Pro Taste

The rise and rise of plant-based chocolate: more options than ever

There’s never been a better time to be a chocolate lover exploring plant-based options. While dairy-free chocolate has long been available – think dark chocolate, for example – in recent years, the plant-based chocolate market has transformed into a world of creamy, indulgent treats. Whether you’re plant-based, flexitarian, or simply a devoted chocolate lover, today’s dairy-free options now rival traditional chocolates in terms of both flavour and texture.

Making chocolate taste great without dairy

While animal-based milk is often viewed as being the cornerstone of chocolate, the smoothness and richness of dairy is easy to replace with substitutes such as rice milk, for example, which has long been used for making allergen-free chocolate. And as the variety of plant-based milks has grown, so have the potential ingredients for making delicious plant-based chocolate.

Here’s how the chocolate industry cracked the code for delicious plant-based products:

  • Innovative ingredients: Modern plant-based chocolates use alternatives like oat milk, almond milk, and coconut milk to replicate the creaminess of dairy. For example, Lindt’s vegan range uses almonds and oat flour to achieve a smooth ‘mouthfeel’ – the technical term for the luxurious texture and melting sensation of chocolate. 
  • Flavour balancing: Non-dairy ingredients, like almond milk, can bring distinct flavours. Chocolatiers work to balance these flavours with natural sweeteners such as cane sugar, coconut sugar, or agave syrup to enhance cocoa’s richness. Many premium brands also use single-origin cocoa beans and precise roasting techniques to bring out unique, complex flavours in their chocolate.
  • Craftsmanship and expertise: Premium brands invest extra time and care in the chocolate-making process. A key step is tempering, a physicochemical process that improves the hardness and elasticity of substances such as glass, metal – and chocolate! –  by reheating and then cooling it. Tempering gives high-end chocolate its glossy finish, as well as its crisp ‘snap’ and smooth texture, by carefully controlling the temperature during production. Tempering also ensures that a bar melts decadently in your mouth. However, not all high-end chocolate is tempered – the plant-based brand Booja Booja, for example, produces indulgent plant-based chocolate truffles with a velvety texture that doesn’t require tempering.

More options than ever before

From supermarket staples to premium indulgences, the variety of plant-based chocolate products has exploded in the past few years and they’re easily available in most mainstream shopping locations. Some standout options include:

  • Cadbury Plant Bars: a classic creamy treat made with almond paste.
  • Lindt Classic Vegan: rich, velvety chocolate crafted with almonds and oats.
  • LoveRaw: inventive flavour combinations like caramel and peanut.
  • Booja Booja: artisanal organic chocolate truffles with a handcrafted touch.
  • Nomo: allergy-friendly chocolate offering both creamy and dark varieties.
  • Moo Free: a family-friendly range with fun flavours and ethical credentials.
  • Tony’s Chocolonely dark: a plant-based variant from this fun and ethically centred newcomer to the chocolate sector.

These brands, alongside major supermarkets like Aldi and Tesco with their own-label products, are making plant-based chocolate more accessible than ever.

A treat for today – and tomorrow

Plant-based chocolate allows you to indulge your senses without compromise. As well as being dairy-free, these products often also align with ethical and health-conscious values:

  • Sustainability: many brands source their cocoa ethically, and use certifications such as Fair Trade or Rainforest Alliance.
  • Health benefits: some plant-based chocolates include reduced sugar, added prebiotics, and organic certifications.
  • Premium experiences: artisanal and single-origin options mean you don’t have to sacrifice quality for ethics.

So, whether you’re after a decadent truffle, a family-friendly bar, or a luxurious dark chocolate snack, there’s a plant-based option for every desire.

‘Accidentally vegan’ chocolate is a thing!

Not all plant-based chocolate is explicitly labelled as vegan or dairy-free. Many plain dark chocolates – like Green & Black’s Organic Dark Chocolate (70%) or Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa – don’t contain any dairy ingredients – although they might carry cross-contamination warnings, having been produced in a factory that also makes dairy-based chocolate.

While these ‘accidentally vegan’ options are great for flexitarians or those not strictly plant-based, people with dairy allergies should check labels carefully.

A chocolate revolution

The boom in plant-based chocolate is about more than just taste – it reflects changing values. More and more people want to consume treats that align with their health goals and ethical priorities – and the chocolate industry has risen to the challenge.

So next time you’re craving something sweet, grab yourself a plant-based chocolate! With so many delicious options, you’re not just indulging – you’re joining the chocolate revolution!

Simon Middleton

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