Chocolate chips are in plenty of desserts, commonly in cookies, cakes, waffles, peanut butter pancakes, and other breakfast foods. You’ll find plenty of varieties, including semi-sweet, dark, and milk chocolate options.
They are undoubtedly delicious, but are chocolate chips vegan? I’ve researched, reviewed, and found alternatives.
Chocolate Chips - Are They Vegan or Not?
Yes, chocolate chips can be vegan, depending on how they are made.
The main reason why they aren’t vegan is because of the presence of dairy products, such as dry milk powder.
If the manufacturer uses organic cane sugar and other vegan-friendly ingredients, then vegans can consume them.
Make sure to stay away from milk chocolate as it’s rarely vegan.
Non-Vegan Ingredients
Non-Fat Milk
Skim milk or non-fat milk is a dairy product as it’s essentially whole milk from cows that went through a process to have the milk fat extracted, so it doesn’t fit the vegan lifestyle.
Milk-Derived Fat
Milk derivative is an altered form of a milk ingredient. It refers to sodium caseinate, which is made from milk protein casein. (1)
Whole Milk
It’s cow’s milk that hasn’t had its fat content removed, so it retains the fat. Whole milk powder fat is at 3.5%, and it gives you a rich, creamy taste, which is why it’s popular in households.
Whole milk powder has 8 grams of fat for every eight-ounce glass and gives you 180 calories in one serving. You’ll find these in your milk chocolate chips.
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Popular Vegan Chocolate Chips
Enjoy Life Choco Chips
I like Dark Chocolate Morsels by Enjoy Life because it’s free from the fourteen common allergens, which include dairy, nuts, and soy, making it 100% vegan.
These bags of choco chips are Non-GMO Project Verified. The brand, Enjoy Life, mainly produces products that are wheat-free, soy-free, and shellfish-free.
Whether you’re planning on making pancakes or the chocolate chip out of the bag, you’re going to love these little organic treats!
Lily's Dark Chocolate Chips
Lily’s is one of my favorites in the market. It contains unsweetened choco, natural vanilla, stevia extract, cocoa butter, organic soy lecithin, and erythritol.
I recommend Lily’s to anyone who has just started their keto diet journey and is looking for a way to satisfy their sweet tooth.
It especially helps since one serving contains only two grams of carbs! I do want to point out that a serving is relatively small, so if you’re looking for portion control, this works great!
Guittard Semi sweet Chocolate Chips
There’s a big difference between good chocolate chips and premium chocolate, and Guittard Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips belong to the higher-end of the spectrum.
If your tastebuds are craving a real quality semi-sweet chocolate to eat from the bag or to add to your vegan desserts, you’ll find Guittard Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips to be in a perfect balance.
Although it’s a bit difficult to find them in most grocery stores, the flavor is just right. Unlike other vegan chocolate chip brands, the taste remains consistent after freezing the chips.
Lakanto Chocolate Chips
Lakanto Chocolate Chips is an all-natural, zero-glycemic snack that can satisfy your sugar cravings.
I like how the manufacturer uses non-GMO Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener, unsweetened choco, sea salt, and other vegan ingredients. If you’re switching to a dairy-free, vegan, and gluten-free lifestyle, you’ll love what Lakanto Chocolate Chips can offer.
Yupik Chocolate Chips
While Yupik Chocolate Chips are one of my favorites to order, ordering these can be a hassle as it melts quickly.
If you like to nibble on vegan-friendly chocolate chips while drinking wine, you’ll love Yupik Chips. It’s excellent for portion control as these have a prominent flavor in a small bite.
As much as possible, keep the chips cool and dry to avoid them melting and forming blocks. It’s a non-GMO, all-natural treat that gives you the melt-in-your-mouth experience.
"A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand." - Barbara Johnson, Author
Let’s Make Our Own Vegan Chocolate Chips!
Ingredients
- 4 oz. 100% Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
- 3 tablespoons coconut butter or cocoa butter
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
Directions
- Put cocoa butter and all ingredients in a small pot
- Turn burner to low/medium heat. Stir until they’ve melted everything.
- Transfer into your piping vessel. Pipe your choco chips onto your baking sheets.
- After which, transfer baking sheets into the freezer and wait for thirty minutes.
- Place in a small, air-tight container in the freezer.
FAQs
No, most Nestle chocolate chips aren’t vegan. You may opt to make a homemade choco-chip instead as it only requires very few ingredients. It ensures there are no refined sugar, artificial flavors, milk derivatives in your recipe. Making them in your home means you won’t have to worry about cross-contamination
Yes, some of the semi-sweet chocolate can be vegan. It contains soy lecithin and other vegan options in its ingredients.
No, a white chocolate chip isn’t vegan. Even if they use organic cocoa butter, they may use milk solids and cane sugar in the recipe. You’re better off with other vegan chocolate chips if you’re on a vegan diet or can purchase the semi-sweet variation.
Yes, dark chocolate chips are vegan. Just like peanut butter chips, these make great vegan versions of dessert food products.
Here's a more in-depth discussion on dark chocolate.
The main difference between vegan and regular choco chips is the presence of dairy milk. Chocolate cocoa butter, cocoa solids, and palm oil make dairy-free chocolate chips. Most stores sell chocolate with milk products and whey protein, and these ingredients do not have a vegan status.
Yes, unsweetened choco is vegan! Look for organic cane sugar and unsweetened choco in semi-sweet varieties.
Can Vegans Eat Chocolate Chips?
Yes, vegans can eat chocolate chips. However, most of the choco chips you can find in the local market contain animal products, meaning they aren't friendly for vegans.
If you’re having difficulty looking for them, I suggest you purchase one of the vegan-friendly products listed in the article. When buying, make sure that there are no dairy products listed.
Another fun way is to make your very own homemade vegan-friendly choco chips to mix with your peanut-butter-inspired pancakes! You just need cocoa butter, cacao beans, soy lecithin, natural chocolate liquor, palm kernel oil, vanilla extract, and tapioca starch.
Overall, these are one of the best food products to have in your pantry to satisfy your cravings.
References:
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/sodium-caseinate
About Author
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Did you make this recipe? Leave a reply below!