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- Best vegan chocolate: At a glance
- How to choose the best vegan chocolate for you
- The best vegan chocolate to buy in 2023
- 1. Nomo Caramel Choc Bar: The best vegan chocolate bar
- 2. Happiness in Plants Cookies No Cream: The best oat-based vegan chocolate
- 3. Ombar Coco Mylk: Melts just like milk chocolate
- 4. LoveRaw M:lk Choc Bar Just Chocolate: The best Dairy Milk alternative
- 5. Raw Halo 76% Dark: The best plain dark chocolate
- 6. Booja Booja Mixed Organic Chocolate Truffles: The best vegan truffle box
- 7. LoveRaw Cream Wafer Bars: The best Bueno alternative
- 8. Montezuma’s Like No Udder Orange: The best vegan chocolate orange bar
- 9. Love Cocoa Organic Dark Chocolate Truffles: The best vegan hazelnut truffles
- 10. Vego Organic Hazelnut Chocolate Bar: The best vegan chocolate bar for nut lovers
- 11. iChoc Organic White Vanilla: The best vegan white chocolate bar
- 12. Buttermilk Vegan Caramel Sea Salt Honeycomb: The best vegan Crunchie alternative
- 13. LoveRaw Butter Cups Salted Caramel: The best vegan Reese’s alternative
Contrary to popular opinion, vegans don’t have to compromise on taste when it comes to chocolate; the best vegan chocolate bars can taste nigh-on identical to their dairy-rich counterparts. And, dare we say it, there are some that taste even better. These days there are so many chocolatey choices for vegans, and the selection just keeps growing. To help you navigate this expansive world of dairy-free confectionery, we’ve sampled countless sweet treats from dozens of companies, to bring you our pick of the tastiest vegan chocolate available to buy right now. Sure, it’s a tough job but someone had to do it…
When testing, we look for authentic tastes and textures as well as interesting, bold and unusual flavours. Of course, value for money is an important factor too, so there’s something here to suit every budget. For those looking for more than just a bar, we have some cracking selection boxes and chocolate nibbles to choose from, too. If you’re new to the world of dairy-free chocolate then our buying guide below will answer any questions you might have. Know what you’re looking for already? Feel free to skip right to our recommendations.
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Best vegan chocolate: At a glance
Don’t have time to read the full article? Here are our top picks:
- Best vegan chocolate bar: Nomo Caramel Choc Bar
- Best hazelnut bar: Vego Organic Hazelnut
- Best orange chocolate: Montezuma’s Orange Like No Udder
- Best vegan truffles: Booja Booja Selection Box
- Best white chocolate: iChoc Organic White Vanilla
How to choose the best vegan chocolate for you
How can chocolate be vegan when it’s made from milk?
Chocolate’s primary ingredient is the cocoa bean, the dried and fermented seed of the cacao tree. The process of bean-to-bar can, however, see the addition of milk or milk fat, alongside sugar and a range of additives. For vegans, there are two main options: dark chocolate or chocolate that has been made with plant milk such as rice, coconut, oat or almond milk.
How do I know if a chocolate product is vegan?
As vegan chocolate has become more popular, the labelling has become easier to spot. The quickest way to tell if a chocolate is vegan is to glance over the packaging and look for a vegan logo or “suitable for vegans” labelling below the ingredients.
Unfortunately, it’s not always quite that simple as not all chocolate is clearly labelled. Some chocolate, although free of animal-derived ingredients still might not carry “suitable for vegans” labelling. This is often the case for dark chocolate, which some people refer to as being “accidentally vegan”. With that said, not all dark chocolate is free of dairy 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.
Is vegan chocolate safe for those with dairy allergies?
For a chocolate to be vegan it needs to have been created using a recipe that is wholly free of animal byproducts. Some vegan chocolate may, however, have been produced in the same facility as products containing milk, posing a potential risk of cross-contamination. And, so while vegan, may still pose a risk to those with allergies. When in doubt always check the packaging for a full list of ingredients and cross-contaminants.
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.
Where possible, we’ve made an effort to list individual and bulk buying options for the chocolates in our roundup. That way you can order a single bar to try it out and, once you find your perfect vegan choccy, you can make some savings by ordering an entire box.
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 as a vegan alternative. Some of those items aren’t ideal for online shopping, but you will find a few alternative vegan treats on this list besides regular chocolate bars.
READ NEXT: The best dairy-free cheeses for vegans
The best vegan chocolate to buy in 2023
1. Nomo Caramel Choc Bar: The best vegan chocolate bar
Price: £1 | Buy now from Holland & Barrett
To our minds (and mouths) Nomo (short for No Missing Out) vegan chocolate bars are some of the absolute best around – and we’ve tried more than our fair share of vegan treats. While there are dozens of tasty vegan alternatives out there, few come close to replicating the taste, texture and melt of milk chocolate like Nomo. While we can wholeheartedly recommend any of Nomo’s allergen-free chocolate bars, our favourite has to be the Caramel Choc Bar which, to our tastebuds, is a dead-ringer for Cadbury’s Dairy Milk Caramel.
Key specs – Quantity: 38g; Style of chocolate: Caramel chocolate bar; Allergy advice: None
2. Happiness in Plants Cookies No Cream: The best oat-based vegan chocolate
Price: £3 | Buy now from Holland & Barrett
The Happiness in Plants range has a number of moreish flavours, including a crunch-tastic Salty Pretzel option. Our favourite, however, has to be the Cookies No Cream bar. The oat milk used to create H!P’s bars allows the chocolate to melt like dairy – a texture that combines perfectly with the crunchy Oreo-like chunks embedded within the bar. Although it may sound rather decadent, H!P’s offerings are reasonably light and so won’t leave you feeling as though you’ve eaten something you shouldn’t have. H!P’s plastic-free packaging and commitment to slavery-free chocolate production also make this a 100% guilt-free treat.
Key specs – Quantity: 70g; Style of chocolate: Cookies and cream chocolate bar; Allergy advice: Contains oats and wheat. Made in a facility that also processes milk, soy, egg and peanut and other nut products
3. Ombar Coco Mylk: Melts just like milk chocolate
Price: £3.35 | Buy now from Planet Organic
Ombar’s Coco Mylk bars are organic, raw and vegan. They taste convincingly close to their dairy counterpart with just a hint of coconut. The bars are seriously creamy, with just the right melt factor. It’s made from creamed coconut, cocoa butter, coconut sugar and organic Ecuadorian cacao and it’s available in flavours such as strawberry milk, mandarin and blueberry acai. For an authentic milk chocolate taste, however, you can’t go wrong with the classic Ombar Coco Mylk.
Key specs – Quantity: 70g; Style of chocolate: Milk chocolate bar; Allergy advice: Made in a facility that also processes nut products
4. LoveRaw M:lk Choc Bar Just Chocolate: The best Dairy Milk alternative
Price: £1.67 | Buy now from The Vegan Kind
British chocolate company LoveRaw claims to have “beat Cadbury to it” with the release of its Just Chocolate bar. Of course, Cadbury has yet to release its own dairy-free Dairy Milk, so it’s too early to say which is best, but the Just Chocolate bar from LoveRaw is certainly one of the better milk chocolate alternatives on the market. Made from natural ingredients including almonds and rice powder – without palm oil – the Just Chocolate bar is a small but decadent treat that melts in the mouth with ease. There are also peanut butter and salted caramel variants available.
Key specs – Quantity: 30g; Style of chocolate: Milk chocolate bar; Allergy advice: Contains oats and almonds. Made in a facility that also processes milk, soy, egg, sesame, sulphites, peanut and other nut products
5. Raw Halo 76% Dark: The best plain dark chocolate
Price: £3 | Buy now from Planet Organic
This ethically sourced vegan bar from Raw Halo is one of the most moreish plain dark chocolate vegan bars we’ve tried. It’s sweetened with coconut sugar instead of regular cane sugar, producing a subtly different sweetness that really helps it stand out. This is balanced perfectly against the sharp undercurrent from the high percentage of cocoa. It’s equally enjoyable whether chewed or allowed to melt in the mouth – the sign of a truly great chocolate bar.
Key specs – Quantity: 70g; Style of chocolate: Dark chocolate bar; Allergy advice: Made in a facility that also processes peanut and other nut products
6. Booja Booja Mixed Organic Chocolate Truffles: The best vegan truffle box
Price: £10 | Buy now from Amazon
Truffle selections are among the most sophisticated of chocolatey indulgences, and there’s no reason why vegans can’t savour the flavours too. Fortunately, Booja Booja seems to agree, as it offers a number of decadent truffle gift boxes at pretty reasonable prices. This set is perfect for a chocolate lover with refined tastes and includes a wide variety of textures and flavours, including rhubarb, salted caramel, espresso and ginger.
Key specs – Quantity: 184g; Style of chocolate: Chocolate truffles; Allergy advice: Contains almonds and hazelnuts. Made in a facility that also processes peanut and other nut products
7. LoveRaw Cream Wafer Bars: The best Bueno alternative
Price: £1.89 | Buy now from Holland & Barrett
Craving the hazelnut hit of a Kinder Bueno only without the animal products? LoveRaw’s Cream Wafer Bars are easily the closest vegan alternative we’ve tried. Each pack contains two crunchy wafer bars coated in dairy-free “milk” chocolate, and upon biting through you’re treated to a deliciously creamy hazelnut filling that tastes just like the real thing. Like LoveRaw’s other vegan offerings, the Cream Wafer bars are totally free of palm oil, refined sugar and artificial ingredients.
Key specs – Quantity: 43g; Style of chocolate: Bueno-style chocolate bar; Allergy advice: Contains hazelnuts, wheat, barley soy. Made in a facility that also processes milk, egg, cereal, gluten sesame, sulphites, peanut and other nut products
8. Montezuma’s Like No Udder Orange: The best vegan chocolate orange bar
Price: £3 | Buy now from Amazon
One of the all-star combos in the confectionary world, chocolate and orange go together better than almost anything, as choc orange kingpin Terry’s can attest. If you want a vegan variant, you’d be hard-pressed to find better than Montezuma’s latest offering, Like No Udder Orange. The lighter taste is down to the use of rice milk, which lends the bar a smoother texture. It’s made with a rich orange oil infusion for a tangerine taste that’s well-rounded without being overwhelming and it goes wonderfully with the organic sugar and cocoa butter.
Key specs – Quantity: 90g; Style of chocolate: Orange chocolate bar; Allergy advice: Made in a facility that also processes milk, peanut and other nut products
9. Love Cocoa Organic Dark Chocolate Truffles: The best vegan hazelnut truffles
Price: £13.50 | Buy now from Love Cocoa
Produced by James Cadbury, great-great-great-grandson of Cadbury’s founder John Cadbury, Love Cocoa chocolates have some seriously chocolatey heritage. The vegan-friendly Organic Dark Chocolate Truffles come in an elegant cylindrical box, but better than the presentation is the taste. Crumbly at first, they quickly melt to create an explosion of hazelnutty delight. They are pricey, and there could be more in each box, but they make a fantastic gift for serious chocolate-heads.
Key specs – Quantity: 150g; Style of chocolate: Chocolate truffles; Allergy advice: Contains hazelnuts. Made in a facility that also processes milk, soy, wheat, seeds, peanut and other nut products
10. Vego Organic Hazelnut Chocolate Bar: The best vegan chocolate bar for nut lovers
Price: £2.20 | Buy now from Holland & 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.
Key specs – Quantity: 65g; Style of chocolate: Hazelnut chocolate bar; Allergy advice: Contains hazelnuts. Made in a facility that also processes milk and other nut products
11. iChoc Organic White Vanilla: The best vegan white chocolate bar
Price: £2 | Buy now from Health Pharm
There are countless vegan chocolate bars out there, but the market is a lot less crowded when it comes to white chocolate alternatives. This white bar from iChoc doesn’t compromise when it comes to taste, using organic cocoa butter, 100% vanilla extract and ground tiger nuts combined with a smooth rice milk foundation, resulting in a velvety blend of textures and flavours.
Key specs – Quantity: 80g; Style of chocolate: White chocolate bar; Allergy advice: Contains tiger nuts. Made in a facility that also processes milk, gluten and other nut products
12. Buttermilk Vegan Caramel Sea Salt Honeycomb: The best vegan Crunchie alternative
Price: £4 | Buy now from Health Pharm
Cornwall-based treat company Buttermilk has recently expanded its range to include some delicious vegan offerings, including this outstanding dark chocolate-coated honeycomb. It doesn’t actually contain honey, of course – the bee nectar has been substituted with golden syrup to make it suitable for vegans. Buttermilk’s Caramel Sea Salt Honeycomb actually tastes quite similar to Cadbury’s Crunchie, only with a much higher chocolate quality. Vegans who miss that honeycomb hit are in for a treat, while non-vegans would have no idea that what they were eating was free of both honey and dairy.
Key specs – Quantity: 150g; Style of chocolate: Honeycomb chocolate; Allergy advice: Contains soy. Made in a facility that also processes milk, peanut and other nut products
13. LoveRaw Butter Cups Salted Caramel: The best vegan Reese’s alternative
Price: £2 | Buy now from Holland & Barrett
Craving a vegan version of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups? You’re in luck. LoveRaw makes chocolate butter cups in a variety of flavours but the tastiest, in our estimation, is Salted Caramel. The creamy filling here is made of almond instead of peanut butter, and it’s completely delicious. Diehard Reese’s fans may prefer Peanut Butter or Peanut Brownie, both of which are fantastic. And if hazelnut or cashew is more your thing, then LoveRaw still has you covered.
Key specs – Quantity: 34g; Style of chocolate: Salted caramel chocolate cups; Allergy advice: Contains almonds.
