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    Can Vegans Eat Dark Chocolate? Check Out Popular Vegan Brands

    Kathy's Vegan Kitchen is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Read more here.
    is dark chocolate vegan

    An average chocolate bar includes chocolate liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, anhydrous milk fat, soy lecithin, milk derivatives, and cocoa mass. Generally speaking, milk chocolate and white chocolate are off-limits because they contain milk fat.

    So, is dark chocolate vegan? I’ll cover everything in this article and more!

    Dark Chocolate - Is It Vegan or Not?

    Yes, dark chocolate is vegan, but most chocolate you find at your local store contains milk, which makes chocolate non-vegan.

    The good news for all the chocolate-loving vegans is that dark chocolate is naturally vegan, provided that it doesn't have milk or other dairy products. 

    It’s hard to find vegan milk chocolate, so stay away from it if you’re on a plant-based diet! It gives you a natural flavor that makes your vegan lifestyle a treat. Ensure to read the ingredient list or look for the vegan label, especially if you just started with your vegan diet.

    dark chocolate

    How Do You Know It’s Vegan?

    You’ll know it’s vegan by checking whether it has the Certified Vegan logo. 

    If it doesn’t, then you have to go out of your way and thoroughly check the ingredients list. As mentioned earlier, it’s to ensure you won’t accidentally purchase milk chocolate.

    While the name may sound confusing, cocoa butter is 100% vegan. 

    Another great indicator is the length of the ingredients list, the shorter it is, the healthier the chocolate bars are as it’s likely made from pure cocao tree or theobroma cacao plant.

    Usual Dark Chocolate Ingredients

    Usual Dark Chocolate Ingredients

    Vegan

    • Coconut oil
    • Cacao butter
    • Cocoa powder
    • Maple syrup
    • Sea salt
    • Vanilla extract

    The last two ingredients work to blend the sweetness for a more natural flavor. As soon as you have mixed your chocolate, you can pour them into molds.  By doing so, it gives your dark chocolate vegan bar added texture and a slight crunch to your vegan-friendly dark chocolate bar. 

    You’ll be amazed by what you can make from the pod of the cocoa tree even without the use of artificial flavorings. 

    Non-Vegan

    • Whole milk powder
    • Condensed milk
    • Sugar
    • Honey
    • Palm oil

    You may replace vanilla with mint, almond, or rice milk ingredients. 

    Related Posts:

    • Is Skim Milk Vegan-friendly?
    • Are Jolly Ranchers Vegan-friendly?

    Why Sugar May Not Always Be Vegan

    Sugar may not always be vegan because white sugar is filtered with the use of bone char, which is powdered animal bone. (1) However, it only applies to the U.S.

    If you’re looking for vegan-friendly sugar, make sure that it is Certified U.S. Department of Agriculture organic sugar. 

    Also, see if it indicates that it’s unrefined organic coconut sugar or if the sugar is made from beets. 

    Be on the lookout for manufacturers using bone char in white sugar as they’ll most likely use it in their production for brown sugar.

    Even if it's from a cacao tree, and you mix it with non-vegan kinds of ingredients, it won’t serve the purpose.

    sugar

    Our Favorite Vegan Dark Chocolate Snacks

    • Theo Chocolate Sea Salt Organic Dark Chocolate Bar
    • UNREAL Vegan, Non-GMO Dark Chocolate Peanut Gems
    • Raaka Chocolate Coconut Milk
    • Alter Eco Dark Quinoa Crunch
    • Hu Gems Chocolate Vegan Snacks
    • Endangered Species Chocolate Bars
    • Taza Chocolate Organic Amaze Bar
    • HEALTH WARRIOR Dark Chocolate Chia Bars
    • No Whey Foods - Milkless Chocolate Bars
    • Nib Mor Organic Dark Chocolate

    “Making chocolate is a way of life, not a profession.” - Jacques Torres, Chef

    Let’s Make Our Own Vegan Dark Chocolate Recipes!

    Vegan Dark Choco Truffles

    Vegan Dark Choco Truffles

    Taste the natural flavors of dark choco truffles with this recipe. 

    Ingredients

    Chocolate Ganache

    • 1 and ¾ cups Chocolate Chips
    • 1 cup Coconut Cream 
    • ¼ cup Cocoa Powder Unsweetened

    Chocolate Coating

    • 1 and ¾ cups Vegan Chocolate Chips 
    • 1 teaspoon of coconut oil

    Directions

    1. Prepare the chocolate in a bowl 
    2. Let the coconut cream simmer
    3. Pour it over the pieces
    4. Mix it with the sauce
    5. Put it in the fridge for two to three hours
    6. Scoop and drop it into the cocoa powder
    7. Roll it into the ball 
    8. Put it in the freezer 
    9. Drop it one by one into the coating 
    10. Place on tray and return to the fridge

    Vegan Dark Choco Cookies

    Vegan Dark Choco Cookies

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup Vegan Butter
    • ½ cup White Granulated Sugar
    • ½ cup Light Brown Sugar
    • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
    • 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
    • ⅔ cup Cocoa Powder Unsweetened
    • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
    • ¼ teaspoon Salt
    • 1 tablespoon Soy Milk
    • 3.5 ounces Chocolate

    Directions

    1. Preheat your oven to 350°F 
    2. Mix vegan butter, brown, and white sugar 
    3. Add vanilla
    4. Put the flour and the cocoa powder into the bowl
    5. Add baking soda and salt
    6. Mix the dry ingredients 
    7. Add 1 tablespoon of soy milk 
    8. Put the chocolate chunks
    9. Roll it into small balls 
    10. Bake for ten minutes

    FAQs

    Is World’s Finest Dark Chocolate vegan?

    No, the World’s Finest Dark Chocolate isn’t vegan. It offers five different chocolate bars, but none of them are vegan. Both dark and milk chocolate contain milk powder, which isn’t vegan.

    Does Cadbury make vegan chocolate?

    Yes, Cadbury is currently making a vegan version of their classic chocolate bar.

    Why is vegan chocolate so expensive?

    The reason why vegan bars are expensive is that they have smaller operations and use higher-quality ingredients compared to other non-vegan chocolate production. 

    You can always make your own vegan options snack bar that doesn’t use animal products. Make use of coconut milk to make it creamier!

    What’s more, they don’t have artificial flavors, including milk solids or cocoa solids.

    Is a Kit Kat vegan?

    Yes, KitKat V is vegan. If you’re looking to buy vegan chocolate to satisfy your tastebuds, then you’re going to love KitKat’s vegan chocolates from sustainable cacao.

    Is Dove Dark Chocolate vegan?

    No, Dove Dark chocolate isn’t vegan because it has milk fat. Look for chocolates or dark chocolates that use almond milk or non-dairy ingredients instead of milk powder.

    Does Lindt offer vegan chocolate?

    Not really. While Lindt offers dark chocolates, it isn’t marked vegan on the packaging, which leads most vegan chocolate lovers to believe the chocolate is not vegan.

    What stores sell vegan chocolate?

    The best way to identifying vegan dark chocolate is by searching for brands that produce them.

    Here are some vegan chocolate brands:

    • Green & Black's Mint Chocolate Bar
    • Hu Kitchen Hazelnut Butter Dark Chocolate

    So, Can Dark Chocolate Be Vegan?

    Yes, it can be vegan, which also covers the question - can vegans eat chocolate?

    However, not all dark chocolates are vegan as plenty of brands use refined sugar and dairy products, such as egg yolk. 

    Plant-based dark chocolate may be difficult to find as a lot contains milk and animal products. However, there are vegan recipes you can follow to avoid using whole milk powder.

    A good quality dark chocolate fits your taste buds while giving you the complete experience of organic chocolate.

    References:

    1. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/
    About Author
    Kathy Carmichael

    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! 🙂

    www.kathysvegankitchen.com/about-me/

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