If you are a vegan like myself I understand how confusing and frustrating it can be when shopping at the local supermarket looking for some snacks or sweet treats that are diary free and that do not contain any animal based products but still tase delicious.
One of the reasons I created Rayluca Chocolates which are 100% dairy free, soy free, gluten free but still absolutely mouth watering. Check out our shop above!
Besides Rayluca Chocolate thankfully, there is a plethora of brands producing truly plant-based chocolates for vegans today that you can find in some local supermarkets. Our brand is only sold online but I wanted to share a great list for you to view.
I was inspired by one of my loyal customers after hearing their story on how they were going crazy looking for the perfect vegan gift for a friend before they stumbled onto our website after making some online searches.
Of course I love the support and we take incredible passion and honor to help deliver incredible vegan chocolate gifts & boxes but I also know sometimes you need something quick and local.
So I went to my local supermarket and within minutes of searching for the best gift, I came across several brands of vegan chocolates; grabbed a few bars and tested them all out myself.
So in this article, I have put together a list of the best 5 vegan chocolate bars you can find at most supermarkets. Whether you are a vegan yourself or a friend of a vegan looking to surprise them with a treat, these vegan chocolate bars will be perfect. What's more? I will tell you which supermarkets carry them!
If you are not sure what makes vegan chocolate different and why is it so important to vegan let's do a quick education dive before we get into the list.
What is a Vegan Chocolate?
Simply put, vegan chocolate is any chocolate that contains zero animal-based ingredients. You will notice that traditional "milk chocolates" contain cow milk and other ingredients such as honey. That makes them unsuitable for vegans. Vegan chocolates only contain plant-based ingredients,
Note, however, that just because a chocolate bar is branded “vegan,” it does not necessarily mean it is a healthy option. Some vegan chocolate brands still use too much sugar, so you should be on the lookout and consume them moderately.
Does Vegan Chocolate Contain Milk?
As I mentioned earlier, vegan chocolates are purely plant-based, so they do not contain cow milk. Instead of cow milk, most brands use almond, oat, soy, or coconut milk in their vegan chocolates.
I noticed that this makes them creamier then traditional chocolates with cow milk. These milk options also add unique flavors to the chocolates.
I must also mention that apart from being vegan-friendly, chocolates with plant-based milk options are way healthier than traditional chocolates.
For instance, plant-based milk such as almond milk is lower in saturated fat and calories than dairy milk. Oat milk also contains lots of fibre and other nutrients.
5 Best Vegan Chocolate Bars You Can Find at Most Supermarkets
Here is my list of the top 5 plant-based chocolates you will likely find at your local supermarkets:
1. Lily’s Extremely Dark Chocolate Bar
Lily's is one of the top brands producing plant-based chocolates. Each of their products is "botanically" sweetened which means it has zero processed or refined sugar. Most of their bars including the Extremely Dark Chocolate Bar contain stevia which balances out strong cocoa flavours.
This particular product comes in a 12-pack. It is keto-friendly and has 85% cocoa. It is gluten-free and has zero GMO products.
Ingredients
Lily’s uses unsweetened chocolate in this product. There is also Erythritol, Cocoa butter, inulin, stevia extract, vanilla, and organic soy lecithin. All these ingredients are put together to give an Extremely Dark flavour.
The Extremely Dark Chocolate Bar goes for $29.99. You can get it from most supermarkets including Target, Kroger, Safeway, Publix, Wegmans, etc.
2. Lindt EXCELLENCE 70% Cocoa Dark Chocolate Bar
This is another top brand giving us best-in-class plant-based products. One of the products I liked is the Excellence 70% Cocoa Dark Chocolate Bar.
This product is made with sustainably sourced premium ingredients. I particularly liked the well-balanced and robust cocoa notes with an exceptionally silky feel. It is the perfect gift for any vegan.
Ingredients
The Excellence 70% Cocoa Dark Chocolate Bar contains chocolate, unprocessed and unrefined sugar, cocoa butter, soya lecithin which is an emulsifier, and bourbon vanilla beans. The ingredients give off a nice flavour that is 70% cocoa.
This product comes in a 12-pack and goes for $52.91. Some of the supermarkets that stock the product include Kroger, Target, Aldi, Lidi, and Safeway, among others.
3. GHIRARDELLI Intense Dark Chocolate Bar
Surprise your vegan friend or family member with this Intense Dark Chocolate Bar for CHIRARDELLI. This dark chocolate packs 72% cocoa and comes in a pack of 12 bars. It comes with intensely delicious chocolate with subtle flavours of raspberry, succulent cherry, and mocha.
The company mentions that all its ingredients including the cocoa beans are sustainably sourced. They are all high-quality ingredients that are skillfully blended into this delicious plant-based treat.
Ingredients
CHIRARDELLI uses unsweetened chocolate in this product. There is also cocoa butter, unrefined and unprocessed sugar, natural flavours, soy lecithin, and vanilla. The overall flavour is 72% cocoa.
You can get the CHIRARDELLI Intense Dark Chocolate Bar for $30. As I mentioned, it comes in a 12-pack so I would say that's a really good deal given the quality of the product. Some of the supermarkets that stock these bars include Target, Aldi, Safeway, The Kroger, among others.
4. Green and Black’s Organic Chocolate
Green and Black’s Organics want you and your beloved ones to feel good for every bite you take. One of the things I liked about the company is that it sources all its cocoa via a third-party sustainability service called Cocoa Life.
This ensures that their workers are all fairly paid. They mostly produce vegan varieties except a few including the Salted Caramel.
Now this product comes with 8 bars. It is made from fair trade chocolate that’s made with USDA Organic and non-GMO ingredients. It is a tasty treat that will surely impress any vegan.
Ingredients
The ingredients in these chocolate bars include 85% dark chocolate, 70% dark chocolate and almonds mixed with milk chocolate.
There is also white chocolate, organic bittersweet chocolate, organic cane sugar, organic vanilla extract, tree nuts, and organic vanilla extracts. The company also uses organic soy lecithin. The overall flavour is chocolate.
Green and Black’s Organic Chocolate retails at $31.68. Supermarkets that carry the product include Publix, Aldi, Target, Save Mart, and Costo.
5. Alter Eco Classic Blackout 85% Pure Dark Chocolate
Alter Eco is one of my go-to brands for vegan chocolate bars. They used to produce very tasty plant-based dark chocolate truffles but it looks like they had a limited run and decided to focus most of their attention on the chocolate bar category.
Apart from the Classic Blackout 85% Pure Dark Chocolate, I would also recommend the Quinoa Crunch and the Raspberry Blackout. They are both amazing options.
The Classic Blackout Pure Dark is gluten-free and uses non-GMO ingredients. It comes in a 12-pack of pure greatness.
It is a seriously dark vegan bar for vegans who are serious about their chocolate. The company’s Swiss chocolatiers meticulously roast and conch the fine ingredients to balance out depth and darkness to give you a round, smooth, and very creamy finish.
Ingredients
Some of the ingredients used include organic cocoa beans, organic cocoa butter, organic raw cane, and organic vanilla beans. The ingredients give you a classic blackout flavour that will have you craving more.
The Classic Blackout 85% Pure Dark Chocolate retails at $42.55. This is a very fair price given the detail and quality that goes into this product. Get one for yourself or for your friend and they will surely appreciate it.
Get this product at Save Mart Supermarket, Target, H-E-B Grocery, and Aldi, among other supermarkets.
Best Vegan Chocolate Bars You Can Find at Most Supermarkets: FAQ
What is vegan chocolate made out of?
Almost all vegan chocolates are made from roasted cocoa beans. The beans are then milled into a paste with sugar and an emulsifier such as lecithin. It is important to note that all ingredients in vegan chocolates are plant-based. So instead of using cow milk like in traditional chocolates, manufacturers use coconut, oat, almond, or soy milk.
How do you know a chocolate bar is vegan?
The best way to know if a chocolate product is vegan is to look at the label. You want to carefully look at all the ingredients to make sure there is nothing in there that shouldn’t be there.
Why is chocolate with sugar not vegan?
Only chocolate bars with raw sugar products are vegan. Note that refined sugars require bone char so they can achieve their clear white color. For this reason, any chocolate that uses refined sugar is considered unsuitable for vegans.
Why is normal chocolate not vegan?
There are many reasons why normal chocolate is not vegan. One, most normal chocolate use animal products such as dairy products. Secondly, they use refined and processed sugars which are unsuitable for vegans. All vegan products must only contain plant-based ingredients.
What is the difference between dairy-free and vegan chocolate?
Dairy-free chocolate is not necessarily vegan because it may or may not contain other animal-based ingredients. For instance, dairy-free chocolate may still contain honey, making it NOT vegan. Vegan chocolate contains 100% plant-based ingredients.
My Final Thoughts
Chocolate is a tasty treat that most people across the globe enjoy. If you are a vegan or have a vegan friend and looking for a great luxury gift, there are so many options out there for you. However, you want to carefully choose your products as not every “vegan” product is actually vegan. Be sure to read the labels to make sure you are getting a truly plant-based product.
The next time you go shopping for a vegan chocolate bar, consider the options I have discussed and you won't be disappointed.