5 Chocolate Makers That Offer Quality Vegan Options
Chocolate is a popular sweet treat around the world, and is used in a variety of confections, from truffles to bars to hot drinks. While many companies use milk in most or all of their recipes, there are a number of chocolatiers that offer plenty of delicious vegan options. Whether you're looking for dark chocolate made with only a few quality ingredients or candies that incorporate dairy-free milk alternatives, one of the companies listed here is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.
Chocolate Companies With Good Vegan Options
| Name | Location |
|---|---|
| Coco Caravan | Stroud, UK |
| Lulu's Chocolate | Petaluma, CA |
| CocoAndré | Dallas, TX |
| Fine & Raw Chocolate | Brooklyn, NY |
| Loving Earth | Melbourne, Australia |
Fun Facts About Chocolate
- Each cacao seed pod is about the size of a pineapple and holds 30-50 seeds
- Cacao flowers are pollinated by midges, tiny flies that live in the rotting leaves and other debris that fall to the forest floor at the base of the tree
- It takes about four cacao seeds to make one ounce of milk chocolate, and about twelve seeds to make an ounce of dark chocolate
- Chocolate contains relatively small amounts of caffeine and theobromine, stimulants that are also found in coffee
- Cacao beans are native to Mexico, Central America, and South America
- Until the 1800s, chocolate was consumed in liquid form
- Cacao trees can live up to 200 years
The Science Of Chocolate
The History Of Chocolate
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1800 - 300 BCE | Cacao is first domesticated by the Olmec people on the Mexican Gulf Coast |
| 200-900 CE | Earliest conclusive evidence of chocolate consumption by the Maya |
| 13th - 16th centuries | The Aztec civilization uses cacao seeds as money and uses chocolate in rituals & ceremonies |
| 16th century | Spanish colonizers discover chocolate |
| 1657 | The first English chocolate house opens |
| 1700 | There are over 1,000 chocolate houses in London |
| 1776 | M. Doret invents a hydraulic machine for grinding cacao seeds |
| 1847 | Fry and Sons Company in England creates the first solid eating chocolate |
| 1868 | Richard Cadbury introduces the first box of chocolates |
| 1870s | Daniel Peter & Henri Nestlé develop the first milk chocolate bar in Switzerland |
| 1893 | Milton Hershey builds a chocolate factory in Pennsylvania |
| 1930 | There are nearly 40,000 different kinds of chocolate in the U.S. |
| 1982 | Chocolate makes the journey to outer space on the U.S. space shuttle Columbia |
Tips & Tricks for Vegetarians & Vegans
- Experiment with how you prepare tofu. It has a bad reputation, but it can be a great component of a meal if it's flavored and cooked right.
- Stock up on vegan snacks. Just because you're on a plant-based diet doesn't mean you can't have fun with your food.
- Consider a meatless diet for your dog, although of course you should talk to a vet before making this major change.
- It's not hard to get the protein you need from whole foods, but if you're a body builder or just concerned about protein intake, try mixing a vegan protein powder into a shake or smoothie.
- If you're making this change for health reasons, remember to create sustainable habits so that you don't lose steam after a week or two.
How Chocolate Is Made
In Depth
If you've recently gone vegan, you might have a hard time finding versions of your favorite snacks and treats that fit into your new lifestyle. Fortunately, there are many chocolatiers across the world producing delicious dairy-free sweets. Here, in no particular order, are several suppliers of plant-based chocolate that every vegan ought to check out.
Up first, in the #1 spot, we have Coco Caravan. The combination of raw cacao and unrefined coconut blossom nectar gives this vegan chocolate a smooth melt and clean taste. Hand-crafted in Stroud, UK, this raw chocolate is also gluten-free, organic, and derived from certified fair trade sources.
Coco Caravan offers a range of minimally-processed, dairy-free treats, including caramel-fillings, dipped fruit, and a cashew-based alternative to white chocolate. The company's small batch bean to bar chocolates showcase old and rare varieties of cacao. Monthly bean to bar subscription boxes are available.
The company's small batch bean to bar chocolates showcase old and rare varieties of cacao.
Coming in at #2 on our list is Lulu's Chocolate. In 2006, this brand's founder, Lulu Bonner, gave up refined sugar and set out to bridge the gap between gourmet sweets and health. As a result, these raw dark chocolates are sweetened with low-glycemic coconut sugar.
Lulu's Chocolate is produced using wild-harvested, heirloom Arriba from Ecuador, and the company maintains a direct relationship with its suppliers. The final result is vegan, paleo-friendly, soy and gluten-free, as well as certified organic. The company also produces chocolates that have been infused with CBD.
Next up, at #3, we have CocoAndre. Located in Dallas, this family-owned chocolatier combines traditional European techniques with modern flavors from Mexico. CocoAndre provides innovative vegan chocolate flavor pairings such as la picosita bar, which contains chile guajillo, pepitas and hibiscus salt. The shop's cafe offers dairy-free options such as paletas and horchata.
The shop's cafe offers dairy-free options such as paletas and horchata.
CocoAndre's other dairy-free chocolate offerings include a s'mores bar with vegan marshmallows and cashews, and dark chocolate paired with lavender. The shop's in-house dairy-free caramel is used in truffles, pecan turtles, and more. CocoAndre also offers a variety box featuring different flavors of vegan truffles.
In the #4 spot is Fine & Raw Chocolate. Founded in Williamsburg, Brooklyn by Daniel Sklaar, this company produces organic, plant-based chocolate that is minimally processed and free of refined sugars, soy, dairy, and gluten. It uses nut butters or coconut butter to create milky textures in its creamier sweets.
Fine & Raw chocolates are sweetened with coconut sugar - specifically chosen to enhance the rich, deep flavors of cacao. The company's mesquite bar contains no added sugar, and is keto and paleo friendly. In addition to chocolate bars and truffles, Fine & Raw also produces hazelnut spread.
The company's mesquite bar contains no added sugar, and is keto and paleo friendly.
And finally, #5 on our list is Loving Earth, a Melbourne-based company dedicated to sourcing organic, fair-trade foods. Loving Earth produces a unique range of breakfast cereals, superfood snacks, and raw vegan chocolate, all of which are free of gluten, dairy, and refined sugar. Its chocolate is made from cacao which has been grown by the Ashaninka community in Peru.
In addition to classic flavors, Loving Earth offers unique plant-based chocolate treats, such as lemon cheesecake caramel and a vegan take on Turkish Delight that includes dried cranberries and rose oil. It also offers dairy-free mylk and white chocolate options made out of creamy coconut and other milk alternatives.
