I didn’t use to be a chocolate lover. Sure in my youth, I loved a good Hershey’s cookies and cream bar. But those were far and few between. My savory side tends to lead my taste buds. And until the last year or so, it’s safe to say I didn’t have a chocolate section in my fridge. However, these days my vegan chocolate section is one of the best and most regularly stocked parts of my refrigerator.
I test a lot of foods for the blog. Some never make it to review for one reason or another. Which is to say, there’s more than one chocolate you won’t find in today’s list. I personally try to avoid those with cane sugar or soy lecithins. Since I’ve cut back on the soy in my diet, I’ve come to realize that chocolate with soy tastes a bit off to me. It leaves almost the same kind of feeling in my mouth that whipped cream from Starbucks does. Does that make sense? So while brands like Prana Organic, Endangered Species & Justin’s are all awesome, I don’t tend to buy them unless I just NEED a chocolate peanut butter cup.
White Chocolate/Light Chocolate Lovers
I grouped these two together because to be honest I haven’t found the perfect white vegan chocolate yet. However, I recently stumbled onto one that comes close. After accidentally discovering that Vitacost stocks Loving Earth*, I quickly placed an order. I snagged all the options available at the time on their site. But there’s only one flavor that stood out the most and I would repurchase again: Salted Caramel*.
Loving Earth is based out of Australia and gets a lot of love from Sarah from Sarah’s Day. It’s paleo, vegan and definitely a great vegan chocolate option. The one thing I did notice with the few flavors I tried was that they were more cocoa butter than cacao powder. If you like a milder chocolate taste or prefer something creamier, these are probably for you. The Salted Caramel doesn’t have a caramel center like you might expect. But it does have a caramel taste with a slight bit of chocolate going on. If you’re a lighter chocolate lover, this is definitely one to give a go.
Milk Chocolate Lovers
I whole heartedly place myself in this category of chocolate lovers. And it’s probably why it’s taken me ages to find a clean vegan chocolate I enjoy. It’s almost like being Goldilocks in the 3 Little Bears. This chocolate is too dark. This chocolate is too light. And so on. But alas, I have found my perfect bowl of porridge/milk chocolate. Thank heavens for Hu Chocolate*.
My favorites by far are either the Cashew Butter + Vanilla Bean* or the Hazelnut butter*. But the simple chocolate bar is pretty great too. If you want a good mix of cocoa with a bit of a creamier taste, these will be the perfect choice. They are sweet without being too sweet. You also don’t get the bitterness I’ve found with other vegan chocolates. I’ve honestly stopped buying most other chocolate bars because I compare them all to these. Plus they are vegan & paleo!
DARK CHOCOLATE LOVERS
Try as I might but dark chocolate isn’t for me. There’s just something about the bitter taste that isn’t winning any awards. And because a lot of vegan chocolate tends to land towards this category without the traditional milk, I didn’t eat chocolate for years. Luckily for you gals, I’ve tried enough to know what my dark chocolate loving friends would enjoy. One brand in particular stands out and I would happily recommend: Eating Evolved*.
Another paleo & vegan chocolate brand, you can find them in most health food stores. They also sell their own version of peanut butter cup except with coconut butter*. If you love a good Reese’s though, don’t expect these to win you over. You’re better off to try a Justin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut butter cup* to satisfy your cravings. Or if you’re feeling super handy, you can make you own!
Eating Evolved makes quite a few different chocolate bars. But to me they all taste like dark chocolate ranging to super dark chocolate. If you like a regular dark chocolate, I’d recommend trying their signature dark bar. And if you’re one of those give me all the bitter chocolate kind of people, Midnight Coconut* might just be your bowl of porridge. Either way, Eating Evolved has a great range of high quality chocolate products. And there are tons of great options to try!
Do you have a favorite vegan chocolate? Let me know in the comments below! For now, you can probably find me sipping my afternoon tea & enjoying a bit of Hu Chocolate. See you tomorrow! xoxo, Savvy
