Bobby Flay's Favorite Gourmet Chocolate Bar Is From A Famous Washington Company

While we're suckers for any bar of chocolate, it's always fun to learn what the best chefs in the country turn to when they get a craving. In this case, we've discovered one confection that Bobby Flay (whose sweet tooth we trust thanks to his cheesy dessert pizza we're still thinking about) raves about: the Coconut Gold Bars from Fran's, a beloved chocolate company founded in Seattle, Washington. And this actually makes perfect sense, since the one dessert the celebrity chef can't resist is a coconut layer cake — the man loves his coconut.

When it comes to Fran's Coconut Gold Bars, Flay proclaimed, "These are the best gourmet candy bars ever. Hands down. No competition," in People Magazine's 2014 Holiday Gift Guide (per Fran's). Made with white chocolate ganache mixed with shredded coconut and a splash of rum, these bars are topped with whole roasted almonds and then covered in a smooth, rich dark chocolate coating. They also come in a beautiful champagne-colored gift box fitted with a ribbon, so the entire experience from beginning to end is pure luxury. If you're looking to splurge on these well-worth-it chocolates, a box of six 1.6-ounce candy bars costs $37 at the time of writing, while a 12-pack is $68.

The brainchild of Fran Bigelow, Fran's Chocolates began as Fran's Patisserie and Chocolate Specialties, opening up in Seattle back in 1982. While Bigelow's initial products were pastries and cakes, her focus soon shifted to chocolate, and with that, her success skyrocketed. Today, she's considered by many to be one of the best chocolatiers in the United States, and her products (including the epic Coconut Gold Bar) ship nationwide as well as internationally.

So what exactly makes the company's chocolate bars so special? Well, aside from Bigelow's credentials (like being inducted into the Specialty Food Association Hall of Fame in 2018), the company focuses on using only high-quality ingredients. Every vendor and product it works with is hand-selected to ensure customers enjoy premium confections. That chocolate? It's made from "superior grade cocoa beans" (per Fran's). The cream used to make the chocolate ganache? It's locally sourced from organic farms, so the flavor is as fresh as possible. Additionally, most of its products are both Organic and Fairtrade certified, so you can feel good knowing you're enjoying an ethically sourced bar of chocolate. So while at first glance Fran's Coconut Gold Bars may remind you of an Almond Joy, the quality of their ingredients is what makes them stand out from the crowd.