When I first became a vegan the only choice for baking chips was carob chips. I have no problem with carob, but it’s not chocolate. Times have changed and their are several brands of vegan chocolate chips on the market. You might have trouble finding them at your local grocery store, but they are readily available online, at speciality stores like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods Market, and your local health food store.
Who Makes Vegan Chocolate Chips?
What brands make vegan chocolate chips? The better known brands are Sunspire, Tropical Source (made by Sunspire), Enjoy Life, and Vitacost. Other brands are a little more difficult to find such as Lily’s and King David’s.
They come in a variety of flavors from unsweetened to semi sweet to bittersweet. Some are sweet enough to munch on straight from the bag. Others are specifically made for baking. King David’s has a line of white chocolate chips as well as dark chocolate chips.
Vegans no longer have to substitute taste with vegan chocolate chips, that’s for sure!
But, Do Vegan Chocolate Chips Work in Recipes?
I’ve used several different brands in everything from cookies to pudding. While flavor varies, I’ve found the baking quality across brands is consistent.
Some do have a sort of gritty texture when eaten uncooked, but this quality seems to diminish when used in recipes. I’ve used different brands in my Chocolate Filled Peanut Butter Ball Cookie recipe for several years. No one knows the difference–including some of my picky carnivorous family members.
This delicious goodie was made from EatPastry Chocolate Cake Mix. I added vegan chocolate chips because you can never have enough chocolate. I wrote an EatPastry Chocolate Cake review if you’d like to see if I liked it or not.
My best advice is to try different brands to see which you prefer.
Watch the Sugar Grams!
Vegan doesn’t always mean healthy. If you’re keeping an eye on sugar grams, be sure to check the nutritional information. Some vegan chocolate chips can contain as much as 20 grams of sugar per tablespoon.
There can be a big difference between brands and between types. Recipes for baked goods usually don’t need super sweet chocolate chips. Unsweetened chips will work just fine!
Sugar Grams in Different Brands of Vegan Chocolate Chips
Here are some vegan chocolate chip products with the number of sugar grams. A lot depends on the type of sweetener used.
- Lily’s Premium Baking Chips do not contain sugar, but contain Stevia extract. The nutritional information lists 0 sugar grams.
- Sunspire Grain Sweetened Dark Chocolate Chips do not contain sugar. They are sweetened with Barley Malt Syrup and contain 7 grams of sugar per 1 1/2 tablespoon.
- Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Chips are made with evaporated cane juice. They contain 7 grams of sugar per tablespoon.
- Vitacost Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips are made with sugar. They contain 8 grams of sugar per tablespoon.
As you can see it does vary. Always read labels. Do your homework, find the chips that fit your needs, and then enjoy!
Go Out There and Bake Something!
Now that you know that vegan chocolate chips are real, get in the kitchen and make something. How about some vegan chocolate peanut butter pudding?
Do you bake with vegan chocolate chips? What’s your favorite brand?
