I love to feature companies here on the blog that offer amazing, healthy products and have great business principles 
too. Righteously Raw is one such company: makers of decadent, raw chocolate bars featuring an array of superfood ingredients, they are easily one of my favorite chocolate bars for when I need a chocolate indulgence. I contacted the company recently about a defective bar and they were super helpful, offering to replace the bar and send me a few samples to review here (#ilovemyjob).
It must be said, Righteously Raw bars are for serious chocolate lovers! Some of the bars are 90% cacao (most dark chocolate bars at the store are about 60-70%), and with only natural sweeteners like dates and agave, they don’t have the sugary punch that other offer. Also, as they are raw and super natural, their texture is slightly different– different in an amazing way!
Their primary products are the Raw Chocolate bars. The flavors are Goji Berry, Acai Berry, Maca, Rose and Caramel, my undisputed favorite. Each bar has a unique combination of cacao and superfood ingredients, both in the chocolate itself and in the superfood truffle found inside each bar. The Caramel Bar, for example, has a yummy date and lucuma filling that would be magic on its own. But covered with the super dark chocolate and it is, hands down, my favorite splurge. The second place tie is between the Goji bar and the Maca Bar; it’s no secret that I LOVE maca, but as it’s used in the bar (on the coating, not in the filling) it’s a bit odd. But the rich dark truffle inside is incredible. The Goji was the surprise hit: goji berries have a pretty strong flavor, but combined with raisins and figs, it becomes a sweet, fruity balance to the 90% dark chocolate cover. The Acai bar had a light fruity flavor, but not one that popped as much as the Goji. The Rose bar, certainly the most unique, was interesting but not my favorite. It tastes very strongly of rose (duh) and was just not the right combination for me of floral and chocolate. Those that like fruity wines and rose-scented foods are sure to love it though!
In addition to these amazing chocolate bars, Righteously Raw has recently released a few new products too, including Bite-Sized Raw Chocolates in regular, Synergy Spicy (wow, spicy!) and Divine Mint (yep, divine). I also sampled some Raw Coconut Macaroons, which are a rich coconut truffle covered in a rich dark chocolate. I’m never one to shy away from coconut and chocolate in combination, but the coconut mixture was a teeny bit dry, and the amount of chocolate was a little more than I’d prefer, but overall, YUM. Finally, these guys also make a drinking chocolate named Rawchotal, which I can’t wait to show up in my local stores. Featuring coconut nectar, mesquite powder and spices, it’s a dark creamy hot chocolate for those cold winter nights!
Not only is this company creating great chocolate, they are doing it all right too. Righteously Raw is:
- Certified Organic, Certified Non-GMO by the Non-GMO Verified Project
- Certified Vegan, Certified Gluten Free, Certified Kosher
- No Refined Sugars
- Top 8 Allergen Free
- Green America Certified Business
- Fair-trade focused
And more: the company is committed to health and the health of the planet too. The company works to, “shift the awareness of what is truly good for the body and create a balance for a fair trade economy worldwide.”
And finally, dark chocolate is good for you. If you choose the really good stuff, a little goes a long way. Natural sweeteners don’t spike your blood sugar, and the phytochemicals in the superfood ingredients have disease fighting properties including a reduction in the risk of certain forms of cancer. Also, they have been shown to help strengthen the immune system and offer evidence of decreasing inflammation throughout the body. Raw chocolate is reported to be one of the leading antioxidant-rich substances on the planet, bursting with flavanols and antioxidants that boost nitric acid in blood vessels and improve blood flow throughout the body. Raw chocolate also provides an abundant source of minerals like iron and magnesium. And damn if doesn’t it just make you HAPPY!!!
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