Raaka Candy Cane Crunch Minis

These are very cute! So well-wrapped for a mini choco niblet. Anyway, even though these aren't a "swirl", the candy cane bits are still focused on the bottom half of the bar, just like the swirls are. But that's almost irrelevant because you can hardly taste the candy cane -- it'soverwhelmingly fruity dark choco that comes through. Just like the peppermint swirl! It's good though, and I do like the mint that is there. The ingredient of "fruit/vegetable concentrate" made (makes?) me nervous because what if it's Pea, but that's silly because why would it be Pea when candy canes are, like, red and white. Right!? Anyway, it's tasty and wee.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

Raaka Gingerbread Latte Swirl Chocolate Bar

Oh baby! This is one of my favorites. It does have a lovely swirl on the back, maybe a bit thicker than some others, but this time you can actually taste the swirl flavor (coffee!)! I love coffee. The fruity choco does come through heavily, but so does creamy coffee. The gingerbread and cocomilk spices don't really make themselves known, which I am totally fine with. Yay coffee.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

Raaka Peppermint Swirl Chocolate Bar

When the chocolate rains, it pours! This is from a limited batch. It has spirulina, which always scares me (but which I've had before) and coconut, which now scares me (but which I've of course had before). I like mint chocolate normally. The spirulina does make for a pretty green swirl on the back (just like the dragonfruit one). It's not actually that minty, though!! I guess the overwhelming fruitiness of the choco just overpowers anything else. The light minty vibe I get is pleasant, but I want way more! Maybe mixed in to the whole bar? It's also quite soft and melty, even the dark choco bit. The green part is a tiny bit gritty, too (I blame cocomilk). If I survive, I think I liked it.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

Raaka Coconut Milk Chocolate Bar

Ahh. After nearly dying from the Mango bar, I'm side-eyeing all the coconut milk flavors, even this innocent basic cocomilk bar. I'm now an oat milk preferer. This is a smooth bar though, very soft and not too "spicy". Not gritty, but you can still taste whatever the coconut milk does, as well as the fruity choco. It's fine. I'm just scared.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10

Raaka Bananas Foster Chocolate Bar

OK Raaka, am I being pranked?! This looks, and tastes, like plain dark chocolate. Firm, vegan, choco. Maybe after some time the ol' banana and caramel notes seep in a tiny bit. And I do like them. So that's neat. But it's verrrrry subtle! Maybe I need to eat slower.

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

Raaka Mango Mochi Chocolate Bar

Mine does NOT look this orange! (Woe!) Or this drippy, although that's probably good, and it is quite melty anyway, so it evokes the right idea. Anyway, I do taste the mango, but I also taste the I-guess-coconut-milk white choco base, which is very weird and tastes like the spicy gingerbread men. I wish there were less of that gritty creamy "spiced" vibe and more mango and actual choco. Maybe a dark chocolate mango would have been the move. Maybe I just don't like coconut milk even though I like coconut! Hm.

Update: After I ate this (the second time) I had a scary allergic reaction and pounded some benadryl. Maybe a fluke but now I'm scared :(

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10

Raaka Ginger Snap Chocolate Bar

Aha! Unlike many Raakas I've Raak'd, this flavor looks different: there's brown sugar(y stuff) on the bottom! That's fun! Like a margarita or something. The sugar is the main note added to the usual dark choco fare -- not so much ginger -- but it's definitely pleasant. Fruity as always. Messy though!

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

Raaka Dragon Fruit Swirl

Look at that pink swirl! It's beautiful, and the real thing is just like the picture. Definitely the prettiest bar so far.... at least from the bottom! Unfortunately the swirl doesn't permeate the bar, it's just on the bottom side. But we can eat upside-down. Anyway, I like the idea of a part white-choco (aka the gritty melty coconut milk stuff, I'm an old hat at Raaka now) and part dark-choco choco. Unfortunately the dark choco is so strong that you hardly notice it. I tried to isolate the pink stuff, and I didn't get a strong flavor -- just more vaguely spicy cocomilk. But there was a hint of fruitiness (and not dark choco fruitiness, actual fruit fruitiness)....I think. It was subtle, let's say. I do like this one, but I'm starting to think I want the Ben and Jerry's of choco: more mix-ins! Don't skimp on the mix-ins! (Unless they're legumes, then skimp real hard.) A top flavor though, it's fun. Intriguingly, the label says nut free even though there's coconut! Maybe it was an accident, or maybe they're finally branding as nut free even though the FDA considers coconut a nut (erroneously!) :D

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

Raaka Gingerbread Family Limited Edition Box

I don't usually buy extra chocos just for me, but the box is so darn cute! And it wasn't insanely priced, so I thought, hey, why not. The box is indeed very cute and festive. The gingerbread chocos, though, are just placed right in there, on top of some messy paper grass!! (I know that's how it is in the photos, but I was still surprised.) This is bad because they are VERY melty, in your hand, not your mouth, and so it was a little messy to try to pick one up and pick off all the grass bits that were attached. Maybe this was user error. Anyway, they are indeed spicy, but also gritty, creamy, and not chocolatey or coconutty in the least (which is weird). They're tasty, but in a spiced-hot-choco-mix way, not in a gingerbread-man way or even a chocolate way. Still fun and very cute. But also small! And melty! Also, the guys are different sizes, so some are small and thin, but some are Thicc. I guess that's family for you!

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 7/10

Raaka Pumpkin Seed Chocolate Bar

I was really expecting this to have some texture to it, with like, seeds in there. But it was smooth as a plain choco -- no crunch or chew or anything like that! The flavor was honestly also just a moderately creamy dark choco -- I didn't get any trail mix or PB notes (which, thank god, tbh)! Honestly they've got me questioning whether I just got a regular dark chocolate bar by mistake. But if I did, it's a solid one -- tastes fruity as advertised, and softer, so I like it better than the Dean's Sweets dark choco (although Dean's Sweets has milk chocos, which I prefer above all, ha). That's pretty much the extent of my choco experience. Anyway, this is a fine chocolate bar, but I wouldn't have pegged the pumpkin. Maybe the aftertaste is a little bit savory in that way. I do really like that it says "nut free" on the back for peace of mind!

Overall
Cost: 5/10
Taste: 6/10

Raaka Oat Milk

I have one major complaint about this chocolate bar: a serving is one half, but the bar is not scored at the half! It has some kooky diagonal markings, but none of them are close to partitioning one half! Do I need a knife and a ruler for my treat time!? 

Otherwise, I was very pleased to find a safe, nut/soy-free choco. Dark choco isn't my favorite, but this has oat milk, so it was actually quite smooth/melty/soft. Fairly creamy. They said it's got breakfast vibes, and I can see that, although not in a gross way. Just a bit of oat and cinnamon sugar ("maple") vibe, along with chocolate. I like it. Thanks, Raaka.

Overall
Cost: 4/10 (7$ish)
Taste: 7/10