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Is Dark Chocolate Vegan? Everything You Need To Know

Is Dark Chocolate Vegan? Everything You Need To Know

Is Dark Chocolate Vegan? Everything You Need To Know – This article will break down chocolate so you have a better understanding.
So, is dark chocolate vegan or not? The correct question is  IT CAN BE – and it is, most of the time, however, as with any product it’s always best if you read the ingredient list  – because sometimes even dark chocolate can contain milk.

How Is Chocolate Made?

Chocolate is made out of cacao. Cacao grows on cacao trees. It grows long big pods and it can contain up to 50 seeds inside.
Once the cacao pods are vibrant orangy colors, they are harvested.

Once harvested,  the beans are cleaned and fermented. The fermented beans are then dried. The beans are then shipped to the chocolate makers.

The Chocolate-Making Process:
Is Dark Chocolate Vegan? Everything You Need To Know

Once the chocolatier receives the beans, they are baked at a low temperature. The shells are then separated from the nibs aka cacao nibs.
The cacao nibs are then blended/ finely grounded. Placed under extremely high pressure, the paste yields two products: cocoa powder and cocoa butter.
Cocoa mass can simply be combined with more cocoa butter and sweetener to make chocolate. The first steps are to mix, grind, and knead the various raw ingredients into a paste.

The ingredients used are dependent on the type of chocolate being made. Dark chocolate requires only cocoa mass, cocoa butter, and sugar. Adding milk powder makes milk chocolate.

And there you have it – technically, dark chocolate is vegan – because all you have is cocoa mass, cocoa butter, and sugar.

There are a couple more steps into making the chocolate bar itself – the chocolate needs smoothing, tempering, and molding.

There is definitely a lot of processes involved in making chocolate. it’s really easy for the consumer, they just pick it off the shelf from the store and move on to eat it. But the story of how the bar is made is very long.

What Dark Chocolate Is Vegan?

As I mentioned above, always read the ingredients list – this is the best way to determine what is vegan. However, there are other things that can immediately tell you that a product is vegan. And that’s of course the vegan logo!
“Vegan Friendly” “Vegan Society Approved “Cruelty-Free” etc.

There are a couple of brands that I tend to go for, that I know for sure are vegan.

1. Lindt 80% dark +
2. Green & Black’s 70% +
3, Nomo
4. Hu Bars

And a lot more, but these tend to be my go-to!

Is Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Vegan?

Yep, they have an oat-based chocolate bar! And oh boy, do they taste amazing!
Now, go get yourself some vegan Hershey’s!

What Are The Health Benefits Of Dark Chocolate?

Is Dark Chocolate Vegan? Everything You Need To Know

Dark chocolate is very high in antioxidants and healthy fat. It can improve brain function and it’s also good for the heart.
If you are studying for exams, munching on dark chocolate is the perfect way to improve your memory alongside walnuts too.

Not to mention that chocolate can make us feel happier since it releases endorphins.
The benefits are a lot more, but I thought to just drop the main ones!

Summary:

So, this was my guide on Is Dark Chocolate Vegan? Everything You Need To Know.
Basically, it’s all good news! You can be vegan and still eat chocolate, how cool is that? Dark chocolate is the real deal, it’s not like white chocolate (that isn’t even chocolate tbh)
There are many many vegan options out there these days, and you really don’t have to miss out!

What are your favorite vegan chocolate bars? Let me know – I would love to add more to my list!
Feel free to drop a comment below, or find me/message me directly on my socials – Instagram, PinterestYouTube, or Facebook!

Have a nice day, and go eat some chocolate!

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1 Comment

  • Reply
    Volencho
    16 December 2021 at 15h21

    LOL! This was so interesting to read! You did an awesome job! Keep it up ♥

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