If you have played Candy Crush Saga for any amount of time, you know that chocolate and licorice are two of the most frustrating blockers in the entire game. Chocolate spreads relentlessly across the board if you do not keep it under control, while licorice blocks your moves and prevents special candies from doing their job effectively.

Many players lose levels not because they lack skill, but because they do not have a clear strategy for dealing with these specific blockers. They waste moves, lose control of the board, and eventually run out of turns before completing the objective.

In this guide, we will share 7 proven strategies that experienced Candy Crush players use to clear chocolate and licorice quickly and efficiently. These are not basic tips you have heard before. These are advanced, practical strategies that will change the way you approach every level that features these blockers.

Understanding Chocolate: Your Most Dangerous Enemy

Before diving into strategies, it is essential to understand exactly how chocolate works. Chocolate is unique among Candy Crush blockers because it is the only one that actively grows and spreads across the board.

How Chocolate Behaves

  • Chocolate occupies a square on the board and prevents any candy from being placed there.
  • If you do not clear at least one chocolate square on your turn, the chocolate will spread to an adjacent empty square after your move.
  • If you clear at least one chocolate square on your turn, the remaining chocolate will not spread that turn.
  • Chocolate can spread in any direction: up, down, left, or right.
  • There is no limit to how far chocolate can spread. If left unchecked, it can eventually cover most of the board.
  • Some levels feature chocolate spawners that continuously produce new chocolate even after you clear existing pieces.

Why Chocolate Is So Dangerous

The spreading mechanic makes chocolate exponentially more dangerous with each turn you ignore it. One piece of chocolate on turn one becomes two pieces on turn two, which can become three or four pieces within a few more turns. Before you know it, half the board is covered and you have almost no room to make matches.

This is why chocolate demands immediate and consistent attention. Ignoring it even for a couple of turns can spiral into a situation that is nearly impossible to recover from.

Understanding Licorice: The Silent Board Killer

Licorice in Candy Crush Saga comes in two main forms: licorice swirls and licorice locks. Each one presents different challenges and requires different approaches.

Licorice Swirls

  • Licorice swirls are black spiral-shaped blockers that sit on the board like regular candies.
  • They cannot be matched with other candies.
  • They can only be removed by matching candies next to them, by special candy effects that hit them, or by being caught in a cascade.
  • They block special candy effects from passing through them. A striped candy blast that hits a licorice swirl will stop at that point instead of continuing through.
  • They do not spread like chocolate, but they can be very frustrating because they interrupt your plans and reduce the effectiveness of special candies.

Licorice Locks

  • Licorice locks are dark-colored barriers that lock a candy in place.
  • The locked candy cannot be moved or swapped until the lock is broken.
  • To break a licorice lock, you must match the locked candy with adjacent candies of the same color. This removes both the lock and the candy simultaneously.
  • Special candy effects can also break licorice locks when they hit the locked square.

Why Licorice Is Problematic

While licorice does not spread like chocolate, it causes problems in a different way. Licorice swirls act as shields that absorb special candy effects and prevent chain reactions from reaching key parts of the board. Licorice locks freeze candies in place, reducing your available moves and making it harder to set up matches and special candies.

On levels that combine both chocolate and licorice, the challenge multiplies significantly. Now let us look at the seven strategies that will help you deal with both of these blockers efficiently.

Strategy 1: Always Clear at Least One Chocolate Every Turn

This is the most fundamental rule for any level that contains chocolate. It is simple, but incredibly important: never let a turn pass without clearing at least one chocolate square.

Why This Rule Is Non-Negotiable

Remember, chocolate only spreads when you fail to clear any of it on your turn. As long as you remove at least one piece each turn, the remaining chocolate stays frozen in place. This single rule prevents chocolate from spiraling out of control.

How to Apply This Rule

  • At the beginning of each turn, quickly check if there is a match available next to any chocolate square.
  • If you have a choice between a regular match somewhere on the board and a match next to chocolate, always prioritize the chocolate match unless there is an extremely compelling reason not to.
  • Even if the chocolate match is a basic three-candy match and the alternative is a four or five candy setup, clearing the chocolate is usually more important in the long run.
  • The only exception is if a special candy combination is available that would clear chocolate anyway through its area effect.

Dealing With Chocolate Spawners

On levels with chocolate spawners, this rule becomes even more critical. Spawners continuously generate new chocolate pieces, so you need to clear chocolate every single turn while also trying to deal with the spawner itself. Focus on clearing chocolate near the spawner first, and use special candies to hit the spawner directly when possible.

Strategy 2: Use Striped Candies to Cut Through Licorice Lines

Licorice swirls often appear in rows or clusters that block large sections of the board. Trying to clear them one at a time with regular matches is slow and wastes valuable moves. Striped candies offer a much more efficient solution.

How Striped Candies Interact With Licorice

When a striped candy activates and its blast hits a licorice swirl, the licorice is destroyed but the blast stops at that point. This means a single striped candy can clear one licorice swirl in its path. While the blast does not continue past the licorice, it still removes it, which is much faster than matching next to it manually.

How to Maximize This Strategy

  • Position striped candies so their blast direction aligns with licorice swirls. A horizontal striped candy clears a full row, so if licorice swirls are spread across a row, the striped candy will hit the first one in its path.
  • Use multiple striped candies in sequence. Since one striped candy stops at the first licorice it hits, use another striped candy to clear the next one. Two or three striped candies can clear an entire line of licorice swirls.
  • Combine striped candies with wrapped candies. The striped plus wrapped combination clears three rows and three columns, which can destroy multiple licorice swirls in a single move.

Strategy 3: Target Chocolate With Color Bombs

Color bombs are one of the most effective tools for dealing with chocolate, especially when chocolate has already spread to multiple squares across the board.

How Color Bombs Help With Chocolate

When you swap a color bomb with a candy that is adjacent to chocolate, the color bomb removes all candies of that color from the board. As those candies disappear, any that were next to chocolate squares will clear the chocolate they were touching. If the chosen color has candies next to multiple chocolate squares, you can clear several chocolate pieces in a single move.

Choosing the Right Color

This is where strategy becomes crucial. When you have a color bomb on a board with chocolate, do not just swap it with any random candy. Instead:

  • Look at which color has the most candies adjacent to chocolate squares. Swapping the color bomb with that color will clear the maximum amount of chocolate possible.
  • Count the adjacent candies before swapping. Take a few seconds to check each color and see how many of its candies are touching chocolate. The color with the highest count is your best choice.
  • Consider the cascade effect. After the color bomb clears its target color, new candies will fall in from the top. These cascading candies might create additional matches near remaining chocolate, clearing even more pieces for free.

Color Bomb Combined With Striped Candy Near Chocolate

If you can combine a color bomb with a striped candy when chocolate is present, the result is devastating. Every candy of the striped candy's color transforms into a striped candy and activates. Many of these activated striped candies will blast through chocolate squares, potentially clearing most or all of the chocolate on the board in one move.

Strategy 4: Clear Licorice Locks by Matching Their Trapped Candy Color

Licorice locks can be frustrating because they immobilize candies you might need to use. However, there is a straightforward approach to dealing with them that many players overlook.

The Key Principle

A licorice lock is removed when the candy inside it is matched. This means you need to create a match involving the locked candy's color using the candies adjacent to it. You cannot move the locked candy itself, but if two or more candies of the same color happen to be next to it, you can complete a match that includes the locked candy.

Practical Steps

  • Identify the color of the locked candy. Look at what color is trapped inside the licorice lock.
  • Check the adjacent squares. Are there candies of the same color already next to the locked candy? If so, you might be one move away from breaking the lock.
  • If adjacent candies do not match, work on bringing the right color closer. Clear other candies in the area to cause cascades that might drop the right color into position next to the lock.
  • Use special candies as a backup. If you cannot create a natural match, a striped candy blast, wrapped candy explosion, or color bomb effect that hits the locked square will also break the lock.

Multiple Licorice Locks Together

When several licorice locks are grouped together, they can be especially difficult because the locked candies limit your available matches in that area. In these situations, special candies are often the most practical solution. A wrapped candy explosion near a cluster of locks can break multiple locks at once, instantly freeing those candies and opening up the board.

Strategy 5: Prioritize Bottom Matches to Create Cascades Near Blockers

Matching candies at the bottom of the board is a general best practice in Candy Crush Saga, but it becomes especially important on levels with chocolate and licorice.

How Bottom Matches Help With Blockers

When you make matches at the bottom, candies fall from above to fill the gaps. This falling motion creates chain reactions that can:

  • Accidentally match next to chocolate: Cascading candies often land next to chocolate squares and form matches that clear the chocolate without costing you a move.
  • Break licorice locks: If the right color candy falls next to a licorice lock during a cascade, the resulting match can break the lock for free.
  • Destroy licorice swirls: Cascading matches that form next to licorice swirls will remove them.
  • Create special candies: Cascades sometimes accidentally create four or five candy matches, generating special candies that can then be used against blockers.

Maximizing Cascade Effectiveness

  • Make matches in the lowest row possible. The lower the match, the more candies fall and the more potential chain reactions you create.
  • Clear candies from columns that are directly above chocolate or licorice. This increases the chances that falling candies will interact with the blockers.
  • Do not worry about controlling cascades. Cascades are random by nature. The important thing is to create as many opportunities for them as possible. The more cascades happen, the more free blocker removals you get.

Strategy 6: Use Wrapped Candies to Break Through Concentrated Blocker Areas

When chocolate or licorice is concentrated in one area of the board, wrapped candies are often the best tool for clearing them quickly.

Why Wrapped Candies Excel Against Concentrated Blockers

A wrapped candy explodes in a 3x3 area twice. This means it affects up to nine squares in its immediate vicinity with each explosion. If chocolate or licorice is clustered in a small area, a single wrapped candy can clear multiple blockers in one move.

Creating Wrapped Candies Near Blockers

The key is creating wrapped candies in or near the blocker area rather than on the other side of the board. Here is how:

  • Look for L and T shape patterns near the blocker cluster. If you can spot a potential wrapped candy setup within two or three squares of the blockers, prioritize completing that match.
  • Use regular matches to set up the wrapped candy pattern. Sometimes you need to clear one or two candies to bring the right colors into position for an L or T shape match.
  • Combine wrapped candies with other special candies for even greater effect. A wrapped plus wrapped combination creates a massive explosion that can clear an entire concentrated blocker area in one move.

Wrapped Plus Striped Near Blockers

If you can create a wrapped plus striped combination near a cluster of chocolate or licorice, the resulting three-row and three-column cross blast will devastate the blocker area. This combination is one of the single best moves you can make against concentrated blockers.

Strategy 7: Know When to Ignore Blockers and Focus on the Objective

This strategy might seem counterintuitive after spending the entire guide talking about how to clear blockers, but it is one of the most important lessons advanced players learn: sometimes the best strategy is to not fight every single blocker on the board.

When Ignoring Blockers Makes Sense

Not every chocolate square or licorice swirl on the board needs to be cleared to win the level. Many levels can be completed even with some blockers still present. The question you should always ask is: "Is this blocker preventing me from completing my objective?"

  • If a chocolate square is in a corner of the board that has nothing to do with your objective, you can safely ignore it as long as you keep it from spreading.
  • If licorice swirls are blocking an area that is not relevant to your current goal, spending moves to clear them is wasteful.
  • If the level objective is ingredient-based, only clear blockers that are directly in the path of your ingredients.
  • If the level objective is order-based, only clear blockers that are preventing you from collecting the required items.

The Balance Between Blocker Control and Objective Focus

The ideal approach is a balance:

  • Control chocolate: Always clear at least one piece per turn to prevent spreading, but do not obsess over eliminating every last piece if it is not affecting your objective.
  • Remove licorice that is in your way: Clear licorice swirls and locks that are blocking your path to the objective. Leave the ones that are not causing problems.
  • Never lose sight of the main goal: Every move should either help your objective directly or prevent a blocker from interfering with your objective. Moves that do neither are wasted.

Reading the Board Efficiently

At the start of each level, take a few seconds to identify:

  1. Where the objective targets are located (jelly squares, ingredient exit points, order items, etc.)
  2. Where the blockers are located
  3. Which blockers are directly interfering with the objective
  4. Which blockers can be safely managed without full removal

This quick assessment helps you allocate your moves wisely. Instead of trying to clear the entire board, you focus your energy on the areas that actually matter for winning the level.

Putting All 7 Strategies Together

Now let us summarize how these strategies work together in practice. When you encounter a level with chocolate and licorice, follow this approach:

Step 1: Assess the Board

Identify where the chocolate and licorice are. Determine which blockers are threatening your objective and which ones can be managed or ignored. Note any chocolate spawners.

Step 2: Establish Chocolate Control

Make sure you are clearing at least one chocolate square every turn. This is your baseline defense against chocolate taking over the board.

Step 3: Create Special Candies Near Blockers

Focus on building striped and wrapped candies in or near the blocker areas. Use color bombs strategically to clear chocolate when it has spread widely.

Step 4: Use Combinations for Maximum Impact

Whenever possible, combine special candies together before activating them. A single combination can clear more blockers than five individual moves.

Step 5: Prioritize Bottom Matches

Make matches at the bottom of the board to generate free cascades that can clear blockers without using your moves.

Step 6: Stay Focused on the Objective

Only fight blockers that are directly interfering with your ability to complete the level objective. Do not waste moves clearing every last piece of chocolate or every licorice swirl if they are not in your way.

Step 7: Be Patient and Persistent

Some levels with heavy chocolate and licorice presence require multiple attempts. Use each attempt to learn the board layout and refine your strategy. The right approach will eventually lead to victory.

Common Mistakes Players Make With Chocolate and Licorice

Even with good strategies, certain mistakes can undermine your progress. Here are the most common errors to watch out for:

  • Ignoring chocolate for even one turn: A single turn of unchecked chocolate growth can cascade into a board-covering disaster within a few more turns.
  • Using special candies on licorice when regular matches would work: If a simple three-candy match can remove a licorice swirl, do that and save your special candy for a bigger impact elsewhere.
  • Focusing entirely on blockers and forgetting the objective: Clearing every blocker means nothing if you run out of moves before completing the actual level goal.
  • Activating special candies without considering licorice positions: Remember that striped candy blasts stop when they hit licorice swirls. Position your special candies accordingly to avoid wasting their effects.
  • Panicking when chocolate starts to spread: Stay calm and focus on clearing one piece per turn. As long as you maintain that discipline, chocolate cannot spiral out of control.
  • Wasting color bombs on colors with few candies near chocolate: Always check which color has the most candies adjacent to chocolate before using a color bomb. Choosing the wrong color wastes an incredibly powerful resource.

Final Thoughts

Chocolate and licorice are two of the toughest challenges in Candy Crush Saga, but they are far from unbeatable. The key is approaching them with a clear strategy rather than reacting randomly to each turn.

Remember the core principles: control chocolate every turn, use special candies efficiently against licorice, create combinations for maximum impact, prioritize bottom matches for free cascades, and always keep the level objective as your primary focus.

These seven strategies work on every level that features chocolate and licorice, from the earliest stages of the game to the most advanced levels. The more you practice them, the more natural they will become. Eventually, chocolate and licorice will go from being your biggest frustrations to obstacles you handle with confidence and ease.

No blocker is unbeatable when you have the right approach. Now you have seven powerful strategies to prove it.

Did these strategies help you clear a tough chocolate or licorice level? Share this guide with your fellow players and let us know in the comments which strategy worked best for you.