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7 best vegan chocolate bars

woman-with-chocolate-in-mouth-5-besy-vegan-chocolate-bars-by-healthista.com

In celebration of National Chocolate Week, we have decided to do a round up of the best vegan chocolate bars for all you chocolate lovers out there. Here are our top seven…

1. Lovechock

Lovechock was founded by Laura de Nooijer,who discovered cacao on her travels through South America and was left with a real passion for raw cacao. This passion led her to create Lovechock in 2009 in the Neverlands. Lovechock is not only a fantastic tasting chocolate, but is also a chocolate made with lots of love and consideration as it is homemade near Amsterdam and wrapped in eco-friendly packaging.

Why we love it:

All of the ingredients are 100% certified organic and ethically sourced using only the best organic, raw cacao from Ecuador- making it a beautifully pure treat. The bars are sweetened only with the unrefined dried nectar of Indonesian coconut palm tree blossom, making them free from artificial sugar and better for you. If that wasn’t enough reason to give it a try, Lovechock is also dairy, soy and gluten free as well as vegan-friendly.

Our favourites:Lovechock Bar packshot Mulberry Vanilla, best vegan chocolate, by healthista.com

Lovechock Mulberry/Vanilla (£4.97)– the subtle flavours of the vanilla make this a delicious little treat. It is not overly sweet and the crunch of the mulberry really breaks up the richness of the chocolate making it extremely indulgent.

 

 

 

Lovechock Pineapple/Incaberry (£5.60)- the pineapple in this chocolate gives it an exotic fruity taste that definitely satisfies any sweet craving you have. However, it’s not so sweet that you feel sick after gobbling it all up (which, trust us, you will).

 

Great for: Spice lovers

Lovechock Bar packshot Cherry Chili, best vegan chocolate, by healthista.comLovechock Cherry/Chilli (£3.36)– now I am someone who likes a little bit of spice in my life, but be warned, this chocolate really does have a kick to it. The chilli gives that nice sensation you get at the back
of your throat when you eat hot food, and is great for all the chilli lovers out there. The cherry in the chocolate is really subtle but complements the spiciness of the chocolate well, making this a winning combination.

 

 

For more Lovechock products visit here 

2. Ombar 

Ombar chocolate has an unusual origin to most chocolate brands. It’s founder Richard Turner was  fascinated by the idea that all chocolate is created with cacao, which is an incredibly healthy superfood. He decided to give up a career at Cambridge University’s Assessment Research Department to set up his own business with the desire to create a raw chocolate bar that would add to your health and which preserved all the goodness of the cacao bean.

Every ingredient in Ombar chocolate is naturally and organically sourced, made with raw, organic Ecuadorian cacao, unrefined coconut palm sugar and real juicy fruits. Ombar chocolate is dairy and gluten free and does not contain any refined sugar.

Why we love it:

By keeping the cacao raw, Ombar chocolate helps to preserve the naturally occurring antioxidants and flavanols, which help you to feel good. Selected Ombar chocolate bars also contain probiotics, which aid gut health making them good for your stomach.

 

Our favourites:

Ombar Coconut 60% (£5.57)
Ombar Coconut, best vegan chocolates, by healthista.com final

If you’re a huge coconut fan like me, then this is what dreams are made of for you. This was without doubt my favourite vegan chocolate of them all. Not only is the chocolate itself smooth and velvety in texture, it tastes so creamy too. This is thanks to the coconut cream in the bar, combined with coconut sugar, which gives it the chocolate it’s glorious coconut taste. Some might find the coconut overpowering, but I think it’s absolutely dreamy. There’s no doubt I could have eaten the whole bar in one sitting without even feeling guilty afterwards.

Ombar lemon and green tea, best vegan chocolate, by healthista.com

 

 

Ombar Lemon & Green Tea (£7.23)- This chocolate definitely gives you the rich flavour of lemon and green tea.  The tanginess of the lemon works really well with the sharpness of the dark chocolate and gives it a torte sweetness.

Great for: Berry lovers

Ombar Strawberry Mylk, best vegan chocolate, by healthista.com

Strawberry Mylk (£1.99):

This chocolate bar is undoubtedly and unashamedly sweet, with the distictive flavour of strawberry dominating the taste buds. This is great for those who love strawberry flavoured chocolate as it has a sharp and torte fruitiness that is very indulgent.

 

 

 

 

For more Ombar products visit here

3. Seed and Bean

Seed and Bean was started in 2005 and has sold over 3,000,000 chocolate bars since. They make 18 dairy chocolate bars and 12 non-dairy ones.  The chocolate is 100% organic with only real flavouring, so nothing is artificial. Even the wrappers are compostable.

Why we love it:

Part of their appeal is that Seed and Bean are a fair trade company. They know where their chocolate is coming from at every step of the process and ensure that their workers are treated fairly and there cocoa beans farmed in a sustainable manner.

seed and bean slider

 

Our favourite:

Coconut and Raspberry Chocolate (Pack of 4) (£9.96)- This chocolate bar was truly delicious, achieving a perfect balance between the tartiness of the berries and the nutty distinctive flavour of the coconut. It was smooth in texture and truly delightful all round.

Great for: Coffee lovers

Dark Chocolate with Espresso (Pack of 4) (£9.96)- The espresso bar had actual flecks of coffee beans in them, finely ground but still very noticeably there. The mouth-feel was such that I could have eaten them forever and they really were a mouthful of coffee delight.

For more Seed and Bean products visit here

4. The raw chocolate company

The raw chocolate company was established in 2006 after many attempts by founder Linus Grope, who started off by experimenting with raw cacao in the kitchen. As he finally mastered making raw chocolate, his brand has since become a hit. The chocolate is not only vegan, but also cane sugar and soy free. The cacao and cacao butter used in the chocolate is organic and Fairtrade.

Why we love it:

The company are extremely environmentally friendly, with their factory being solar and wind powered.

raw chocolare pitch dark, best vegan chocolate, by healthista.com
Great for: Dark chocolate lovers

Pitch Dark (£4.85)- Now I’m not the biggest fan of dark chocolate as I often find it to be way too bitter. However, this chocolate did not have that bitter taste I struggle with, but had a lovely full-bodied taste that will satisfy anyone that loves a bit of dark chocolate. You can also really taste the cacao in this chocolate, which is hardly surprising as it is made with 72% cacao, a much higher cacao percentage than most chocolate bars you’ll find.

 

 

Raw-Chocolate-Vanoffe-Dark, best vegan chocolate, by healthista.com

 

 


Vanoffe Dark
 (£4.32)- This chocolate is very rich and dense but with a creamy caramel like flavour. It has a coffee taste to it which makes it slightly bitter and good for those who don’t have a massive sweet tooth.

For more The Raw Chocolate Company products visit here

 

5. Plamil 

Plamil was set up in the 1960s with it’s original purpose being to find an alternative to dairy milk and produced the first ‘soya milk’ in Europe called Plant Milk. In 1893 Plamil produced their first vegan chocolate and have continued ever since. They also produced the first organic chocolate in the UK. All Plamil chocolate is dairy, gluten and nut free.

Why we love it:

Plamil have been Free From food pioneers for more than half a century and have been repeatedly judged to be highest ranked ethical chocolate company in the UK.

plamil-organic-orange-choc, best vegan chocolate, by healthista.com

Our favourites:

Organic Orange Chocolate (Pack of 6) (£.15.90)- if you’re a fan of orange chocolate, then this is definitely for you. The chocolate has a deliciously orangey flavour and reminds me a lot of a terry chocolate orange, minus the guilty feeling you have after. The tanginess of the orange is really complements the richness of the dark chocolate well and makes this bar very moorish.

 

 

 

plamil alternative to mint, best vegan chocolate, by healthista.com

 

 

Dairy Free Alternative to Mint Chocolate (Pack of 6) (£12.30)- I’m not usually a fan of mint chocolate, but this is so yummy. The mint flavour is not at all overpowering but is prominent enough to give the fresh minty flavour you’d expect. It reminds me of an ‘After Eight’ but much more satisfying for those with a chocolate craving.

For more Plamil products visit here

6. Pana Chocolate

Pana chocolate was founded in 2012 in Australia by Pana Barbounis, a vegan with a pure passion for organic, natural food. With this in mind, his aim was to create a chocolate that was 100% natural and good for your health, as well as environmentally friendly.

Pana Chocolate is packed with essential antioxidants, amino acids, vitamins and minerals and only contains 100% raw organic ingredients and pure 100% essential oils. It is dairy, soy and gluten free and is sweetened with the natural sweeteners agave and coconut nectar.

Why we love it:

Pana Chocolate ingredients are 100% certified organic and farmers are paid a fair price for their products. Their eco-friendly packaging is made from 100% recycled materials, with biodegradable foil wrapping, vegetable based inks and an edible plant gum seal.. 

 

Our favourite:pana coconut and goji, best vegan chocolate, by healthista.com

Coconut & Goji (45g x 2) (£8.83)– This chocolate is ridiculously smooth and silky. It literally melts in your mouth as you eat it and the flavours are simply exquisite. The shreds of coconut and the pieces of goji berry in the bar are so prominent that you can feel that what you’re eating is not artificial. This was so delicious and moorish we already want more.

 

For more Pana products visit here

 

7. Doisy and Dam 

Doisy and Dam was founded in 2014 by Edward Smith and Richard Wilkinson who both shared a passion for business and ‘real’ food that isn’t full of artificial nasties. They set out to create chocolate packed with nature’s superfoods, providing the perfect balance between health and taste.

Why we love it:

Doisy and Dam chocolate is handmade, gluten and soya free and is also organic. Doisy and Dam were two incredibly accomplished scientists whose discoveries lead to a much better understanding of health and nutrition, which is why the bars are named after them.

 

doisy and dam ginger, best vegan chocolate, by healthista.com
Our favourite:

Ginger, Chilli Flakes and Hemp Seeds (£1.75)- this is great for those that like a bit of heat. It has a fiery kick and proves that spicy and sweet make a great culinary couple, in chocolate at least.

Great for: Green lovers

doisy and dam, best vegan chocolate, by healthista.com

 

 

Mulberries, Chia Seeds & Spirulina (£1.60)- this contains the superfood spirulina which makes you feel just that little bit saintly whislt devouring this delicious treat.

 

 

For more Doisy and Dam products visit here
chocolate hamper, best vegan chocolate, by healthista.com

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