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You don’t have to give up chocolate chips when you are vegan! Some are vegan and some aren’t, and I did the research so you don’t have to. Check out this list of the best vegan chocolate chips!
Is chocolate vegan?
Chocolate is often not vegan, but there are still several vegan chocolate options! It really just depends on the brand and the type of chocolate.
The main thing you want to look out for is any type of milk product, such as condensed milk or milk powder.
Milk chocolate usually contains milk powder, which isn’t vegan, but a lot of dark chocolate is vegan. And there is even vegan chocolate that tastes like milk chocolate now thanks to the abundance of vegan “milk” products.
Another ingredient to look out for when searching for vegan chocolate is sugar. Cane sugar is sometimes filtered with bone char and unfortunately many companies that use cane sugar in their products cannot even confirm whether or not the sugar that they use is processed with bone char.
This becomes a grey area and many vegans choose to eat products with sugar even if the way that it was processed is unclear. That is completely up to you.
If you want to ensure that the cane sugar used is entirely vegan, buy from companies that use organic cane sugar or are certified by Vegan Action (vegan.org). Organic cane sugar isn’t processed with bone char, and Vegan Action does not certify products that use sugar processed with bone char.
You could also buy chocolate that doesn’t contain any cane sugar if this is a concern for you.
What does Certified Vegan mean?
Different vegan organizations have different certification processes, but Vegan Action (Vegan.org) has certified vegan products globally and they have a recognizable Certified Vegan Logo.
To get a vegan certification from Vegan Action, a company must comply to strict standards and be evaluated to ensure the products they wish to get certified are truly vegan.
Certified Vegan Standards include:
- The product must not contain any animal products or animal-derived ingredients. This means no honey or insect products either.
- Sugar must not be filtered with bone char or any other animal-derived ingredients.
- Products and ingredients to make the products must not be tested on animals at any stage of the production process.
- If vegan products are made on the same equipment as non-vegan products, the company must prove that they clean and sanitize all equipment and surfaces between vegan and non-vegan products to minimize cross-contamination.
Read more about vegan certification here.
This last point is why many companies on this list that share the same equipment for dairy chocolate chips and dairy-free chocolate chips are not certified vegan. This does not however mean that vegans can’t eat vegan products that have a risk of cross-contamination.
Many vegans are okay with the risk of cross-contamination because it is very hard to avoid. For example, any vegan food item at a restaurant that isn’t entirely vegan has a risk of cross-contamination.
So some chocolate chip brands on this list produce certain flavors of chocolate chips with dairy and you can decide for yourself if that risk of cross-contamination is something you’re okay with or not.
The best vegan chocolate chip brands
Disclaimer: Sometimes companies change the ingredients in their products, so it is important to always check the packaging before making a purchase if you want to ensure that something is vegan. When in doubt, contact the company directly and ask about any concerns you may have.
1. Pascha
Pascha makes a variety of chocolate products, all of which are vegan certified! They are made in a dairy-free and nut-free facility.
Here are all of their chocolate chips:
- Organic Unsweetened Dark Chocolate Chips (100% Cacao, No Sugar Added)
- Organic chocolate liquor.
- Organic Bitter-Sweet Dark Chocolate Chips (85% Cacao)
- Organic chocolate liquor, Organic cane sugar, Organic cocoa butter.
- Organic Bitter-Sweet Dark Chocolate Chips (70% Cacao, No Sugar Added)
- Organic chocolate liquor, Organic erythritol, Organic cocoa butter, Organic stevia extract.
- Organic Semi-Sweet Dark Chocolate Chips (55% Cacao)
- Organic cane sugar, Organic chocolate liquor, Organic cocoa butter.
- Organic No Milk Baking Chips
- Organic cane sugar, Organic deodorized cocoa butter, Organic chocolate liquor, Organic rice syrup solids, Organic rice maltodextrin.
- Organic White Baking Chips
- Organic cocoa butter, Organic cane sugar, Organic tapioca starch, Organic rice syrup solids, Organic rice maltodextrin, Organic vanilla, Salt.
Free from: peanuts, tree nuts, gluten, soy, dairy, egg, emulsifiers
Certifications for these vegan chocolate chips:
- Certified Vegan by Vegan Action (vegan.org)
- USDA Organic
- Certified gluten-free by the Celiac Support Association
- Non-GMO Project verified
- Kosher
- Fair Trade Certified
Get Pascha chocolate chips on Amazon
2. Enjoy Life
Enjoy Life makes a variety of packaged treats, including vegan chocolate chips. Not all of their products are vegan, but the chocolate chips they currently sell are all vegan!
Enjoy Life chocolate chips:
- Dark Chocolate Morsels
- Unsweetened Chocolate, Cane sugar, Cocoa butter
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate (Mega Chunks or Mini Chips)
- Cane sugar, Unsweetened chocolate, Cocoa butter
- White Baking Mini Chips
- Cane sugar, Palm kernel oil, Brown rice syrup solids, Sunflower lecithin, Vanilla extract
- Ricemilk Chocolate Morsels
- Cane sugar, Unsweetened chocolate, Cocoa butter, Dried rice syrup, Salt
Free from: gluten, peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, soy, egg, sesame, casein, sulfites, lupin, mustard, fish, shellfish, crustaceans.
Certifications for these vegan chocolate chips:
- Certified gluten-free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization
- Verified Non-GMO by the Non-GMO Project
- Certified Paleo-Friendly by the Paleo Foundation
Enjoy Life no longer has a vegan certification for any of their products, but they have assured me that their chocolate chips are all still vegan and that their sugar is not processed with bone char.
Availability: Sold in Canada and the US. See the store locator to find a store near you.
Get Enjoy Life chocolate chips on Amazon
3. Lily’s
Most of Lily's chocolate chips contain milk, but they do have one flavor of vegan chocolate chip:
- 55% Dark Chocolate Baking Chips
- Unsweetened cocoa, Erythritol, Inulin, Organic soy lecithin, Sunflower lecithin, Vanilla extract, Stevia extract
These vegan chocolate chips do not contain animal products, but they are made on equipment that also processes products containing dairy.
These chocolate chips contain no added sugar as they are sweetened with stevia instead.
Certifications for these vegan chocolate chips:
- Certified gluten-free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization
- Certified Non-GMO by the Non-GMO Project
- Fair Trade Certified
Use the Lily's store locator to find these chocolate chips in store.
Get Lily's chocolate chips on Amazon
4. Choc Zero
Choc Zero produces the following vegan chocolate chips:
- Peanut Butter Chips
- Peanut flour, non-GMO resistant, dextrin, vegetable oils and fats (sustainable palm fruit oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter), sunflower lecithin, monk fruit extract, madagascar bourbon vanilla beans.
- Dark Chocolate Chips
- Dark chocolate (unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter), soluble corn fiber (non-GMO resistant dextrin), sunflower lecithin, monk fruit extract, madagascar bourbon vanilla beans.
Both of these chocolate chips are free from: sugar, soy, GMOs, gluten, dairy.
Choc Zero also makes products containing dairy, so cross-contamination may occur.
I emailed Choc Zero to ask about their certifications and they said the following: “Most of our dark chocolate products are vegan and all of our products are gluten-free and pass the celiac sprue test.”
They also said they plan on getting vegan and gluten-free certifications, although they do not currently have these certifications.
Use the Choc Zero store locator to find a store that carries them.
Get Choc Zero chocolate chips on Amazon.
5. Amanda’s Own
Amanda’s Own makes several vegan products, including chocolate chips:
- Amanda’s Own Mini Chips
- Organic cane sugar, unsweetened chocolate & cocoa butter
Free from: dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, soy, gluten, sesame, fish, shellfish, mustard, sulphites, lupin.
They don’t seem to have a vegan certification for any of their products, but the chocolate chips use organic sugar so that means it is not filtered with bone char.
Their facility is also completely dairy-free, so there is no risk of dairy cross-contamination.
Get Amanda's Own chocolate chips online or check their store locator.
6. Artisan Kettle
Artisan Kettle makes some vegan chocolate chips, but they also have some products that contain dairy. The risk of cross-contamination is very low though.
Here is their response to my inquiry about cross-contamination:
“All of our products are manufactured in the same facility, but we have a completely separate area for our dairy-free products. No dairy allergens are allowed in that part of our facility and we have very strict safety measures in place to ensure that there is no cross-contamination.”
Artisan Kettle vegan chocolate chips:
- Organic Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
- Organic chocolate liquor, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic sunflower lecithin, organic vanilla.
- Organic No Sugar Added Dark Chocolate Chips
- Organic chocolate liquor, organic erythritol, inulin, organic vanilla extract, organic stevia extract.
- Organic Extra Dark Chocolate Chunks
- Organic chocolate liquor, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic sunflower lecithin, organic vanilla extract.
- Organic Semisweet Chocolate Chips
- Organic cane sugar, organic chocolate liquor, organic cocoa butter, organic sunflower lecithin, organic vanilla.
The chocolate chips listed here are free from: GMOs, gluten, soy, dairy, nuts.
Certifications for these vegan chocolate chips:
- Certified Organic by QAI
- Fair Trade Certified
Use the Artisan Kettle store locator to find these chocolate chips in store.
Get Artisan Kettle chocolate chips on Amazon
7. Equal Exchange
Equal Exchange makes two types of vegan chocolate chips:
- Organic Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (55% Cacao)
- Organic raw cane sugar, Organic chocolate liquor, Organic cocoa butter
- Organic Bittersweet Chocolate Chips (70% Cacao)
- Organic chocolate liquor, Organic raw cane sugar, Organic cocoa butter, Organic cocoa powder
These chocolate chips are produced in a facility that does not process peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, soy, or gluten-containing ingredients.
Certifications:
- USDA Organic
- Certified Kosher Pareve by Union Israelita del Peru
Get Equal Exchange chocolate chips on Amazon
More Vegan Guides
I hope you have found this information on vegan chocolate chips helpful!
Check out these other vegan guides:
- Vegan Cheese Brands
- Are Oreos Vegan?
- Vegan Collagen Supplements
- Vegan Pantry Staples
- The Best Vegan Cereals
To learn all about veganism, check out this guide to going vegan for beginners.
