What Brands Make Vegan Chocolate? Your Ultimate Guide

November 9, 2025 •

4 min read

With the global vegan chocolate market projected to reach over $3.7 billion by 2032, a wider array of delicious plant-based options exists now than ever before. So, what brands make vegan chocolate? From creamy milk chocolate alternatives to rich dark chocolate, many companies now offer decadent treats for those following a plant-based diet or managing dairy allergies.

Quick Summary

This guide lists numerous popular and artisanal brands offering a diverse range of vegan chocolate products, from classic bars to truffles and baking chips. It explains how to decipher labels, highlighting common plant-based milk alternatives and accidentally vegan options to help you choose the right treats for your needs.

Key Points

Variety of Options: The vegan chocolate market now includes a wide range of products, from mainstream and artisan brands to dark, milk, and white chocolate alternatives.
Label Reading is Key: Always check ingredient labels for hidden animal-derived products like milk solids, whey, casein, honey, or bone char-processed sugar.
Dairy-Free Alternatives: Vegan milk and white chocolates use plant-based alternatives like oat, almond, hazelnut, coconut, or rice milk to achieve a creamy texture.
Artisan vs. Mainstream: Dedicated vegan brands like Vego and No Whey! Foods offer specialized, allergen-friendly options, while larger brands like Hershey's and Lindt provide more accessible choices.
Dark Chocolate is Not Always Vegan: Despite pure dark chocolate being naturally vegan, many brands add milk products for texture or flavor, so always double-check the label.
Conscious Consumption: Many vegan chocolate brands emphasize ethical sourcing, fair trade practices, and sustainable agriculture, aligning with environmentally conscious consumer values.

The Rise of Vegan Chocolate

As more people seek out plant-based lifestyles, whether for dietary, ethical, or environmental reasons, the demand for vegan confections has surged. Historically, vegans were limited primarily to dark chocolate, which can often be dairy-free by nature. However, a new wave of innovation has introduced creamy vegan milk chocolate alternatives made with ingredients like oat, almond, and coconut milk, providing options that mimic the classic taste and texture of dairy chocolate.

Popular Mainstream Vegan Chocolate Brands

Several major confectionery companies now offer dedicated vegan product lines, making these options more accessible at conventional grocery stores.

Hershey's: The company has introduced a line of plant-based chocolates, including Reese's Plant-Based Peanut Butter Cups and Hershey's Plant-Based Extra Creamy with Almonds and Sea Salt.
Lindt: Known for its high-quality chocolate, Lindt has developed the CLASSIC RECIPE OatMilk bar, catering to the growing market for plant-based alternatives.
Tony's Chocolonely: This brand is recognized for its ethical sourcing practices and offers several vegan dark chocolate varieties, including Extra Dark Chocolate and Dark Creamy Hazelnut Crunch.
Cadbury: In some regions like the UK, Cadbury offers Plant Bars, including smooth chocolate and salted caramel flavors.
Nestle: The company has launched Nestlé Toll House Dark Chocolate Plant Based Morsels for baking.

Dedicated Vegan & Artisan Brands

For an even wider selection, many companies specialize solely in vegan and plant-based products, focusing on unique flavors and high-quality ingredients.

Vego: A 100% vegan brand famous for its Whole Hazelnut Chocolate Bar, Vego uses hazelnut butter to create a rich, creamy texture.
Hu Kitchen: This brand offers a range of paleo-friendly and vegan dark chocolate bars with clean ingredients and unique flavor combinations.
No Whey! Foods: As a dedicated allergen-friendly and vegan brand, No Whey! Foods offers a variety of products, including its Milkless bars and other classic candy bar alternatives.
Enjoy Life Foods: A well-known option for allergy-friendly products, Enjoy Life offers several vegan chocolate bars and baking chips.
Endangered Species Chocolate: Many of this brand's dark chocolate bars are vegan and also contribute to wildlife conservation efforts.

Accidental Vegan Options

Some chocolates are unintentionally vegan, so it is always crucial to check the ingredient list carefully, as formulas can change. Notable examples include:

Green & Black's Organic Dark Chocolate: The dark chocolate variants are often vegan, but confirmation via the ingredient list is necessary.
Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate: Several of their dark chocolate bars and baking chips are accidentally vegan, like the Pound Plus Dark Chocolate.
Ritter Sport: The Marzipan bar is a popular accidentally vegan option.

A Vegan Chocolate Comparison Table


Brand	Vegan Type	Plant-Based Milk Alternative	Availability	Certifications (Check Label)
Hershey's	Milk, Cups	Oat Milk	Mainstream, Online	Varies
Lindt	Milk, Truffles	Oat Milk	Mainstream, Online	Varies
Hu Kitchen	Dark, Nut Butter	None (Dark)	Health Food, Online	Certified Vegan, Paleo
Vego	Milk (Hazelnut)	Hazelnut Paste	Health Food, Online	Certified Vegan, Fair Trade
Enjoy Life	Dark, Milk, Chips	Rice Milk	Mainstream, Online	Certified Vegan, Allergen-Friendly
Endangered Species	Dark	None (Dark)	Mainstream, Online	Certified Vegan, Fair Trade
No Whey! Foods	Milk, Candy	Dairy-Free	Online	Certified Vegan, Allergen-Friendly

Decoding Vegan Chocolate Labels

Identifying truly vegan chocolate requires a careful inspection of the ingredients. Even chocolates that appear vegan at first glance can contain animal-derived ingredients.

Check for Dairy Derivatives: Look out for milk, milk solids, whey, casein, or lactose. These are common ingredients used for a creamy texture.
Beware of Hidden Ingredients: Less obvious non-vegan ingredients can include honey (from bees), shellac (from lac beetles), or carmine (red coloring from cochineal insects).
Sugar Processing: Some white sugar is processed using bone char, which is not vegan. Opting for certified organic or cane sugar can help avoid this issue.
Emulsifiers and Flavorings: While most emulsifiers like soy or sunflower lecithin are plant-based, some natural flavorings may have animal origins. Certified vegan labels offer the most assurance.
Cross-Contamination Warnings: Phrases like "may contain milk" indicate the product is made in a facility that also processes dairy. This is an allergen warning, and while the product contains no animal ingredients, it is a personal decision for vegans whether to consume it. Purely vegan brands and those with separate production lines eliminate this concern.

The Innovation in Vegan Milk and White Chocolate

The search for a creamy vegan chocolate experience has led brands to experiment with innovative plant-based milk alternatives.

Oat Milk: This is a popular choice for vegan milk chocolate due to its naturally creamy texture and mild, malty flavor that complements the cacao. Brands like Lindt and Hershey's use it to great effect.
Almond and Hazelnut Milk: Nut milks are commonly used to create a smooth, nutty-flavored milk chocolate alternative. Vego's hazelnut bar is a prime example of this creamy decadence.
Coconut Milk: This provides a rich, creamy texture with a distinct coconut flavor. It is often found in vegan milk chocolate and white chocolate.
Rice Milk: A lighter option used to create a smooth texture in vegan chocolate without a strong competing flavor.

Conclusion

From mainstream giants adapting their product lines to artisan chocolatiers specializing in plant-based treats, the market for vegan chocolate is thriving and accessible. Whether you prefer rich dark chocolate or a smooth milk alternative, a wide variety of brands are available to cater to your preferences. By knowing what brands make vegan chocolate and how to read product labels, you can confidently indulge in delicious, dairy-free chocolate bars, chips, and truffles that align with your dietary and ethical choices.

Explore more vegan chocolate options from dedicated brands like Coracao Confections.

Frequently Asked Questions

Several major brands, including Hershey's, Lindt, Tony's Chocolonely, and Cadbury (in select regions), now offer specific vegan or plant-based chocolate products.

No, not all dark chocolate is vegan. While pure dark chocolate is naturally dairy-free, some manufacturers add milk solids, whey, or other milk-derived ingredients for a smoother texture.

Vegan milk chocolate is made by replacing dairy milk with plant-based alternatives such as oat, almond, coconut, or rice milk to achieve a creamy, milky flavor and texture.

To ensure a product is vegan, look for a certified vegan logo on the packaging, read the ingredients list carefully for any animal-derived ingredients (like milk, honey, or casein), and check for allergen cross-contamination warnings.

Yes, many brands specialize in vegan versions of classic candy bars. Companies like Vego offer a hazelnut crunch bar, while No Whey! Foods provides dairy-free alternatives to familiar treats.

All vegan chocolate is dairy-free, but not all dairy-free chocolate is vegan. A dairy-free product might still contain other animal products like honey or use sugar refined with bone char, which are not considered vegan.

You can find vegan chocolate at major grocery store chains, health food stores, and online retailers. Many artisan and specialty vegan brands also sell their products directly through their websites.