# Date-Sweetened Dark Chocolates Spring & Mulberry Introduces Salted Almond Chocolate By Mursal Rahman | Written with AI assistance | Published 2026-10-21 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/date-sweetened-dark-chocolates References: [prnewswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/spring--mulberry-launches-salted-almond-a-new-bar-that-already-feels-like-a-classic-302912578.html)  Spring & Mulberry is expanding its collection of date-sweetened dark chocolates with Salted Almond, a new bar that combines familiar confectionery flavors with whole-food sweetness. The release pairs rich cacao with roasted nuts and sea salt, offering consumers a chocolate option made without refined sugar while preserving the taste of a traditional favorite. The bar contains 72% cacao and whole roasted almonds, with dates serving as its only sweetening ingredient. Sea salt complements the chocolate's richness and the almonds' toasted flavor. Available through the brand's website for $9.99, Salted Almond will also reach retail stores. The launch allows Spring & Mulberry to broaden its premium chocolate selection while appealing to shoppers interested in simpler ingredient lists. By combining recognizable flavors with its established date-based formulation, the company could attract consumers seeking alternatives to conventional chocolate without introducing unfamiliar flavor combinations. Image Credit: Spring & Mulberry ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.8/10 - Popularity: 26% | Activity: 18% | Freshness: 99% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Food](https://www.trendhunter.com/food) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Whole-food Sweeteners:** Dates and similar unrefined ingredients are reshaping premium confectionery by offering recognizable sweetness with cleaner labels and reduced reliance on refined sugar. - **Familiar Better-for-you Flavors:** Classic pairings like chocolate, almonds, and sea salt provide a low-friction path for health-conscious shoppers to adopt alternative formulations without sacrificing indulgence. - **Premium Clean-label Chocolate:** High-cacao bars with simple ingredient lists are creating space for brands to differentiate through transparency, ingredient quality, and wellness-oriented indulgence. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Confectionery:** Refined-sugar-free chocolate formats are expanding the category beyond traditional treats toward products that balance indulgence with dietary preference alignment. - **Natural Foods:** Ingredient-led snacks using dates, nuts, and cacao reflect growing demand for minimally processed products positioned at the intersection of taste and nutrition. - **Specialty Retail:** Premium chocolate launches with clean-label positioning give retailers differentiated shelf offerings that appeal to shoppers seeking elevated alternatives to mainstream candy. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Candy-Coated Date Snacks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/candy-dates.md) - [Date-Infused Dark Chocolates](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pure-cacao-dates-vanilla.md) - [Nut Butter-Filled Dates](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pbj-dates.md) - [Snackable Superfood Candy Bars](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-lil-gooey-ones.md) - [Cherry Chocolate Protein Bars](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/aloha-chocolate-cherry.md) - [Spread-Inspired Protein Bars](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/salty-fudge-spread-protein-bar.md) - [Nutty Dual-Chocolate Snack Bars](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/milk-white-chocolate-nut-bar.md) - [Pistachio-Infused Dark Chocolates](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lindt-excellence-pistachio-dark-bar.md) - [Seasonally Inspired Stuffed Dates](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/stuffed-dates-covered-in-chocolate.md)