Mindo Chocolate Makers

Ann Arbor

Mindo Chocolate Makers in Ann Arbor and Dexter, MI take bean-to-bar to the extreme. Our process begins as soon as the cocoa beans are harvested from cacao trees in Ecuador. We source our cocoa beans directly from a cooperative of organic farmers near Mindo, Ecuador so we can guarantee quality of the produce and complexity of flavor profile. It's also important for us to know that the people and families we work with from the start are being treated well and fairly compensated above market rate. Mindo Chocolate uses only the Nacional heirloom variety of cocoa bean because it offers a superior chocolate experience to newer hybrid varieties and it is sustainably grown intermixed with other plants and trees that promote habitats for pollinators, birds and other animals. Many of these magnificent trees have been planted or harvested by our farmers' parents or grandparents, so the farmers have a special connection to the land and environment. By paying two to three times the fair-trade price for cocoa beans, we've ensured that we receive only the best Nacional beans and it encourages the farmers to resist the hybrid and deforestation trend.

The cocoa beans are then processed into nibs in Mindo and shipped to our production facility in Dexter, MI where our chocolate makers create small-batch bars, brownies, baked goods and other treats by hand using minimal and all natural ingredients - organic and local whenever possible. And, just as we go above and beyond for our growing partners in Ecuador, we pay our Michigan team liveable wages so they can support themselves and their families at the same time helping to support a sustainable local economy.

Mindo chocolate is sold online via our website, at various markets and shops around Michigan, and now at our quaint storefront in the Kerrytown neighborhood of Ann Arbor.

Products

  • Baked Goods
  • Cookies
  • Blueberries
  • Cherries
  • Chocolate
  • Dried fruit
  • Garlic
  • Pumpkins