What chemical compound in chocolate is often associated with feelings of love?

The chemical compound in chocolate often associated with feelings of love is phenylethylamine.

Phenylethylamine, also called PEA or 2-phenylethylamine, is a naturally occurring organic compound found in the human body and in foods including cocoa and chocolate. It has been nicknamed the “love chemical” because increased phenylethylamine activity has been associated with the excitement and heightened mood of early romantic attraction.

The popular chocolate-and-love story is more complicated than the nickname suggests. PEA can influence monoamine neurotransmission, and scientists have connected it with dopamine-related reward and pleasure pathways. However, eating chocolate does not necessarily produce the same brain effects as falling in love: much of the compound is metabolized during digestion, limiting how much reaches the brain.

Chocolate contains many other active compounds as well, including theobromine, caffeine, flavonoids, sugars, and aroma molecules. Dopamine and serotonin are also frequently mentioned in discussions of chocolate and mood, but they are neurotransmitters rather than the specific compound traditionally highlighted in this trivia question. Thus, phenylethylamine is the canonical answer, though its supposed direct power to create romantic feelings is overstated.