Vegan Chocolate vs. Regular Chocolate: What's the Difference?

We don’t joke around when it comes to chocolate. After all, its popularity eclipses many other foods. Some of the best-selling candies in the world are Snickers, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Toblerone Bars, and Kit Kats. Do you know what they all have in common? Chocolate. 

As you may have already guessed, one can make chocolate in many different ways. These brands and companies don’t all just follow one recipe and call it a day. Where’s the innovation? Where’s the flavor? …Where is the fun in all that? 

That’s why we all gather here to talk about vegan chocolate vs. regular chocolate. There are differences and, boy, are they important!

What Is In Vegan Chocolate?

Before we jump right in, let’s set the baseline as to what vegan chocolate is. It is a type of chocolate that is made without any animal-derived ingredients. No milk, no milk powders, no honey… Even sugars are carefully selected to make sure that they do not have any kind of animal by-products. 

While we can all have a preference for vegan chocolate because of dietary restrictions, others choose it over regular chocolate because of its ethical considerations. You see, many find the dairy industry itself to be problematic because of its animal welfare and environmental impact. It’s a bit of a heavy topic to get into now, but it’s still worth mentioning here since we’re talking about vegan chocolate. 

Vegan Chocolate vs. Regular Chocolate: The Key Differences

Ingredients

What is vegan chocolate made of? Unsurprisingly, ingredients are what makes vegan chocolate different from regular ones. That’s why this section will be a little bit longer. 

A traditional bar consists of cocoa solids (from cocoa beans) and cocoa butter - and that can stop there. A delicious dark chocolate bar can be made with those ingredients already. Brands can still opt to add little bits of flavor with ingredients like sea salt, nuts, chili, or exotic fruits... Those are all vegan-friendly ingredients!

Is there dairy in chocolate? One of the most telling ingredients can be found in milk chocolates. Many regular milk chocolates are made with milk powders. Being dairy, this would be a no-no for us. Luckily, we get “milk” chocolates made with alternatives like oat milk, coconut milk, almond milk, and rice milk. 

The next ingredient worth mentioning would be sugar. Refined sugars, which are prominent in certain chocolates, could have been made with bone char. Yes, bone char is used in the refining of sugar - brown sugar and confectioner’s sugar included. What could be used as an alternative? How about coconut sugar, brown rice syrup, stevia, or monk fruit? Those are all pretty sweet substitutes for regular sugar!

Also Read - Complete Guide to Vegan Chocolate

Nutritional Value

Traditional milk chocolate tends to have higher sugar content due to the addition of milk and artificial sweeteners. It’s often more processed, which can result in a less nutrient-dense product overall. That’s not to say that they’re all bad - just some are better than others.

That said, vegan chocolates tend to have less processed ingredients. This also means that they're made with more cocoa, leading them to have richer flavor. As you may have heard, this kind of dark chocolate is full of antioxidants and a slew of other health benefits. 

If you have food intolerances and allergies, then vegan chocolate is also a better alternative. It doesn’t have any lactose or dairy. Plain dark chocolate is also good for gluten-free and nut-free diets. But, as always, it’s best to check the labels before biting down on your chocolate bars. 

Taste

We’d be lying if we said that there wouldn’t be a difference in taste. Truth is, there is! Regular milk chocolate is sweet, creamy, and smooth - attributes from dairy, most likely. Vegan milk chocolate can be as sweet, creamy, and smooth as well. That’s because brands have dedicated time and research to match the texture and flavor. 

When it comes to pure, dark chocolate, it’s likely that it’s vegan-friendly. Vegan Chocolate is often bolder and has a more intense cocoa flavor that chocolate enthusiasts absolutely love. You can get those in varying bitterness and intensity, so you gradually teach your tastebuds to appreciate the flavor.

Check Out - What are the Benefits of Dark Chocolate?

But taste is subjective. Vegan chocolates come in different flavors, shapes, and sizes and we’re certain you’ll find more than one that you’ll adore. There is a difference but it’s a difference that, we feel, doesn’t make or break the chocolate-eating experience.

What Is In Vegan Chocolate If Not Delicious?

PlantX knows that chocolate makes the world go round. That’s why we’ve got a bunch of choc you can check out here!