Maverick Chocolate 70% Belize single-origin dark chocolate bar

Maverick Chocolate at Madeline's

Maverick Chocolate is a family-owned bean-to-bar chocolate maker in Cincinnati, Ohio, run by the Picton family: Paul, his wife Marlene, and their sons Scott and Benjamin. Paul spent 30 years as an aviation engineer and helped build or retrofit much of the equipment, while Marlene is the primary chocolate maker and recipe creator. The company opened its first factory and shop at Findlay Market in July 2014, Ohio's first bean-to-bar chocolate shop, and roasts and refines its chocolate in-house from ethically sourced cacao bought directly from farmers and cooperatives.

The single-origin bars show off the character of each bean: a 70% Belize from Maya Mountain Cacao (the first beans Maverick worked with in 2013), an 80% Tanzania via Kokoa Kamili, a strawberry-bright 65% Madagascar from Akesson's estate, and a spicy Fahrenheit 513. Several are Good Food Award winners. Milk and dark-milk bars include a vanilla-forward 60% and the bourbon-and-smoked-salt Prohibition.

Maverick also makes collaboration and flavored bars with regional partners (Turkish coffee with Ruya, Hawaiian coffee with Made Like Iron, a Café Mocha with Cincinnati's Deeper Roots), white chocolate made from real cocoa butter, and cacao staples like drinking chocolate, cocoa nibs, natural cocoa powder, and a functional adaptogen drink mix.

Maverick Chocolate products at Madeline's

Every item below is live and in stock at Madeline's. Click any product to see full details and ordering.

  • Maverick Chocolate 70% Belize Dark Chocolate bar

    70% Belize Dark Chocolate ($13). A single-origin bar from Maya Mountain Cacao, the first beans Maverick worked with. Citrus and red berries into soft nuttiness. 2019 Good Food Award.

  • Maverick Chocolate 80% Tanzania Dark Chocolate bar

    80% Tanzania Dark Chocolate ($13). A deep, cocoa-forward single origin via Kokoa Kamili with a hint of citrus, rich without harshness. A longtime top seller and Good Food Award winner.

  • Maverick Chocolate 65% Madagascar Dark Chocolate bar

    65% Madagascar Dark Chocolate ($12). A bright, fruit-forward single origin from the Sambirano Valley with a strong natural strawberry note and a clean cocoa finish. Vegan.

  • Maverick Chocolate Fahrenheit 513 spicy dark chocolate bar

    Fahrenheit 513 Dark Chocolate ($12). A 70% spiced bar on Tanzanian cacao with toasted chilies and warm spice. Heat builds slowly to a medium kick. 2015 Good Food Award.

  • Maverick Chocolate Sugar Free Dark Chocolate bar

    Sugar Free Dark Chocolate ($12). A 75% dark bar sweetened with monk fruit and erythritol, with zero added sugar. Keto-friendly and low glycemic.

  • Maverick Chocolate 60% Dark Milk Chocolate bar

    60% Dark Milk Chocolate ($13). A bar between dark and milk, with whole vanilla beans ground in. Chocolate-forward with a creamy finish and soft vanilla note.

  • Maverick Chocolate 60% Dark Milk Chocolate with Cocoa Nibs bar

    60% Dark Milk Chocolate with Cocoa Nibs ($13). The creamy dark milk bar studded with crunchy cocoa nibs for texture and a deeper cocoa bite.

  • Maverick Chocolate Prohibition bourbon milk chocolate bar

    Prohibition Milk Chocolate ($14). A dark milk bar with real Kentucky bourbon and bourbon-smoked sea salt, from Haitian cacao. 2022 Good Food Award and 2015 International Chocolate Award.

  • Maverick Chocolate Ruya Turkish Coffee dark chocolate bar

    Ruya Turkish Coffee Dark Chocolate ($12). A collaboration with Ruya, made with Fair Trade coffee and cardamom in the Turkish-coffee tradition. 2021 Good Food Award.

  • Maverick Chocolate Made Like Iron Hawaiian Coffee dark chocolate bar

    Made Like Iron Hawaiian Coffee ($12). A dark chocolate and Hawaiian coffee collaboration with a 93-point Big Island Special Reserve and Belize cacao. Vegan, rich, and mocha-like.

  • Maverick Chocolate Cafe Mocha milk chocolate bar

    Café Mocha ($13). A café mocha in bar form, milk chocolate with locally roasted Deeper Roots coffee and vanilla. Good morning or evening.

  • Maverick Chocolate Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate bar

    Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate ($12). Real peanut butter worked into a dark bar that keeps its clean snap, savory and lightly sweet rather than candy-style.

  • Maverick Chocolate Lemon Lavender White Chocolate bar

    Lemon Lavender White Chocolate ($14). House-made white chocolate from real cocoa butter, brightened with lemon and culinary lavender. A best seller with 2019 awards.

  • Maverick Chocolate White Chocolate with Cocoa Nibs bar

    White Chocolate with Cocoa Nibs ($14). Smooth vanilla white chocolate sprinkled with freshly roasted cocoa nibs for a roasted, crunchy contrast.

  • Maverick Chocolate Drinking Chocolate Mix

    Drinking Chocolate Mix ($22). A two-ingredient mix of award-winning 65% dark chocolate and cane sugar, coarse-ground for sipping and baking. About six servings, vegan.

  • Maverick Chocolate roasted Cocoa Nibs

    Cocoa Nibs ($15). Freshly roasted organic cocoa nibs, deeply chocolatey and unsweetened. A crunchy topping or baking add-in. 8 oz.

  • Maverick Chocolate organic Cocoa Powder

    Cocoa Powder ($10). Natural, non-alkalized cocoa powder from Ecuador's Arriba Nacional bean, high-fat and creamy for baking and drinks. 8 oz.

  • Maverick Chocolate Morning Bliss functional adaptogen drink mix

    Morning Bliss Adaptogen Drink Mix ($24 to $46). A stone-ground cacao and masala chai drink with maca, matcha, and a functional mushroom blend. A warm coffee alternative, 15 servings.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I buy Maverick Chocolate?

You can buy Maverick Chocolate online at Madeline's (madelines.co), which carries the maker's single-origin and flavored bars, white chocolate, drinking chocolate, cocoa nibs and powder, and functional drink mix. The products listed above are live and in stock.

What is bean-to-bar chocolate?

Bean-to-bar means the maker controls the whole process, from roasting raw cocoa beans to refining and molding the finished bar, rather than melting down chocolate made elsewhere. Maverick roasts and refines in-house from ethically sourced cacao bought directly from farmers and cooperatives.

Which Maverick bars have won awards?

Several have won Good Food Awards and other honors, including the 70% Belize (2019), 80% Tanzania (2021), Fahrenheit 513 (2015), Prohibition bourbon milk (2022 Good Food Award and 2015 International Chocolate Award), and the Ruya Turkish Coffee bar (2021).

Who founded Maverick Chocolate?

Maverick Chocolate is family-owned by the Picton family (Paul, Marlene, and sons Scott and Benjamin). They opened Ohio's first bean-to-bar chocolate shop at Findlay Market in Cincinnati in July 2014.

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