Is White Chocolate Vegan or Vegetarian? [Solved]
White chocolate is a delicious treat for everyone who loves the creamy vanilla taste in their mouth. What makes it different from milk and dark chocolate is that it doesn’t have any cocoa solids. Due to this, it appears as ivory or a pale off-white color. But what about other ingredients? Can vegans and vegeterians eat it?
Whether you are vegan, vegetarian, or just interested in vegan food, read on to find out which chocolate brands are vegan-friendly. Also, I’m about to share with you the recipe and the steps of how to make white chocolate at home. Sounds exciting, right?
Before diving into the nutritional details, please review our Nutritional Disclaimer page for important context and clarifications.
Is White Chocolate Vegan?
White chocolate is not vegan since it contains around 14% milk solids. About 3.5% of chocolate is milkfat. Any food made from animals or made while harming animals is not vegan-friendly.
In many regions, confectionery is prohibited by food standards from being classified as white chocolate unless the required minimum of dairy ingredients is met. Some regulatory bodies state that a product must contain milk to be considered white chocolate.
That is why some brands decided to use plant-based milk instead of cows’ milk to make it available for vegans. In addition, they replace milk fat with vegetable oils like, for instance, coconut oil or just add more cocoa butter.
The biggest dilemma, however, is the use of sugar. This is a worry to most vegans since most cane sugar is refined using bone char. Bone char is a substance that is used in filtering sugar, giving it a white color. And, as the name suggests, it is made from animal bones.
But, this doesn’t mean that sugar can’t be vegan. For example, vegans can eat beet and coconut sugar without a problem since cone char is never used in their processing. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, organic sugar is also vegan since it can’t be filtered through bone char. When you are purchasing sugar that is not organic, look for the word “unrefined.”
Can Vegetarians Eat White Chocolate?
Vegetarians don’t eat meat, but they eat milk and milk products, such as cheese and yogurt. They usually also add eggs to their diet as a source of protein.
Since white chocolate doesn’t contain meat, white chocolate can be considered vegetarian, so vegetarians can eat it.
If you are a vegetarian that is still concerned about animal cruelty and refuses to eat chocolate made by companies that use cone char in sugar production, look for a chocolate that has the label “Vegan” or “Organic.”
What Brands of Chocolate Are Vegetarian?
Many vegan chocolate brands have been emerging lately. Thanks to these brands, finding vegan chocolate has been easier.
Milkless Polar Dream White chocolates have a traditional taste of white chocolate with a creamy texture. It is allergy-friendly and free from artificial colors and flavors.
If you are bored of smooth, pure white chocolate, spice it up with Pascha organic white bar with organic vanilla. This chocolate bar is rich in taste and feels warm and creamy on your tongue as it melts.
If you are baking and you are looking for white vegan chocolate chips, Pascha has exactly what you need. And you don’t need to save them only for baking. They are great for snacking, too. Find them here.
One of the most popular chocolate brands whose products are vegan, gluten-free and non-GMO is Hu. In their Amazon store, you can find various types of chocolates and snacks, including Salty Dark Chocolate and dark chocolate with cashew butter. You can also save the links and get the chocolates for birthday to someone you know would love them!
How to Make Vegan White Chocolate?
Although there are store-bought available options, you can make vegan white chocolate at home, which allows you to control the ingredients in the process, including the flavors and toppings of your preference. There is a simple and easy recipe for making vegan white chocolate.
For the ingredients, you will need food-grade cacao butter, sugar (either powdered organic sugar or powdered Erythritol for sugar-free white chocolate), coconut butter, clear vanilla extract, and salt.
If you want to add flavors, avoid water-based ingredients. But, oil-based flavorings, powdered ingredients, and extracts are welcome. Other ingredients that can be mixed with white chocolate include dehydrated fruit and crushed nuts.
The first step for making vegan white chocolate is melting the cacao butter. Fill the pot with hot water, then place a heat-proof bowl with cacao butter inside over it.
The key to a delicious vegan white chocolate is food-grade cocoa butter and metal whisks to avoid moisture from ruining the chocolate.
The second step is adding other ingredients. While stirring the cacao butter, add coconut butter and mix well. Then, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt should be added. Make sure that the mixture is well combined. One important tip is sifting the powdered sugar to avoid lumps in the chocolate.
The third step is pouring the chocolate into the mold. Using a spoon, pour the melted white chocolate into the mold. At this point, the toppings can be added on top of the chocolate. Some of the topic ideas are roasted hazelnuts, shredded coconut, Ritz crackers, grated vegan dark chocolate, sprinkles, dried fruits like strawberries, etc.
The fourth step is allowing it to set. The mold should then be transferred to the fridge for 1 to 2 hours, or freezer for 20-30 minutes. After it cools down, remove the delicious treat from the mold.
The leftover vegan white chocolate can be stored in the freezer or fridge. It can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 weeks and in the freezer for about 2-3 months.
