A common concern when considering going veg is that this might mean sacrificing favourite foods, including perhaps the joys of chocolate. But fear not! There is an abundant variety of ethical chocolate out there, made entirely without animal ingredients, and yes - this even includes milk and white chocolate made from delicious plant milks and cocoa butter. Yummm!
We’ve put together a run-down of some of the best brands that are commonly available in Queensland, to give you an idea in the Vegan Chocolate Shopper's Guide below.
And to get your taste buds tingling, here are some mouthwatering examples from the huge range of delectable cruelty-free chocolate readily available in Australia. Many are ‘incidentally’ vegan, while others are fully plant-based brands. Either way, the great news is that we’re totally spoilt for choice…
Dark Delights
Bliss in a bar: If you are a lover of intense and sophisticated chocolate, with its powerful health benefits (the darker the better!) then you’re in luck. Divine vegan dark chocolate slabs are readily available in even the smallest corner shop, with brands such as Green & Black’s and Lindt dark found in supermarkets and convenience stores of all sizes.
The only thing to watch out for is dairy content in some dark chocolate varieties, which may appear in the form of ‘milk solids’, ‘butter fat’ or similar - but the highest percentage ones are usually completely vegan.
Dairy-free milk & white chocolate
For lovers of milk and even white chocolate, we have no need to compromise, with numerous melt-in-the mouth plant-milk varieties, many now readily available in mainstream supermarkets, such as Sweet William and Moo-Free. There’s even more on offer if you head to your nearest healthfood shop or vegan store such as Brisbane’s wonderful Green Edge. Here are some examples of the smooth and creamy options available - no cows or calves harmed for our taste buds!
Easter Treats
Nope, we don’t miss out at Easter at all! From sophisticated dark eggs to sweet milky bunnies, and delectable white chocolate, we have the best of the crop. For a luxury treat or gift, don’t miss Booja Booja’s exquisite painted egg-shaped boxes filled with their award-winning truffles - all 100% vegan.
Raw Chocolate
For the raw aficionado, options abound, especially in healthfood shops where you’ll find brands such as Pana Chocolate and Chocolate Yogi - most of which are fully vegan brands, boasting organic and fair trade certifications along with their powerful health properties:
Don’t get your snickers in a twist
If you thought you’d have to miss out chocolate snack bars like Snickers, Mars and Bounty, think again! Thanks to Go Max Go and Bonvita’s ‘Bonbarrs’, there is a cruelty-free alternative to all the old favourites. For example, the Jokerz bar from Go Max Go takes peanuts, caramel, and nougat and wraps it all up in a rice-milk chocolatey coating. Pure vegan indulgence!
Or... for superfood raw alternatives, check out healthfood shop counters and cafés for beautiful delights such as the Nickers bars from Naked Treaties.
If that’s not enough to be getting on with, just google ‘vegan chocolate recipes’ to get inspired with some home-made creations.
And there you have it: perhaps the ultimate proof that the best things in life are cruelty-free!
Vegan Chocolate Shopper's Guide
| Brand | Where to buy | Raw | Plant milk choc | Dark choc | Easter treats | Truffles / other deluxe | Junk bars | Vegan brand | Fairtrade & / or organic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aldi | Aldi | Y | Y | Y | Y (the slabs) | ||||
| Alpha | Dept stores, supermarkets, specialty shops | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||
| Alter Eco | Store Locator (includes Coles) | Y | Y | ||||||
| Bonvita | Green Edge, Biome & online | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
| Booja Booja | Green Edge, Wray Organic stores, or online | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
| Conscious | Store Locator | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||
| Constant Craving | Green Edge & online | Y | Y | Y | |||||
| Enjoy Life | Healthfood & vegan stores Store Locator | Y | Y | ||||||
| Eskal | Coles, Green Edge | Y | Y | ||||||
| Go Max Go | Green Edge & online | Y | Y | Y | Own standards | ||||
| Green & Black's | Store Locator (includes Coles & Woollies) | Y | Y | ||||||
| Kinnerton | Store Locator (includes Coles, Target, David Jones) | Y | Y | Own standards | |||||
| Lindt | Store Locator | Y (70& 85%) | Own standard | ||||||
| Loving Earth | Store Locator | Y (some not all) | Y | Y | Y (e.g. fruit in coconut mylk chocolate) | Y | Y | ||
| Moo Free | Store Locator (includes Coles & Woollies) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||
| Nestar | Online only | Y | Y (fruit-dipped choc) | ||||||
| Noosa Chocolate Factory | Locations | Y | Y | Y (e.g. fruit & nut-dipped choc) | |||||
| Pana Chocolate | Green Edge, Biome, healthfood shops, online | Y | Y | Y | |||||
| Plamil | Green Edge, Biome, healthfood shops, online | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||
| Sweet William | Store Locator (incl Woollies, Coles, IGA, David Jones, Big W) | Y | Y | Y | |||||
| The Chocolate Yogi | Store Locator | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||
| Brand | Where to buy | Raw | Plant milk choc | Dark choc | Easter treats | Truffles / other deluxe | Junk bars | Vegan brand | Fairtrade & / or organic |