | France |
| Most expensive chocolate: | Chocolate Gift Box |
| Highest price: | $0.29 per gram |
7. Richart – France
After nearly a century of chocolate-making experience, Richart has every reason to stick with tradition. But the best chocolate in the world doesn’t come from complacency.
Rather than follow the well-traveled path, Richart blazes new paths forward with innovative gourmet chocolates based on seven aromatic families.
But this luxury chocolate brand also continues to nail the classics through traditional French craftsmanship, with silky ganache under crisp dark chocolate from single-origin Criollo cocoa sourced from Peru.
| Country of origin: | France |
| Most expensive chocolate: | Signature Palets d’Or |
| Highest price: | $0.36 per gram |
6. La Maison du Chocolat – France
Gathering talent, defending craftsmanship, and cultivating genius might not be the typical goals of a confectionary company, but creating one of the world’s most expensive chocolates isn’t the typical mission.
La Maison du Chocolat uses meticulous professionalism and boundless creativity to compose luxury chocolate with extraordinary taste.
Offering a voluminous selection of chocolate pastries, treats, and gift boxes, the biggest challenge with La Maison du Chocolat’s creations is deciding which to try first.
| Country of origin: | France |
| Most expensive chocolate: | Dark Truffle Gift Box |
| Highest price: | $0.76 per gram |
5. Debauve and Gallais – France
Favored by French elites for over two centuries, Debauve and Gallais’ history is as rich as their expensive chocolates. Founded in 1800, the luxury chocolate brand was the official chocolatier of Louis XVIII, Charles X, and Louis Philippe.
The assortment of bonbons and truffles is certain to provide a royal-worthy taste, but the most expensive chocolate from Debauve and Gallais is the Leather Book Case.
It’s a handmade commemorative leather box shaped like a book, embossed with gold leaf, and filled with a selection of creamy ganaches and pralines.
| Country of origin: | France |
| Most expensive chocolate: | Leather Book Case |
| Highest price: | $1.22 per gram |
4. Teuscher – Switzerland
Starting in 1932, Teuscher is one of the most iconic luxury chocolate brands in the world. And it holds on tight to its family-oriented roots and Swiss chocolate traditions.
Founder Dolf Teuscher created the original recipe for Teuscher champagne truffles during a Swiss heatwave in 1947. And his son carries the business forward using the same secret recipe for its most popular product.
The delicate treats join the world’s most expensive chocolate with fresh cream, butter, and French champagne. Just one taste and you’ll understand why there’s no messing with this iconic staple.
| Country of origin: | Switzerland |
| Most expensive chocolate: | Assorted Truffles |
| Highest price: | $1.35 per gram |
3. DeLafée – Switzerland
Rich chocolate doesn’t only describe the flavor of DeLafée’s creations. The spectacular truffles feature the finest Swiss chocolate covered in 24-karat edible gold, bringing a new gilded age to the confectionary realm.
The Gold Swiss Chocolate Box features eight extravagant luxury chocolates and a rare Swiss Vreneli Francs 10 gold coin, packing a wealth of flavor and a lasting asset in one elegant package.
| Country of origin: | Switzerland |
| Most expensive chocolate: | Gold Swiss Chocolate Box |
| Highest price: | $4.90 per gram |
2. House of Knipschildt – United States
With humble roots from a small Connecticut apartment, Fritz Knipschildt has showered the world with his extraordinary fancy chocolate since 1999.
The Danish immigrant merges ritualistic European craftsmanship with avant-garde flavor combinations to produce some of the world’s costliest chocolate.
One of his signature creations is the La Madeline au Truffle, recognized as the most expensive chocolate in the world. A decadent ganache surrounds a rare French Perigord truffle in this masterpiece.
| Country of origin: | United States |
| Most expensive chocolate: | La Madeline au Truffle |
| Highest price: | $5.73 per gram |
1. To’ak – Ecuador
At the intersection of passion and history is where magic happens, and precisely where To’ak strikes brown gold.
Starting with an uncompromising artisan approach, the Ecuadorian group ventured into the valley of Piedra de Planta to find old-growth cacao trees DNA verified to be 100% pure Nacional cacao, serving as the ancient basis for all To’ak chocolate.
Through these beans and an exquisite chocolate-making process, To’ak regularly makes some of the most expensive chocolates, but the Masters Series Enriquestuardo goes above all else by bringing designs from one of Ecuador’s most revered modern artists to its superior chocolate.
| Country of origin: | Ecuador |
| Most expensive chocolate: | Masters Series Enriquestuardo |
| Highest price: | $9.80 per gram |
Bonus:
Le Chocolate Box by Simon Jewelers – United States
Once sold for a monumental $1.5 million, this chocolate box featured a dozen chocolate treats from Lake Forest Confections along with exquisite necklaces, earrings, rings, and bracelets adorned with diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires from Simon Jewelers.
La Chuorsa by Attimo Chocolate Zurich – Switzerland
In 2019, Attimo Chocolate Zurich created a saffron-infused gourmet chocolate bar with Venezuelan Chuao cocoa beans. The 80-gram bar sold for 640 CHF, equalling nearly $9 USD per gram and taking the title for The Guinness World Records’ most expensive non-jeweled chocolate bar.
Conclusion: The world’s most expensive chocolates
Creating the world’s most expensive chocolates isn’t a matter of following a recipe. It’s fusing the world’s finest cacao with an unrelenting drive toward greatness.
While well-known chocolate regions such as Switzerland, France, and Belgium dominate the list, others from Ecuador, Lebanon, the United States, and the United Kingdom have what it takes to be among the pinnacle luxury chocolate brands.
Here are the 18 world’s most expensive chocolate brands:
- To’ak – Ecuador
- House of Knipschildt – United States
- DeLafée of Switzerland – Switzerland
- Teuscher – Switzerland
- Debauve and Gallais – France
- La Maison du Chocolat – France
- Richart – France
- Cluizel – France
- The House of Grauer – Switzerland
- Valrhona – France
- Pierre Marcolini – Belgium
- Amedei – Italy
- Patchi – Lebanon
- Godiva – Belgium
- MarieBelle New York – United States
- Vosges Haut Chocolat – United States
- Guylian – Belgium
- Hotel Chocolat – United Kingdom
Frequently asked questions about the most expensive chocolates
The most expensive chocolate in the world per gram is the Masters Series Enriquestuardo produced by To’ak at $9.80 per gram. Other expensive chocolates include the House of Knipschildt at $5.73 per gram and DeLafée of Switzerland at $4.90 per gram.
It’s hard to identify the most rare chocolate because many artisans create limited-edition chocolates. But Criollo and Nacional cacao beans are two rare cacao varieties, often used in the world’s rarest and most expensive chocolates.
