A Reader Writes: “Who makes Vegan Chocolates?” The answer is not as straightforward as you might think, as the question revolves not just around dairy, but also what kind of sugar is used.

While it’s obvious that people should look to see if a chocolate has any dairy products in it (milk solids or whey), some chocolates have fats in them that are derived from dairy ingredients, including butter oil.

Less obvious is that the sugar used might not be vegan, depending on your definition, ingredients or process. Some refined white sugar is filtered through charcoal that may (or may not, there’s really no way to know) contain animal bones. While the sugar does not have an animal ingredient it is processed through something that does, which, depending on your sensitivity to the issue, may mean that it’s not edible.

So in addition to looking for Kosher Pareve chocolate, you’re looking for chocolate that is sweetened using unrefined sugar or cane syrup.

A quick search on Yahoo! reveals a number of sources: http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=vegan+chocolate

Previous Questions and Answers:

1. We make Vegan Chocolate Truffles with no refined sugar. They are really tasty and we have been written up in the Bay Guardian.
   Posted by Patricia Nee  on  06/28  at  08:33 PM
2. I tried to make chocolate covered cherries...i mixed the chocolate w/the parafin wax..they came out great...although the wax stuck to my teeth...from the choc.cherries...what did i do wrong...could it be the wax was old..and it was parowax...would that have made a difference...i would appreciate your solution to my problem...thank you. :: Kay; There is no reason that you should be adding wax to chocolate. The best bet is to temper the chocolate (there are a lot of resources for how to do that). An alternative, especially if the cherries are going to be eaten more or less right away, is to simply put the cherries into the fridge after they've been dipped. HTH. :: Clay
   Posted by  on  12/13  at  07:21 PM
3. Any comment on the Wilton school in general and their chocolate classes in particular? :: Joe; I don't have any particular experience with the Wilton school other than I know that they have a solid reputation in the cake decorating area among amateur bakers. I don't know anything about their chocolate program. : Clay
   Posted by  on  01/01  at  09:06 PM