A while ago I shared with you one of the best whole, natural food bars out there today, called LaraBars. LaraBars are raw, unprocessed, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, vegan, kosher and extremely delicious!
However as my taste buds continue to evolve, as I trek on with zero refined sugars and even more raw and unprocessed food, I have noticed that they have become almost too sweet for me. Hence I decided to look for other options and then discovered that LaraBars also come in the Jocalat line, which is based on organic cocoa powder, and thus should not be too sweet.
Jocalat is a fair trade certified chocolate in its purest form. Each bar brings together a variety of fruits and nuts alongside the cocoa bean, and each flavor contains no more than seven simple ingredients. The bars are of the typical high natural quality that Larabars are known for up to this point. They are rich in flavors, all organic, and like the general LaraBars have no added sugars, nor do they contain any dairy, soy or gluten. The bars also provide one serving of fruit, are 90% raw, non-GMO, kosher and of course vegan friendly. Read here for more details about Jocalat.
The bars come in 6 different deluxe and amazing flavors. They are as follows:
LÄRABAR Jocalat, Chocolate, 1.7-Ounce Bars (Pack of 16)
LÄRABAR Jocalat, Chocolate Mint, 1.7-Ounce Bars (Pack of 16)
LaraBar Jocalat, Chocolate Orange, 1.7-Ounce Bars (Pack of 16)
Larabar Jocalat, Chocolate Coffee, 1.7-Ounce Bars, 16-Count
Larabar Jocalat, Chocolate Cherry, 1.7-Ounce Bars, 16-Count
LÄRABAR Jocalat, Chocolate Hazelnut, 1.7-Ounce Bars (Pack of 16)
So far, I have only tried the orange and mint flavors and enjoyed both equally. The cocoa taste is more on the bitter side, naturally as it is pure cocoa bean without added sugar, but it is balanced out well by the dates and other flavors. The mint flavor was especially pleasant, as chocolate-mint usually goes. In many ways they remind me of the chocolate version of the Weil bars. Naturally of course these tastes are a little different than what many are used to and may not be well-liked by everyone, especially those with a strong sweet-tooth.
The bars have a somewhat drier texture than the original Larabar, but it is still enough chewy, tender and a little crunchy thanks to the nuts.
The list of ingredients is great and all of the sources for the ingredients are explained in detail on the LaraBar site, except for the actual sources of the orange, mint or vanilla flavors. One must also not forget that the cocoa bean does have caffeine, but the mint and the orange appear to have the lowest amounts of it in their bars. I would generally advise to avoid the coffee flavor as it is the highest in caffeine.
In conclusion, while I do not feel that we should be relying on any bar, no matter how minimally processed or healthy it is for an everyday snack, these do make a great option to have on the go, on a hike, or enjoy as a so called “treat” from time to time, as they are highly nutritious and as natural as a bar like this can get.
As an aside, I have just recently found out that the LaraBar company was bought last summer and is now owned and run under the General Mills umbrella. I will admit to you that, that makes this product less attractive to me, despite all of its wonderful features. I am not sure how their small company philosophy and customer service was before, but I will tell you now it is lost in the midst of a great processed food giant and I am not sure if and for how long, the old LaraBar quality will be maintained.
Ingredients (Cocoa Orange)
- Organic Dates
- Organic Almonds
- Organic Cocoa Mass
- Organic Cocoa Powder
- Organic Orange Flavor
Nutritional Information (per 1 bar – 48g)
- Calories = 190
- Fat = 10g
(Monounsaturated = 5g, Polyunsaturated 2g, Saturated = 2g, Trans = 0) - Carbohydrate = 25g (Sugars = 18g)
- Fiber = 5g
- Protein = 4g
- Cholesterol = 0g
- Sodium = 0g
- Potassium = 290mg
- Iron = 10%
- Calcium = 4%
Ingredients (Cocoa Mint)
- Organic Dates
- Organic Almonds
- Organic Cocoa Mass
- Organic Cocoa Powder
- Organic Vanilla Flavor
- Organic Peppermint Flavor
Nutritional Information (per 1 bar – 48g)
- Calories = 190
- Fat = 9g
(Monounsaturated = 5g, Polyunsaturated 1.5g, Saturated = 2g, Trans = 0) - Carbohydrate = 25g (Sugars = 19g)
- Fiber = 5g
- Protein = 4g
- Cholesterol = 0g
- Sodium = 0g
- Potassium = 280mg
- Iron = 10%
- Calcium = 4%
Packaging
The bars come individually wrapped in multi-layer wrappers that keep the bars fresh for about 12 months. The bars come in roughly 50g sizes.
Price (as of this posting)
- $2.00-$3.00 CAD per bar at local health food stores across Canada
- $33.78 CAD/$25.99US for a 16 pack on Drugstore.com
- $26.39 – $ 35.92US for a 16 pack ($1.64 – $2.25 US per bar) on Amazon.com
LÄRABAR Jocalat, Chocolate Mint, 1.7-Ounce Bars (Pack of 16) (Grocery)
by
Price: $23.74
4 used & new available from $19.17
(65 customer reviews)
- $19.95 US for a 3-flavor variety 18 pack ($1.10 US per bar) on Amazon.com
Larabar Jocalat Variety Pack Of Chocolate, Chocolate Mint, And Chocolate Coffee, 1.7-Ounce Bars (Pack of 18) (Health and Beauty)
by
Price: —
0 used & new available from
(13 customer reviews)
Availability
- Health Food Stores across Canada, US, Europe and other countries in the world
- For a store near you, see the LaraBar Store Locator
- Amazon.com
- Online stores
The Good
- Excellent variety of flavors
- Pleasant Tastes
- Good texture
- Raw
- Organic
- Minimally processed
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
- Soy-free
- Preservative-free
- Sugar and Sweetener-free
- Non-GMO
- No artificial colors
- No artificial flavors
- Vegan
- Kosher
- High Fiber
- Fair Price
The Bad
- Taste and texture will not be enjoyed by everyone
- Source of flavors is not clearly explained
- No longer a small-family run company
9 OUT OF 10
About the author:Evita Ochel, B.Sc., B.Ed., CHN - is a certified holistic nutritionist, biologist, educator, writer, researcher and speaker in the areas of health, science and holistic wellness. She is a nutritional science expert and her teaching and writing focus on natural, wholesome, plant-based and organic nutrition to achieve optimal health and longevity. Learn more about Evita Ochel or Follow Evita Ochel on Twitter.
14 Comments to “Review: LaraBar Jocalat Organic Cocoa Bars”
I love these for in a pinch. Great to keep in your purse for when you’re out running around and find yourself ravenous, but don’t have time to stop for a meal.
Just recently, I was making a kale-banana smoothie and decided to throw a Chocolate-Coffee Lara bar into the blender. Don’t know what possessed me to do it, but holymarymotherofgod, it was divine.
Hi EarthMother,
Now that was an idea!!! I would have never thought to do that. I bet it did turn out fantastic.
When I was young, we had in the house pure ground cocoa powder and when mixed with milk or water it made a dark brown bitter drink. As kids we didn’t like it unless it was sweetened, but I have been thinking lately to find it again (not easy to find) and add some of the cocoa bean powder to the smoothies…
Your idea reminded me to get back on and find it, I think it would add a neat flavor to the smoothies and we could get the real benefits of the cocoa bean minus the fats and sugars.
Hmmm…your review of the bars is great! I love chocolates. I find that they help calm my blues away. I’m wondering if these are sold here in Singapore. It’ll be awesome if they are!
Hi Evelyn,
Unfortunately it does not appear that they are as of yet available anywhere else besides North America and Europe, however now that they are owned by a big company like General Mills, perhaps they will expand out into other parts of the world.
In terms of chocolates, if you like them, then this would be the healthy way to go, as it is taking the essence of the cocoa bean without the cocoa butter and sugars.
All commercially sold chocolates have huge amounts of saturated fat and sugar, and it is that sugar that keeps many people addicted and coming back for more.
Ultimately, it is a very personal choice what we eat, but my advice is to get off the sugar and chocolates, as in the long run they are only harming our bodies.
Sorry for the bad news, perhaps it is not what one wants to hear, but I really want to spread the right information to people – which is not what mainstream companies and doctors will have us believe.
Thanks for sharing your review! Very useful information!
Hey Mark
You are very welcome. I just want others out there to know that we do not have to be slaves to chocolate bars, that there are great tasting and even healthy snacks out there that are available!
Great review! I never even realized the Jocalat line came in flavors other than plain chocolate. I’m looking forward to trying the mint, orange, and coffee additions.
@ LEVI – Thanks Levi!
Oh yes indeed they do, and they are very yummy indeed :)
I have loved these bars for 2 years and was, like you, really disappointed when I found out that Larabar had been bought by General Mills. Cherish the quality while it lasts…
Thanks for your reviews on their Jocalat line — I am going overseas for a while and was thinking of bringing a box with me. :)
Hi Cait
Thank you for stopping by and sharing!
It is interesting and I will share with you too as I am travelling right now, I went to a health food store and thought I would grab a few bars. I have not had LaraBars in months and they didn’t have the bars that are my all time favorite “Raw Organic Food Bars” so I thought I would get some LaraBars. I noticed a new flavor peanut butter chocolate, so I took a couple. Upon eating them, I thought, wow these are awfully sweet, I checked the ingredients and sure enough sugar was added. That is when you know the quality is totally gone and General Mills does what General Mills does best when it comes to making food full of sugar and throwing quality health food out the window.
Oh well, at least there are many other choices in quality health food bars, one of the best I still recommend are the Raw Organic Food Bars.
Hi Evita, I actually haven’t seen any added sugars yet (but it wouldn’t surprise me). You mentioned having a favourite raw organic food bar – would you mention sharing what that is? I’m looking to stock up :)
Hi Cait
The bars that I am talking about are actually called “Raw Organic Food Bars” – I know, it sounds like they are describing something, but there is no fancy name to them :)
I really like the ingredients and without any added sugars of the typical glucose,fructose, sucrose kind, they are sweet, delicious and nutritious…. plus raw, which is nice too :)
Here is a link to their site:
http://www.organicfoodbar.com
I have not tried the non-raw ones in their line, just the raw ones, and recommend them all, except the fiber one, it seems too sticky. My favorite is the chocolate coconut.
If you find them too sweet, which they can be depending on the sensitivity of your taste buds, I also recommend the Dr.Weil bars, also very high quality natural ingredients and lots of various tastes, less sweet, etc..
I only discovered Larabar recently and I must say I like the Larabar Jocalat Chocolate Coffee. The fact that it’s organic and has fair trade ingredients just made the choice even more attractive. I’m not sure about the non-organic flavors, but apparently the Jocalat series didn’t seem to have suffer a drop in quality after General Mills took over. But I did realize from Larabar’s website that instead of 6 flavors as you’ve mentioned then, now it’s down to 4 flavors only. In any case, thanks for mentioning Raw Organic Food Bars, they will be the ones I’ll be trying next.
Hi CL,
That is good to hear that the Jocolat did not seem to suffer a quality loss in the transition. And thank you for pointing out the 4 vs 6 flavor options. I wonder if this is a permanent thing, where they pulled two of the flavors perhaps due to poor sales, or there could also be a difference between the Canadian and US options. I have found the bars to differ slightly depending on which country they originate from.