With sales of organic chocolate topping $70 million annually, organic confections are coming in more varieties than ever. Here are four new products—sandwich cookies, chocolate-covered nibs,  chocolate direct from the Rainforest, and exotically flavored bars—that will satisfy socially concerned chocophiles.

Sandwich Cookies from Late July

“Our mission was to take the ordinary sandwich cookie and upgrade it into something I would love and feel good about sharing with my children.  Finding the right ingredients and developing the recipes has been a long and intense process,” says Late July co-founder Nicole Dawes. “It was worth it when I saw the look on my son’s face when he tried the first one.” 

Even though this is Late July’s first line of cookies, Dawes is no stranger to cookie making.  As a child while her father and Late July co-founder was busy building their first family business, Cape Cod Potato Chips, she spent summer vacations baking cookies from scratch and selling them to local delis from a wagon.

The new offerings are

• Organic Dark Chocolate.  The filling, flavored with Madagascar vanilla is sandwiched between chocolate cookies made with whole grains.

• Organic Vanilla Bean with Green Tea. A hint of sweet green tea adds one the best sources of antioxidants, is the perfect complement for pure Madagascar vanilla, including the whole seeds packed with flavor.

Both flavors come in single serve sizes and boxes for the whole family. The cookies can be purchased at natural food stores, specialty food stores, and supermarkets across the country. They join an already popular line of crackers and sandwich crackers.

“Our hope is that all those people who had given up on sandwich cookies will pour a big glass of organic milk, sit down with our new cookies and be transported back to childhood,” said Dawes. 

Founded in 2003 by the father-daughter team of Nicole Bernard Dawes and Steve Bernard, Late July Organic Snacks is an independently owned family business producing organic updates on classic snacks.  It makes seven varieties of crackers and sandwich crackers, as well as two flavors of sandwich cookies.  The company’s products are finalists in the NAFST Product Awards Competition in the Outstanding Product Line category. Headquartered in Hyannis, Mass., Late July’s products are certified USDA Organic.

Visit www.latejuly.com.

Sweetriot Chocolate Covered Cocoa Nibs

Sweetriot, the first consumer line of dark chocolate covered cacao nibs, is an alternative to the traditional, processed bar or truffle. Sweetriot is made from cacao beans from Latin America, Asia, and Africa.  Sarah Endline, creator of the confection, has established direct trade channels for her beans and supports socially responsible growers and distributors.

Considered by the Mayans “the fruit of the Gods”, cacao beans form the kernel of Sweetriot. The raw beans, roughly the size and shape of a small football, are broken open to extract the savory nibs which are then lightly roasted and covered in three intensities of dark chocolate. Cacao nibs contain more antioxidants than any other fruit or vegetable, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Sweetriot all-natural treats are non-GMO, dairy-free, and kosher.

At 140 calories per tin sweetriot is a guiltless pleasure that comes in three varieties.

• Flavor 50 provides an entry level experience; the nibs are covered in 50% dark chocolate to tempt classic milk chocolate fans.

• Flavor 65 offers a more intense chocolate flavor that complements the real bits of cacao, appealing to true chocoholics.

• Flavor 70 provides a deep cacao experience with an espresso kick.

Sweetriot is available in specialty gourmet stores, such as Whole Foods, Zabars, Balducci’s, Garden of Eden, Baked and Zingerman’s. It is the first specialty food product offered at MoMA Design Store Soho.

Visit www.sweetriot.com.

Garden of Life Rainforest Cacao Chocolate

Harvested from the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest, this organic chocolate uses fair-trade and fair-wage cacao, which supports sustainable economies in this ecologically fragile region.

Garden of Life's Rainforest Cacao Chocolate is non-GMO and dairy-free. It is available with macadamia nuts and raisins and coconuts and can be purchased at health food stores such as Vitamin Shoppe, Wild Oats, Whole Foods and independent retailers nationwide.

Visit www.gardenoflife.com.

New line of Chocolate Bars from Seeds of Change

Seeds of Change was founded in 1989 as a research farm with the mission of make organically grown sees available to gardeners and farmers. A line of foods with organic ingredients was developed and most recently chocolate bars were added.   The newest are

• Veneto Organic Chocolate. The high cacao percentage makes for a satisfying chocolate that combines the distinctive tastes of dark-roasted organic espresso with a squeeze of organic lemon oil.

• Santa Catarina Organic Chocolate. This chocolate blends a bit of Brazil into each bar with pieces of dried mango, toasted coconut and cashews combined with dark chocolate.

• Bayano Organic Chocolate. A flavor inspired by Panama's Bayona River region—rich cacao bean kernels and spicy cinnamon.

The complete line of Seeds of Change Organic Chocolate includes: Veneto Organic Chocolate,Santa Catarina Organic Chocolate, Narragansett Organic Chocolate, La Dominicana Organic Chocolate, and Bayano Organic Chocolate.

Visit www.seedsofchangefoods.com