Introduction: Chocolate intake has shown potential cardiometabolic health benefits in recent studies. We recently reported an association between chocolate intake and longer telomere length. Epigenetic age acceleration, an emerging marker of biological aging, predicts cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. But the relationship between chocolate intake and epigenetic aging has not been investigated. Hypothesis: We examined the association between chocolate intake and epigenetic aging among African Americans. Methods: A genome-wide methylation scan was performed among 50 overweight and obese African Americans using the Illumina Human Methylation 850K Bead Chip on peripheral blood mononuclear cell DNA. DNA methylation ages were calculated according to the Horvath and the Hannum clocks. Methylation-based age acceleration (ΔAge) was extracted from a linear regression of DNA methylation age on chronological age. Chocolate intake frequency over the past year was obtained by questionnaire, along with other major cardiovascular risk factors. Results: Fifty participants (aged 26.1 ± 9.3 years, 16% male) were included in the study. Fifteen (30%), 20 (40%), and 15 (30%) participants consumed less than 1 serving/month, 1-3 servings/month, and ≥1 serving/week of chocolate, respectively. Chocolate intake of ≥1 serving/week was associated with decreased Δage in both Horvath clock (β= -3.31, p-value = 0.046) and Hannum clock (β= -3.59, p-value = 0.096) after adjustment of age, sex, body mass index, 25(OH)D and CD4%. Conclusions: Chocolate intake may be associated with decreased epigenetic aging, with randomized controlled trials needed to establish any beneficial effects of chocolate intake on epigenetic aging processes.