Scientists Have Figured Out a Way to Make Milk Chocolate Healthier

It's common knowledge that dark chocolate has the health edge over milk chocolate. It's said to have more antioxidants, but the taste can be bitter, especially when you up the cocoa percentage. But a group of scientists have figured out a way to make milk chocolate just as healthy.

Researchers from North Carolina State University took peanut skins, which are a waste product from plants that process peanuts and took antioxidant compounds from them. They then turned those compounds into a powder combined with maltodextrin, a carbohydrate that tastes a little sweet, so the bitter taste would go away. They then put that sweet powder into a milk chocolate recipe.

The scientists put the new chocolate to a taste test, and found that people liked the fortified milk chocolate as much as the standard stuff. The peanut taste wasn't strong enough for people to notice much of a difference. But to be clear, they did not test whether this would trigger allergies in people sensitive to peanuts, so this might not work too well for people who are allergic.

The study, which was published in the Journal of Food Science, is still preliminary, meaning it'll be a while before healthier milk chocolate hits shelves. But it can't hurt to dream about a future where your Halloween candy stash might actually help your health—at least in moderation.

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