Finishing Touches pairing guide
What goes with Dark Chocolate?
Dark chocolate goes best with aged Gouda, blue cheese, hazelnuts, dried cherries and sea salt. Bitter cacao loves caramel, salt and toasted nuts.
Build a board around Dark Chocolate Everything about Dark Chocolate
The 3 best pairings for Dark Chocolate
- #1
Aged Gouda
Cheese
Bitter against sweet-savory. Genuinely one of the best cheese pairings there is.
- #2
Flaky Sea Salt
Finishing Touches
Salt suppresses bitterness and amplifies cocoa. Sprinkle it on.
- #3
Hazelnuts
Nuts & Seeds
Gianduja logic — chocolate and hazelnut share roasted aromatic compounds.
The perfect Dark Chocolate bite
One from each job on the board: something sweet, something crunchy, and a drink.
All 17 pairings, ranked by type
excellent great good. Each list starts with the strongest matches. Stars show how well backed a pairing is: a named top pick, explained on both ingredient pages, or part of a proven combination.
Something sweet (3)Something crunchy (5)Another cheese (2)Finishing touches (7)
Something sweet 3
Fruit, jam and honey balance salt and richness.
- 1
Dried Cherries Excellent
Tart fruit and bitter chocolate — the oldest confectionery pairing there is.
- 2
Candied Citrus Excellent
The oldest pairing in the confectionery book, and it holds.
- 3
Physalis Excellent
The pairing chocolatiers already make — physalis dipped in dark chocolate is a classic petit four. Tart fruit and bitterness.
Something crunchy 5
Crackers, bread and nuts carry it and add texture.
- 1
Hazelnuts Top pick
Gianduja logic — chocolate and hazelnut share roasted aromatic compounds.
- 2
Nut Brittle Excellent
Bitter against burnt sugar. Two versions of the same roasted flavour.
- 3
Chocolate Wafers Great
Same corner, same flavour, different texture.
- 4
Graham Crackers Great
S'mores logic without the fire. Bitter chocolate on a honeyed base.
1 more crunchy option
Another cheese 2
Cheeses that sit well next to it on the same board.
- 1
Aged Gouda Top pick
Bitter against sweet-savory. Genuinely one of the best cheese pairings there is.
- 2
Gorgonzola Excellent
Bitter and sweet against salt and funk. The pairing most guests haven't tried and remember afterwards.
Finishing touches 7
Small extras that lift the bite.
- 1
Flaky Sea Salt Top pick
Salt suppresses bitterness and amplifies cocoa. Sprinkle it on.
- 2
Cocoa Nibs Excellent
The finished product beside the raw one. It shows people what chocolate actually is.
- 3
Amaretti Great
The dessert corner. Bitter almond and bitter cocoa.
- 4
Biscotti Great
Same corner, and chocolate-dipped biscotti is a product for a reason.
3 more finishing touches options
Drinks that go with Dark Chocolate
- Cabernet SauvignonBitter cacao echoes oak and dark fruit. Keep it 70% or darker.
- MerlotDark chocolate and Merlot is a dessert-board favorite.
- MalbecCocoa notes in the wine meet real cocoa.
- PortPort is one of chocolate's best partners.
- Stout & PorterChocolate notes meet real chocolate.
- Old fashioned (bourbon or rye)Caramel, vanilla and oak meet sharp cheese, smoke and sweet nuts.
- Scotch (neat or with a splash)Smoke and malt with Britain's big cheeses. Smoky Islay whisky loves smoked salmon.
- Black iced tea, unsweetenedTea has tannin, just like red wine, so it softens with fat and aged cheese.
- Tart cherry or pomegranate spritzSweet-tart fruit balances salty blue cheese, like port.
- Cold brew coffeeRoasty and bitter like a stout, for dessert boards.
Combinations with Dark Chocolate
-
Trio · Salt loves sweet
Aged Gouda + Dark Chocolate + Sea Salt
Caramel crystals, bitter cocoa and a pinch of salt: a dessert board in one bite.
Boards that use Dark Chocolate
Dark Chocolate pairing questions
What cheese goes with dark chocolate?
Aged Gouda first, then blue cheese and aged cheddar.
What drink goes with dark chocolate?
Port, Cabernet, Malbec or stout.
Free printable
Get the Charcuterie Cheat Sheet
How much to buy for any guest count, the build order, fridge timing and pairing rules on two printable pages. Plus the Lab Report: one pairing that works and why, and new printables the day they land.