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In answer to the question “is dark chocolate vegan?” The resounding answer should be: Yes! Typically dark chocolate is made with no milk, unlike its milk and white chocolate counterparts.
Unfortunately however, when it comes to vegan dark chocolate, most vegans still end up checking and double checking the labels.
Why? Because some chocolate products that proclaim to be vegan still use milk powder or other animal byproducts as part of their flavouring or ingredients.
Thankfully we’ve rounded up a list of dark chocolate bars that are 100% vegan and have no traces of animal products within their ingredients. However, vegans should be aware that some products are still manufactured in factories where animal byproducts are used in other products and so should check the labels and purchase according to their comfort levels.
Related Reading: Use our pick me up guide to find your next favourite vegan chocolate.
On the whole, most dark chocolate bars are made from sugar, cocoa powder and cocoa butter, or 100% cocoa solids. This ingredient list is what leads us to automatically think dark chocolate is safe as it contains no milk.
Thanks to dark chocolate being high in cocoa and less creamy than its milk and white chocolate counterparts, for many vegans dark chocolate seems a safe choice to make.
However, some popular dark chocolate brands aren’t entirely vegan.
Some contain warnings regarding traces of animal byproducts like milk due to the factories in which they’re produced. Whilst some vegans will be ok with this as the byproduct is indirectly referenced and also unlikely to have entered the product, others won’t, so it’s all down to a person's vegan level.
Our best advice is to always check the label and the ingredients list. Most purely vegan bars will contain the vegan stamp on their packaging, and this will be supported by no warning labels regarding other ingredients potentially contaminating the bars in the factory.
If you don’t see the vegan label, it’s best to double check warning labels and then make a decision depending on how comfortable you are.
To make your next chocolate shopping trip go smoother, we’ve listed 10 chocolate brands below who are entirely vegan and most importantly - delicious!
Seed and Bean are a vegan dark chocolate brand that are passionate about creativity and contemporary natural flavours. They blend pure cocoa beans into moments of absolute pleasure and Seed and Bean is the UK's only chocolate company to receive a 100% ethical pass mark accreditation.
However, Seed & Bean are one brand that produces milk chocolate in the same factory, so their Dark Chocolate may contain traces of milk as we mentioned above.
They feature an array of flavours, but some of our favourites are: Their Coconut and Raspberry bar, containing chocolate infused with Philippine coconut oil, almost 40 crushed organic raspberries and cocoa from Sao Tome, West Africa.
Their Chilli and Lime dark chocolate bar, made with Trinitario Dominican Cocoa, combined with a medium strength chilli for a sweet, warm heat and perfectly balanced with a touch of citrus Mexican limes. It’s sure to provide a kick!
Conscious Chocolate are a chocolatier whose chocolates are dairy free, gluten free, soya free and free from refined sugars making them perfect for vegans and those following free-from diets.
Their Love Potion #9 bar is one of our absolute favourites. Made with organic maca, essential oil of rose and cacao solids of 65% it’s a sensuous, exciting chocolate, combining rose oil, reminiscent of the floral tastes of Turkish delight. All their chocolate is also hand-made, certified organic, and only sweetened with agave nectar so it’s a guilt-free moment of utter indulgence.
Ombar Chocolate bars contain only natural ingredients. They’re sweetened with coconut sugar that is much healthier than ordinary refined sugar and the brand uses the cacao bean - considered as a fantastic superfood that contains flavonoids, which have many antioxidant properties - as the main ingredient for their chocolate.
Whilst they provide solid bars, like their acai and blueberry bar, Ombar have just launched Ombar Centres to try and address a much needed gap in the vegan market. Ombar Centres are the first and only range of raw chocolate bars with soft, truffle fillings, and their new raspberry bar features creamy freeze dried raspberries and coconut-based fillings encased in decadent rich 60% raw chocolate. It’s a super-luxurious chocolate treat that doesn’t compromise on health.
Montezuma’s is a British brand with a difference. Their range of Absolute Black dark chocolate bars are entirely vegan, vegetarian and free-from friendly. And if that wasn’t enough, all the brands chocolate bars come in sustainable packaging that is biodegradable and good for the planet.
Choosing your favourite isn’t likely to be difficult when they come in a variety of flavours, but our pick of the bunch would be their dark chocolate Orange and Geranium bar. This innovative bar cleverly blends 73% dark chocolate solids with orangey citrus and floral geranium for a very special flavour.
Doisy & Dam handmade their chocolates in Norfolk using all organic ingredients to give the most delish vegan dark chocolate you can find in the UK.
Our particular favourite bar is packed with Goji berries, also known as wolfberries, which are commonly grown in central and west China. They are an excellent source of vitamin B, vitamin C and Iron and goji berries have been used in traditional Chinese medicine to manage diabetes, high blood pressure, fever, age-related eye problems. Eating delicious chocolate and getting a health boost? Sign us up!
Hu Chocolate are a paleo vegan dark chocolate brand who pride themselves on delivering delicious free-from chocolate. Each bar is made from organic cacao and is free from ingredients such as dairy, palm oil and refined sugars.
If you’re looking for a dark chocolate bar with a bit of a crunch, look no further than Hu’s most popular chocolate bar which contains heart healthy fats in its dry-roasted almonds and crisp pops of organic puffed quinoa.
Vivani is an award winning chocolatier with a focus on sustainability. Their superior chocolate originates from the small farming cooperatives in the rainforests of Ecuador, and their vegan range is made of 70% cocoa solids produced in certified organic farming areas.
Our pick of the bunch has to be their dark chocolate and cranberry bar. Lathered with cranberries, which are a superfruit, it’s a large format bar with a delicately thin shape that intensifies the cocoa taste even more! Finally, the finest ‘Arriba‘ cocoa gives the chocolate a unique taste that will melt in your mouth.
Cocoa Libre wanted to do something different with the vegan market: They wanted to make vegan chocolate slabs - and that’s exactly what they’ve done!
A range of deliciously decadent 100g dark chocolate slabs are now available that are vegan, and free-from dairy, gluten, wheat, nuts & peanuts. Their raspberry bar is our favorite yet as it provides a zingy tang of raspberry that blends perfectly with natural vanilla flavourings and up to 55% raw dark chocolate solids.
Divine is the only chocolate company which is owned by its cocoa farmers, making it fair trade as well as sustainable. On top of that, it’s absolutely delicious and their Divine Organic range is 100% organic, vegan and certified Fairtrade.
Championed as one of the biggest, most delicious and best vegan chocolate bars in the world, Vego’s Whole Hazelnut Chocolate bar is a favourite with vegans everywhere!
Unfortunately not suitable for free-from diets due to its use of whole hazelnuts, the bar provides a satisfying crunch, heart-healthy fats and a blend of Italian Gianduja chocolate - a hazelnut paste that is lighter than dark chocolate, yet darker than milk chocolate. It’s a must try!
Vegan sweet tooth? The articles below might be of interest..
Though most dark chocolate is safe for vegans because of its minimal use of milk and dairy, it’s still advisable for vegans to check the labelling to make sure it’s vegan certified.
However, our range of chocolate bars above should give you enough to try for now! For more vegan chocolate treats, browse our shop where we continually stock the very best vegan chocolate, vegan sweets and treats!
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