Milk Chocolate

Milk chocolate is created by adding milk and additional sweeteners to the chocolate liquid in early production. According to the National Confectioners Association, milk chocolate must contain at least 10 percent chocolate liquor and 12 percent whole milk.

Fast Facts

1. 1875: First developed by Daniel Peter and Henry Nestle
2. Milk Chocolate is creamier than Dark Chocolate
3. National Milk Chocolate Day: July 28th
4. Hershey's began making milk chocolate bars in 1894
5. Hershey's milk chocolate producing process is still classified by the company
6. Milk Chocolate was first made for children

Milk Chocolate History

Milk chocolate developed at a similar time to the chocolate bar. Prior to the mid 1850s, chocolate was largely used as an ingredient in beverages, both milk-based and alcoholic.

Daniel Peter invented, and Henri Nestle helped develop, the process of substituting powdered milk for whole milk, which created the first milk chocolate variants. Both Peter and Nestle were Swiss, and thus began the long-running reputation of milk chocolate from Switzerland.

Milk Chocolate Variation

Though most milk chocolate is designed to be a sweet chocolate variety, several gourmet chocolatiers have created a "dark milk chocolate" by raising the content of pure cocoa beans in their formula. Dark Milk Chocolate is typically more than a third cacao content.

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