They say everything is better with chocolate, but is it?

We’ve uncovered some oddly popular and some surprisingly tasty pairings. We’ll leave it up to you to determine if they really are better with chocolate.

Beef Jerky

This salty, sweet and chewy combination is sure to stir some excitement among jerky fans. Plus, with so many varieties of jerky available the options are seemingly endless. We suggest adding another element of texture by topping the chocolate coating with crushed nuts, candy pieces, drizzled caramel, dried fruit or savory spices like smoked paprika or red pepper flakes.

Cheetos^®

If your customers love your chocolate-covered potato chips, this seems like a natural next step. As an added bonus, coating Cheetos in chocolate will help to avoid the dreaded orange Cheeto fingers.

Chickpeas

Packed with protein and fiber, chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) are super popular right now—see for yourself with a quick internet search. When chickpeas are roasted, they take on a crunchy snack-like quality. Try coating them in chocolate and sprinkling them with a little sea salt and you are bound to catch the attention of chickpea enthusiasts with this nutritious sweet treat.

Chili Peppers
Chocolate-covered chili peppers—perhaps with a dash of sea salt fall right in line with one of the biggest flavor trends of 2020; spicy-salty-sweet. From habaneros to jalapenos to sweet peppers and everything in between, there’s so many varieties of peppers you decide how daring you want to be. **Bonus points if you stuff peppers with peanut butter.

Corn Nuts

We first learned about this addictive combo while touring the R&D department at The Blommer Chocolate Company in 2017. We give this sweet and savory mix of chocolate and toasted corn kernels two thumbs up. Try it for yourself and tell us what you think.

Onions

Chocolate-covered onions? It sounds like an April Fools’ Day joke. As the story goes, the idea started as a prank. Today Mueller Chocolate Co.’s chocolate-covered onion has developed into a “cult favorite” for tourists and food bloggers visiting Philadelphia. For the record, it is unanimous that the chocolate-covered onion is as disgusting as it sounds.

Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels

Sometimes kids have the greatest ideas. This idea came from the son/grandson of the family business, JoyLyn’s Candies as a sweet snack idea and it was a hit. If you have combined chocolate with peanut butter and chocolate with pretzels, but you’ve never tried the three together, you’re in for a treat.

Pickles

It’s an annual tradition for Malley’s Chocolates of Cleveland to drench dill pickles in chocolate for St. Patrick’s Day—some could say this is the ultimate salty, sweet combination. Unlike the chocolate-covered onion, people seem to really enjoy this wacky combination.

Quinoa

The ancient grain, quinoa, brings along with it a healthy halo. Combine it with dark chocolate and dried superfoods like blueberries—this treat is not only packed with nutrients but it tastes good too. Rather than working with raw quinoa (which might chip a tooth), puffed quinoa is a better medium for coating in chocolate. Puffed quinoa is easy to make yourself (a lot like stovetop popcorn—check out this recipe) or you can buy puffed quinoa ( see here).

Wasabi Peas

If you like the crunch of chocolate-covered Cheetos and the heat of chocolate chili peppers, these little spheres of goodness are the best of both worlds.

Creativity doesn’t have to stop here. You never know where your next creative culinary confection will come from. So, keep experimenting and have fun! And don’t forget to tell people about your next wacky combination on social media, in-store and even through a press release. Creative, out-of-the-box thinking may be just what you need to create buzz and get people to visit your store or website so they don’t miss out on all the fun!

Crave more? If you like what you read here, look for the "Subscribe now" box on the right to enter your email address and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox. RCI's Tip of the Week blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices.

Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business .