The Worst Chocolate Bars Come From A Surprisingly Popular Brand

In 2024, the National Confectioners Association released a report that named milk chocolate the most popular type of chocolate in the United States; 40% of respondents said that they liked it best. That being said, not all milk chocolate is made equal — a point that became painfully clear when The Takeout tasted and ranked 10 milk chocolate bars.

After trying each of these bars, our reviewer had no hesitation in naming Cadbury Dairy Milk the worst bar of the bunch, decrying its lack of cocoa flavor and complaining about how this product frequently suffers from chocolate bloom (the white stuff all over your chocolate). When compared to the milk chocolate bars produced by other brands, Cadbury Dairy Milk lacked character and a decadent texture. In fact, aside from it being cheap, our reviewer struggled to find anything good to say about this disappointing product, suggesting that, when it comes to satisfying your craving for milk chocolate, you're better off buying from any brand other than Cadbury.

The fact that Cadbury Dairy Milk was named the worst milk chocolate bar in our ranking will undoubtedly come as a surprise to some, especially seeing as this chocolate bar (and brand) gets a lot of love in the United Kingdom. Well, there is a very good reason for this discrepancy: Dairy Milk sold in the U.K. is quite different from the Dairy Milk that's sold in the United States.

These differences can be chalked up to the fact that, since 1988, Hershey (which produces chocolate that some people think tastes like puke) has produced all Cadbury products that are made in the U.S. Because of this, the two bars are now slightly different, as evidenced by their nutritional information. The most striking difference is that Hershey's Cadbury Dairy Milk has less fat than the original Cadbury Dairy Milk; the American product contains 8 grams of total fat per each 28-gram serving, while the British product contains 8.4 grams of total fat per each 27.5-gram serving. What's more, the British product contains vegetable fats — specifically palm fat and shea fat — which the American version does not.

Unfortunately for American consumers, many feel that these differences mean the original Cadbury Dairy Milk tastes better. People often describe it as having a much creamier texture and a more pleasant aftertaste. To make matters even worse, in 2015 Hershey took steps to prevent companies from importing Cadbury products, leaving many Americans with no option but to eat the inferior bars.