If you’ve ever spoken to me, seen my social media or know me in person.. you’ll know I am the queen of chocolate. It was only a matter of time that I wrote this blog post for you all. A lot of the featured brands are small businesses. Whilst there are some bigger names here too, I try to shop small where I can. Every time I see a new brand of dairy-free/vegan chocolate, I just have to try it out.
Please note that some of these chocolates are a ‘may contain’ for gluten and dairy. I have tried to specify where possible any risks. I do personally eat ‘may contain’ gluten products with a lot of caution. I interrogate the business, if possible, before buying to ask about their production and the likelihood of any cross-contamination. If I feel comfortable then I often buy. I see it that a small business that can control the environment and understands allergies is no different to the risk I take dining out. Saying this, please make sure to look after your own allergies and check the labels/with the brands yourselves. Your health matters.
Difference between vegan and dairy-free chocolate
Dairy-free chocolate means that it is completely (or should be) free from any dairy. This includes ‘may contain dairy’. On the other hand, whilst vegan chocolate doesn’t contain dairy itself, it often comes with the may contain warning. For example, I find a lot of supermarket own brand dark chocolate is vegan but not 100% dairy-free. This is suitable for me but may not be for someone with an allergy rather than intolerance.
Why is chocolate often vegetarian but not vegan?
You’ll find this with a lot of milk and white chocolates on the ‘normal’ shelves. They use either whole milk powder or whey in the chocolate products. Neither are suitable for vegan/dairy-free diets. If you want to buy 100% free from chocolate in bulk for things such as baking, I suggest using the ones in the free from aisle. Those I have featured are more for consumption alone/as toppings rather than to melt into bakes.
Carob as a chocolate substitute
If you’re not fancying chocolate, carob is a great idea! It is naturally vegan/dairy-free and appeals to a wide range of people. It is also widely consumed by those who are more health conscious as it often contains less sugar than other chocolate brands as well as extra minerals. Whilst it isn’t exactly chocolate – it sure tastes close enough! I’ve even featured a brand below who use carob.
Is vegan/dairy-free chocolate like that which contains milk?
Sorry guys but dairy-free chocolate does take some getting used to! It isn’t quite like the chocolate I remember unfortunately. I say this, but the quality is increasing every day and there are becoming more and more options. Everyone has different tastes so I am hoping I have highlighted some brands which will suit you. There are some brands here that I feel are genuinely better than ‘real’ chocolate.
FAVOURITE SMALL BUSINESSES:
Fetcha chocolates: All of Fiona’s chocolates are 100% gluten-free and vegan. Everything is so quaint and her bon bons are unbelieveably stunning. There are always changing flavours, with a range created each season, as well as the shop classics. She also creates child-friendly ranges which include chocolate lollipops, jazzies and shapes such as unicorns and dinosaurs. The brand’s packaging is recyclable and sustainable which I absolutely love. I’ve purchased quite a lot from her now and can say the quality is impeccable. I find her prices really competitive and worth every penny.
Caroboo: This business started up in lockdown and has flourished ever since. These are all gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free and vegan. It is ‘like choc but not’. You’d not even be able to tell it is made with carob. There are currently five flavours: coconut, orange, mint, salted caramel, and honeycomb & raspberry. These are a cupboard staple for me.
Luisa’s Vegan Chocolates: Think mini bars, truffle boxes, and gifts. This is more of a luxury brand, but the quality really reflects the price. They are create bean-to-bar chocolate which is simply melt in the mouth. They have both seasonal chocolate flavours as well as the classics. I highly recommend checking out the Christmas and Easter ranges. Their white chocolate and m*lk casholette is some of the creamiest vegan chocolate I have come across. All of their packaging is plastic-free too, for those looking for something more earth concious.
Coco’s Pantry: This one is a little different, but I had to add them in to this guide. Coco’s is one of my ‘go to’ shops when it comes to vegan baking chocolate. She stocks bulk buy products from other brands and sells them at a bargain price. As well as chocolate, you will also find other items such as colourings, spreads, and more.
FAVOURITE LARGER BUSINESSES:
Booja Booja: The king of the dairy-free truffle world. They are more on the ‘luxury/treat’ side of price. These truffles are rich, though, meaning that they do last. I also feel they are worth the spend because I’ve not had anything quite like them from other supermarket-avaliable chocolate. They’re the closest to ‘normal’ truffles I’ve had.
Pacari: These guys specialise in more dark and raw chocolate. The ingredients are very high quality, winning over 300 awards for their chocolate. Not only this but they are highly ethical too. They have a wide range of chocolate coated fruits and chocolate bars as well as plenty of baking supplies.
Nomo: These are those which I buy most frequently, with probably the best price overall for supermarket chocolates. You can buy both smaller bars as well as sharing ones. They even have filled options, such as caramel, mint cream, and cookie dough, too. Their chocolates are suitable for gluten, dairy, egg, peanut, and tree nut allergies.
Rhythm108: Who doesn’t love Swiss chocolate? Especially when it is 100% GF, organic and vegan. This is the silkiest chocolate I have found in the supermarket free form aisles. I’d say it’s slightly on the pricier side of things, at over £3 a bar so I only get these when on offer or for occasions.
Pico: Another Swiss premium masterpiece. Completely vegan, gluten-free, soy-free and organic. Pico have a range of several flavours to suit multiple tastes.
Moo Free: I personally like their chocolate most for baking purposes. Their chocolate baking drops, particularly the white ones, are awesome for popping into cookies. It is hard to find good dairy-free white chocolate buttons so this is my go to. These are also on the more budget end of the scale and easy to find in all major supermarkets as well as online.
I hope you enjoyed this and have picked up some new chocolate brands to try yourself. I even use these in my baking, such as in one of my favourite vegan recipes: the perfect vegan chocolate truffles. These are in no particular order – I like them all and have bought on multiple occasions from each business so I know the quality stays there. Make sure to keep this bookmarked for later – I am forever adding to my chocolate collection.
