The International Chocolate Awards is pleased to announce the Winners of the 2026 Americas – Latin America & the Caribbean Bean-to-Bar and Craft Chocolatier Competition, which was judged remotely during Summer 2026 alongside the Americas – USA Bean-to-Bar and Craft Chocolatier competition.
Online Winners Presentation event – early September, 2026
Join us for a special online event featuring chats, interviews, videos and features with our winners, judges and sponsors in September. Details of the event will be announced soon.
This competition focuses on fine, craft and micro-batch chocolate makers who work directly from cacao beans to produce plain/origin and flavoured chocolate bars and craft chocolatiers making filled chocolates, dragées and spreads from the Latin America & the Caribbean region.
Winners will go through to the World Final in October 2026.
Peruvians celebrated their own innovative work in the cacao and chocolate worlds in their dedicated competition, which was announced on July 18 in Lima.
Judges
The judging panel for this competition included our regular Americas judges, along with many of our IICCT alumni, other specialists from the local area and members of our international Grand Jury panel.
All judging was anonymised, including at the Grand Jury final session, where Golds, Silver and Bronze prizes were awarded by private voting according to the Grand Jury rules. Grand Jury Finalists are listed here.
All Gold, Silver and Bronze winners in this competition are eligible to enter the World Final in October 2026.
Diamond Custom Machines - Judging shipping partner
Big thanks to DCM for all their help getting the judging samples out to our judges in a timely manner. Find out more about DCM here.
Prizes
The winners of the 2026 Americas – Latin America & the Caribbean Bean-to-Bar and Craft Chocolatier Competition are:
(Prizes are shown in score order for each medal)
‘Best in competition’ overall winners
Plain/origin dark bar categories
Gold: Cacao Hunters (Colombia) – Arhuacos 72% (90.8)Plain/origin milk bar categories
Gold: Argencove (Nicaragua) – Dark Milk 60% (89.6)Flavoured bar categories
Gold: Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Leche y Café 58% (90.9)Filled chocolates
Gold: Binz Chocolates (Mexico) – Bombón de Pixtle (90.2)Special flavor ingredient recognition
Flavoured with coffee
Gold: Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Leche y Café 58% (90.9)Flavoured with alcohol
Gold: Óscar Rodolfo Chocolatier (Mexico) – Bombón de Mezcal – Leche&café 58% Feliu (89.0)Barres llises/originals
Barres llises/originals negres
Gold: Cacao Hunters (Colombia) – Arhuacos 72% (90.8) (**)
+ Gold: Direct Traded
+ Gold: Growing Country
+ Gold: Chocolate Maker
Silver: Chocopunto by Mabel (Dominican Republic) – 70% Dark Monte Plata (90.4) (**)
+ Gold: Organic
Silver: Paccari Chocolate (Ecuador) – Raw 80% (90.4) (**)
+ Gold: Ecuador
Silver: Vida Silvestre (Mexico) – Chocolate 70% Almendra Blanca (90.2) ( * José Carlos Buendía Beristain) (**)
Silver: Buendia cacao (Mexico) – Santo Tomas 68% Vida Silvestre (89.7) (**)
Silver: Cacao Hunters (Colombia) – Tumaco 70% (89.6) (**)
Silver: Paccari Chocolate (Ecuador) – Guayas 70% (89.5) (**)
Silver: Paccari Chocolate (Ecuador) – Choroní (89.2) (**)
Silver: Chocopunto by Mabel (Dominican Republic) – 70% Dark Zorzal (89.1) (**)
Silver: Cacau do Céu Chocolates (Brazil) – Catongo Variety 80% Dark Chocolate (88.5) (**)
Silver: Paccari Chocolate (Ecuador) – Chuncho 70% (88.3) (**)
Silver: Paccari Chocolate (Ecuador) – Raw 70% (88.3) (**)
Silver: Kakaw Museo (Mexico) – Tulipán 72 (83.7) (**)
Bronze: Paccari Chocolate (Ecuador) – Galápagos 75% (87.9) (**)
Bronze: Maleku Chocolate (Costa Rica) – 70% Dark Chocolate (87.9) (**)
Bronze: Vida Silvestre (Mexico) – Chocolate Oscuro 80% (87.8) ( * JOSE CARLOS BUENDIA BERISTAIN) (**)
Bronze: Nugali (Brazil) – Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa – Cacau em Flor (86.9) (**)
Bronze: Vida Silvestre (Mexico) – Chocolate Oscuro 70% (86.8) ( * JOSE CARLOS BUENDIA BERISTAIN) (**)
Bronze: XKIK (Mexico) – 75% Cacao (86.5) (**)
Micro-batch – Barres llises/originals negres
Gold: Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Chontalpa 70% (90.2) (**)
+ Gold: Mexico
+ Gold: Direct Traded
+ Gold: Growing Country
+ Gold: Chocolate Maker
Silver: Argencove (Nicaragua) – Batch 18 80% (89.5) (**)
Silver: Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Soconusco 70% (89.5) (**)
Silver: Delirio Chocolate (Venezuela) – Porcelana 75% cacao (89.0) (**)
+ Gold: Venezuela
Silver: Delirio Chocolate (Venezuela) – Ocumare 72% Cacao (89.0) (**)
Silver: Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Flor de Un Día 70% (88.9) (**)
Silver: Levêlez Chocolate (Mexico) – 70% Cacao Almendra Blanca (88.9) (**)
Silver: Semilla Escuela de Cacao y Chocolate ( Semilla, Cocoa. And Chocolate School ) (Nicaragua) – Tumchele 70% (88.9) (**)
Silver: Jacinto (Mexico) – Las Delias, Almendra Blanca (88.8) (**)
Silver: 20/20 Chocolates (Venezuela) – Chuao 70% (88.7) (**)
Silver: Buendia cacao (Mexico) – Mayi 80% Finca Las Delias (88.2) (**)
Silver: Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Finca La Rioja 70% (88.0) (**)
Silver: Paccari Chocolate (Ecuador) – Piura Quemazón (88.0) (**)
Bronze: Chocolates Cayré (Venezuela) – Cayré – Sur del Lago 70% (87.8) (**)
Bronze: Chocolata Soul (Mexico) – Chocolate 70% Cacao Finca Cacayo (87.7) (**)
Bronze: Delirio Chocolate (Venezuela) – Mi Tierra 67% Cacao (87.7) (**)
Bronze: Hacienda RC (Mexico) – Chocolate 74% Cacao Rosain -Hacienda RC (87.4) (**)
Bronze: Buendia cacao (Mexico) – Utsil 70% Hacienda El Recuerdo (87.4) (**)
Bronze: Kakaw Museo (Mexico) – Malinche 65 (87.2) (**)
Bronze: Mestiço Chocolates (Brazil) – Catongo Varietal Intenso 67% (87.2) (**)
Bronze: Buendia cacao (Mexico) – Náay 67% / Finca Cacayo (87.1) (**)
Bronze: Argencove (Nicaragua) – Masaya 70% (86.6) (**)
Bronze: Hacienda Napaná (Mexico) – Arraigo 65% (86.6) ( * El cacao es de mi plantación y yo hago el chocolate) (**)
Bronze: Creativa KAKAW Chocolate de Origen By Gabriel Herrera (Mexico) – La Piedra 70% Polivarietal (86.5) (**)
Barres llises/originals/negres alt % (> 85%)
Gold: Chocopunto by Mabel (Dominican Republic) – 85% Dark Monte Plata (88.5) (**)
+ Gold: Chocolate Maker
+ Gold: Organic
Gold: Paccari Chocolate (Ecuador) – Raw 90% (88.5) (**)
+ Gold: Chocolate Maker
+ Gold: Organic
Bronze: Cacao Hunters (Colombia) – Arauca 86% (86.6) (**)
Barres llises/originals/negres 100 %
Gold: Legado Cacao (Colombia) – Anaya 100% (89.3) (**)
+ Gold: Chocolate Maker
+ Gold: Growing Country
+ Gold: Direct Traded
Silver: Chocopunto by Mabel (Dominican Republic) – 100% Zorzal Cacao (89.1) (**)
+ Gold: Organic
Silver: Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Soconusco 100% (88.8) (**)
Silver: Sub Umbra Floreo (Belize) – Floreo Belize 100% Dark Chocolate Bar (88.4) (**)
Bronze: Paccari Chocolate (Ecuador) – Raw 100% (87.3) (**)
Bronze: Delirio Chocolate (Venezuela) – Cacao Mass 100% Cacao (86.5) (**)
Barres llises/originals amb llet
Silver: Cacao Hunters (Colombia) – Tumaco Leche 53% (88.8) (**)
+ Gold: Direct Traded
+ Gold: Growing Country
+ Gold: Chocolate Maker
Bronze: Cacau do Céu Chocolates (Brazil) – Chocolate Ao Leite 40% Cacau Do Céu (85.9) (**)
Bronze: XKIK (Mexico) – 50% Cacao Milk Chocolate (85.7) (**)
Bronze: Nugali (Brazil) – Milk Chocolate 45% Cocoa (85.5) (**)
Micro-batch – Barres llises/originals amb llet
Gold: Argencove (Nicaragua) – Dark Milk 60% (89.6) (**)
+ Gold: Chocolate Maker
+ Gold: Growing Country
Bronze: Cacau Dourado Chocolates (Brazil) – Chocolate 41% Cacao Ao Leitee (86.3) (**)
Bronze: Buendia cacao (Mexico) – Ki’ 54% Leche de Cabra / Finca la Joya (85.8) (**)
Bronze: DoSemente Cacau (Brazil) – Milk Chocolate 55% Cacao (85.8) (**)
Bronze: Binz Chocolates (Mexico) – Dark milk 52% Las Lluvias. (85.5) (**)
Barres llises/originals alternative amb sucres alternatius
Bronze: Chocolates Bios (Ecuador) – Bios 70 “whole Fruit Mucilage” (86.6) (**)
Barres llises/originals amb substituts de la llet
Silver: Cacao Hunters (Colombia) – Coconut 53% (86.6) (**)
Bronze: Kairi Chocolate (Trinidad and Tobago) – Plantain 50% (85.7) (**)
Barres llises/originals amb altres Theobromas
Bronze: Paccari Chocolate (Ecuador) – Bicolor Patasmuyo 70% (86.0) (**)
Barres llises/originals blanques
Silver: DoSemente Cacau (Brazil) – Caramelized Milk White Chocolate (88.2) (**)
+ Gold: Chocolate Maker
+ Gold: Growing Country
Silver: Chocopunto by Mabel (Dominican Republic) – 40% White Chocolate (87.9) (**)
+ Gold: Organic
Silver: Mendoá Chocolates (Brazil) – Chocolate Branco 35% Cacau Doce de Leite (87.0) (**)
Bronze: Mestiço Chocolates (Brazil) – Branco 35% (86.0) (**)
Barres de sabors
Barres de xocolata negra amb una infusió o aroma
Gold: Paccari Chocolate (Ecuador) – Ylang Ylang 60% (90.4) (**)
+ Special: Ingredients
Silver: Semilla Escuela de Cacao y Chocolate ( Semilla, Cocoa. And Chocolate School ) (Nicaragua) – Chocolate Oscuro con Ron de Café (89.0) (**)
+ Special: Local ingredients
+ Special: Alcohol
Silver: Cacau do Céu Chocolates (Brazil) – Intense Dark Chocolate with Gentle Spice (88.4) (**)
Silver: Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Oscuro y café 62% (87.9) (**)
+ Special: Local ingredients
Silver: Binz Chocolates (Mexico) – Barra 70% Napaná con Chile Pasilla Mixe (87.9) (**)
+ Special: Recipe
+ Special: Local ingredients
Silver: Hacienda Napaná (Mexico) – Molienda 67% (87.6) (**)
Silver: Cacao Hunters (Colombia) – Cardamom 67% (87.6) (**)
Silver: Paccari Chocolate (Ecuador) – Dill / Eneldo 60% (87.5) (**)
+ Special: Gastronomic
Silver: Velmont (Brazil) – Hojicha Razuberi (87.5) (**)
Silver: Hacienda Napaná (Mexico) – Cazuela 60% (87.1) (**)
+ Special: Local ingredients
+ Special: Recipe
Silver: Paccari Chocolate (Ecuador) – Bicolor con Uchu (Ají) 60% (87.1) (**)
+ Special: Alternate theobromas
Silver: Delirio Chocolate (Venezuela) – Choroni Parchita 60% Cacao (87.1) (**)
Silver: Paccari Chocolate (Ecuador) – Palo Santo 60% (87.1) (**)
Bronze: Paccari Chocolate (Ecuador) – Andean Aromatic Eucalyptus 60% (86.8) (**)
Bronze: Chocolates Bios (Ecuador) – Bios 70% Sweetened With Mango Sugar (86.7) (**)
Bronze: Huma Chocolate (Ecuador) – Aromaticas (86.5) (**)
Bronze: Paccari Chocolate (Ecuador) – Wild Andean Boletus 60% (86.4) (**)
Bronze: Yojoa Chocolate (Honduras) – 70% Dark Chocolate with Coffee. (86.0) (**)
Bronze: Mission Chocolate (Brazil) – Café con Ron (86.0) (**)
Bronze: ANQURIA (Ecuador) – Anquria “63% Cacao – Ishpingo” (86.0) (**)
Bronze: Kakaw Museo (Mexico) – Mole 62% – Rancho del Lago (85.9) (**)
+ Special: Reinterpretation
Bronze: Argencove (Nicaragua) – Cardamom & Orange (85.9) (**)
Barres de xocolata negra amb inclusions o trossos
Gold: Cacau Dourado Chocolates (Brazil) – Chocolate 70% Cacau Com Cupuaçu (89.3) (**)
+ Special: Alternate theobromas
Silver: Paccari Chocolate (Ecuador) – Raw 101% (88.4) (**)
Silver: Paccari Chocolate (Ecuador) – Bicolor con Sal 60% (87.8) (**)
+ Special: Alternate theobromas
Silver: Chocolates Bios (Ecuador) – Bios 70% Tangerine (87.7) (**)
Silver: ANQURIA (Ecuador) – Anquria “100% Cacao – Mucilage & Nibs” (87.6) (**)
Silver: ANQURIA (Ecuador) – Anquria “63% Cacao -Caramelized Macambo” (87.5) (**)
Silver: Paccari Chocolate (Ecuador) – Spicy Tamarind / Tamarindo Picante 60% (87.4) (**)
Silver: Chocolates Bios (Ecuador) – Bios 70% Araza (87.1) (**)
Bronze: Chocolates Bios (Ecuador) – Bios 70% Hog Plum & Salt / Obos con Sal (86.6) (**)
Bronze: Nugali (Brazil) – Dark Chocolate 70% with Açaí Brittle (86.6) (**)
Bronze: LIKKLE MORE CHOCOLATE (Jamaica) – Jamaican Thyme & Orange Peels 70% Cacao (86.5) (**)
Bronze: Chocolates Bios (Ecuador) – Bios 70% Macambo & Mucilago (86.2) (**)
Bronze: Pasión de Cacao (Mexico) – Flamenco (86.1) (**)
Bronze: ANQURIA (Ecuador) – Anquria Mucilage & Caramelized Wachansu (85.8) (**)
Bronze: Paccari Chocolate (Ecuador) – Green Banana Chips / Chifle 60% (85.7) (**)
Bronze: Chocolates Bios (Ecuador) – Bios 70% Intag Coffee (85.5) (**)
Barres de xocolata amb llet amb una infusió o aroma
Gold: Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Leche y Café 58% (90.9) (**)
+ Special: Classic
+ Special: Recipe
+ Special: Ingredients
Silver: Cacao Hunters (Colombia) – Mocha 49% (88.9) (**)
Silver: Miroh! Chocolate Makers (Brazil) – Chocolate Ao Leite Com Café Blum`s (87.0) (**)
Bronze: Kairi Chocolate (Trinidad and Tobago) – Island Spice 50% Dark Milk (86.7) (**)
Bronze: Feliu Chocolate (Mexico) – Leche y Vainilla 58% (85.7) (**)
Bronze: Levêlez Chocolate (Mexico) – Levêlez 47% Chocolate con Leche (85.7) (**)
Barres de xocolata amb llet amb inclusions o trossos
Silver: Cacau do Céu Chocolates (Brazil) – Choc.canastra Cheese and Dulce de Leche (88.2) (**)
+ Special: Gastronomic
Silver: Mestiço Chocolates (Brazil) – Mel & Baru 50% ao Leite (88.0) (**)
+ Special: Local ingredients
Bronze: Miroh! Chocolate Makers (Brazil) – 45% ao Leite, Banana e Castanha de Caju (86.8) (**)
Bronze: Cacau Dourado Chocolates (Brazil) – Chocorock (86.6) (**)
Bronze: Mendoá Chocolates (Brazil) – Chocolate 50% Cacau Ao Leite Com Cupuaçu (86.4) (**)
Bronze: Nugali (Brazil) – Milk Chocolate 45% Cocoa With Brazil Nut (85.9) (**)
Bronze: Huma Chocolate (Ecuador) – Chulpi con Leche (85.8) (**)
Barres de xocolata blanca amb una infusió o aroma
Gold: Yojoa Chocolate (Honduras) – White Chocolate with Anise Avocado (90.5) (**)
+ Special: Local ingredients
Silver: Jucolatte (Brazil) – Chocolate 33% Milho (89.2) (**)
+ Special: Gastronomic
Silver: Kakaw Museo (Mexico) – Taxcalate 41% (88.3) (**)
+ Special: Reinterpretation
Silver: MCB Xocolate (Venezuela) – Tropical (88.2) (**)
Silver: Velmont (Brazil) – Golden Banana (87.6) (**)
Bronze: Mission Chocolate (Brazil) – Coquito (86.3) (**)
Barres de xocolata blanca amb inclusions o trossos
Gold: Cacau Dourado Chocolates (Brazil) – Chocolate Branco Caramelo Com Coco (89.4) (**)
Silver: Chocolates Bios (Ecuador) – Chocolate Blanco 37% Araza (88.5) (**)
Silver: Cacau do Céu Chocolates (Brazil) – White Choc w/ Freeze-Dried Passion Fruit (87.8) (**)
Barres de xocolata amb combination amb inclusions o trossos
Silver: Paccari Chocolate (Ecuador) – Coffee Cardamom / Cardamomo con Café 32% (83.0) (**)
Bronze: Cacau do Céu Chocolates (Brazil) – White & Milk Chocolate with Blue Cheese (86.2) (**)
Ganaches, palets, bombons i trufes ganache
Ganaches o trufes de xocolata negra aromatitzada
Silver: Óscar Rodolfo Chocolatier (Mexico) – Bombón de Tequila – Rioja 70%, Feliu (87.4) (**)
+ Special: Recipe
+ Special: Alcohol
Bronze: Óscar Rodolfo Chocolatier (Mexico) – Bombón de Whisky – Rioja 70%, Feliu (86.7) (**)
Bronze: Óscar Rodolfo Chocolatier (Mexico) – Bombón de Vino Tinto – Rioja 70%, Feliu (86.3) (**)
Ganaches de xocolata amb llet o trufes
Gold: Óscar Rodolfo Chocolatier (Mexico) – Bombón de Mezcal – Leche&café 58% Feliu (89.0) (**)
+ Special: Alcohol
+ Special: Recipe
Silver: Caramela (Mexico) – Beso de Cacahuate (88.1)
+ Special: Recipe
Ganaches o trufes utilitzant recobriment o farcit negre / amb llet
Gold: Binz Chocolates (Mexico) – Bombón de Pixtle (90.2) (**)
+ Special: Chocolate Maker
+ Special: Local ingredients
Silver: Akbal Chocolates (Mexico) – Oaxacan Mole Negro Bonbon (87.8) (**)
+ Special: Reinterpretation
Bronze: Akbal Chocolates (Mexico) – Morita Chili Ganache (86.0) (**)
Bombons a base de fruits secs, nous recobertes
Dragees de xocolata negra, nous senceres recobertes
Bronze: ANQURIA (Ecuador) – Anquria “70% Cacao – Whole cacao seed” (86.8) (**)
Dragees de xocolata amb llet, nous senceres recobertes
Silver: Nugali (Brazil) – Dragée Coffee Beans (87.2) (**)
Bronze: Nugali (Brazil) – Dragée Cocoa Nibs (86.4) (**)
Altres – fruita / sucre / mantega / crema
Pastes de fruita recobertes de xocolata negra, gelatina/gelée
Bronze: Levêlez Chocolate (Mexico) – Manguitos Enchilados 75% (85.5) (**)
Pastes de fruita recobertes de xocolata amb llet, gelatina/gelée ..
Silver: Miroh! Chocolate Makers (Brazil) – Bombom de Cupuaçu Com Cumaru (87.9) (**)
+ Special: Biome
Fruita sencera recoberta de xocolata negra
Bronze: Cacao Hunters (Colombia) – Gulupa Recubierta (86.9) (**)
Bronze: Mestiço Chocolates (Brazil) – Drageado Cupuaçu 65% (86.4) (**)
Fruita sencera recoberta de xocolata amb llet
Gold: Paccari Chocolate (Ecuador) – Higos con Chocolate 32% y Frambuesa (89.2) (**)
Bronze: Paccari Chocolate (Ecuador) – Uvilla con Chocolate 32% y Frambuesa (86.5) (**)
Cocoa Powder
Gold: Hacienda Napaná (Mexico) – Cacao en Polvo Hacienda Napaná (88.9) (**)
+ Special: Craft
Silver: Vida Silvestre (Mexico) – Cacao En Polvo (87.7) (**)
Bronze: Mindo Chocolate (Ecuador) – Polvo de Cacao (84.9) (**)
Cocoa Butter
Gold: Hacienda Napaná (Mexico) – Manteca de Cacao Hacienda Napaná (90.6) (**)
+ Special: Craft
Silver: Vida Silvestre (Mexico) – Manteca de Cacao (89.3) (**)
Bronze: Catica Chocolates (Costa Rica) – Cocoa butter (86.1) (**)
(*) Declared chocolate maker for private label bars.
(**) Winner has declared the product is made with their own bean-to-bar chocolate or couverture.
