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Summary
1What is vegan chocolate?
Vegan chocolate is a type of chocolate that is made without any animal-derived ingredients, including milk...
2Non-vegan chocolate ingredients to avoid
Milk and other milk derivatives – casein, whey protein isolate, shellac AKA confectioner’s glaze & lecithin from animal sources
3What is vegan chocolate made from?
Chocolate is made using cacao beans which are found on cacao trees (Theobroma cacao), meaning chocolate in its ‘raw form’ is vegan friendly...
What is vegan chocolate?
Vegan chocolate is a type of chocolate that is made without any animal-derived ingredients, including milk.1
Traditional chocolate typically contains milk solids or milk fat, which makes it unsuitable for those following a vegan diet, as vegans avoid all animal products.2
Any chocolates made from animal products aren’t classed as vegan, and the use of milk is one of the main signs chocolate isn’t suitable for vegans to tuck into.
Non-vegan chocolate ingredients to avoid
- Milk and other milk derivatives – casein, whey protein isolate
- Shellac AKA confectioner’s glaze
- Lecithin from animal sources
What is vegan chocolate made from?
Chocolate is made using cacao beans which are found on cacao trees (Theobroma cacao), meaning chocolate in its ‘raw form’ is vegan friendly as it’s a plant-based food.4
To make chocolate products such as bars, truffles, cakes etc. animal and dairy ingredients are often added such as milk products, butter and eggs.5
To create vegan chocolate, manufacturers replace dairy ingredients with plant-based alternatives. Common substitutes for milk solids or milk fat include:6
- Plant-based milk: Non-dairy milk like almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk, oat milk, or rice milk can be used to replace regular cow's milk.
- Cocoa butter: This is a natural fat extracted from cocoa beans and is used in many vegan chocolate products to provide the creamy texture.
- Coconut oil: Sometimes used as a substitute for cocoa butter, coconut oil adds richness to the chocolate.
- Nut butters: Almond butter, peanut butter, or other nut butters can be incorporated into the chocolate for flavour and texture.
- Soy lecithin: Often used as an emulsifier to keep the ingredients mixed together, it's derived from soy and is a common component of vegan chocolate.
Is cocoa butter vegan?
Which chocolates are vegan?
Most types of milk and white chocolate are made with all or some of the ingredients above, making it strictly off-limits for vegan chocolate lovers.8
Only chocolate that’s been made using zero dairy products and hasn’t become contaminated by manufacturers using the same machinery to make vegan and non-vegan chocolate can be classed as vegan.
It is possible to get vegan ‘milk’ chocolate, provided the chocolate hasn’t been made with dairy milk, but a plant-based milk alternative, such as coconut, instead.
Lecithin can also be animal or plant-based; the soy and sunflower versions of it are vegan-friendly.9
Is all dark chocolate vegan?
Some dark chocolates may also contain animal-derived additives like honey, gelatine, and certain food colourings or flavourings.
If you’re vegan, it’s best to presume that most dark chocolate isn’t vegan at first glance (sorry, but it’s really best to err on the side of caution when it comes to chocolate).
How to identify vegan dark chocolate
Another little tip to remember when buying dark chocolate…
Is white chocolate vegan?
Just like dark chocolate, most white chocolate is not suitable for vegans due to the reasons mentioned earlier. Nevertheless, vegan versions of white chocolate do exist, and you can even make it yourself without requiring many ingredients.
Legally, for a product to be classified as white chocolate, it must contain 3.5% milk fat and 14% milk solids. So, any white chocolate that lacks milk cannot officially be labelled as such.11
The main ingredient in vegan “white chocolate” alternatives is cocoa butter, followed by powdered sugar, rice powder (not milk powder), salt and vanilla extract.12
Ingredients list
- 1 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup coconut cream (room temperature or warm)
- 1/2 cup raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar, powdered
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- Cacao nibs (for the topping)
Method:
- Put the melted coconut oil, coconut cream, cacao or cocoa powder, powdered coconut sugar, a pinch of salt, and vanilla into a blender.
- If required, add more salt to taste, coconut sugar for sweetness, more vanilla to enhance the chocolate flavour or more cacao/cocoa powder for a more intense flavour.
- Pour the mixture into moulds or cupcake cases.
- Freeze them (this takes around 30 minutes). Keep in the fridge or freezer for up to a month.11
Ingredients list
- 1/2 cup raw cacao powder
- 1/2 cup cacao butter, chopped
- 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
- Pinch of unrefined sea salt (optional)
Method:
- Fill a small pot 1/4 full of water and boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and put a heat-resistant bowl inside the pot.
- Make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
- Chop the cacao butter into small chunks and place in the bowl. Once the cacao butter has melted, remove the {hot) bowl and leave to cool.
- Add the cacao powder and mix well until there are no lumps. Add the maple syrup and salt and stir.
- Pour the melted chocolate into moulds or the bottom of a small square/rectangular dish lined with parchment paper.
- Freeze for about 10 minutes or refrigerate for 30 minutes.12
Don’t fancy making your own vegan chocolate just yet?
FAQs
Organic chocolate is more than just a label. It’s a sign organic chocolate has been subject to legal regulations that protect the planet’s soils and ecosystems — and you, too.13
Organic farmers create healthy, living soil and manage weeds and pests using natural methods, while organic processors only use natural colours and substances: ensuring your chocolate is of the highest quality and has been made in a way that supports wildlife, soils and the climate.13
Organic certification isn’t given lightly. All organic farms and food companies are thoroughly inspected at least once a year.14
What’s more, The Soil Association sets higher standards than the legal minimum for organic production, too.15
This means chocolate manufacturers that meet its standards must go even further on issues like additives, processing aids, packaging and maintaining organic integrity.
As a result - when you buy organic chocolate that’s Soil Association-certified, you know its makers have gone that extra mile to produce a tasty treat that can be trusted.
Fairtrade chocolate is designed to make a difference in the lives of cocoa farmers and their families around the world.16
Life is tough for cocoa farmers. The price of cocoa beans has slumped in recent years, despite high demand.
Disease and age are damaging cocoa trees and few young people are becoming cocoa farmers because of the poor prospects.
Fairtrade products, such as chocolate, help to make cocoa farming in places like the Ivory Coast and Ghana more sustainable by guaranteeing minimum prices and providing a Fairtrade Premium to invest in local communities, so farmers can provide a better future for themselves and their families.
Every time you buy a bar of Fairtrade chocolate, you are supporting farmers and their communities.
A few final words about vegan chocolate…
If you’re vegan, you don’t have to forego your beloved chocolate because there are so many incredibly satisfying vegan chocolate treats available today.
The best way to know if a product is vegan is by checking the label! Ideally, you want to stick with vegan-certified products to make sure the chocolate you buy is 100% vegan. Always keep an eye out for trace warnings in case there is a chance of cross-contamination.
Alternatively, if you’re feeling particularly crafty, you could always have a go at making your own! It’s pretty simple and only requires a few ingredients.
We don’t know about you but we’re feeling a bit peckish after that…
1. https://www.vegansociety.com/go-vegan/definition-veganism
2. https://nunuchocolates.com/whats-in-your-chocolate-the-importance-of-milk-solids/
3. https://www.veganfriendly.org.uk/is-it-vegan/chocolate/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8470865/
5. https://readcacao.com/how-is-chocolate-made/
6. https://damecacao.com/dairy-free-chocolate/
7. https://www.worldcocoafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/files_mf/tan2008.pdf
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4696435/
9. https://nationallecithin.com/2021/07/sunflower-lecithin-vs-soy-lecithin-whats-the-difference/
10. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/dark-chocolate/
11. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2003/1659/schedule/1/made
12. https://lovingitvegan.com/vegan-white-chocolate/
13. https://ofrf.org/resources/organic-faqs
14. https://www.soilassociation.org/certification/food-drink/what-is-organic-certification/
15. https://www.soilassociation.org/take-action/organic-living/what-is-organic/organic-chocolate/
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