Celebrating World Chocolate Day
As if we needed an excuse to enjoy more chocolate? Inspired by World Chocolate Day we’ve clubbed together with our friends at all plants to share some of our favourite vegan brands. And in case you wanted to celebrate by getting chocolatey and creative at home, we’re also sharing some delicious plant-based recipes.
The vegan food market has exploded over the last few years and one of the most exciting developments has to be the range of new vegan chocolate bars available. Previously, those looking to avoid dairy were limited to dark chocolate, and undeniably this isn’t to everybody’s taste. But fear not, thanks to a little creativity and the right ingredients, there’s now a vegan chocolate bar for everyone’s preferences — vegan milk chocolate is here!
As well as bigger brands we’re seeing lots of new independent vegan chocolate brands arrive on our supermarket shelves. And what’s great about these brands is that, rather than simply replicating existing products, their vegan chocolate encourages us to try new and intriguing flavours. Whether you’re completely vegan, on a plant-based diet, or simply want to try something new, here are our picks of the best vegan chocolate in the UK, in no particular order.
NOMO
First up, NOMO stands for ‘No Missing Out’. Their mission is simple, capturing the authentic taste of chocolate into a bar anyone can enjoy. The end result – which they’ve spent years perfecting – is a delicious chocolate bar that’s free of gluten, dairy, egg, and nuts – yet full of flavour.
The NOMO Fruit & Crunch bar masterfully combines velvety smooth chocolate with crispy pieces and juicy raisins. We’d also strongly recommend the Caramel & Sea Salt bar for its texture and contrast of flavours. What’s better is that all of NOMO’s products are made exclusively with Rainforest Alliance Certified Cocoa, which helps to conserve the environment and support local farmers worldwide. NOMO bars are on sale in Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, and Holland & Barrett.
Ombar
Ombar’s ‘bean to bar super chocolate’ pays homage to the humble cocoa bean. This bean is celebrated not only for its intense flavours but also for its nutritional value. Health is a big part of the Ombar brand. For example, they avoid roasting their cocoa beans at high temperatures, to avoid damaging any of the beans’ nutritious plant compounds.
A standout product is Ombar’s 100% Cacao bar, showcasing chocolate in its raw and purest form. This is just one of many intriguing flavours Ombar has to offer, such as tangy Mandarin, zesty Lemon & Green Tea, and a refreshingly unique Blueberry & Acai. What we love about Ombar is that they don’t venture too far from tried-and-tested flavours, yet they still feel thoroughly modern. Clearly, it’s all about the chocolate.
Last and by no means least from this vegan brand, Ombar’s Centres range combines dark chocolate with a satisfying flavoured core. With flavours such as Pistachio, Coconut & Vanilla, and Raspberry & Coconut, every bite of a Centres bar is a sumptuous mix of flavours and textures. You can buy it in Waitrose, Planet Organic and the official Ombar website.
Galaxy Vegan Chocolate
Galaxy is known for its extra-smooth and luxurious chocolate and it was recently voted the UK’s third favourite chocolate bar (behind Snickers and the iconic Cadbury Dairy Milk). With such a rapturous fanbase, it’d be criminal to deprive vegans of the joys of Galaxy Chocolate, so we’re happy they’ve turned their chocolatier hands to plant-based recipes.
Galaxy unveiled their brand new vegan selection in November 2019. This range offered three new flavours, Smooth Orange, Caramelised Hazelnut, and Caramel & Sea Salt (all promptly approved by the Vegan Society). It’s a big step forward that an established brand can offer vegan products, without compromising on its signature quality and taste. So we can’t wait to see which legacy chocolate brands will follow in Galaxy’s footsteps (in fact, rumour has it that Cadbury’s are developing a vegan Dairy Milk bar).
Doisy & Dam
Doisy & Dam are on a mission to ensure that vegans can enjoy some of the UK’s best-known chocolate brands but as a vegan equivalent, using better quality and ethically sourced ingredients.
For those of you who are Maltesers fans but yet to find a vegan equivalent, let us introduce you to Doisy & Dam’s Ballers. You’ll still get that satisfying malty crunch, coated with silky, 70% pure dark chocolate. The only difference is that there’s no dairy whatsoever. And that’s not all – Doisy & Dam also offer Drops (for those of you craving vegan M&Ms) as well as chocolate buttons and peanut butter cups.
Doisy & Dam also claim that their premium chocolate contains 30% less sugar than market-leading equivalents. A healthier, luxury alternative to some of Britain’s most popular chocolate bars – what’s not to love about that? Available now in Boots, Holland & Barrett and their official website.
Seed and Bean
Seed and Bean describe their product as chocolate ‘with a wild side’ and we’re inclined to agree. Their vegan range offers an array of bold combinations, such as Espresso, Orange & Thyme, and Lemon & Cardamom, and with their dark chocolate being made with medium roasted cocoa beans, what’s not to love?
To treat that special someone who’s crazy about chocolate (or to just treat yourself…), Seed and Bean’s bundles make for perfect gifts. For rich and intense flavours, we recommend their exquisite Extra Dark Bundle. Or if you’re scouring shelves for vegan white chocolate, the Milk and White Bundle is sure to sate your cravings. The Wild Bundle, on the other hand, is a glorious mix of natural organic flavours – equal parts fruity, zingy, and wonderfully fragrant.
Seed and Bean pride themselves as the only chocolate brand in the UK to receive a ‘100% ethical pass mark accreditation’. Their chocolate, sourced from the Dominican Republic, is vegan, free from palm oil and made with 100% compostable packaging. Purchase from Seed and Bean’s range of chocolate in Waitrose, Abel & Cole, and The Vegan Kind Supermarket.
Fellow Creatures
According to Fellow Creatures, their chocolate is the ‘creamiest dairy-free chocolate ever’. They certainly seem to live up to this claim, combining coconut cream, cacao butter, and raw cane sugar for pure indulgent smoothness.
For eager vegan (or non-vegan) chocoholics, Fellow Creatures’ Creamy Milkless Chocolate will give you the perfect dose of chocolate deliciousness. Alternatively, the Raspberry White is bursting with rich fruity flavours, amid the creamy vegan white chocolate.
If their name suggests, Fellow Creatures are proud of their identity as an ethical and environmentally-conscious brand. As their website says, ‘it may just be chocolate, but it’s part of something bigger.’ We couldn’t agree more. By cutting out dairy, palm oil, and refined sugars, helping the planet has never tasted so good. Fellow Creatures chocolate is available on their official website, as well as The Vegan Kind Supermarket.
Montezuma
Like No Udder is Montezuma’s creation that’s “as close to milk chocolate as possible, without ever going near a cow”. All of their dark chocolate bars are vegan-friendly too but we have two milk chocolate recommendations here: the Like No Udder with Orange and the Like No Udder Mini Bars (without orange). And well, what can we say about them? They really are like no udder!
So there you have it. Hopefully, we’ve convinced you that being vegan doesn’t mean you need to miss out on your favourite chocolate treats. If you’d like to honour World Chocolate Day on 7th July (or any normal day) by creating your own chocolate pudding or snack, you can check out these chocolate recipes – they’re all 100% vegan and delicious.
About the author:
Looking for ways to enjoy all there is to offer from a plant-based lifestyle? At allplants, we don’t believe you have to compromise on flavour to have a rich, varied, and healthy vegan diet. Visit the all plants blog today for more plant-based recipes, guides, and helpful hacks.
