It’s January, which means it’s gloomy, it’s cold, everyone's generally feeling a bit rubbish and in need of a pick me up.
Chocolate is usually the answer, as the sweet treat can improve our mood instantly with one bite.
With vegan food now more accessible than ever due to Veganuary, there are a lot more vegan products on offer.
READ MORE: We tried vegan cheese from Aldi, Tesco, M&S, Sainsbury’s and Asda and one 'smelt like socks'
Whether you’re choosing to do Veganuary or just want to have more of a plant-based diet, there’s a lot to choose from.
But what about vegan chocolate? Is it as nice as chocolate using dairy ingredients?
We purchased vegan chocolate from Sainsbury's, Aldi, Cadbury, M&S....and put their vegan chocolate to the test.
Aldi Moser Roth Vegan Blonde Cocoa Bar
I’ve never tried vegan chocolate so was intrigued to see how it compared. I’m a total chocolate obsessive, I love Cadbury, I love Lindt, I love dark chocolate, milk chocolate, orange, salted caramel, mint flavoured, you name it, I'll eat it.
The Aldi Moser Roth Vegan Blonde certainly looked pretty on the shelf, packaged in a slim box decorated with pink, blue and yellow colours. Aldi’s known for its replicas and this one is certainly reminiscent of the more expensive Green and Black’s brand.
The chocolate inside the foil wrapper had a darker look than most white chocolate and a distinctly nutty smell. When I bit into a square, it initially tasted quite creamy and some of that nuttiness came through. But it had an unusual aftertaste, which was almost peppery.
When I tried a bit more it left an artificial flavour in my mouth, despite being 100% natural and it didn’t have me craving more. Overall it looked better than it tasted. Not one I’d buy again.
Where to buy: Aldi stores or Aldi online
Rating: 2/5
Price: £1.49 for a 100g bar
Cadbury Plant Bar Vegan Chocolate Bar
Salted caramel flavoured chocolate is one of my absolute favourites, and I love a nutty chocolate too, so this Cadbury bar sounded right up my street.
Made with almonds and salted caramel, the bar comes in a traditional purple Cadbury wrapper and looks similar to the brand’s non vegan treats.
It smelt really chocolatey when I opened up the packet so I couldn’t wait to tuck in. When I bit in, I found the chocolate had a crunchy texture and while it was certainly nothing like the authentic Cadbury flavour I so love, it wasn’t unpleasant.
Having not eaten vegan chocolate before, I thought it might taste like the cheap stuff you get in children’s advent calendars, but it was creamier than that. I don’t think it would have tasted quite rich enough though had it not been for the salted caramel that really gave it a nice finish, but sadly also overpowered the almond flavour.
But what would put me off buying it again was the price - £2.50 for a 90g bar seems pretty steep to me.
Where to buy: Wilko, Sainsbury’s, The Vegan Company
Rating: 4/5
Price: £2.50
Asda Extra Special Free From Salted Honeycomb and Raspberry Milk Chocolate Slab
I've tried Galaxy's vegan chocolate (obsessed with the orange flavour) and I've tried Dairy Milk's vegan release (the almond milk was too overpowering for me), so I was keen to see what my local supermarket had to offer.
Asda's Extra Special Free From Salted Honeycomb and Raspberry Milk Chocolate Slab is infused with Madagascan vanilla and is adorned with little raspberry pieces. I'm not normally a fan of berry fruits in chocolate but the flavours of this chocolate bar compliment one another perfectly.
The chocolate itself wasn't obviously vegan, it just tasted like any other decent supermarket chocolate. It's not as delicious as a regular bar of Galaxy or Dairy Milk but then, that would be the case whether it was vegan or not. No supermarket chocolate, in my opinion, quite measures up to the creamy perfection of Galaxy and Dairy Milk.
Asda's vegan chocolate slab certainly satisfies any chocolate cravings and it's packed with flavour. You can't go wrong with an element of salt in chocolate and the inclusion of salted honeycomb really packs an extra punch.
The bar itself is a thick, generous portion that was very filling. I have very little self control with chocolate and can polish off quite an impressive amount for my size but I couldn't eat too much of this because it's such a hefty serving.
It's sweet, a little salty and has plenty going on. I'd definitely buy it again.
Where to buy: Asda
Price: £2
Rating: 4/5
M&S Salted Caramel Truffles
I was shocked to see something as luxurious as vegan salted caramel truffles in the Plant Kitchen section, but also pretty impressed.
Being a big chocolate lover I was dubious about vegan chocolate, almost convincing myself it ‘probably wasn’t going to be as nice’ as dairy chocolate.
A look at the packaging swiftly reminded me that with M&S, it was bound to be high quality.
Although the vegan chocolate selection was slim, I chose the salted caramel truffles for my taste test with Valentine’s Day coming up.
First impressions? They looked very nice, with a cocoa dusting and perfectly spherical shape, I was ready to tuck in.
Made with soya-based pink Himalayan salted caramel encased in a dark chocolate shell with cocoa powder, things were looking positive.
If I had to describe the first bite it’d be one word: bitter.
I think the cocoa dusting was just too much of a dark chocolate for me, leaving more of a bitter taste in my mouth as opposed to sweet.
The inside of the truffle revealed a gooey caramel which was quite yum though, making up for the lack of sweetness.
Overall I’d say I was pleasantly surprised with how nice this product was, but it didn’t quite have the same sugar rush as standard chocolate.
If it wasn't for the gooey centre, it could've been a disaster!
Where to buy: Your local M&S store or Amazon
Rating: 4/5
Price: £5.00 for a 125g tub
The FreeFrom Kitchen Choc Bar
I’ve never tried vegan chocolate before, but as someone with a big sweet tooth I was interested in comparing it to my favourites.
I managed to pick up The FreeFrom Kitchen’s Choc Bar from my local Tesco. The 100g bar is gluten free, wheat free and milk free, and marketed as a “deliciously indulgent milk chocolate alternative”.
The chocolate bar is quite thin and smooth, with an overwhelming scent when you open the packet. It was quite bitter to begin with, though the taste did grow on me after a few bites. However, it had nothing on a bar of good old fashioned Dairy Milk.
Ultimately, it felt like I'd just eaten chocolate from one of those advent calendars you don't particularly want but have to eat everyday anyway because "it's Christmas".
My verdict - it's a slab of advent calendar chocolate.
I'd probably wouldn't buy it again, but if you're looking for a vegan chocolate alternative it at least tastes like chocolate.
Where to buy: Your local Tesco store
Rating: 2/5
Price: £1.50 for 100g bar
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