You’ve Got To Try The World’s Best Tiny Cookie

Theo Chocolate delivers big time with its newest product. Fair warning, these cookie bites are extremely addictive.

Downsizing… in the best possible way

Theo launched in 2005, with its first organic chocolate bar debuting in 2006. That lineup has steadily expanded over time, including the addition of such tempting options as salted almond, Bread and Chocolate and Root Beer Barrel.

Best sellers include drinking chocolate, a virtual chocolate tasting class and a dark chocolate bar that packs a healthy 85 percent cocoa content, all made from organic, fair trade ingredients.

For a while, the company’s development team has been looking to expand into the snack food space, Lauren Perkins, senior brand manager said in a recent phone interview.

“We felt like something was missing in our portfolio, something snackable and indulgent,” Perkins explained.

After playing around with various combinations, the cookie bites went through some consumer taste tests and hit the market last spring, first showing up on the shelves at Whole Foods.

Distribution has since expanded, including a limited run at Costco, but availability remains mostly in the natural foods category supermarkets. Perkins said the Chicago-based Jewel Osco chain has been an enthusiastic supporter of the itty bitty treat.

Still, the Cookie Bites haven’t received the attention they so richly deserve. “The challenge has been getting consumers to try them,” Perkins said. “Once they do, the response has been overwhelmingly positive.”

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Taste testing

I first discovered these goodies at a small natural food market on Lopez Island, grabbing a couple packages to try back at the state park where I spent the month of May camp hosting with my husband.

We’re confirmed cookie snobs, so the approach to that first handful was from a purely skeptical point of view. Surely, these garbanzo bean-size cookies couldn’t compete with the considerable affection we already felt for Theo bars.

Shocker! The flavor delivered in the first bite was revelatory, so intense. Deeply chocolaty with a surprising hint of salty. It might sound cliche, but we wondered aloud how so much flavor could be packed into such a small package. Between the two of us, we made quick work of that four-ounce bag.

Not surprisingly, the Double Chocolate and Chocolate Mint have already picked up some impressive recognition, winning a Good Food Award in the snack category. This competition showcases products that use meticulously sourced, high-quality ingredients.

Coming soon

Theo will roll out a limited edition of Cookie Bites for the holiday season, a powdered sugar dusted Peppermint Crunch. Think candy cane meets your favorite chocolate cookie. Look for it to hit the shelves this fall.

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