The full list of national, international and world chocolate days for 2023, including interesting history, fun facts and chocolate recipes to help you to celebrate chocolate throughout the year.
If you love chocolate (and who doesn’t?), you’ll want to mark your calendar for National Chocolate Day, which is celebrated every year on October 28th.
But did you know that there are other chocolate holidays throughout the year? There are multiple national chocolate days throughout the year! From Chocolate Covered Cherry Day in January to World Chocolate Day in July or Chocolate Brownies day in December, there are plenty of opportunities to indulge in your favourite sweet treat.
I’ve done my very best to include all chocolate themed national, international and world chocolate days, but not all might be celebrated across the world or where you are. For example there are several days for ‘Chocolate Day’ depending on whether you are in the USA or in Europe. I quite like the idea of celebrating all of these days, because there can never be enough chocolate!
Some national chocolate days are quite obvious (e.g. National Chocolate covered raisin day), but some (e.g. National German Chocolate Cake Day) might need a little more explanation, which is why you will find a little background information with some of these days. I found the history and fun facts really fascinating – giving me even more reasons why to celebrate chocolate days.
How to use the national chocolate days list
The list of chocolate holidays can be used as a guide to planning various events, such as parties, charity fundraising days or simply enjoying your favourite chocolate treat. Over the years, I’ve used the national chocolate days to help me to theme my chocolate parties and it was always fun to think of different recipes, decorations and chocolate quizzes I could prepare for the party.
Celebrating the national chocolate days, is also a good excuse to try new chocolate recipes. I’ve included as many recipes as I could for each day, so you are welcome to try them.
Whether you prefer milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or white chocolate, there’s a chocolate holiday for everyone. So go ahead and indulge in some chocolatey goodness!
PIN & KEEP FOR LATER
JANUARY
3 January – National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day
Chocolate-covered cherries have a long history that can be traced back to the early 18th century in Europe. The first chocolate-covered cherries were made by hand and considered a luxury treat. They were made by preserving the cherries in sugar syrup first (and sometimes soaked in kirch liquer) and then dipping them in chocolate.
Over time, chocolate-covered cherries became more widely available and affordable, and they gained popularity in the United States. In fact, chocolate-covered cherries were introduced to the world by Cella’s Confections in New York in 1929 and were an immediate hit.
10 January – National Bittersweet (Dark) Chocolate Day
22 January – Chocolate Blondie Day
27 January – National Chocolate Cake Day
31 January – National Hot Chocolate Day
Hot chocolate drink can be traced back to ancient Mayan and Aztec civilizations in Latin America. The drink was originally very healthy and was made by grinding cocoa beans into a paste and mixing it with water, chili peppers, and other spices. The drink was then frothed up using a special tool called a molinillo. When the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the Americas, they brought the recipe back to Europe, where it was adapted to include sugar and milk. Today, hot chocolate is enjoyed all over the world and is often served with whipped cream or marshmallows.
31 January – World Vegan Chocolate Day
CHOCOLATE VEGAN RECIPES
- Dark Chocolate Bar >>
- Homemade Milk Chocolate Bar >>
- White Chocolate Bar >>
- Oreo Chocolate Truffles >>
- Chocolate Icing >>
FEBRUARY
5 February Chocolate Fondue Day
5 February – World Nutella Day
11 February – Peppermint Patty Day (Chocolate covered)
14 February – Cream Filled Chocolates Day (St.Valentines Day)
- Chocolate Truffles with Digestive Biscuits Recipe >>
- White Chocolate Truffles Recipe >>
- Rum Truffle Recipe with cake crumbs Recipe >>
19 February – National Chocolate Mint Day
25 February – National Chocolate Covered Nut Day
28 February – National Chocolate Soufflé Day
MARCH
6 March – National White Chocolate Cheesecake Day
19 March – National Chocolate Caramel Day
24 March – National Chocolate Covered Raisins Day
28 March – Black Forest Cake Day
Black Forest cake, also known as Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, is a German dessert that consists of layers of chocolate cake, whipped cream, and cherries.
The origins of Black Forest cake are unclear, but it is believed to have originated in the Black Forest region of Germany in the 16th century. Over time, the recipe for Black Forest cake evolved, and it became a popular dessert in Germany and around the world.
The name “Black Forest” comes from the traditional costume worn by women in the Black Forest region, which features a black skirt and a white blouse with a black vest. The cake was named after the region because the dark chocolate cake and the red cherries were said to resemble the traditional costume.
28 March – Eskimo Pie Day
Eskimo Pie is basically an ice-cream lollypop dipped in chocolate. It was originally made with vanilla ice cream and covered in dark chocolate. Eskimo Pie was first introduced in the United States in 1921 by Christian Kent Nelson, a schoolteacher and candy store owner from Iowa. The ice-cream quickly became popular and was eventually sold to the Russell Stover Candy Company in 1992. In 2020, the name “Eskimo Pie” was changed to “Edy’s Pie” in response to concerns about the term “Eskimo” being considered derogatory by some Indigenous groups.
APRIL
3 April – National Chocolate Mousse Day
21 April – National Chocolate Covered Cashews Day
MAY
1 May – National Chocolate Parfait Day
3 May – National Chocolate Custard Day
15 May – National Chocolate Chip Day
19 May – Devil’s Food Cake Day
Devil’s food cake is a type of chocolate cake that is richer, darker, and fluffier than traditional chocolate cake. It is made with cocoa powder and extra baking soda, which gives it its characteristic texture and colour.
The name “devil’s food” is said to have originated in the late 19th century, when it was believed that the cake was so rich and indulgent that it must have been sinful or “devilish.” Devil’s food cake is often served with rich, creamy frosting, such as chocolate or cream cheese frosting.
JUNE
2nd June – Rocky Road Day
Rocky Road is a flavour of ice cream that consists of chocolate ice cream, nuts, and marshmallows. It is believed to have originated in the United States in the late 19th century, during the Great Depression. At that time, walnuts were added to chocolate ice cream to make it more filling, and marshmallows were added to give it a lighter texture. The name “Rocky Road” is said to have been inspired by the rough texture of the nuts and marshmallows in the ice cream.
Rocky Road was originally created as a way to cheer people up during the Great Depression. The combination of chocolate, nuts, and marshmallows was intended to provide a little bit of sweetness during difficult times.
Rocky Road is also name for a homemade chocolate tray bake bar that’s made with marshmallows, nuts and other sweets and chocolate snack bar, so you are welcome to choose which type of Rocky Road you are going to celebrate this chocolate day with!
3 June – National Chocolate Macaroon Day
7 June – National Chocolate Ice Cream Day
11 June – National German Chocolate Cake Day
German chocolate cake, also known as German’s chocolate cake, is a layered chocolate cake filled and topped with a coconut-pecan frosting. Despite its name, German chocolate cake is actually an American invention.
The cake was first created in 1852 by an English-American chocolate maker named Samuel German, who developed a formulation of dark baking chocolate that came to be used in the cake recipe. This is how the cake got its name.
The frosting used in German chocolate cake is made with sweetened condensed milk, which gives it a rich and creamy texture.
The cake became very popular in the 1950s after it was featured in a recipe contest sponsored by a newspaper.
22 June – National Chocolate Éclair Day
24 June – Pralines Day
26 June – National Chocolate Pudding Day
- Chocolate Pudding in a Mug Recipe >>
- Chocolate Milk Pudding Recipe >>
- Chocolate Flummery Pudding Recipe >>
JULY
3 July – Chocolate Wafer Day
7 July – World Chocolate Day
The origins of this chocolate day can be traced back to 1550, when chocolate was first introduced to Europe. It is believed that July 7th was the day when chocolate was first brought to Europe, although there is some debate over the exact date. World Chocolate Day was first celebrated in 2009, and it has since become a popular holiday for chocolate lovers all over the world.
8 July – National Chocolate With Almonds Day
23 July – Peanut Butter And Chocolate Day
28 July – National Milk Chocolate Day
Milk chocolate was invented by Swiss chocolatier Daniel Peter in 1875. Peter developed a way to add milk to chocolate, which resulted in a creamier and sweeter chocolate that was more appealing to consumers. Peter’s invention was made possible by the development of condensed powdered milk by his neighbor, Henri Nestlé. The combination of chocolate and condensed powdered milk proved to be a winning combination, and milk chocolate quickly became a popular treat.
AUGUST
4 August – National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day
13 August – Chocolate Covered Peanuts Day
20 August – National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day
SEPTEMBER
12 September – National Chocolate Milkshake Day
22 September – National White Chocolate Day
The invention of white chocolate is often attributed to the Swiss chocolate company Nestlé, which first introduced it in the 1930s.
However, the exact origins of white chocolate are unclear, and it is possible that other chocolate makers were experimenting with similar recipes around the same time. White chocolate is made of cocoa butter (not cocoa solids or cocoa powder), sugar and powdered milk, which took a while to experiment with before arriving at the perfect formula.
It is known that Nestlé developed a way to use excess cocoa butter, which is a byproduct of the chocolate-making process, by combining it with sugar and milk solids to create a new type of chocolate that was creamy and sweet, with a distinctively light color. This new chocolate was named “Galak” in some countries and “Milkybar” in others.
Some people still argue that white chocolate is not really chocolate, because it doesn’t contain any cocoa solids, but that doesn’t lower down the popularity of white chocolate, especially with children.
27 September – National Chocolate Milk Day
OCTOBER
7 October – National Chocolate Covered Pretzel Day
13 October – National M&M Day
18 October – National Chocolate Cupcake Day
20 October – Office Chocolate Day
28 October – National Chocolate Day
NOVEMBER
7 November – National Bittersweet Chocolate With Almonds Day
29 November – Chocolates Day
DECEMBER
5 December – Sachertorte Day
Sachertorte is a famous Viennese chocolate cake that is made with layers of chocolate sponge cake with apricot jam in between and a chocolate glaze on top.
The origins of Sachertorte can be traced back to 1832, when it was created by Austrian Franz Sacher for Prince Wenzel von Metternich in Vienna, Austria. Sacher was only 16 years old at the time, and he created the cake as a special dessert for the prince’s guests. The recipe for Sachertorte was passed down through the Sacher family and eventually became a famous Viennese dessert.
Sachertorte is traditionally served with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream, which helps to balance out the sweetness of the cake.
The original recipe for Sachertorte is a closely guarded secret, and it is only made by a few bakeries in Vienna that have been authorized to use the “Original Sacher Torte” name.
In 2019, a Sachertorte that had been sent to space by Austrian astronaut Franz Viehböck in 1991 sold for €1,000 at a charity auction.
8 December – Chocolate Brownie Day
- Marmalade & Chocolate Brownies Recipe >>
- Oatmeal & Chocolate Brownies Recipe >>
- Easy Chocolate Brownies Recipe >>
13 December – Hot Cocoa Day
16 December – National Chocolate Covered Anything Day
28 December – National Chocolate Candy Day
This blog post was originally written on 29 April 2023 and last updated on 29 April 2023
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