From independent.co.uk
Dairy free and tasty? These chocolate treats will be hard to beat
However you celebrate Easter, it has become at least as much about the chocolate as it is about eggs, bunnies and chicks.
A good thing too, because we know vegans would much rather be cracking into a dairy-free chocolate egg than one with a yolk and soldiers on Easter morning.
With each year that passes, the vegan Easter bunny delivers yet more delicious treats, with increasingly intriguing flavours and designs now widely available.
This year we have milk, white and dark chocolate alternatives, truffles, small goodies perfect for the Easter egg hunt and even something not-at-all-egg-like, but ever so appropriate for the season.
If you’re one of the third of Britons who say they are interested in becoming vegan, among the more than 620,000 people who took part in Veganuary this year or a lifelong meat-and-diary shunner, these springtime treats are for you.
How we tested
We took ourselves on an early Easter egg hunt and found a range of the most exciting vegan and dairy-free goodies to enjoy this year. We’ve included chocolate made from nuts, oats and other plant-based ingredients, and there are milk, white and dark options. We’ve judged each on flavour, looks and eco-friendly credentials.
The best vegan and dairy-free Easter eggs for 2022 are:
H!P salted caramel oat milk chocolate egg
Best: Overall
Rating: 9.5/10
- Weight: 150g
When an Easter egg is so thick you struggle to break it, you know you’re onto a good thing. We had to thud this egg on a hard surface several times to break it into manageable shards. The chocolate is rich with 41 per cent single-origin Colombian cocoa and creamy with oat milk, then there’s the ultra-sweet, salted caramel for a brilliant flavour.
The brand promises that it’s been produced in a slave-free supply chain, and the packaging is entirely plastic-free and recyclable. Plus, it’s a bargain at only £8.
Happi white raspberry Easter egg
Best: White chocolate Easter egg
Rating: 9/10
- Weight: 170g
White chocolate lovers rejoice! This year, Happi has added a deliciously creamy and fruity new egg to its range: the white raspberry. The smooth chocolate is made with rich oat milk, natural raspberry flavour and freeze-dried raspberries. The result is a creamy white egg dotted with vibrant pink fruit that adds a tangy sourness for the perfect balance of flavours.
This is another egg that comes in plastic-free packaging, with a recyclable outer cardboard box and a compostable inner film. Happi also donates 1 per cent of its annual sales revenue to good causes and mental health charities.
Nomo vegan cookie dough bunny
Best: Easter basket filler
Rating: 8/10
- Weight: 30g
Vegans will likely already be familiar with Nomo’s outstanding chocolate, and this year the brand has treated us to a special little bunny bar that’s perfect for hiding as part of your Easter egg hunt. Inside the delicious milk-style chocolate is a cookie-dough flavour centre that is studded with crispy rice and cocoa pieces for an excellent texture.
Nomo’s products aren’t just for vegans, they’re also great for those with allergies because they are free from dairy, gluten, egg and nuts.
Hotel Chocolat unbelievably vegan ostrich Easter egg
Best: Showstopper egg
Rating: 9/10
- Weight: 1.1kg
Inject a bit of wow factor into your Easter Sunday with this incredible vegan egg. Inside a stylish white, grooved tin, which you will want to reuse, is an enormous chocolate egg, with each ridiculously thick half wrapped in thick gold foil. It is made from Hotel Chocolat’s dairy-free hazelnut nut milk and crushed cookies and cornflakes for a satisfyingly crunchy texture. Sitting beneath the ostrich egg is another tin, this time containing a selection of 20 vegan truffles, caramels and pralines – even mini chocolate eggs. It will make a jaw-dropping gift or treat for yourself and contains more than a kilo of excellent quality chocolate.
Melt London strawberry vegan Easter egg
Best: Design
Rating: 8/10
- Weight: 300g
It’d be hard to get any more plant-based than with a strawberry Easter egg. This beautifully handcrafted designer delight is a picture with its vivid red shell and green top. It contains real strawberries for a fruity sweetness that pairs wonderfully with the 70 per cent dark chocolate, while the green top is passionfruit flavour.
The packaging is totally free of plastic, and the brand even delivers its online chocolate orders in zero-emission electric vans.
Buttermilk honeycomb blast choccy egg and soldier
Best: Value for money
Rating: 8.5/10
- Weight: 175g
Fans of a Cadbury crunchie in their pre-plant-based days will love this Easter egg and dairy-free version of the old-school chocolate bar. The Buttermilk bar tastes every bit as good as its non-vegan forerunner, with crunchy, sugary cinder toffee that sticks to your teeth, covered in thick chocolate. And there’s a double hit of honeycomb with this product because the smooth, milk chocolate-style egg itself is also studded with the stuff. We think this is a great value for money treat and love that it comes in completely recyclable packaging.
Montezuma’s the three chicklateers
Best: Organic Easter gift
Rating: 8.5/10
- Weight: 225g
If only organic will do, this Easter gift ticks all the boxes. Included are three adorable chicks made from 100 per cent organic, vegan chocolate that has a rice base. The chocolate is closer to milk than dark but still has a strong cocoa flavour and is ever so rich – one chicklateer is more than enough for one person.
The packaging is plastic-free, which is why it is stocked by the entirely plastic-free PomPom shop, and the box even has a biodegradable, plastic-looking film window made from wood pulp.
Macknade vegan Easter celebration hamper
Best: Luxury gift
Rating: 7.5/10
- Weight: N/A
Go all out this Easter with a hamper instead of just a bunch of eggs for that special someone. Nestled in a recyclable box with shredded paper are a Goupie salted sticky toffee Easter egg, Choc Affair orange and rhubarb oat milk chocolate bar, Specialite Vegan Dutch apple cake, a bag of Rhythm 108 double chocolate hazelnut biscuits, The Raw Chocolate Co organic cacao powder and even a bottle of organic wine and a sustainable rice husk travel cup.
The foodie treats are delicious, and we love that the cup helps the lucky receiver of the hamper lead a more sustainable lifestyle. This is a thoughtful gift packed with plant-based delights that is really quite good value for money when you consider the contents.
Hotel Chocolat vegan chocolate rabbert hollow with tiddly pot
Best: For kids
Rating: 7.5/10
- Weight: 93g
Vegan Easter treats for children are not always easy to come by, so this cute “Rabbert” gift from Hotel Chocolat is a welcome addition to the market. Plant-based kids will love this cute hollow bunny figure, and rabbit themed cardboard cup full to the brim with chocolate buttons. Best of all, the chocolate is smooth and creamy without being too rich for children because it is made with milled hazelnuts in place of milk for a mellow taste with just the right amount of cocoa. We only wish Hotel Chocolat made all its packaging recyclable, but at least some of it is and the brand says it’s working on the rest.
Booja Booja Easter limited edition award-winning selection
Best: Truffles
Rating: 7/10
- Weight: 184g
A regular old chocolate egg won’t float everybody’s boat, so for these people, we would suggest celebrating Easter with Booja Booja’s yummy truffles. Anyone familiar with the brand will recognise the flavours; they aren’t new, just repackaged in a charming seasonal box. We would have liked to have seen some special Easter varieties introduced, but the truffles – almond salted caramel, ginger, espresso and rhubarb vanilla – are still as delicious and luxurious as ever. As well as being vegan they’re also dairy-, gluten- and soya-free.
Morrisons the best chocolate collection free from Seville choccy orange egg
Best: Fruity egg
Rating: 8/10
- Weight: 200g
A chocolate orange is not just for Christmas but now Easter too with this vegan egg from Morrisons. The milk-style chocolate egg is made from rice and coconut with orange flavouring, resulting in a smooth treat with a citrus hit. The front of the egg is also decorated with crunchy cocoa nibs to add texture and bite. Along with the egg are five dark chocolate truffles with a rich, zesty orange centre.
This egg is vegan and free from gluten, wheat and dairy, and it comes in a recyclable cardboard box with no plastic, while the truffles are wrapped in foil.
While it’s not currently in stock online, it is available to buy in store.
Crosstown hot cross bun doughnut, box of six
Best: For something a bit different
Rating: 8/10
- Weight: N/A
Easter wouldn’t be Easter without hot cross buns, but they have been taken to the next level this year and transformed into vegan doughnuts. The generously sized treats are heavily spiced, have an indulgent cinnamon custard centre and are packed with the flavours of zesty fruits to achieve a perfect balance of warmth and freshness. Each has a sugary citrus glaze that is decorated with a spiced cross and topped with vibrant candied orange peel. They are a real seasonal treat for sharing with loved ones when you’re sick to the back teeth of chocolate.
Buy a box of six now, or individual doughnuts will be available in-store, for collection and on-demand delivery from 21 March.
The verdict: Vegan and dairy-free Easter eggs
We adored the flavour of the H!P salted caramel oat milk chocolate egg and were impressed with the plastic-free, recyclable packaging. It’s a simple vegan Easter egg with no frills or added treats, but it’s our best overall for its taste, ethical manufacturing and excellent value for money. We also love Montezuma’s the three chicklateers for the sweet Easter charm that will appeal to all ages and the gorgeous chocolate.
https://www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/easter/vegan-easter-eggs-b2048371.html
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