What Chocolate Can Vegans Eat? Guide to Dairy Free Chocolate

If someone asked you to choose between candy and chocolate, which would you choose?

I was, is, and ALWAYS will be team chocolate. Chocolate is my favorite flavor ice cream, cake, any dessert, cookies, and more. If it comes in chocolate, that’s the one I’ll choose.

Leave a comment on this post if you are team chocolate!

When I went vegan I honestly didn’t think about chocolate as something I had to give up. I remember hearing a lot about vegans swapping chocolate chips for cocoa nibs but didn’t think much of it.

But then the day came that I was having some pregnancy cravings for rich chocolate and my heart stopped.

What kind of chocolate can vegans eat?
Do GOOD vegan chocolates exist?
Are vegan chocolates easy to find?
Can I find vegan chocolate at Target?
WILL I EVER GET GOOD CHOCOLATE AGAIN!?

All these questions went through my head.

I knew I shouldn’t be too concerned because my chocolate vice was dark chocolate, not milk chocolate, and a lot of varieties of dark chocolate are already milk free!

However, be super careful because many dark chocolates are NOT. Reading labels is so important. I learned the hard way.

Well today I’m here to report to all the new vegans having heart palpitations thinking they can never have good chocolate again that YES, they vegan chocolates exist and yes, most are DELICIOUS.

Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

I want you to know that in much of this post when I talk about vegan or accidentally vegan chocolates I am ONLY talking about ingredients. I do now know anything about the backgrounds of the companies or anything else. I am simply evaluating based on ingredients.

But you might be asking yourself, what do I look for in a chocolate bar to confirm it is vegan?

The easiest thing is to look for the “certified vegan” label. In the United States it looks like this:

Learn more about the certified vegan process and what it exactly means. https://vegan.org/certification/

It’s important to know that items CAN be vegan and not have the certified vegan label. This is VERY common. When it comes to looking at the ingredients in chocolates, here’s what you want to look for:

You do NOT want your chocolate to contain:

Lactose
Milk
Skim Milk
Milk Fat
Whey
Casein
Butterfat
Milk protein
Nougat

There are MORE than this so definitely check out this resource from Kellymom.com.

If you clicked on this post you are probably wanting to sweet list of vegan chocolates, right? Well I’m ready to give it to you!

Note that this is not a COMPLETE list of vegan chocolates because, well, thankfully there are way too many! But I reached out to my community and asked for what brands they loved and added those to my list and BAM. So if you have been caught asking yourself “What kind of chocolate can vegans eat?” this list is for you!

*Please remember that some of these brands DO offer varieties that contain animal products so always read the labels.

What Kind Of Chocolate Can Vegans Eat?

The safest bet for vegan chocolate is dark chocolates as I mentioned earlier although some companies will use plant milk to make a “milk” chocolate variety. Below are a collection of some delicious vegan chocolates I have found and that have been recommended to me.

1) Endangered Species makes delicious and beautifully packaged chocolates and they are available at many supermarkets. I literally ate two of these bars in the last week and they are amazing.

2) UNREAL offers a variety of family favorite swaps like peanut butter cups, gems, and bars. If your kids love treats, this variety pack would be awesome! Especially if you need sugar rewards for potty training. *takes own advice and orders a variety pack* #pottytrainingbabynumber2

3) HU is an all vegan, paleo, gluten free, kosher, and non-gmo brand. They are definitely a pricier brand but they have awesome ingredients and make everything from bars to “snacking chips” to crackers.

4) NoWhey Foods! has also been an easy brand for me to find in grocery stores. They offer holiday chocolates and treats and are all vegan! These Valentine’s Day chocolate boxes or truffles would make lovely gifts for the love of your life. PS: Ladies – send this link to your significant other so you can have yourself some vegan chocolates for Valentine’s Day! 😉 Or any day.

5) Justin’s is a nut butter company (you’ve probably seen them in your grocer) but they make peanut butter cups that are TO DIE FOR. I believe the only vegan one is the dark chocolate but ohmygosh they are tasty. (And I see them at the check out in many supermarkets!) They even have a bag of mini’s!

6) Raaka is a brand I’ve never tried or seen in stores but when I saw the packaging on Amazon I was intrigued. It looks like they carry all vegan chocolate bars (they are also certified kosher, non-GMO, organic, and gluten-free) and some are made with coconut milk! Call me intrigued…

7) Theo is a brand you may recognize. They carry a variety of chocolates and not all are vegan so definitely check the label! The Salted Almond is vegan, gluten free, and delicious, so if you ever see that one in stores, grab yourself one. (or 5)

8) Ocho makes a coconut bar that is quite tasty and is (thankfully) vegan! You can check it out on Amazon but you’re better off buying one at the checkout on your next grocery trip. Just look for the white and blue packaging and colorful letters! You can’t miss it.

9) Little Secrets carries these amazing Kit Kat type bar as well as a few other varieties that are vegan. Note: The dark chocolate peanut butter candies are NOT vegan. Don’t forget to check labels even if the chocolate it self is vegan, the additional components like peanut butter, may not be.

10) Chocolove is a brand that I see often at World Market and I really do enjoy their chocolates. This bar specifically is one of my absolute favorites and I’m sure my husband get’s tired of always getting it in his stocking (because I want him to love it too)

11) Lake Champlain has the most beautiful vegan valentines day chocolate sets! You can check them out on Amazon or their website. They also do a great job at explaining vegan chocolates here.

12) Enjoy Life can typically be found in most grocers and offers everything from cookies to chocolates to chips. Their products are free from gluten and the 14 common allergens making them a great safe option! I love using their products when we need to bring a treat to something for my son like the bags of cookies. For chocolate bars, their rice milk bars are delicious!

13) Taza Chocolate is certified USDA Organic, Non GMO Project Verified, Direct Trade Certified, Kosher Pareve, Certified Gluten Free, dairy free, soy free and vegan. Their products come in a large variety of options including discs, powders, and bars.

If you are looking for baking chips, chocolate chips, morsels, etc, here is a list of brands and varieties to look for:

Enjoy Life
Nestle Toll House Simply Delicious
Lily’s Dark Chocolate Chips
Trader Joe’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (Not certified vegan but does not contain animal products)
Target’s Simply Balanced Organic Dark Chocolate Chips (Not certified vegan but does not contain animal products)
Gordon Food Service Chocolate Chips
Barry Callebaut Chocolate Chips – I’ve never tried this brand but they popped up on Amazon under the vegan chocolate chips category. Might be worth a try!
California Gourmet is another one that popped up on Amazon as a vegan chocolate chip but I have never heard of or tried them. If you have, let me know!

Many of these are “accidentally vegan” and not certified, so they may be processed in a factory with dairy. Keep that in mind especially if you have a dairy allergy.

When it comes to finding the perfect vegan chocolate it is SO important for you to read the labels, don’t get discouraged, and explore! There are so many delicious and exciting options out there with more popping up every day. They may cost a little higher than their dairy-containing alternatives but hey, that’s the price we pay as vegans….right?

What is YOUR favorite vegan chocolate brand/variety? Let me know in the comments! I am always looking to expand my list and willing to try new brands for market research purposes 😉

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