When it comes to chocolate, it’s easy to assume that vegans have to compromise on taste. But this simply isn’t the case – there are masses of choice on offer, with the variety available growing all the time. With certain options, we defy anyone to even be able to tell the difference between vegan and non-vegan chocolate. Moreover, there are even those products that taste better than their dairy-rich counterparts.
We’ve tested chocolate bar after chocolate bar – well, someone had to do it – to bring you the very best vegan chocolate options for authentic taste and great flavours. The products in our shortlist cover every budget and include chocolate that’s made in a variety of different ways too. And for those looking for more than just a bar (isn’t everybody?) we have some cracking chocolate selection boxes too – and even a vegan chocolate hamper. Our buyer’s guide offers the low-down on what to buy and all of our top recommendations are available to buy online.
How to choose the best vegan chocolate
How can chocolate be vegan when it’s made from milk?
Chocolate is made from cocoa beans, the dried and fermented seeds of the cacao tree, which makes it vegan. However, the process of bean-to-bar can (but not inevitably) see the addition of milk or milk fat added, alongside sugar and a range of additives. There are two main types of vegan chocolate: dark chocolate, which is dairy-free; or chocolate made with plant milk such as rice, coconut or almond milk instead of cow’s milk for a rich, creamy taste.
How do I know if a chocolate product is vegan?
Even when there’s no trace of animal products in the ingredients, some chocolate isn’t labelled as “vegan”. This is usually seen with dark chocolate, which some people refer to as being “accidentally vegan”. That said, some dark chocolate does contain dairy products, so it’s essential to check the ingredients before you buy. Avoid chocolate with a long list of ingredients, some of which might be fillers that are animal-related. Also look out for ingredients that are derived from milk, such as whey, casein, milk fat and milk solids.
Confusingly, you may see a “may contain milk” warning on vegan chocolate. This is because the product is made on the same line as dairy products, with the potential risk of cross-contamination Or this could be because non-dairy milk is used. Check the ingredients to be sure.
Where can I buy vegan chocolate?
In days gone by, you’d have had to find a specialist shop to find decent vegan chocolate. Nowadays, however, much of the good stuff is sold in major supermarkets and large online stores. That said, some of the smaller chocolatiers that make vegan chocolate still only sell it in their own stores or in health food stores such as Planet Organic and Holland & Barrett.
Are there other vegan chocolate treats available?
Yes – everything from chocolate ice cream to chocolate biscuits, from chocolate cereal and chocolate cake to chocolate-flavoured sweets. In fact, pretty much anything you can buy with chocolate flavouring is now available in a vegan option.
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Best vegan chocolate 2018, from £1
1. Vego Organic Hazelnut Chocolate Bar: Most moreish vegan chocolate bar you can buy
Price:£1.99 | Buy now from Holland and Barrett
If you like your chocolate on the nutty side then this German-made bar won’t disappoint. Made with whole hazelnuts, hazelnut cocoa cream and hazelnut paste, it’s creamy and smooth with plenty of crunchiness. It’s the kind of bar that you might approach apprehensively, only to demolish it in seconds. Both organic and Fairtrade, you’d never guess it's not milk chocolate. The only problem is it’s moreish. Good job an extra-large Vego bar is available too.
Buy now from Holland and Barrett
2. Hotel Chocolat Fruit & Nut Chocolate Grand Slab: Best large vegan chocolate bar
Price:£16 | Buy now from Hotel Chocolat
Watch this space as Hotel Chocolat has a new vegan range coming out later in the summer. For now, we think its best vegan offering is this rich, sumptuous slab of joy that’s inspired by the fluid shape of molten chocolate on a chocolatier’s table. Made from 70% dark chocolate with raisins, almonds and Piedmont hazelnuts, it’s basically a posh fruit-and-nut bar with a fabulous bitter-sweet flavour and plenty of crunch. Although it’s huge (we’re talking at least three times the size of normal chocolate bars, and much thicker too), we don’t reckon it will last long. It’s utterly delicious.
3. Ombar Cocoa Mylk Bar: Tastes most like milk chocolate
Price:£3 | Buy now from Waitrose
Ombars are organic, raw and vegan, yet they taste like the real deal. If you don’t believe us, do a test on a non-vegan friend (they do a 35g version, if you don’t want to splash out £3 do so). Seriously, this chocolate is creamy, with just the right melt factor. It’s made from creamed coconut, cocoa butter, coconut sugar and organic Ecuadorian cacao. Regular Ombars come in flavours such as strawberry mylk, mandarin and blueberry acai, and then there’s the Ombar Centres – the coconut and vanilla is to die for, as is the raspberry and coconut. But for an authentic-tasting milk chocolate taste that’s vegan-friendly, there’s nothing better than an Ombar Cocoa Mylk Bar.
4. Doisy & Dam Maca Vanilla Cacao Nibs Chocolate: Best superfood vegan bar
Price:£2.99 | Buy now from Planet Organic
This award-winning company stands out for incorporating superfood into its good-quality chocolate, so you can feel virtuous as you eat its tasty offerings. This Norfolk-made organic bar is made with 74% dark, single-origin chocolate combined with a hit of vitamins, iron and calcium-rich Peruvian maca root powder. Taste-wise, you get just the right amount of vanilla alongside a good crunch from the cacao nibs. Doisy & Dam have other vegan bars in the range, too, including a coconut and lucuma bar and goji and orange bar.
5. Vivani White Nougat Crisp – Rice Chocolate: Best white chocolate for vegans
Price:£1.20 | Buy now from Planet Organic
It’s harder to find a decent vegan white chocolate, but this company – whose products aren’t traditionally vegan – gets it spot on. Made with vegan rice milk powder and nougat, it’s both sweet and creamy, without being sickly, and the hazelnut brittle gives it a welcome crunch. Check out some of Vivani’s other vegan offerings, too – dark chocolate with almonds and dark chocolate with chilli are two of our faves. Delish.
6. Ritter Sport Plain Chocolate Marzipan Filling: Best accidental vegan chocolate bar
Price:£1.05 | Buy now from Waitrose
This is an accidentally vegan offering from Ritter Sport. It’s one to avoid if you have a dairy allergy since the company can’t promise it hasn’t been on the same production line as its regular offering. But if you haven’t got a lactose problem then this almond flavoured slab of chocolate will send you straight to nutty heaven. And unlike most good vegan chocolate, it’s available in most supermarkets and corner stores. Rich almondy marzipan covered in delicious dark chocolate, it offers a decent balance of both flavours. Founded in 1912, Ritter remains a family company – although it’s a fair bit bigger now, with 80 employees.
7. Booja-Booja Truffle Selection Number 1: Best vegan truffles
Price:£15.99 | Buy now from Selfridges
These award-winning, ultra-smooth truffles are completely dairy-free, gluten-free and soya-free but you’d never know, making them a sumptuous treat for any chocolate lover. Made by a company that’s big on ethics, they’re made using Dominican Republic cocoa beans, infused with organic Fine de Champagne. The result is a chocolate that’s divinely rich and beautifully bitter. If you fancy something a bit more varied, check out the Truffle Selection Number 2, which is a mixture of nutty and pudding inspired treats.
8. Seed & Bean Aromatic Fennel Dark Chocolate Bar: Best wow-factor vegan chocolate
Price:£2.69 | Buy now from Seed and Bean
Seed and Bean isn’t a vegan brand, but all of the company’s dark chocolate bars are vegan. Which is lucky for you, because its flavours are among the most imaginative in the chocolate industry. Orange and thyme might not sound that pioneering – nor lemon and cardamom or mandarin and ginger, for that matter – but the balance of flavours is spot on. So much so, that you may never go anywhere else for your chocolate again. Everything the company makes is organic, Fairtrade and ethical – and we’ve yet to find a bar we don’t like. Forced to choose a favourite, we’d opt for the dark chocolate bar, made from organic Trinitario cocoa from the Dominican Republic, containing aromatic fennel – whose hint of sweet liquorice flavour is a delight.
9. Divine Vegan Tasting Hamper: Best vegan chocolate hamper
Price:£29.95 | Buy now from Ethical Superstore
Divine do so many great chocolate bars and treats that are suitable for vegans that it’s almost impossible to pick out a favourite. So why not buy the lot? It might sound ridiculous, but for less than £30 you can pick up a whole array of loveliness, which includes seven chocolate bars, two truffle bars and two boxes of thins. Ethics are a top priority with Divine, too: all the cocoa used in its chocolate is grown in Ghana by Kuapa Kokoo, a co-operative of cocoa farmers who own the largest share of the Divine company. This means the cocoa farmers receive nearly half the profits.
Buy now from Ethical Superstore
10. Chococo – The Vegan Collection: Best mixed vegan chocolate box
Price:£11 | Buy now from Harvey Nichols
If you haven’t tried Chococo chocolates then, clearly, you haven’t lived! And now the company has extended its amazing hand-made, flavour-filled chocolates to include a vegan range. New for this year, this attractive gift-friendly box contains nine dairy-free chocolates – including chilli cacao, angelic almond and ginger rush flavours. All made with 67% Madagascar origin dark chocolate in Dorset, using only fresh ingredients, the chocolates are to die for – and we’re sorry to say, but you will end up fighting over them. Do check out the rest of Chococo’s vegan range – it’s far bigger than you’d expect for a luxury chocolatier, with something for everyone.
11. Melt Vegan Chocolate Gift Box of 10: Best vegan chocolate gift
Price:£18 | Buy now from Selfridges
Founded in 2006, fans of luxury chocolate will have heard of Melt. The company’s boutiques, based in Notting Hill and Holland Park, are a treasure chest of handmade, out-of-this-world chocolates, with all the recipes designed in-house. If you’re after something that will awaken all the senses then this gift box is sure to do the job. Its cocoa delights include four dark chocolate truffles with ganache and four praline cups topped with crunchy nuts. Top-drawer and ridiculously tasty, we suggest devouring them slowly to savour the taste.