Creamy, light, luscious; there’s nothing quite like white chocolate. Vegan chocoholics out there, this one’s for you

Ah, white chocolate. We love your indulgent taste and smooth finish. We also love that you can be enjoyed by everyone. Whilst dark chocolate might be the natural go-to for vegans, white chocolate is also a worthy treat for plant-based folks.

Nowadays, there are plenty of great vegan white chocolate alternatives out there for you to sink your teeth into. However, if you’d like to tease your inner chocolatier out, it can also be made at home. Read on to find out how…

What is white chocolate made from?

White chocolate is sometimes burdened with an unfair reputation. Those that shun it may do so because they believe it’s too sweet or has a waxy, artificial texture. This might be true of cheap makes of white chocolate, but high cacao butter white chocolate is a different thing entirely.

Our white chocolate is made with lashings of cacao butter to ensure the texture melts effortlessly, remaining velvety and smooth in the mouth. Because it’s made with a much higher cacao butter percentage than most — 36% to be exact — it has a delicate, nuanced flavour that is never too sweet. We’ve assembled the ultimate guide to white chocolate to help you explore the world of the white in a little more detail.

The cacao butter is extracted from the cacao plant and has a fatty consistency, a little similar to vegetable oil, but much more luxurious. Only milk and sugar needs to be added to create your own bar, making it a simple, but delicious, treat to make at home.

Can you get vegan white chocolate?

The short answer is — yes! Once upon a time, dark chocolate was the only choice for vegans. However, there are plenty of options nowadays; dark, milk and white chocolate can all be made vegan! We offer a variety of vegan chocolates, with each chocolate created to form its own unique flavour profile. Sumptuous pralines, crunchy fruit and nut, mellow hazelnut and fiery chillies can all be paired with vegan chocolate to create something that’s a little different.

White chocolate lovers can expect to find vegan white chocolate, either in stores or online. However, you might find that cheap vegan alternatives aren’t quite up to standards, or that quality vegan white chocolate alternatives cost an eye-watering sum just for one bar. If that’s the case, then we suggest taking matters into your own hands…

Can you make vegan white chocolate at home?

Making vegan white chocolate at home might sound daunting. After all, chocolatiers take years perfecting the art of chocolate. However, it is actually relatively simple; all it takes is a little creativity to magic up your perfect bar of white chocolate.

Ingredients

• 160g edible raw cacao butter which has been chopped up. This can be found in some whole foods stores, or online.
• 1 tablespoon of smooth natural almond butter (cashew or hazelnut butter also work well).
• 155g icing sugar
• A pinch of salt
• 1 vanilla pod, cut open and seeds removed

Method

1. Place a heat-proof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure that the water does not touch the base of the bowl. Place your chopped cacao butter into the bowl and let it melt, stirring in intervals to ensure you achieve an even melt. The mixture will be quite runny, but don’t worry, that’s to be expected.

2. Add in your vanilla seeds plus your nut butter of choice, and mix. Then add the sugar and salt and mix once again.

3. Remove the bowl from your pan and leave it to cool slightly for a few minutes before you transfer it into a measuring cup, ready to be poured into your moulds.

4. Pour the golden mixture into silicone moulds. You can buy silicone moulds from supermarkets, homeware stores, cooking shops or online.

5. Leave to sit at room temperature for around 30 minutes or place in the fridge until your chocolates have set. Serve and enjoy!

6. Store in an airtight container in the fridge if you plan to keep your chocolates for a while, or freeze a batch to enjoy at a later date.

Tip: Don’t throw away the vanilla pod once you’ve used the seeds. Place the pod into a pot of caster sugar to make your own vanilla-infused sugar, perfect for baking with or for sprinkling on top of baked goods.

Can I make different types of vegan white chocolate?

The beautiful thing about white chocolate is that it acts as the perfect base for other flavour combinations. Because it has a rather delicate flavour you’ll want to find ingredients that complement it, rather than overshadow it. You might also want to consider ingredients that add a little texture, making your chocolates all the more moreish.

For a little salty/sweet variation, chopped pretzels add a subtle tang, contrasting beautifully with the sweetness. They also give a welcome crunch. Chopped apricots can also be added for a floral fruity taste and subtle chew.

If you’re stuck for flavour combinations then why not try recreating some of your favourite puds and bakes, in chocolate form? Grated lime zest and crunchy biscuit bites result in a white chocolate that is akin to a key lime pie, whilst dehydrated strawberries and vegan shortbread crumbles recreate a strawberry shortcake. Of course, you could just stick to tried and tested flavour combinations; think fruit and nut, or chocolate orange.

Chocolate is made for sharing. That’s why it makes for a beautiful gift. If you find you have a few too many chocolates left over then why not put a smile on somebody’s face by treating them to a few of your very own vegan white chocolates?

Whilst some people might have the misconception that vegan white chocolate isn’t as good as dairy-based chocolate, we think they might change their minds once they’ve had a taste!