Ah, chocolate, my beauty, my love, my everything. My… pain. Why? Chocolate is one of the best inventions humans ever come up with. But, WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE MADE WITH MILK?
If you love chocolate, then the use of milk in chocolate has to be one of the biggest pains of being vegan. It truly is. Most vegans spend their time hunting endlessly for that vegan-friendly dark chocolate made with pure cocoa. But, did we ever consider white chocolate?
We know we can’t have milk chocolate because it’s definitely made with milk. But, white chocolate is different. How is it made? Can we have it? Hold onto your hats, I am about to blow your chocolate-craving brain!
Is White Chocolate Vegan?
Sorry, no. Most white chocolate is not vegan. White chocolate is just as much of a pain as milk chocolate as it is made with milk products.
But, that doesn’t mean there are no substitutes! There are plenty. The vegan community had enough, and plenty of people are out there making vegan white chocolate. You just need to know where to find it!
Why Is White Chocolate Not Vegan?
But, why? Here’s why. Let’s look at what goes in a typical bar of white chocolate.
Cocoa butter, sugar, dairy.
There we go. Dairy. Usually, white chocolate is made with milk solids, and that is wherein the problem lies. So, white chocolate is just as bad as milk chocolate and has to stay out of our tummies. Unless, of course, it is certified vegan!
Is There Dairy in White Chocolate?
Much to our dismay, there is dairy in white chocolate. In dark chocolate, you would find oodles of cocoa powder, but white chocolate actually has none of this. Instead, you will have sugar, cocoa butter, and milk.
So, it is actually the opposite of dark chocolate.
What Is White Chocolate Made With?
Here are the full ingredients of the standard bar of white chocolate.
- Cocoa butter (this is totally vegan, ignore the word butter, it is butter made from cocoa, not animals).
- Sugar (fine, although some sugar uses bone char, but not all. So, so that’s your call).
- Dairy (this is the issue for vegans. The creaminess of white chocolate mainly comes from the use of milk.
Can Vegetarians Eat White Chocolate?
While vegans cannot have white chocolate, vegetarians can. There are no direct animal products in there, only by-products, which would be the milk product.
White chocolate contains 0% cocoa beans, just cocoa butter, milk, and sugar. You can sometimes get soya lecithin and vanilla or something of the sort.
But, yes, vegetarians can help themselves to a bar of white chocolate.
Where To Buy Vegan White Chocolate?
If you fancy some vegan white chocolate, some independent sellers and online producers are making vegan white chocolate. One of the best things is that you can easily get hold of it.
Online stores such as Amazon.com are full of sellers who want to share their products with the world, and this includes vegan white chocolate.
Check these out!
- The Vegan Kind (thevegankind.com) sells white chocolate in their store in the US.
- Moo Free (buy here) sells mini white chocolate bars on Amazon in the UK and US!
- iChoc (Amazon.com) Sell white vanilla chocolate bars on Amazon in the UK and US.
- HCF Home Chocolate Factory (homechocolatefactory.com) Sells white chocolate couverture on their website in the UK!
- Tesco (Tesco.com) Sells white chocolate in some of their stores in the UK!
What Is Vegan White Chocolate Made Of?
So, how is vegan white chocolate made, if most companies INSIST it has to be made with milk?
Well, chocolate makers are geniuses. They have a great list. But, one of the most popular white chocolates you can find will usually include the following ingredients:
- Sugar.
- Cocoa Butter
- Maltodextrin.
- Maize Flour.
- Emulsifier (usually Soya Lecithins)
- Flavoring.
- Coconut Oil.
This is how big manufacturers tend to make it, such as the ones you find in places like Tesco in the UK. However, you can make it yourself much easier.
Check out my recipe below to see how!
Vegan White Chocolate Recipe
Alright, so I have said it before, but the best thing you could do, is just making things yourself, even homemade vegan white chocolate.
So, here’s a vegan white chocolate recipe that I swear by:
Vegan White Chocolate Recipe
Ingredients
- 1¾ oz/50g cacao butter
- 2 tbsp creamy cashew butter
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar
- 5 tbsp coconut milk powder o other dairy-free milk power
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- Touch of salt
Instructions
- Dice up finely your cacao butter.
- Using the microwave, carefully melt the cacao butter or use a double boiler. Just be carefusl, as cacao butter does not like excessive heat.
- Once the cacao butter is melted, fold in cashew butter, followed by powdered sugar and coconut milk powder, salt and vanilla extract. Mix until well incorporated.
- Using chocolate moulds, pour the melted chocolate into the clean and dry moulds. Add your desired toppings.
- Place in the fridge, and chill for a couple of hours until fully set.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
FAQs:
Is Baker’s White Chocolate Vegan?
Baker’s Choice has a white baking chocolate bar that you can grab off of Amazon.com.
It is not only vegan, but also Non-GMO, kosher, and of course, non-dairy so good for anyone who is lactose intolerant!
Grab yours here!
Is Lindt White Chocolate Vegan?
Lindt is one of the best manufacturers of chocolate around, but sadly most of their chocolate is not vegan, including their white chocolate.
It is suitable for vegetarians though. The animal ingredients that they use include – milk, milk fat, cream, milk products, and also occasionally, eggs.
Are White Chocolate Chips Vegan?
Most white chocolate chips are not vegan, or vegan friendly in the slightest. A majority will include creaminess, usually from milk.
So, they are not vegan. However, you can get some from Amazon.com that are vegan, but always make sure they are definitely vegan!
Is Ghirardelli White Chocolate Vegan?
Sadly, most of Ghirardelli’s chocolate is non-vegan. This includes their chocolate baking bar, their chocolate baking chips, and more. Their white chocolate contains a good 14% milk solids, and 3.5% milk fat.
No thank you!
Is Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur Vegan?
Some think that the Godiva Chocolate Liqueurs are vegan. Do not fall for it! They are not! They all contain dairy. Stay away!
Is White Chocolate Syrup Vegan?
Since white chocolate is heavy on the milk, maybe syrups are safe. No, no they are not. White chocolate syrups will usually contain milk products as well, to make them taste just like white chocolate. Although some are. Monin does a vegan white chocolate syrup, for example.
Summary:
So, there is good and bad news. The bad news is, that the traditionally made white chocolate is not vegan.
However, you can buy vegan-friendly white chocolate bars these days, as well as make your own vegan white chocolate.
So, all and all, it’s good news!
1 Comment
Bebcho
23 August 2022 at 6h16Thank you so much for this article! Learned a lot about White Chocolate! 🙂