PUBLISHER: IMARC | PRODUCT CODE: 1754208
PUBLISHER: IMARC | PRODUCT CODE: 1754208
The global crunchy chocolate market size reached USD 3.4 Billion in 2024. Looking forward, IMARC Group expects the market to reach USD 4.2 Billion by 2033, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 2.4% during 2025-2033. The growing popularity of healthy snacking among fitness enthusiasts and athletes, increasing number of e-commerce brands selling organic and vegan product variants, and rising construction of hotels, restaurants, cafes, and baristas serving coffee, smoothies, and shakes represent some of the key factors driving the market.
Rising Consumption of Energy Bars to Suppress Appetite Impelling Market Growth
Energy bars are capable of suppressing appetite for a long time due to the presence of various nutritious contents, such as nuts, dry fruits, rice, and quinoa crisps. They also contain dark chocolate, which is rich in copper, magnesium, zinc, and flavonoids and has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. They are widely consumed by fitness enthusiasts to fulfill their sweet cravings and gain energy before working out. Furthermore, as energy bars come in convenient packaging and can be consumed on the go, their demand is increasing around the world.
Increasing Construction of Hotels, Restaurants, and Cafes Driving Demand for Crunchy Chocolate
Hotels, restaurants, and cafes serve a wide variety of drinks, including shakes and smoothies, which require crunchy chocolate. Crunchy chocolate containing wafers, nuts, dry fruits, and rice crisps add the required grittiness to the drink and helps to thicken the consistency. It is often combined with ice cream, milk, cream, chocolate syrup, ice, coffee, and various types of fruits and blended to achieve a smooth consistency. Crunchy chocolate in dark variant are often added to protein shakes or healthy drinks to enhance their flavor. They also provide adequate amounts of energy to gymgoers and fitness enthusiasts for working out in the gym. Moreover, there is a rise in the trend of working from cafes or conducting meetups in restaurants. This, along with the increasing travel activities among the masses, is contributing to the growth of the crunchy chocolate market.
What is Crunchy Chocolate?
Crunchy chocolate is a dessert item that is shaped like a bar and manufactured by mixing melted chocolate with various other ingredients to provide a gritty texture. It comprises walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pecans, cashews, raisins, wafers, rice crisps, and chocolate chips to provide a crunchy texture. It is often mixed with various berries, such as blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries, to enhance their texture and add an innovative flavor. It is available in a wide variety of flavors, including honey, caramel, hazelnut, cinnamon, and butterscotch. It is consumed in bar forms or in small chunks, which are wrapped with aluminum foil paper to provide protection from dust, dirt, and microorganisms. It is also available in low-calorie variants wherein dark chocolate is used instead of sweetened milk chocolate. It can be easily prepared at home by melting sweetened or dark chocolate and combining it with any type of dry fruits or nuts, rice crisps, pieces of wafers, or quinoa crisps, followed by pouring the mixture into molds and freezing it to form bars. Crunchy chocolate is widely utilized in preparing smoothies, frappes, and various other sweet drinks, where they are crushed to thicken the consistency of the drinks. It is also used as toppings for a wide range of baked products, such as cakes, cupcakes, pastries, brownies, cheesecakes, and doughnuts. Furthermore, crunchy chocolate is often added to ice creams to improve their texture and flavor and used to make chocolate sandwiches.
The outbreak of COVID-19 negatively impacted the crunchy chocolate industry to a great extent as production and supply-chain facilities faced hindrances. During the onset of the pandemic, in-home consumption of crunchy chocolate witnessed a steep rise as individuals bought groceries and snacks in bulk from supermarkets and hypermarkets. However, various processing plants faced hindrances in their operations due to the unavailability of labor and raw material. There were complications associated with quality checks and certification, as the skilled workforce was unavailable. Supply chain and logistics also faced various complications due to the implementation of lockdowns around the world. Raw material and other necessary components were not available, as roads were closed, and social distancing was declared mandatory. Also, sales declined and this resulted in the reduced gifting and impulse buying among customers across the globe. Nonetheless, there were a number of sales taking place via e-commerce platforms from where customers were buying crunchy chocolates and getting them delivered to their doorstep. Towards the end of the pandemic, traveling activities also resumed, which enabled tourists to purchase chocolates from shops located in airports and also as souvenirs while traveling to places.
At present, the increasing demand for crunchy chocolate, as it is flavorful, convenient, and easily available, represents one of the primary factors influencing the growth of the market. Besides this, the rising consumption of energy bars or protein bars, which are composed of quinoa, rice crips, corn flakes, dry fruits, and dark chocolate, is contributing to the growth of the market. Apart from this, the increasing number of e-commerce brands selling organic chocolate and vegan chocolate made from cacao beans and free from any animal milk is supporting the growth of the market. Additionally, the rising construction of hotels, restaurants, cafes, and baristas serving coffee, smoothies, and shakes to customers is strengthening the growth of the market. Moreover, the wide availability of gluten-free and sugar-free premium quality crunchy chocolates through various supermarkets and hypermarkets is positively influencing the market. Furthermore, the increasing preferences for gifting premium chocolates for various occasions, such as birthdays, get-togethers, anniversaries, and weddings, is bolstering the growth of the market.