I tried five supermarket milk chocolate bars — the winners beat Cadbury

I used to be a die-hard Dairy Milk devotee, but these days, supermarkets are lining their shelves with an enticing range of own-brand milk chocolate bars — so I put five of them to the test in a proper taste test.

While scrolling through online reviews of supermarket chocolate bars, I noticed that several shoppers claimed several own-brand options beat Dairy Milk in flavour.

I also discovered that ingredients differ from one retailer to the next — as does the price, though the bars do vary in weight and size.

Unsurprisingly, the cost of chocolate has risen sharply of late, alongside most other food products, yet some of the best-tasting bars I tried were among the most affordable on the shelf.

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The Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Bar 180g is currently priced at £2.75 (at Tesco), and, apart from M&S, all four remaining supermarket chocolate bars of the same or slightly larger size are cheaper than Dairy Milk.

Having worked my way through each bar and weighed them up against Dairy Milk, I can confidently say that, in my opinion, every single supermarket bar outshines the Cadbury classic. While browsing supermarket chocolate selections and customer feedback online, I discovered numerous shoppers are also applauding major retailers for their palm oil-free alternatives, while Cadbury Dairy Milk currently still lists palm fat among its ingredients.

Although I was once a dedicated devotee of the iconic Cadbury Dairy Milk, having sampled it again lately, I’d only give it a one out of five, and I’m doubtful I’ll purchase it again unless matters improve.

Here’s my summary of the supermarket milk chocolate bars that I tested:

I sampled this bar and was genuinely impressed by its creamy flavour. Eating it square by square, I really appreciated the taste – and I believe it would be perfect for baking or as a cake decoration.

I’ve awarded it three out of five because I have a stronger preference for Tesco Ms Molly’s Milk Chocolate Bar 100g, which costs merely 65p, and provides a more gratifying cocoa butter flavour. Both Tesco bars surpassed Dairy Milk in my taste comparison.

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One online review of the standard Tesco Milk Chocolate Bar reads: “Very nice taste, My goto chocolate bar now that I’ve stopped buying Cadbury. No palm oil. Well done, Tesco.”

The Tesco Ms Molly’s Milk Chocolate Bar is described as “delicious tasting chocolate” by other online reviewers, to such an extent that it’s presently unavailable online.

This one delivers — tasty, chunky, leaning more towards chocolatey than creamy, though it does come with a hefty £3.50 price tag. It’s miles ahead of Cadbury Dairy Milk and has earned a permanent spot on my list of quality chocolate indulgences.

I also tried the smaller version of the same bar, having already ploughed through a fair bit of chocolate by that stage. The Choc Marks Small Bars (50g) are priced at £1.40, and they make for a lovely little mid-afternoon pick-me-up.

I’ve given it a score of three, mainly due to the cost — and the fact that dried whole milk comes before cocoa butter on the ingredients list — although the taste itself is genuinely excellent.

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I was genuinely surprised by some of the negative reviews this bar had attracted online, because I thought both the flavour and the ingredients were seriously impressive.

While some shoppers grumbled about the price hike, and others insisted the recipe had “changed”, I’m very much in the corner of those singing its praises.

Like every supermarket own-brand chocolate I tested, this Sainsbury’s offering wiped the floor with Cadbury Dairy Milk without breaking a sweat.

It delivers a wonderfully rich, velvety texture, feels substantial in your hand, comes in chunky pieces, and tastes absolutely brilliant — and, like the other bars I’ve featured, it’s entirely palm oil free.

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This one matches Sainsbury’s own-brand option — it’s more affordable, slightly sweeter, and in my opinion offers exceptional value for money.

Aldi has also joined the palm oil-free club, falling in line with all the other supermarket bars I’ve tested in this comparison.

On first bite, this chocolate struck me as quite sweet, though when I tried it again, it tasted perfectly balanced — indicating it might depend on how your taste buds are performing on the day.

After polishing off an entire bar of Aldi’s Dairyfine Milk Chocolate, it secures a solid four out of five.

It’s also worth noting that the Aldi Choceur, a slightly more upmarket product from the discount chain, was beautifully creamy — strikingly similar to how Dairy Milk used to taste.

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Now for the fifth chocolate, which warrants its own particular mention, because while it’s milk chocolate, this bar arrives loaded with additional goodies — and therefore I’m awarding it a rating separately, distinct from the four plain milk chocolate bars above.

Morrisons already offers a highly-rated budget-friendly Morrisons Savers Milk Chocolate bar (100g) for just 65p, plus a 200g Morrisons Milk Chocolate priced at £2.30, but it was one of the supermarket’s newest releases that grabbed my attention. Morrisons launched its Chunk chocolate range last year, boasting an array of daring and inventive flavours, so I decided to try the Chunk Belgian Chocolate With Blueberry, Raspberry, Cookie and Brownie (140g) – priced at £2.50 per bar.

Some shoppers have noted similarities with Tony’s Chocolonely, although Tony’s arguably offers chunkier portions and a richer depth of flavour, at £4.00 for a 180g bar across multiple varieties.

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I’d rate the Morrisons Chunk bar a three out of five, though plenty of customers have given it a perfect five out of five in online reviews, with one enthusing: “This chocolate is so good! Well done, Morrisons.”

As a general rule, plain chocolate without additional extras tends to be the favoured option for most people. A smooth, creamy milk chocolate is difficult to surpass, and Morrisons Chunk, with a minimum of 30% cocoa solids, arguably offers a better taste than Dairy Milk.

While some – but not all – of the Morrisons Chunk range includes palm oil, Tony’s distinguishes itself within this specific supermarket range by stating “no palm oil” across its complete lineup, promoting sustainable farming methods throughout.

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Cadbury Dairy Milk, by contrast, includes palm oil as an ingredient in its milk chocolate bars available across Europe, although this doesn’t seem to apply to Cadbury Dairy Milk bars sold in the US or Australia.

Setting aside the deeply divisive ethical debate around palm oil, it’s commonly believed that it does precious little to improve the flavour of milk chocolate bars. Most true chocolate connoisseurs would far prefer to enjoy the deep, indulgent taste of premium, ethically sourced cocoa butter combined with a timeless, velvety milk flavour.