Vegan Diets And Dark Chocolate: What's The Verdict?

Dark chocolate is typically made with no milk, unlike milk and white chocolate. However, some dark chocolate products that claim to be vegan still use milk powder or other animal byproducts as part of their flavouring or ingredients. For example, some dark chocolates include salted caramel, toffee, or milk products to create a smoother texture, which are not vegan.

Dark chocolate is usually given a percentage rating, which depends on the percentage of cocoa in the recipe. The higher the percentage of cocoa, the more likely the dark chocolate is to be vegan, as there are fewer additional products in the recipe.

So, while dark chocolate can be vegan, it's important to check the ingredients list.

Dark chocolate is usually vegan

Dark chocolate is usually given a percentage rating, which depends on the percentage of cocoa in the recipe. The higher the percentage of cocoa, the more likely the dark chocolate is to be vegan, as there are fewer additional ingredients. Typical vegan dark chocolate ingredients include sugar, cocoa butter, and vanilla, all of which are vegan-friendly.

However, it is important to note that not all dark chocolate is vegan. Some dark chocolate brands add milk, milk fat, or whole milk powder. Additionally, some chocolate products that claim to be vegan may still use milk powder or other animal byproducts as part of their flavouring or ingredients. Therefore, it is always a good idea to check the label for any dark chocolate, regardless of the cocoa content.

But not all dark chocolate is vegan

While dark chocolate is typically made with no milk, some dark chocolate products that claim to be vegan still use milk powder or other animal byproducts as part of their flavouring or ingredients. For example, Lindt's Lime Intense (also labelled as dark chocolate) contains animal-based ingredients such as anhydrous milk fat.

Some dark chocolates can also include things like salted caramel and toffee, which contain milk and are therefore not vegan. Some brands also add milk products to create a smoother texture, add a sweetening component, or to fill in the gap left over after adding the cacao.

To ensure you are getting the best vegan chocolate, do a label check and keep an eye out for things like skimmed milk powder, milk fat, whole milk powder, white chocolate, milk solids, animal products, and even whey powder.

Some popular dark chocolate brands also aren't entirely vegan because they contain warnings regarding traces of animal byproducts like milk due to the factories in which they're produced. While some vegans will be okay with this, others won't, so it's all down to a person's vegan level.

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.

How to identify vegan dark chocolate

Dark chocolate is usually vegan, as it is made from cacao beans, which are the seeds of the cacao plant. However, some dark chocolate products are not vegan-friendly, as they contain animal products.

The higher the percentage of cacao, the more likely the dark chocolate is to be vegan, as there are fewer additional ingredients. A typical vegan dark chocolate bar should include chocolate liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, and vanilla. The fewer the ingredients, the purer the vegan chocolate bar.

Dark chocolate with 70% cacao or more is considered high-quality. The more cacao, the less likely it is to contain milk or other non-vegan ingredients.

Some dark chocolate products may contain milk, milk fat, or whole milk powder. Caramel, peanut butter, truffle, or toffee-filled chocolates typically contain dairy, unless specifically noted as vegan.

Some chocolate products that proclaim to be vegan still use milk powder or other animal byproducts as part of their flavouring or ingredients. Some products are also manufactured in factories where animal byproducts are used in other products, so it is important to check the labels and purchase according to your comfort level.

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, check the warning labels and then make a decision depending on your comfort level.

Some specific vegan dark chocolate brands to look out for include:

• Seed & Bean Organic Dark Chocolate
• Conscious Organic Raw Chocolate
• Ombar Chocolate
• Montezuma's Absolute Black
• Doisy & Dam
• Hu Chocolate
• Vivani Superior Dark Chocolate
• Divine Dark Chocolate
• Vego Whole Hazelnut Chocolate

Non-vegan ingredients to look out for

Dark chocolate is usually vegan-friendly, but it's important to check the ingredients list for non-vegan additives. The higher the percentage of cacao, the fewer additional products there are likely to be. However, some non-vegan ingredients to look out for include:

• Milk and milk products: Some dark chocolate brands add milk, milk fat, or whole milk powder to their products. These include skimmed milk powder, whole milk powder, milk solids, and whey powder.
• White chocolate: White chocolate usually contains a lot of milk products and very little cacao, so it is not vegan.
• Caramel: Caramel-filled chocolates typically contain dairy.
• Honey: Honey is not considered vegan because it comes from bees.
• Bone char: Some companies use bone char, which is made from charred animal bones, as a cheap form of sugar.
• Palm oil: While palm oil is technically vegan, its negative environmental impact has led to some people removing it from their diets.
• Gelatin: Gelatin is an animal product sometimes used in the preparation of chocolate.

Always check the label to ensure your dark chocolate is vegan-friendly.

Vegan dark chocolate brands

Dark chocolate is usually vegan, as it is made from cocoa beans, which are the seeds of a tropical evergreen tree. However, some dark chocolate products contain milk products as additives or to smooth out their texture. Therefore, dark chocolate products must be carefully examined to ensure they are suitable for vegans.

Vegan dark chocolate products should be made from chocolate liquor, vanilla, sugar, and some version of the cocoa bean, such as cocoa butter, cocoa powder, cocoa mass, or cocoa solids. The higher the percentage of cocoa, the less likely the product is to contain animal products.

• Hershey’s Oat Classic Dark
• Whole Foods Organic Dark Chocolate
• Lindt Dark Chocolate Vegan
• Chocolate Inspirations’ Artisan Bar (In Raspberry)
• No Whey Chocolate Bar- Semisweet Dark
• Enjoy Life’s Dark Chocolate Bar
• Purdys Chocolatier Vegan Dark Chocolate Bar
• Divine Treasures Chocolate Bar
• Green & Black’s Organic Dark Chocolate
• Chocolove (separate equipment for dark and milk chocolate)
• Endangered Species Organic
• Alter Eco
• Equal Exchange
• Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Lover’s Bar

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