Chocolate is one of the staples of my life. It gets me through exams, makes celebrations what they are and are always an appropriate gift. My housemate at university, Felicity, eats some form of chocolate everyday because one day she didn’t and fainted. She’s clear that, and I quote, “the fainting and lack of chocolate probably weren’t related,” but even so. It’s a good precautionary measure.
But going vegan means most milk chocolate is off limits. If you’re a dark chocolate fan, it’s not really a problem. Green and Black’s dark chocolate and the Lindt dark chocolate range (though not the flavoured ones) are vegan (though they do say that all Lindt manufacturing facilities process white, dark and milk chocolate, so it depends how you feel about that).
However, there are so many vegan chocolate bars out there now that I no longer feel sad about not being able to buy a Reeses bar. Since a lot of them are raw and made with cacao, they are hailed as being healthy and pack just as much flavour as normal chocolate, if not more. They’re ethical, organic, some are hand-made, raw (so essential nutrients aren’t lost in the manufacturing process) and have no added nasties like refined sugar, chemicals or additives. As healthy as chocolate can be.
So many people seem to say if you’re having chocolate, have chocolate. Resign yourself to the fact that you’re having something unhealthy and that’s okay. There’s no need for healthy chocolate. There’s no need to feel bad about it. I completely agree with the last statement – never feel bad about eating something. However, why not entertain the possibility that chocolate can deliver the same amount of flavour and indulgence but can, in addition, be good for you? Surely there’s no losing? Have your cake and eat it too. Or rather, your chocolate.
One of the main problems is that such chocolate doesn’t come cheap. Which brand and which flavour should you go for? In the name of my blog I went a really big chocolate spree (never have I been so happy to have started blogging) and have reviewed some of the big names below looking at taste, the varieties of flavour, texture, packaging (and Instagram worthiness), ethics and price.
Conscious Chocolate
This was the first brand of chocolate I tried after going vegan (thanks to Fat MooMoo in Leamington Spa…what a great name, right?) and the first thing that I couldn’t get my head around was the texture. It’s softer than normal chocolate; there’s no snap to like I’d expect. It’s almost like fudge in terms of texture, and it has be kept in the fridge.
The flavours are varied, there’s the more classic 85%, essential orange and mint hint. I went for the more unusual flavours though, and chose a Lions bar, a Love Potion No. 9 and a Wild at Heart. The Lions Bar is light, refreshing and tastes citrusy, making it my favourite. The lightness makes it great for summer and the richness of the chocolate isn’t overwhelming. The Love Potion is just like Turkish Delight and tastes like rose, so much recommended for exam season as a way of calming nerves.
The Wild at Heart is the most interesting, since it is made from (amongst other things), wild blue-green algae. Surprisingly, this is a close second to the Lions Bar and almost my favourite. The flavours are indescribable, you’ll have to try it to know, but it is smooth and velvety – no hint of strange plant taste about it. Had I not known, I wouldn’t have guessed it contained algae. Definitely one to try, if only out of curiosity. Lion Bar for the summer, Wild at Heart any other time.
It’s a more than reasonable (in the vegan, healthy raw chocolate world) £3 for a 50g bar and, I think, definitely worth it. Organic and handmade, it’s definitely one to try. If I come across the orange, nutty one or mint anytime soon, those would be the next ones I’d want to try, those usually being my favourite pairing with chocolate.
7.5/10
Om Bars
The Om Bar range were on display at Natural Elixir (also in Leamington Spa and definitely worth a visit if you’re around) and looked too pretty not to try. Coupled with the fact that it was exam time and cacao is a natural mood booster, I was sold. What else gets you through days at the library?
They keep their chocolate raw to preserve the natural goodness, and it’s organic and natural. They even refer to chocolate a health food on their website. I knew I liked them from this moment on.
The Centres bars have a creamy middle, the Raspberry and Coconut is refreshingly in its contrast to the rich dark chocolate and the Coconut and Vanilla Centre bar is similar.
The winner, though, has to be the Cranberry and Mandarin. It strikes the perfect balance between citrus and bitterness – somehow indulgent but also refreshing. The Lemon and Green Tea gets second place because it is similar, though is missing the green tea flavour. It’s there, but a little too delicate against the lemon and the dark chocolate.
The Goji Berry bar adds an interesting texture but isn’t as strong in terms of flavour, and the Acai and Blueberry is a tad too strong with acai, but is an interesting flavour to try, especially for berry fans.
It’s also so flavourful and satisfying that two squares is enough, so £1.99 for a 35g bar seems reasonable when also considering the bars are healthy (as healthy as chocolate can be), raw and organic. After all, I’d rather pay the price with my wallet than my body in the long run.
What I noticed most, though, was the fact that it genuinely did make me much happier. A couple of squares of the Green Tea and Lemon and I was singing to myself whilst revising Trusts Law. If that isn’t magic, I don’t know what is.
A solid 8/10
Well+Happy
These bars undoubtedly look the prettiest. They look like works of art, scattered with edible flowers and come in more unusual colours, ranging from the deep Dark Midnight bar to the striking green Matcha Latte to creamy Coconut Snow. The packaging of the Om Bars and Raw Halo gives them a run for their money, but these are hands down the best for a gift. And Instagram.
Unfortunately, though, they look better than they taste. The Chunky Money is definitely the best, dark chocolate with freeze dried banana is always a winning combination after all. It is rich and indulgent and the texture is just like a thick bar of Green and Black’s, though a little more banana would have been good.
The others I tried, though, all tasted similar and overwhelmingly of coconut. The Coconut Snow, understandably so. Though, even as a recently enlightened coconut fan, it was even a bit too much for me. The taste of the cacao butter also seemed to come through a bit too much and it ended up being a deluge of sweetness that was a bit sickly. Fans of white chocolate might approve, but you also have to be crazy about coconut. This one is probably the prettiest though, or on par with the Matcha Latte.
The Matcha Latte and the Pistachio and Vanilla were the other two I tried. The Matcha Latte was intriguing, and I liked it because it wasn’t too strong, and the rose petals gave it little something extra. The floral undertones paired well with the crunch of pumpkin seeds, too. Again, since it’s quite a thick bar, one of two squares later and my chocolate craving is more than satiated.
The Pistachio and Vanilla fell a little flat as I somehow still tasted a lot of coconut and wanted a much stronger vanilla taste, as well as a real crunch from pistachios. Sadly, I got neither. Pleasant (ish), but not one I’d buy again.
At £3.99 a bar, they don’t come cheap but promise to be some of the richest and healthiest chocolate bars out there. And they’re hands down the prettiest. Never have I been so excited to excited to use the hashtag #mychocolateisprettierthanyours on Instagram. And it was definitely warranted.
Plus, their positive vibe cards are great – chocolate is such a mood food (we use it to celebrate and to make us feel better when things aren’t great), so it’s fitting that Well+Happy spread some positivity with their chocolate. Clearly the aim is for their chocolate to keep customers both well and happy, and they’re definitely succeeding.
5/10
Raw Halo
Beautifully packaged, Raw Halo come in an array of different flavours and I wanted a collection partly because the pastel colours of the packaging would make for a beautiful rainbow. They are the perfect in between in terms of thickness, sitting between Superfood IQ (below) and the much thicker Well+Happy. There’s a snap, but not too much, and the texture is just like normal chocolate.
Flavours wise, I wanted to try every single one. The Mylk range was most interesting, because I wanted to see if it could actually taste like normal, non-vegan milk chocolate. During their 25% off offer a month (ish) ago, I went for two mylk bars (Goji Berry and Vanilla, and Pink Himalayan Salt), and two Dark bars (Nibs, and Sour Cherry and Almond).
The Mylk bars tasted exactly like the more luxurious brands of normal milk chocolate, just a little less creamy but just as smooth and silky. The Pink Himalayan Salt balanced salt with sweet, much like a good salted caramel bar does. Not at all overwhelming but a clean and indulgent taste – my favourite of the Mylk bars I’ve tried. The Vanilla and Goji Berry was also brilliantly balanced, not sickly or cloying but with light hits of vanilla.
The Dark bars were my favourite, though. Though I love dark chocolate, I am slowly getting used to its bitterness. These bars were perfect because the dark chocolate taste was strong but not overwhelming or too rich, partly due to the thickness of the bar. The Dark with Nibs was my favourite from all of them – with little crunchy nibs like chocolate chips and creamy, indulgent but not too rich dark chocolate. Plus a beautiful lavender wrapping. This is heaven in a bar. The Sour Cherry and Almond is also a must try – just like a cherry bakewell. The Dark and Sour Orange is sitting in my cupboard and I can’t wait to try it after having loved these.
£2.99 for a 33g places them in the upper price range, but they are more than worth it. I’ll stop buying all other food if I have to, that’s how good these are.
A definite 10/10
Superfood IQ
The Plush Peppermint and Wild Orange and Raspberry had my name all over them. Packaging looks, though, as if it is a box of plasters, according to my dad at least. It’s a thinner bar than the Well+Happy range, almost half the size. The flavour is just as strong, though, and the orange and raspberry was fruity and contrasted the bitterness of the dark chocolate perfectly. The mint wasn’t quite strong enough to deliver a fresh taste, though, but I am a big mint fan so perhaps that’s just me.
£2.49 for a 35g bar, they are a little more expensive than Om Bars. Placed side by side an Om Bar, you’d think IQ is better value because it’s a bigger bar (as it is thinner) but it’s not. If you prefer a thinner chocolate with an easier snap and more of an emphasis on the dark chocolate taste rather than any other flavour, these would be the ones to invest in. The Lime flavour is on my To Try list because I think it would balance out the dark chocolate, much like the Raspberry and Orange bar.
7/10
Overall?
Overall, my absolute favourite is Raw Halo. Recently, they have introduced a new range that includes Dark and Mint, Dark Ginger and Pecan, Mylk and Cinnamon and Raisin, and Mylk and Mint Crisp which all sound amazing. They’ve hit the mark with flavour, texture, thickness and snap, variety, and packaging. For me, that outweighs the price tag, and the moment that 25%
off comes around again dangerous things will be happening to my bank account. It’s a shame the Salted Caramel flavour isn’t vegan, but with so many other new flavours to try (the Mint Crisp, Ginger and Pecan, and Cinnamon Raisin in particular) means this is probably a good thing for my body and bank account.
I have yet to try Booja Booja, Doisy & Dam, The Raw Chocolate Co and so many others, so I don’t know how they’d fare. The Doisy and Dam flavours look most intriguing though, and I definitely want to know what Quinoa, Smoked Tea and Vanilla tastes like!
I’m missing something with lots of peanuts and caramel, or a really strong banana one. Hopefully I’ll come across something in that realm soon, or if you have then please leave a comment. The search for chocolate is a serious one, so I’d appreciate it. So much chocolate, so little time. Challenge accepted.
Sorry for such a long post, but if anything deserves so many words, it’s chocolate!
Chocolate love,
Karishma
Smoothies over jacuzzis 
Chocolate!!! 🙂
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