The best vegan chocolate & other alternatives🍫

There’s no question about it: for most people, chocolate is the queen of all sweets – there’s no denying that (even if I honestly think it’s gummy bears🍫 ). This is exactly why vegan chocolate is also the candy that comes in the greatest variety.

However, mass does not always mean quality, so it is important to take a close look at chocolate. Or better: taste it.

Which vegan types of chocolate are delicious (including which ones I personally like best) and why chocolate has always been vegan: I’ll tell you in today’s article.

(Before you read more deeply about the delicious types of chocolate: Bake these simple chocolate nut butter cookies quickly – they taste great on this topic. 🍫 )

Chocolate – actually vegan from scratch

Whenever I’m asked if I’m “allowed” to eat chocolate (I’m allowed to do everything, I just don’t want to – by the way 😋), I roll my eyes inwardly. Basically, chocolate consists only of cocoa beans, sugar and cocoa butter.

I actually never liked milk chocolate, it was always too sweet for me. Dark chocolate has always been my choice of chocolate. Especially from the day I knew that high-proof chocolate can even be a superfood (depending on the sugar content, of course).

However, since many people assume that vegan chocolate is just another unhealthy copied product, I went a little more intensively on the trail of chocolate.

THE HISTORY OF CHOCOLATE (AND WHY IT IS NO LONGER AUTOMATICALLY VEGAN TODAY)

• Chocolate was once the elite drink of the Maya and Aztecs, who drank it raw with water and foamed it by pouring it out several times – they called the chocolate “cacahuatl” at the time.
• In 1521, Spanish conquerors conquered and destroyed the Aztec empire, thereby discovering chocolate
• Because the chocolate was too bitter for them in its original state, they enriched it with sugar
• It is therefore assumed that a Spanish conqueror brought chocolate to Europe
• The first official shipment of cocoa beans crossed the Atlantic from Veracruz to Seville in 1585
• From Spain, chocolate spread as a sweet drink across Europe
• The chocolate was processed with milk for the first time in Germany in 1830 (but this was not yet poured into bars)
• In 1847, the first chocolate bar was made by the Dutchman van Houtens with melted cocoa butter (poured into molds) – without milk
• However, it was the Swiss who “perfected” milk chocolate at the end of the 19th century

When is chocolate vegan – or what is not vegan in chocolate?
The answer is as simple as it is obvious: chocolate is always vegan if there is no animal product in it.

Of course, this is primarily milk – of course. But milk powder is also often used (especially in so-called cheap chocolate) and contributes to the fact that chocolate is then no longer vegan. And of course cream. The same goes for honey, which is occasionally used, for example, in special delicatessen chocolate.

Pure cocoa is a so-called superfood: it contains a particularly large number of polyphenols, flavanoids and secondary plant substances. These fight the free radicals in the body’s own cells. These are usually found in fruits and vegetables.

“High-percentage” chocolate (more than 70% cocoa content, no schnapps pralines) is actually a healthy sweet. And in this form, chocolate has always been vegan (see also the section “The history of chocolate”). Then chocolate usually contains little to no sugar.

Milk chocolate, the way most people prefer to eat it, is bursting with sugar and milk fat. In any case, you can consider them unhealthy. At least compared to a (vegan) dark chocolate.

However, if you compare conventional milk chocolate and vegan milk chocolate with each other, both are equally (un)healthy – measured in terms of sugar and fat. So you can enjoy your vegan chocolate with a clear conscience.

The best vegan chocolate varieties

But now finally to the reason why you are here: The best vegan chocolate varieties and where you can buy them!

Delicious vegan milk chocolate

LINDT VEGAN PURE

It’s not really surprising that I mention Lindt here. Even if it took Lindt quite a long time to come up with the simple “milk chocolate variant”. The Hello Lindt varieties (see “other fine chocolates”) have been on everyone’s lips for quite a while – and rightly so. 

Vegan Pure from Lindt tastes like milk chocolate should (says my husband) and melts in your mouth. Incidentally, this is the same chocolate that Lindt uses for the Easter bunnies and Santa Clauses in “Hello Vegan”.

Available: In all well-stocked supermarkets such as Edeka, REWE, and Co.

PUR WITHOUT MOO FROM RITTER SPORT

Ritter Sport actually offers a number of vegan chocolates, some of which have been in the range for many decades, such as marzipan. PUR one Moo has been in the range since January and is a real alternative to conventional milk chocolate. As always, it comes in a square and therefore has that wonderfully firm bite that you love Ritter Sport for (or not).

Available:  In all well-stocked supermarkets such as Edeka, REWE, and Co.

The best vegan dark chocolate

DARK BITTER WITH 52% COCOA FROM LINDT

I love this vegan chocolate! It is wonderfully tender and melts and has a wonderfully delicate bittersweet note. I am pretty sure that this is the same chocolate that is used for the bittersweet Easter bunnies and Santa Clauses. As I said, it has a great melt and is really nice and round in taste.

Available:  In all well-stocked supermarkets such as Edeka, REWE and Co.

FINE BITTERS FROM MOSER ROTH

Among other things, I mention this because it simply has an unbeatable price-performance ratio. It tastes like dark or dark chocolate should and costs just under 90 cents.

Available:  Only from ALDI, since it is its own brand.

Vegan chocolate that brings back childhood memories

SHAKA LOTTA FROM VANTASTIC FOODS

Are you missing children’s bars or children’s chocolate? Then this is your product. You probably won’t find one that comes closer to the original. (By the way, if you miss yogurette, the  Schaka Berry from Vantastic Foods is  the right vegan chocolate for you)

The bars from Schaka Lotta not only look almost identical, they really are almost exactly like the original. I love giving this chocolate as gifts as so far everyone has been delighted with this childhood backflash.

Available:  Directly in the  online shop of Vantastic-Foods  or in very well stocked REWE branches.

ROASTED HAZELNUT BY VEGANZ

Honestly, it reminds me of my childhood! The whole nut chocolate bars that grandma brought. Everyone probably still knows this bar from Aldi (or was it Norma?), where the chocolate was packed in transparent plastic foil and a cardboard slipcase with a viewing window. Oh… how I liked to eat it. 🙂 Perfect for a Netflix marathon with chocolate and chips – nice and nutty and also a bit darker than normal, so not too sweet.

Available: Online at Vekoop , at DM and also in well-stocked REWE branches. 

Vegan nut nougat chocolate and whole nuts

VEGO BY VEGO

The classic among vegan chocolates and until 2018 almost the only one that you could eat… It is very rich, has a wonderful nougat note and a nice bite through all the hazelnuts. It’s also organic – you should definitely try it! A safe bank that you can actually find in every health food store.

Available:  So far only in organic markets and  online .

DARK NOUGAT FROM VIVANI

Oh, what is she fine! Just as tenderly melting as the Vego, only much narrower or thinner, which one or the other may simply like better. It practically melts when your tongue touches it and really has a dreamy nougat note. If you like to bake chocolate croissants yourself: try thin strips of this chocolate, you won’t use anything else.

It is also a great chocolate to give as a gift: high quality, organic and delicious! Nobody has complained yet. 🙂

Available:  In the  Vivani online shop  or in organic markets.

ROASTED HAZELNUT BY VEGANZ

See “ Chocolate that brings back childhood memories ” above.

A real chocolate specialty – organic & sugar-free

FINEST DATE CONFECTIONERY FROM DJOON

I died and woke up in heaven, I thought to myself at Veggie World this year while trying Djoon ‘s date pralines!

Something so wonderfully fine – just great. Djoon’s date pralines are made with the best organic ingredients and are completely sugar-free. The sweetness here comes solely from the dates. The small works of art are encased in the best organic cocoa mass.

They come in multiple flavors and I definitely recommend the mix pack  – they’re all great. At first glance, they may seem a bit expensive to some, but each one is so rich in flavor that one is enough for dessert and they will last for a few days. 🙂

Available: You can currently only buy them online.

Weitere feine vegane Schokoladensorten

HELLO VEGAN BY LINDT

All varieties are really good here! If I have to make a decision, then I definitely for the hazelnut and popcorn varieties! My husband – a self-confessed chocoholic – actually thinks they are all great. You can   buy these delicious narrow bars in the following varieties :

• Vegan Sweet’n Salty Popcorn (my favorite from Hello vegan)
• Vegan Roasted Salty Almonds
• Vegan Salted Caramel
• Vegan cookies

Available:  In all well-stocked supermarkets such as Edeka, REWE, and Co.

SESAME FROM RITTER SPORT

Oh yes, the Ritter Sport sesame chocolate. What have we been looking for… FOREVER! But the search was worth it, because it is actually extremely tasty and Markus loves it almost as much as all the vegan varieties from Lindt. The roasted sesame gives it a pleasant bite and also tastes like sesame – if you like sesame. 🙂

Available:  In all well-stocked supermarkets such as Edeka, REWE and Co.

ALMOND QUINOA VEGAN BY RITTER SPORT

This vegan chocolate is really nice and dark and has a great bite due to the almonds and quinoa. Really great aroma with the seal “we love”. This is one of the first official vegan chocolates from Ritter Sport and it has rightly remained in the range. In any case, I don’t want to miss them and I buy them regularly!

Available:  In all well-stocked supermarkets such as Edeka, REWE and Co.

The best vegan chocolate pralines, chocolate lentils and Co.

CHOCOLATES FROM THE AMBER ROOM

Surely you have already heard of the amber room. If not, you should urgently change that. We are talking about small wonderful chocolates that are second to none. Completely vegan, these come in the most fantastic creations. Maple-Pecan, Edelnougat-Arriba and Matcha-Cashew have recently even won awards. We tried it – a poem!

Available:  Primarily in the online shop, occasionally in small delicatessens such as the  OmNomNom in Munich.

VIVIANI BARS

Vivani bars can do just as much as their big sisters in bar form. They are melt-in-the-mouth and slightly larger than children’s bars – all with a delicious filling. They’re all really delicious. If I had to choose, it would be Dark Nougat or White Nougat Crisp.

Available:  In organic markets or online.

ORGANIC SEAFOOD FROM CLARANA

You used to like to eat Guylian or do you still remember the commercial from the nineties? Then you’ve come to the right place: The delicious seafood made from the finest marble chocolate is melt-in-the-mouth, 100% organic and does not contain palm oil.

Available:  Primarily direct from  Clarana online, I haven’t seen them in stores yet.

SCHAKALODE MONSTERS BY VANTASTIC FOODS (SMARTIES DUPE)

My husband loves Smarties – the original is of course no longer available. But the dupe from Vantastic Foods leaves nothing to be desired: chocolate covered in a crisp, colorful shell that is not only delicious but also great for decorating muffins and cakes. The colorful chocolate lentils come to you in the colors green, yellow, blue and brown. (also available in the “unhealthy” 500 g bag… 😉 )

Available:  Primarily in the  Vantastic Foods online shop, occasionally in well-stocked REWE stores.

Meine allerliebsten veganen Schokoladen!

I already promised at the beginning that I would also name my very own favorite varieties. I want to do that instead. But let’s start with a funny anecdote:

I used to hardly eat any chocolate, I just didn’t like any. There were exactly three varieties that I liked: the whole nut in cellophane from Aldi or Norma (I can’t remember exactly), Yogurette and now and then a children’s bar. That’s it.

I’ve only really enjoyed eating chocolate since I became vegan. And if so, then I use the following varieties:

My conclusion

As you can see, there really is the right vegan chocolate for every taste. It doesn’t matter whether you’re more of a fan of milk chocolate or like to snack on something very unusual: the range is huge today! And I’m sure that we can look forward to what’s to come – I’m definitely excited.

Enjoy them, no matter which one you choose!

FANCY CHOCOLATE RECIPES?

coming… 🍫🍫