There is something about fall that makes keeping a little chocolate around feel perfectly seasonal. Hu Dark Chocolate Bites fit especially well because they are small, individually wrapped, and easy to grab when you want something sweet without opening a full chocolate bar. I tried all three flavors — Hazelnut Butter, Creamy Coconut, and Cashew Butter + Pure Vanilla Bean — to see how each filling paired with Hu's signature dark chocolate.
I received the reviewed products for free and all opinions are my own.
Hu, which is short for "Human," actually started as Hu Kitchen, a paleo-inspired restaurant that opened in New York City in 2012. The founders wanted chocolate that fit their approach to simple ingredients but couldn't find exactly what they were looking for, so they created their own. That chocolate eventually became a much bigger part of the business and expanded into stores nationwide.
Ingredient simplicity is still a major part of the Hu identity. The brand's chocolate is made without refined or cane sugar, sugar alcohols, palm oil, soy lecithin, or emulsifiers. Instead, its base chocolate uses cacao, unrefined coconut sugar, and cocoa butter.
The Dark Chocolate Bites take that chocolate and pair it with creamy centers. Each piece is individually wrapped, made with six ingredients or fewer, and the line includes hazelnut butter, creamy coconut, and cashew butter with pure vanilla bean.
I started with Cashew Butter + Pure Vanilla Bean, and this was probably the flavor where I noticed the balance of the ingredients the most.
Hu's dark chocolate is rich, but I didn't find it overly bitter. The vanilla really brought this flavor to life and softened some of the stronger dark chocolate notes. The cashew butter center was smooth and creamy, and as everything dissolved together, the cashew complemented the chocolate instead of competing with it.
I also liked that the vanilla was noticeable. It wasn't simply there in the background as part of the ingredient list. It gave the bite a little more personality and made the combination feel more complete.
Hazelnut Butter was easily my favorite of the three. The center was creamy, and this one tasted a little sweeter to me than the others, which worked especially well against the darker chocolate coating. Hazelnut and chocolate are already such a familiar combination and incredibly easy to enjoy. What Hu does differently is keep the ingredient list much more streamlined than many traditional chocolate treats.
For me, this was the bag I would reach for first simply because the chocolate-to-hazelnut balance worked so well.
Creamy Coconut was noticeably different from the two nut butter varieties. The filling had a slightly grainier texture, with more of the natural texture of coconut coming through rather than the completely smooth consistency of the cashew and hazelnut centers. I actually appreciated that because it made the coconut feel less processed and more recognizable.
The coconut flavor also wasn't overpowering. Coconut desserts can sometimes go very heavy on that flavor, but this was much more restrained. Even if you don't normally gravitate toward very strong coconut candy, I think this one is approachable.
What I liked most about the entire line, though, was that the chocolate still tasted like an indulgent treat. Products that emphasize simpler ingredient lists sometimes feel like you are making a major trade-off in flavor or texture, and I didn't feel that way here.
The individual wrapping also makes these especially convenient. I could see keeping them in a bag for an afternoon treat, adding a few to a fall snack board, or keeping them for a late night chocolate fix.
If you already like dark chocolate and want something made without refined sugar or sugar alcohols, Hu Dark Chocolate Bites are worth trying. Each of the three offers something slightly different depending on whether you want smooth and nutty, vanilla-forward, or a little more coconut texture.