The first list of english chocolate bars chocolate bar put into production was made by J. Sons of Bristol, England, in 1847.

Cadbury began producing one in 1849. A wide selection of similar chocolate snacks or nutritional supplements are produced with added sources of protein and vitamins, including energy bars, protein bars and granola bars. In many varieties of English, chocolate bar refers to any confectionery bar that contains chocolate. In some dialects of American English, only bars of solid chocolate are described as chocolate bars, with the phrase candy bar used as a broader term encompassing bars of solid chocolate, bars combining chocolate with other ingredients, and bars containing no chocolate at all. Up to and including the 19th century, confectionery of all sorts was typically sold in small pieces to be bagged and bought by weight.