Cao Chocolates

Ricardo Trillos

Cao Chocolates is proud to be the first and only small-batch artisan bean to bar chocolate business in Miami using only single origin cacao beans from small farms around the world. We are chocolate artisans who have learned the art and science of turning a humble heap of cacao beans into luscious chocolate confections. Ricardo Trillos, named best chocolate maker of 2019 by Miami New Times, has traveled continuously throughout the years to learn how to make chocolate from scratch and how to turn this delicious cocoa liquor into the finest chocolate confections. “Cao”, as Ricardo is also known, decided to change his life career as accountant and turned this love for chocolate into a business establishing Cao Chocolates in 2009, to offer a wide variety of options to our customers, including Miami Bean-to-bar chocolate bars made using cacao beans sourced from small farmers around the world, and chocolate truffles and bonbons using 100% fine Venezuelan cacao, and other origins with premium quality ingredients, and fine liquors. At Cao Chocolates we have the commitment to bring you only the best chocolate bars using single origin cacao beans from Fair-Trade certified plantations and most of them with Organic certification. We proudly don’t add preservatives, oils, soy lecithin, or any other emulsifiers to our chocolate bars. In Cao Chocolates’ facility, we received the cacao beans fermented and dried. We roast slowly at different temperatures depending on each bean, to develop flavors and aromas featuring each cacao origin’s unique profile. Then, we separate the husk from the nibs and using melangeurs, we turn the cacao nibs into a fine paste, called cacao liquor. This process will occur for up to 4 days where sugar is added and all particles are refined until get a smooth chocolate with and improve texture and workability. The chocolate is taken through varying temperatures to achieve the most compact, stable form of the cocoa butter crystals. The chocolate is poured into custom molds, vibrated to remove air bubbles, and cooled. At the end of this step, we obtain a shinning chocolate with a good snap that will melt slowly in your mouth. Last but not least, we inspect every single bar and wrap manually using our colorful packages printed locally in Miami. During this sweet journey, Cao Chocolates have received several recognitions, including “Diamond of the rough” and “Rising Star Award” from de Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce. Also, have been featured in different media channels as NBC, WSVN, Miami New Times, Telemundo, Miami local magazines and more. In 2015, AP Agency used Cao Chocolates image for St. Valentine's Day coverage around the world. In 2013, Cao Chocolates was featured as the only Florida business to be part of the American Express Shop Small campaign, and since then we became Neighborhood Champion for American Express Small Business Saturday Campaign of 2013, 2014 & 2015. We can proudly say that we are changing Miami’s mindset about growing and supporting local businesses focusing on explaining the importance of shopping local.