Remember how much I loved the Artisana raw nut butters several weeks ago?

Well, of course I’m STILL loving them.

But do you recall the sweet, smooth deliciousness of those magical butters?
And, how excited I felt about trying the CHOCOLATE?

Well, I remember…

And guess what.

I tried it. I tried it all. And, I adored it!

I slathered a few spoons in the Cacao Spreads first.

In a nutshell (perhaps an almond nut shell – okay, too much), they proved to be VERY chocolatey. Much more than expected, as previous trials of this sort of spread from other companies have been more on the sweet side rather than capturing the intense richness of pure chocolate. Small little pockets of cashew “lumps,” which I quite enjoyed – actually greeted my tongue as I savored every little bite of the Cashew Cacao Spread . Smooth, but not entirely smooth – just perfect.

Never have I been impressed with the slight bitterness of sunflower seed butter, but the RICH chocolatey goodness in Artisana’s variety definitely takes care of that – with the power packed superfood (and nut free) punch of the healthful seed.

Artisana™ Sunflower Cacao Spread is a vegan and sugar cane-free spreadable nectar (when warmed).
Indulge guiltlessly with our rich, creamy, chocolatey spread made from pure organic ingredients of the highest quality.
Enjoy on fruit, bread, cakes, cookies, crepes and more! Excellent in smoothies, energy bars, and anything you want to turn into sweet succulence.

Oh, and the Hazelnut Cacao…excuse me but who doesn’t love hazelnuts and chocolate together? I find hazelnuts to be the “nuttiest” of all nuts. Roasted…amazingness. After my brief 18 month stint in the PNW, where they garnish, glaze, and gobble up hazelnuts (and bacon too) with just about everything, I found myself longing, once again, for the Portland food scene.

Needless to say, this stuff was amazing…and so much better than the all too familiar Nute… and other brands filled with oils and yuckiness we see lining the store shelves and surrounding us in every direction – I think people eat that by the careful both here AND in Europe! I’d gladly scoop up giant spoonfuls of Artisana over anything artificial anyway. This satisfies my chocolate needs as well as my nut butter needs. After all, we all know how much I simply NEED nut butter on a daily basis.

My fav of the butter was the cashew, for sure. Although they are all quite similar, the richness and creaminess of cashews is simply unbeatable, especially when mixed with pure, healthy chocolate. That’s just the way it is.

And because it’s so rich, it requires far less sugar.
Oh, and did I mention the spreads are available in little snack sized squeeze packs? That’s certainly not enough for me, but maybe just for a taste or two…before you delve into the entire jar.

Then came the raw Chocolate Bars.

Ei yi yi.

I felt exactly the same about the Chocolate Bars as I did about the spreads. 65%, 75%, and 85%. They were all incredibly smooth, which was a very pleasant surprise. I’ve tasted raw chocolate bars in the past, and they have typically been grainy and a bit “rough.” Not so with these treats. Smooth…soft…delicate…and quite delicious. I’m strictly a dark chocolate fan, and even the 65% fit the bill for me. I like the bittersweet balance and the rich aroma of the darkest of dark.

Oh, and need I mention how much I adore the fact that an entire bar constitutes ONE SINGLE SERVING size? That makes me oh, so happy. I can devour the whole bar on my own (and maybe two) and feel just pleased as punch about the whole experience. YES!

Whoot, whoot, Artisana! Once again…you left me Craving 4 More…