What is vegan chocolate? Does it really need labelling to be vegan? There are many vegan products and options out there. Are they worth it?
To be vegan, dark chocolate must contain no animal content whatsoever. Some in the vegan community feel that vegan food must also contain no ingredients whose production requires the use of animal content. For example, many refined sugars use charcoal made from animal bones during the refining process.
So if you're looking to buy vegan chocolate, you need to look for labeling and ingredients.
Vegan Labeling
Many different organizations provide vegan certification. These organizations typically licence the use of their logo to food manufacturers and restaurants. Standards of individual organizations vary, so, depending on your personal principles, you may need to investigate the organizations whose products you intend to buy. Once you're satisfied, the presence of the logo allows you to skip the ingredients list, making shopping that much easier. Here is a list of US and international Vegan Logos. Some of the graphics on this page do not show up, but this is a good representative list.
Some food manufacturers provide their own certification process, and then label their products as "vegan". Again, it's up to you to check out the standards of these manufacturers. If their private label requirements meet yours, then you can save time and effort in shopping.
Here are a few dark chocolate products with certified vegan labeling.
Vegan Ingredients, or "Accidently Vegan"
But what if you're online or shopping somewhere and you find some dark chocolate without a vegan certification logo. Can you tell by the ingredients if the product is vegan chocolate? Maybe. Better dark chocolate will have fewer ingredients. This makes things easier for you. If you are looking only to eliminate animal content, you are looking to eliminate dairy. If the ingredients listed do not include milk, milk products, milk fat, dairy fat, whey, casain, etc., and if you recognize the other few ingredients, then the product itself is probably animal product free. But, unless you know the manufacturer, this won't tell you about any manufacturing process concerns you may have.
For example, I found this about.com article that listed several products as being animal product free, and thus basically vegan. I looked up the ingredients for each of these products: Chocolove Dark Chocolate, Newman's Own Dark Chocolate, Ritter Sport Fine Extra Dark Chocolate, Green and Black's Organic Chocolate, and Organic Equal Exchange Extra Dark Chocolate.
When that about.com article was published, and when I looked up the ingredients, each of the four products met the basic rule of no animal products in the ingredients. Look at the short simple ingredient list for the Ritter Sport, for example: cocoa mass (fine cocoa 40%), sugar, cocoa butter, natural vanilla. However, each of these manufacturers had a caveat somewhere on their web sites about the possibility of containing traces of milk, production on equipment that may contain milk products, etc. You will have to decide whether this meets your needs.
Some people (and some organizations, like PETA) are labelling products like this "accidently vegan".
Since the about.com article was published, Green & Black's has changed their published ingredients list. Each of their dark chocolate products now lists "Organic Whole Milk Powder" as an ingredient. Their web site FAQs section says that this is because their milk chocolate and dark chocolate products are processed on the same machines, and there could be cross-contamination. You'll have to decide if this meets your vegan requirements.
Look at these dark chocolate items that seem to be accidently vegan.
Is It Worth It?
If you are looking for vegan chocolate, you are doing so as a matter of conscience. Although dark chocolate has some health benefits, vegan dark chocolate is not inherently healthier. Even the various standards for labeling vegan chocolate vary from producer to producer. If certain vegan dark chocolate products meet your personal standards, though, then the additional costs may be worth it for you.
Here are some of the Vegan Dark Chocolate products I've found. I'll come back and add more later.
Certified Vegan Dark Chocolate
Nirvana Dark Chocolate Bar
This 72% coaoa organic vegan bar is made in Belgium by artisanal chocolatiers with Trinitario beans from Dominican Republic. Very tasty!
3.5 oz bars
Shipping: Ships to addresses in the US (including Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico) and Canada. Warm Weather: Recommends warm weather packaging, Express or 2nd Day shipping, restricted shipping days.
Shipping:
Ships to US addresses. Warm
Weather: Recommends Ice Pack shipping, expedited
shipping, Monday through Wednesday shipping.
Nirvana Dark Chocolate Spicy Aztec
Ready for some spice? Decadent organic vegan dark Belgian chocolate (72% cocoa) with chili, almonds, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon.
3.5 oz bars
Shipping: Ships to addresses in the US (including Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico) and Canada. Warm Weather: Recommends warm weather packaging, Express or 2nd Day shipping, restricted shipping days.
Shipping:
Ships to US addresses. Warm
Weather: Recommends Ice Pack shipping, expedited
shipping, Monday through Wednesday shipping.
Nirvana Dark Chocolate with Blueberries and Acai
A scrumptious combination of organic vegan 72% cocoa dark Belgian chocolate with blueberry and acai fruit.
3.5 oz bars
Shipping: Ships to addresses in the US (including Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico) and Canada. Warm Weather: Recommends warm weather packaging, Express or 2nd Day shipping, restricted shipping days.
Shipping:
Ships to US addresses. Warm
Weather: Recommends Ice Pack shipping, expedited
shipping, Monday through Wednesday shipping.
Nirvana Dark Chocolate with Pomegranate
Wonderful 72% cocoa organic vegan chocolate and sweet pomegranate.
3.5 oz bars
Shipping: Ships to addresses in the US (including Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico) and Canada. Warm Weather: Recommends warm weather packaging, Express or 2nd Day shipping, restricted shipping days.
Shipping:
Ships to US addresses. Warm
Weather: Recommends Ice Pack shipping, expedited
shipping, Monday through Wednesday shipping.
Nirvana Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt and Caramel
Combined with a smooth caramel and finished with a light taste of sea salt, this 72% cocoa organic vegan dark Belgian chocolate will melt in your mouth. The perfect salty and sweet combination!
3.5 oz bars
Shipping: Ships to addresses in the US (including Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico) and Canada. Warm Weather: Recommends warm weather packaging, Express or 2nd Day shipping, restricted shipping days.
Shipping: Ships to US addresses. Warm Weather: Recommends Ice Pack shipping, expedited shipping, Monday through Wednesday shipping.
Nirvana Dark Chocolate with Super Berries
Got berries? You will with this delicious organic vegan 72% cocoa dark Belgian chocolate bar with a mixture of goji berries, golden berries, and mulberries.
3.5 oz bars
Shipping: Ships to addresses in the US (including Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico) and Canada. Warm Weather: Recommends warm weather packaging, Express or 2nd Day shipping, restricted shipping days.
Shipping:
Ships to US addresses. Warm
Weather: Recommends Ice Pack shipping, expedited
shipping, Monday through Wednesday shipping.
Nirvana Dark Chocolate with Cocoa Nibs
Wonderful 72% cocoa organic vegan chocolate and sweet pomegranate.
3.5 oz bars
Shipping: Ships to addresses in the US (including Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico) and Canada. Warm Weather: Recommends warm weather packaging, Express or 2nd Day shipping, restricted shipping days.
Alter Eco Dark Chocolate Almond Bar
58% Bolivian Fair Trade, organic chocolate with sun-dried, slow-roasted organic almonds.
3.5 oz bars, 12
bar pack, $45.64
Shipping: Ships to US addresses.
Ococoa Classic Peanut Butter Collection
This collection features 9 pieces of Classic Peanut Butter Cup, dark chocolate cups filled with creamy organic peanut butter blended with dark chocolate and topped with Hawaiian 'Alaea sea salt.
Shipping: Ships to many locations in North and South America, and Europe, plus Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. Special arrangements for other destinations may be possible.
Tom and Sally's Handmade Dark Chocolate Macadamia Nuts
Macadamia Nuts covered in 73% dark chocolate imported from Belgium, then dusted with raw sugar and Hawaiian sea salt. All natural. Vegan.
4
oz bags, 3 bag package, $20.77
Shipping: Ships to Lower 48
Accidently Vegan Dark Chocolate
Organica Swiss Dark Chocolate and Mint Crisp
This luxuriously Organic, Fairtrade 72% dark Swiss chocolate bar is a decadent treat – added mint crisps make this a refreshing and cool choice!
100 g (3.5 oz) bar £2.09, 12 bar case £23.83
Shipping: Ships to UK, and many other worldwide addresses.
Divine Mint Dark Chocolate Bar
Rich smooth Fairtrade 70% dark chocolate of top quality Ghanaian cocoa content with the inspired addition of mint crisp - little crispy pieces made with natural peppermint oil. The perfect after dinner treat to share with friends or keep for yourself!
100 g (3.5 oz) bar £1.49, 10 bar case £11.50
Shipping: Ships to UK, and many other worldwide addresses.
Traidcraft Swiss Dark Chocolate with Peppermint Crisp
Crunchy peppermint crystals made with natural flavors and Filipino cane sugar are encased in Organic, Fairtrade dark chocolate with a minimum 58% cocoa content.
100 g (3.5 oz) bar £2.30, 10 bar case £19.00
Shipping: Ships to UK, and many other worldwide addresses.
Dolfin Dark Chocolate with Mint
52% Belgian dark chocolate with mint leaves
2 oz (70 g) (5 bar pack) $16.95
Shipping: Ships to US and Canada. Warm Weather: Ships with mandatory warm weather packaging during Summer months, recommend warm weather packaging if destination is over 74º F during other months. Restricted shipping days.
Dagoba Mint
59% Organic dark chocolate blended with Washington state peppermint and a hint of rosemary to create a Mint chocolate with more depth and complexity than the usual chocolate/mint combination.
Shipping: Ships to US addresses.
Valor Sugar Free Dark Chocolate with Almonds
100% sugar free dark chocolate, made from top quality cacao from Ghana, Panama and Ecuador, combined with whole almonds.
Shipping: Ships to US and Canada.
Valrhona Equinoxe Noir, dark chocolate enrobed nuts
A large 250g box of high quality Marconas almonds and Italian hazelnuts. Covered in fine, Valrhona 55% cocoa dark chocolate. The Valrhona Equinoxe Noir is smartly packaged for gift giving or personal delight.
Shipping: Ships to US and Canada. Ships to UK and many European and other International addresses. Warm Weather: Advise against chocolate deliveries to warmer countries, or when temperatures will be above 20 degrees centigrade (68 degrees Fahrenheit).
Chocolove Cherries & Almonds in Dark Chocolate Bar
Michigan cherries and dry roasted California almonds in 55% Belgian dark chocolate crafted from African cocoa beans.
3.2 oz bars, 12
bar pack, $28.43
Shipping: Ships to US addresses.
Blanxart Chocolate a la Taza
This Chocolate a la Taza bar is a blend of just 3 all natural ingredients - unrefined dark chocolate, sugar, and vanilla. Melt blocks of it in a mug of hot milk for thick, rich Spanish hot chocolate. Or you can enjoy it like a regular chocolate bar!
7 oz (200g) powder form, $8.95
Shipping: Ships to US and Canada.
Superior Selection Drinking Chocolate Flakes
Superior quality drinking chocolate flakes, created from the purest of ingredients such as fine cocoa, cane sugar and Bourbon vanilla pod. These 72% chocolate flakes make a really traditional, hot chocolate drink of pure indulgence and most appreciated by true chocolate connoisseurs. Also ideal for topping desserts and warm drinks. Presented in a hessian bag making a great gift.
Shipping: Ships to US and Canada. Ships to UK and many European and other International addresses. Hot Weather: Advise against chocolate deliveries to warmer countries, or when temperatures will be above 20 degrees centigrade (68 degrees Fahrenheit).
Michel Cluizel Dark Chocolate Minigams
Superior quality, 72% cocoa, dark chocolate chips for use in desserts, baking, moulding, decoration and a truly indulgent, hot chocolate. As one would expect from Michel Cluizel this fine chocolate is without artificial flavourings and made with the purest, highest quality ingredients. The box contains a handy zip-up bag to protect against humidity, the small drops of chocolate, (4 drops equals 1g) eliminate crumbs and allow a quicker, even melt. Complete with hot chocolate recipe.
Shipping: Ships to US and Canada. Ships to UK and many European and other International addresses. Hot Weather: Advise against chocolate deliveries to warmer countries, or when temperatures will be above 20 degrees centigrade (68 degrees Fahrenheit).
Amedei Hot Chocolate
This superior quality, flaked hot chocolate is created from 63% cocoa with the addition of ground hazelnuts and almonds, making this a truly flavorsome hot chocolate.
Shipping: Ships to US and Canada. Ships to UK and many European and other International addresses. Hot Weather: Advise against chocolate deliveries to warmer countries, or when temperatures will be above 20 degrees centigrade (68 degrees Fahrenheit).
Scharffen Berger Cocoa Powder
Developed for baking and beverages, this Natural Cocoa Powder is made from perfectly roasted and well-fermented beans and is not 'Dutch' processed. With the Sweetened Natural Cocoa Powder, it is easy to make delicious hot cocoa and chocolate milk. The only thing added to the exceptional cocoa powder is pure cane sugar.
8 oz (220 g) can, 12 can case, $119.65
Shipping: Ships to US addresses. Warm Weather: Recommends Ice Pack shipping, expedited shipping, Monday through Wednesday shipping.
