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Are Chocolate Chips Vegan? (These Brands Are!)

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So, are chocolate chips vegan? There isn't a clear yes or no answer to this question, so the answer is: some brands are and some are definitely not. But how can you tell which brands are vegan-friendly?

In this article, you’ll find a list of 19 vegan chocolate chip brands to look for the next time you go shopping. You'll also learn other helpful, need-to-know info so you can understand ingredient lists and feel confident buying any type of chocolate for snacking and for baking your favourite vegan desserts and treats.

A pile of chocolate chips.

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If you're just starting as a new vegan or even if you're not-so-new, there may be store-bought foods you still aren't sure about, chocolate chips being one of them.

Are chocolate chips vegan? Or not? It can be confusing, but this article and guide will clear it all up for you so you feel confident the next time chocolate chips are on your grocery list.

Let's go through all of those details so you can get back to baking and making chocolate chip-filled treats with no hesitation!

And if you have questions about whether or not other store-bought products are vegan, gluten-free (or both!) or if you want to make vegan versions of common kitchen ingredients, check these out:

Table of Contents hide
1 How Do You Know Chocolate Chips Are Vegan?
2 Ingredients to Look For
3 What Brands of Chocolate Chips Are Vegan?
4 Grocery Store Brands
5 Brands That MAY Be Vegan
6 Vegan Chocolate Chips FAQ
7 Recipes to Try

How Do You Know Chocolate Chips Are Vegan?

The easiest way to know if your chocolate chips are vegan is to look for a symbol of vegan certification on the package.

One of the most recognized is the "certified vegan logo." Seeing that symbol on a package is the easiest way to know if what you are about to buy is fully vegan.

Depending on the country you live in, or the certifying body the chocolate chip company worked with, the symbol may be different.

If there is no certification symbol on the package, then you need to do a little work to figure things out. Just because you don't see a symbol, doesn't mean the product isn't vegan. Some chocolate chips were manufactured to be vegan, the company has just not sought out official certification.

In other cases, the chocolate chips just happen to be "accidentally" vegan, meaning that the manufacturer did not set out to produce specifically vegan chocolate chips, it just happens that the ingredients in their recipe are all vegan.

When reading ingredient lists, there are a few things you have to pay attention to:

  • ingredients
  • the sugar being used, if this is an issue for you
  • if palm oil is included, if this is an issue for you
  • natural and artificial flavours
An overhead shot showing a bowl of eggless chocolate chip cookie dough.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Ingredients to Look For

If the chocolate you want to buy is not certified vegan, it can still be vegan, you just need to learn how to read and understand the ingredients so you can figure it out on your own. These are the ingredients you need to focus on.

Dairy

There are different names for dairy ingredients which can make things tricky, but if you know what to look for, you'll know exactly if your product is vegan or not.

When looking for dairy products, seeing any of the following milk products will tell you that the chocolate chips are not vegan:

milk, butter, milk fat, butterfat, cream, casein, milk protein, milk solids, whole milk powder, skim milk powder, nonfat milk, nonfat dry milk, whey, whey protein, lactose, condensed milk...

Those are just a few examples, there are others, but basically, you want to look for any type of milk ingredient. If you come across an ingredient and you aren't sure about it, look it up and get the full details so you know you are buying dairy-free chocolate chips.

Note: You will see cocoa butter and organic cocoa butter listed as an ingredient in many chocolate chips, this ingredient comes from cocoa beans, it is NOT dairy, it's vegan.

Sugar

Many brands process their sugar using animal bone char making it not vegan. Some vegans are okay with using products that use bone char processed sugar, some are not, so if you are not okay with this, you need to do a little extra work since you will never find the details of how the sugar was processed on food packaging

One way to know that the sugar used in your chocolate chips was manufactured without bone char is to check if the sugar is organic. If it is, then you will know the sugar was not processed using bone char since organic sugar is never processed this way.

You can also look for organic certification on the package, which will mean that all the ingredients that went into the chocolate chips, including the sugar, are organic, BUT, keep in mind that if you are buying organic chocolate chips, this does not automatically mean they are vegan.

There are non-organic sugars that aren't processed with bone char, so if the sugar isn't marked as organic, don't assume that bone char was used to process it. Your options are to contact the company directly and ask them if their sugar is processed this way, OR move on and find another brand to buy.

Not sure which brands of marshmallows are vegan? Read through the article "are marshmallows vegan" to find a big list of vegan marshmallows to add to your list!

Palm Oil

Palm oil is technically vegan, but because of the destruction it causes to animals and their habitats, palm oil is not vegan. I won't get into the details about this here but you can read about this issue in this article: "Is Palm Oil Vegan."

Sustainable palm oil IS considered vegan since it does not cause the same harm as non-sustainable palm oil.

If it's indicated on the package that the palm oil being used is sustainable, then it's safe to move forward.

If it's not sustainable, then it's up to you to decide whether this is a brand you want to buy. (Palm oil is usually included in flavoured and lower quality chocolate chips). None of the brands recommended below contain palm oil.

Natural and Artificial Flavours

Both of these ingredients can contain animal ingredients and can sometimes be found in flavoured or lower-quality chocolate chips and those that aren't made with real chocolate.

Since companies don't list the details about natural and artificial flavours, the only way to know if they are plant-based is to contact the company.

If you can, it's best to stick to high-quality chocolate chips for the best flavour (and ingredients!). None of the brands recommended below contain natural or artificial flavours.

A spoon full of vegan chocolate chips being held over a bowl.

What Brands of Chocolate Chips Are Vegan?

The following is a list of chocolate chip brands, in no particular order, that are vegan.

I've noted a few points about each brand, including a link to the brand's website, their allergy / cross-contamination statement (if they have one), as well as the type of sugar used, and a link to purchase the product online.

A few things to keep in mind before you go through the list:

  • Brands can change their vegan ingredients and recipes over time. At the time that this article was written, the info below is accurate, I will update any time I become aware of new information, but in the meantime it is up to you to contact the company to get answers about what you aren't sure about.
  • Even though these companies manufacture vegan chocolate chips, that does not mean all of their products are also vegan, it is up to you to understand the labels and if you don't, get in touch with the company to ask your questions.
  • Fairtrade certification is very important to many vegans when purchasing cocoa products, I have noted which brands are certified as Fairtrade.
  • I've noted whether the brands have vegan and/or organic certification. These companies may also hold other certifications but since we're just focusing on vegan chocolate chips, I have not listed any other certifications (other than Fairtrade) they may also hold.
  • If cross-contamination is an issue for you, look for cross-contamination statements on the package. Depending on your level of comfort, it is up to you whether or not you want to purchase that particular product. If you are still not satisfied, or you can't find the info you are looking for, contact the company directly.
  • Look for these chocolate chips at your local stores or online retailers (or the specific stores stated). If you cannot find them, look for the store locator on the brand's website.

1. Pascha

  • Certifications: certified vegan, certified Fairtrade, certified organic
  • Sugar Used: Organic cane sugar is used in their chocolate chips, they also produce sugar-free chocolate chips that use organic stevia and organic erythritol
  • Pascha's cross-contamination statement
  • Buy online

2. Enjoy Life

All of the Enjoy Life chocolate chips and mini chips are vegan. They did have vegan certification at one point but did not renew it, however, the company has confirmed that their products are still suitable for vegans (see below).

Note: The brown sugar and cane sugar are not organic, but I did email to confirm with Enjoy Life that they are not processed using bone char. This was their response to my question:

"We did not renew our vegan certification; however, you will see "suitable for vegans" noted near the ingredient list, when applicable. Our Baking Chocolate is all suitable for vegans; the sugar we use in our products has not been processed through bone char."

3. Equal Exchange

  • Certifications: certified Fairtrade, certified organic
  • Sugar Used: organic raw cane sugar
  • Equal Exchange's cross-contamination statement: Produced in a facility that does not process peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, soy, or gluten-containing ingredients including wheat.
  • Buy online

4. Camino

5. Toll House

Toll House manufactures several different types of chocolate chips, only the following are vegan: Allergen-Free Dark Chocolate Morsels and Allergen-Free Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels (they have vegan white chocolate chips, too).

6. Evolved

The main ingredient in these chocolate chips is cashew nuts.

7. Chatfield's

Chatfield's manufactures several different types of chocolate chips, only their double dark semi-sweet chips and semi-sweet chocolate chips are vegan.

8. Healthy Crunch

9. Lily's

Lily's manufactures several different types of chocolate chips, and none of them are marketed as vegan, however, the following are free from animal products: 55% Dark Chocolate Baking Chips, 55% Dark Chocolate Keto Baking Chips and 58% Dark Chocolate Baking Bars.

10. Hu

  • Certifications: certified Fairtrade, certified vegan, certified organic
  • Sugar Used: Organic dates
  • Hu's cross-contamination statement: May contain dairy. Allergen cleans are made prior to production, but beware that product is produced using equipment that also processes tree nuts, soy, milk, & wheat.
  • Buy online

11. ChocZero

ChocZero manufactures several different types of chocolate chips, only their dark chocolate sugar-free baking chips are vegan (their peanut butter chips are vegan, too!).

12. Guittard

Guittard manufactures several different types of chocolate chips, only their Akoma Organic Extra Semisweet Chocolate Chips are 100% vegan. See the "Brands That MAY Be Vegan section below for more Guittard chips that MAY also be vegan.

  • Certifications: certified Fairtrade, certified organic
  • Sugar Used: organic cane sugar
  • Guittard's cross-contamination statement: Made on equipment also used to make milk chocolate; not suitable for individuals with milk allergies.
  • Buy online

13. No Whey

This brand only offers small 80g snacking packages of their chocolate chips. Multiple packages will need to be purchased if you want to use this brand for baking.

An overhead shot of vegan chocolate chips in a white bowl.

Grocery Store Brands

These store brands are all certified organic and their availability will be dependent on whether or not you have these grocery stores in your city.

1. PC Organics Bittersweet Chocolate Chips (Loblaw Company Ltd. stores, Canada)

  • Certifications: certified Fairtrade, certified organic
  • Sugar Used: organic cane sugar
  • PC Organic's cross-contamination statement: none

2. 365 Organic Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (Whole Foods)

3. Simple Truth Organic Semi-Sweet Vegan Chocolate Chips (Kroger)

4. Wegman's Dark Chocolate Morsels and Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels (Wegman's)

Vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips in a white bowl.

Brands That MAY Be Vegan

The following brands appear to be vegan, based on their ingredient lists, BUT, it is not clear if the sugar being used is processed using bone char. If this is an issue for you, it's best to stick to a brand that is certified vegan, confirmed to be vegan, or contact the companies directly to confirm.

A reminder that brands can sometimes change their recipes and ingredients, so always read the label or confirm with the company if you are uncertain about something on the ingredient list.

Three vegan double chocolate chip cookies sitting on a small white plate.
Vegan Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Vegan Chocolate Chips FAQ

Are White Chocolate Chips Vegan?

Most white chocolate chips are not vegan because they contain dairy, however, a few companies have started manufacturing them and I'm sure we'll see more in the future! The following white chocolate chip brands are all vegan: Pascha Organics, Enjoy Life, Healthy Crunch, and Toll House.

Are Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips Vegan?

Sometimes, it depends on the brand. If the package is labelled as vegan then it's vegan. If it's not, you'll need to read the ingredient list to determine whether or not the chocolate chips contain milk ingredients or any other animal products. You will also need to look at the sugar being used. If it is not organic sugar, it could have been processed through animal bone char, which many vegans avoid. However, some sugars are not certified organic but were not processed with bone char. If this is not clear, you will have to contact the company to confirm.

Are Hershey’s Chocolate Chips Vegan?

Hershey's does not currently manufacture any vegan chocolate chips, all of their chocolate chips contain dairy.

Are Ghiradelli Chocolate Chips Vegan?

NO. At first glance, it appears that the Ghiradelli 100% Cacao Unsweetened Chocolate Premium Baking Chips and their 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Premium Baking Chips are vegan, but I emailed the company and this was their response: "At this time Ghirardelli does not make any vegan or vegetarian products. All our products either contain milk ingredients or are produced on shared equipment with products containing milk ingredients. Additionally, the sugar used in our Ghirardelli products is processed using the bone char method."

Are Chocolate Chips Gluten-Free?

Chocolate chips should naturally be gluten-free, based on the ingredients that go into them, but there could be cross-contamination that occurs during production. To make sure your chocolate chips are free from gluten, read the package and look for a verified gluten-free symbol, a cross-contamination statement, or contact the company directly to ensure your product is gf.

Recipes to Try

Now that you know what to look for when reading those chocolate chip ingredient lists and you have a list of vegan options to look for, you're ready to bake! Here are a few recipes to make and enjoy:

So there you have it! The answer to "Are chocolate chips vegan?" I hope you stuck with me to the end, found some brands that are easy to find where you are, and that you have plenty of chocolate chip recipes waiting to be made.

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