July 2, 2024

Now What are Plant-based Chocolates?

First came plant-based milk, then plant-based meat, and now we have plant-based chocolates. But wait, aren’t chocolates plant-based already?

The answer is yes and no.

By definition, pure dark chocolate whose ingredients are just cacao nibs, cacao butter, and sugar is by default plant-based or vegan.

But if you add milk powder to the same, you get milk chocolate which is non-vegan or not plant-based.

So how do you make plant-based milk chocolates?

Making plant-based milk chocolate isn’t rocket science. All you have to do is simply replace milk powder with a dairy substitute. This could be defatted nut powder or nut-free substitutes like rice or oat powder. De-fatted because it provides a neutral taste; the most commonly used nuts are almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, and macadamia.

Let’s take a look at some world-famous chocolate brands who’ve caught up to the plant-based milk chocolate trend and the key ingredients they use to make it plant-based:

Vegan Kit Kat Bar

Launched: 2023
Ingredients: Sugar, Cocoa butter, Wheat flour, Corn fiber, Rice syrup powder, Cocoa mass, Vegetable fats (palm kernel, palm), Emulsifier (lecithins), Natural vanilla flavoring, Raising agent (sodium bicarbonate)

Reesee’s Plant-Based Cups

Launched: 2023
Ingredients: Sugar, Peanuts, Cocoa Butter, Chocolate, Oat Flour, Rice Flour, Dextrose, Contains 2% Or Less Of: Sea Salt, Lecithin (Soy), Natural Flavor, and Rosemary Extract.

Cadbury Plant Bar

Launched: 2021
Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa butter, ALMOND paste, cocoa mass, rice extract, emulsifier (SOYA lecithins), flavoring.

Lindt Vegan Bar

Launch: 2023
Ingredients: Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Cocoa Mass, Maltodextrin, ALMONDS (10%), OAT Flour* (4,4%), Millet Syrup (4%), Emulsifier (SOYA Lecithin), Natural Flavorings *Gluten Free Oat,

Hershey’s Oat Milk Bar

Launch: 2023
Ingredients: Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Chocolate (likely cocoa mass and cocoa butter), Almonds, Oat Flour, Rice Flour, Lecithin (Soy) (an emulsifier), Sunflower Oil, Sea Salt, Natural Flavor.

What’s Pascati’s Take On Plant-Based Chocolates?

While the vegan revolution slowly catches up in India and consumers demand more plant-based options, Pascati is pleased to announce that we will soon be launching our very own line of plant-based milk chocolates.

So if you’re someone who already loves the taste of bean-to-bar chocolates and are bored of the extremely sweet and flavorless chocolates, Pascati’s plant-based chocolates are exactly what you.

Long live the vegan revolution…