There once was a time when strangely enough there were only a few chocolate bar choices and most if not all contained milk. Thankfully, it’s 2019 and we are living in a time of abundant chocolate. There are chocolate bars for every palate and preference and even many that are dairy-free. It’s a great time for vegan chocolate lovers as even many mainstream grocery stores offer at least one vegan chocolate bar option. Health food stores have a plethora of vegan options from a plain dark chocolate bar to even white raw chocolate bars.
As avid chocolate lovers and enthusiasts ourselves, we’ve tried a wide array of the chocolate bars on the market and have compiled a list of the absolute best ones to buy. We’ve separated them into categories because we know not everyone loves white chocolate (or dark chocolate for that matter) and that some people prefer a little something extra in their bars.
Keep in mind there are a lot of options on the market, we’ve just reviewed the absolute best bars available. Most of these bars are Rain Forest Alliance Certified or Fair Trade certified as well as organic. This makes them excellent for your tastebuds, the earth, and the people who grow the cacao. We include a list at the end of a few big companies that have vegan options and are easily found in most grocery stores just so you know all of your options if you’re out and want or need chocolate in a pinch.
Sustainability and Quality:
Why it Matters When it Comes to Chocolate
As you will notice, the chocolate bars and brands we reviewed and share have a few things in common. Mainly, that they’re mostly made from organic cacao beans and most companies are either Rainforest Alliance Certified, Fair Trade Certified, or the company discloses their practices that are in line with paying farmers fairly. We believe that being vegan is a great step towards a better future. But we must continue to push forward and find new ways to support our planet and its people. And part of that is focusing on sustainability. Organic farming practices are far more sustainable for the Earth and the animals and insects that live on it. This means we are leaving our planet in a better state when employing these practices as opposed to modern conventional agriculture.
In addition to supporting companies that employ organic farming practices, it’s important to support companies that also care about the people they work with. Cacao farming is notorious for farmers being underpaid for their beans. These farmers often live in poverty despite the fact that chocolate companies are profiting with huge margins. Additionally, cacao farming is a hard career as often farmers may lose their crops to weather, diseases, and pests. This makes it even harder to get out of poverty. Supporting Fair Trade Certified chocolate companies as well as those that have Rainforest Alliance Certification is incredibly important to healing the disproportionate wealth distribution that is currently part of the chocolate industry, caring about the communities impacted by cacao agriculture as well as preserving our environment and the delicate balance that needs to be maintained. What exactly do these labels mean?
According to the Fair Trade Certified page:
Fair trade is a global movement made up of a diverse network of producers, companies, shoppers, advocates, and organizations putting people and planet first.
Fair Trade Certified
The Fair Trade Certification ensures income sustainability for its workers, making sure that basic needs such as housing and food costs are accounted for regardless of whatever the global market prices may be for the products. It also works to ensure empowerment of its workers, individual and community well bell being, and environmental stewardship. A full explanation of what Fair Trade means and stories of its direct impact are available here as well as here.
According to the Rainforest Alliance page:
Our green frog certification seal indicates that a farm, forest, or tourism enterprise has been audited to meet standards that require environmental, social, and economic sustainability.
Rainforest Alliance Certified
The Rainforest Alliance certification means that biodiversity is promoted, natural resources are conserved, endangered species and land are protected, effective farm management is used, climate change is mitigated, human well being is considered and livelihoods are improved through decent wages and the ability to organize, and local communities are benefited. For a more in-depth explanation of what the Rainforest Alliance Certification stands for and who it impacts, read more here.
These certifications along with organic certification are immensely important in protecting our workers and communities worldwide while preserving the environment and the animals that live in it and people that depend on it now and for future generations.
The Best Brands to Look For
These brands are not all vegan, so you must check the ingredients in each bar prior to purchasing. What we can guarantee is that all of these brands are absolutely delicious and most are free of soy and gluten. This makes them excellent options for those with allergies. We share some of our favorite bars from these brands below. However, we did not review all of their vegan chocolate bars so be sure to seek them out for other options.
Equal Exchange
Equal Exchange is a co-op, meaning it’s worker-owned. All of its products are fairly traded and all of the chocolate bars they offer are certified organic.
Eating Evolved
Eating Evolved makes vegan-friendly chocolate bars that are also primal/paleo focused. Their chocolate is Rain Forest Alliance Certified and Organic. They don’t use dairy, corn, soy or gluten as well as refined sugars, using coconut sugar instead.
Hu Kitchen
Hu Kitchen is focused on creating food that is unprocessed and close to how it is found in nature, helping people “get back to human”. Their chocolate bars are organic and are free of dairy, soy, gluten, corn, emulsifiers and all refined sugars instead using coconut sugar.
Organic Nectars
This company offers raw vegan chocolate bars that are certified organic and free of refined sugar, using coconut nectar instead. All of their chocolates are free of dairy, soy and gluten.
Loving Earth
Loving Earth focuses on sustainability, creating organic, plant-based chocolates that are direct trade. That's why they’re great for the earth, farmers and people. Their chocolates are free of soy, gluten and cane sugar and are even packaged in compostable packing.
Sacred Chocolate
Sacred Chocolate is a raw and organic chocolate company that makes mostly vegan chocolates. This company uses ethically traded cacao and doesn’t use refined sugar, instead they're using maple sugar, inulin or erythritol. Many of this company’s chocolates are more superfood focused or medicinal, using items like medicinal mushrooms and goji berries.
Coracao Confections
This all organic company uses a more rare variety of chocolate bean in their all organic bars. They pay farmers above average or fair trade wages as part of their desire to be more sustainable. The company never uses soy, gluten, dairy, peanuts or cane sugar.
Gnosis Chocolate
This health-conscious chocolate company uses top of the line ingredients to handcraft small batches of raw vegan chocolate. Gnosis uses low glycemic sweeteners, no GMO’s and every product is free of gluten, dairy, soy, peanuts and refined sugar. Quite a few of their bars offer a variety of medicinal herbs making them extra unique.
White Chocolate
Brand: Organic Nectars
Bar:
Golden White Raw Cacao Chocolate Bar
Why We Love It:
This all-organic bar is quite refined and an amazing upgraded version of traditional white chocolate. It’s made from all organic and raw ingredients and uses a mix of cashew and coconut to get that creamy, milky texture and taste. It’s quite the treat for any white chocolate lover.
Bar:
Why We Love It:
This is the ultimate top of the line white chocolate bar. It’s made from antioxidant-rich raw cacao, uses maple sugar instead of refined sugar, cashew and coconut to give it a milky creaminess. Best of all, it uses only organic ingredients. It’s silky and smooth and a luxurious treat for even those who don’t typically enjoy white chocolate.
Brand: Pascha
Bar:
Why We Love It:
This bar is certified organic, uses only three ingredients and tastes very similar to a traditional white chocolate bar. It’s free of nuts and soy so it’s a great option for those with allergies.
Milk Chocolate
Brand: Eating Evolved
Bar:
Why We Love It:
This chocolate bar is insanely creamy and melt in your mouth delicious. It’s made from simple ingredients, sweetened with low glycemic coconut sugar and uses cashews for the milky and delicious texture. It’s free of soy making it an excellent option for those who avoid it or have allergies.
Brand: Loving Earth
Bar:
Why We Love It:
This bar is so smooth, creamy and milky it’s hard to just have a square. It’s made from all-organic ingredients and uses low glycemic coconut nectar to sweeten. It uses creamy coconut to give it that light milky taste and texture. This makes it a great nut-free option for anyone desiring vegan milk chocolate.
Brand: Enjoy Life Chocolate
Bar:
Why We Love It:
This rice milk chocolate is widely available at most stores It has a great price point, making it an excellent option for those who want to indulge without spending a lot. This chocolate bar uses rice milk and is free of the top eight allergens making it great for children and adults with allergies. It tastes delicious and sweet and is a great substitute when a milk chocolate craving strikes.
Dark Chocolate
Brand: Equal Exchange
Bar:
Organic Ecuador Dark Chocolate 65% cacao
Why We Love It:
This brand works hard to make amazing products while being a positive force for change in the world. This organic chocolate is absolutely delicious and creamy while still being a nice light dark chocolate. It’s free of soy and extremely affordable, making it a great go to bar to stock up on.
Brand: Equal Exchange
Bar:
Organic Panama Extra Dark Chocolate 80% cacao
Why We Love It:
This all organic chocolate bar is impressively smooth, creamy and rich while being incredibly dark. The hint of vanilla helps to soften the darkness and instead of being just a bitter bar, it makes it an enjoyably smooth taste for even those who say they don’t like dark chocolate.
Brand: Hu Kitchen
Bar:
Simple Dark Chocolate Bar 70% cacao
Why We Love It:
This brand keeps its ingredients incredibly simple and still manages to create outstanding chocolate. This chocolate bar is all organic and uses low glycemic coconut sugar to create an amazingly delicious, not too dark chocolate bar that is oh so creamy.
Brand: Eating Evolved
Bar:
Why We Love It:
This bar is made from just a few ingredients and tastes absolutely amazing. It is soy free, all organic and uses only coconut sugar instead of refined sugar for the ultimate treat. We love that the bars are thinner than most for a unique textural experience if you prefer to chew your chocolate as opposed to letting it melt in your mouth.
Chocolate with Extras:
Nuts, Fruits, Flavorings and More
Brand: Equal Exchange
Bar:
Why We Love It:
This bar is for all the chocolate and mint lovers out there. It’s all organic, soy free and minimal ingredients yet absolutely complex in flavor and texture. Smooth and creamy 67% dark chocolate has little crunchy bits of sweet mint all throughout it that is reminiscent of a favorite Girl Scout cookie, we promise.
Brand: Theo Chocolate
Bar:
Salted Almond 70% Dark Chocolate
Why We Love It:
Theo has an extremely unique tasting chocolate base for their bars that works incredibly well with the combination of almonds and sea salt. They use amazing almonds that are light and crisp in this all organic, soy-free bar. We love how creamy it is and how thin it is as it really lets the almonds and sea salt flavor shine through.
Brand: Hu Kitchen
Bar:
Cashew Butter & Raspberry Jelly Dark Chocolate Bar
Why We Love It:
This bar is made from all organic ingredients. It's sweetened with coconut sugar and is filled with a creamy, truffle-like cashew butter in between two layers of chocolate, what more could we ask for? Oh that’s right, they added a jelly flavoring using raspberry and it is absolutely incredible. It’s sophisticated and childlike all at once and we promise it’s worth seeking out.
Brand: Loving Earth
Bar:
Why We Love It:
This raw bar is super creamy and light and has the most exquisite unique cheesecake flavor. The base is a light, caramel, almost like a white chocolate bar with just a few simple, all organic ingredients and flavorings. It is so smooth and delicious that it is easy to eat more than you intended at one sitting. So beware!
Brand: Eating Evolved
Bar:
Crunchy Caramel Primal Chocolate
Why We Love It:
If you love caramel but don’t like sickeningly sweet treats, this bar is for you. It has crunchy bits of caramel made from maple syrup within a bar of 85% dark chocolate so there is a nice balance of sweet and bitter while also complimenting the sweetness with a touch of salt. We dare to say it is the most perfect vegan caramel chocolate bar that exists.
Brand: Coracao Confections
Bar:
Almond Butter Butter
Why We Love It:
This raw chocolate bar is incredibly indulgent. It’s an all- organic, 81% dark cacao bar sweetened with coconut sugar that is filled with stone ground raw almond butter and sea salt. It’s so rich and smooth and is the ultimate adult candy bar.
Raw Chocolate
Brand: Lulu's Chocolate
Bar:
Why We Love It:
This 78% raw chocolate bar is so silky smooth and not too bitter, despite it’s dark cacao content. It’s made from certified organic ingredients and we love that it uses low glycemic coconut sugar for a sweetener while also adding a touch of sea salt to balance out the flavor perfectly.
Brand: Gnosis Chocolate
Bar:
Why We Love It:
This 70% dark chocolate bar is made from all organic ingredients and uses coconut sugar in place of refined sugar to sweeten it. This bar is so luscious and smooth and features sweet ingredients like lucuma and vanilla bean, making it taste incredibly indulgent.
Brand: Organic Nectars
Bar:
Why We Love It:
This 64% dark chocolate bar has raspberry powder mixed in for a delightful tart fruity note that pairs exceptionally well with the dark chocolate. This bar uses all organic ingredients and uses coconut sugar in place of refined sugar, making it a great healthy treat.
Brand: Coracao Confections
Bar:
Sea Salt, Almonds and Dark Chocolate
Why We Love It:
This brand uses all organic ingredients and heirloom cacao for a unique and intensely amazing chocolate. The 81% cacao bar has crisp almond slivers throughout it and uses smoked sea salt for an extra gourmet flavor. It’s the ultimate almond and salt bar on the market and totally worth the splurge.