Since I am a chocolaholic, I will always be on the lookout for the best chocolate for baking, cooking, eating and giving. Here is a start to my list. I'll keep adding to it and letting you know what else I find out, and publish a new one every year! So let me know your favorites and why.
Cooking, Baking & Confections
Barry Callebaut - North America - DARK CHOCOLATE
- Dairy Free (processed on a dedicated dairy-free, dark chocolate North American factory line & tested for milk.)
- Kosher Certified
- Vegan (no animal products are processed on their dark chocolate line)
- Soy: Contains small amounts of soy (soy lecithin is used for consistency)
- **Gluten: currently, gluten products are not processed in the North American Factory, however, there is no testing for this at the moment.
- **Nuts: currently, nuts are not processed in the North American Factory, however, there is no testing for this at the moment. Some European factories do process nuts, so please do your own research.
- Organic Status: not certified organic
- GMO Status? Currently Unknown.
**It's always best to do your own research and match your personal allergens with those of the company.
RECIPES
Check out Tender Palate's gluten & dairy-free recipes for Almond Cognac Truffles (contains nuts) & for our Coconut Truffles using Callebaut.
Navitas Naturals Raw Cacao Powder
UPDATE 5/13/16
PLEASE NOTE: Navitas started producing tapioca in their factories some time ago, so I am no longer able to use their products because I have an anaphylactic response to tapioca. however, I picked up a package this week to show a friend, and the allegen statement has changed. It states that it processes in a factory that also produces wheat, dairy, peanuts and more. Please check with the company and the label to be sure that this product is safe for you to consume if you are sensitie or allergic to the top 8 allergnes.
"All of Navitas Naturals products are inherently gluten free and vegan. We do not source or process anything with gluten and therefore our entire production facility is gluten free. We do not have a gluten free certification at this point nor do we test for parts per million for each product, but are working toward doing so for the near future. Our foods are also all dairy free. Again we do not test for parts per million at this time, but no dairy is ever present in our facility."
~Arthur Mullin, Navitas Naturals, IN 2013
- No Gluten: not sourced or processed with gluten, but not tested. In the process of getting gluten-free certification and performing a ppm test for gluten-free certification for raw cacao. Navitas Power Snack line is gluten-free certified.
- No Dairy: no dairy is present in the facility, but not tested for dairy at this time.
- Tree Nuts: facility processes tree nuts, but handles cashews only.
- Soy: We do not test for parts per million for soy or peanuts. Our superfoods come from around the world and are grown in natural, native habitats. The risk for cross contamination with gluten, soy, or other legumes is extremely low and/or unlikely.
- Peanuts: We do not test for parts per million for soy or peanuts. Our superfoods come from around the world and are grown in natural, native habitats. The risk for cross contamination with gluten, soy, or other legumes is extremely low and/or unlikely.
- Sulfite Free: None of Navitas Naturals products contain sulfites
- Organic: All products are certified organic and use minimal processing methods such as freeze-drying. The facility is certified organic.
- GMO Status? Navitas Naturals products are Non-GMO Project Verified! That means they’ve met the rigorous standards of the Non-GMO Project- an independent non-profit reviewer that ensures products are made according to best practices for GMO avoidance. Organic Facility. Under current FDA regulations, no GMOs are allowed in organic foods.
- Certified Kosher: "Most of our products are certified kosher through Earth Kosher. You can find more information at www.earthkosher.com."
Read the labels for your particular allergens at: http://navitasnaturals.com
UPDATE 5/13/16
Navitas started producing tapioca in their factories some time ago, so I am no longer able to use their products because I have an anaphylactic response to tapioca. however, I picked up a package this week to show a friend, and the allegen statement has changed. It states that it processes in a factory that also produces wheat, dairy, peanuts and more. Please check with the company and the label to be sure that this product is safe for you to consume if you are sensitie or allergic to the top 8 allergens.
RECIPES
Here's a recipe for a 14 allergen free (also not nuts/peanuts) Not Yo Mamma's Chocolate Mousse Tart & Chocolate Squash Muffins using Navitas Raw Cacao. Both are soy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, tapioca-free.
Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
& Bittersweet Chunks
This is a great little chunk. The chocolate is very good, high quality and can be used in most of your baking needs. I've even used it to make truffles, which surprised me that these chunks would work for confection. Enjoy LIfe chocolate products do contain tapioca.
- Free of the 8 most common allergens (NO wheat, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish, or shellfish. Also made without casein, potato, sesame or sulfites).
- Nut-free (tested and produced in a dedicated nut-free and gluten-free facility)
- Gluten-free (tested and produced in a dedicated nut-free and gluten-free facility)
- **Dairy-free (tested)
- **Soy-free (tested)
- **(produced in a facility that also processes dairy and soy, but produced on a dedicated dairy-and soy-free line. Ingredients have been additionally tested for the presence of dairy and soy)
- Contains Tapioca
- GMO status? Currently unknown.
- Organic Status? Not organic
Read the labels for your particular allergens at: http://www.enjoylifefoods.com
RECIPES
Here's a recipe using these chunks/chips for Coconut Cream Muffins & Brownie Tart
Giving & Eating
Eating Evolved - The Primal Dark Chocolate Company
Eating Evolved Vanilla Latte TruffleI have not yet tasted these incredible looking treats myself, but am adding them to this list because I've read other reviews which loved them. It is also rare to find a chocolate product that has no dairy, soy, gluten, or tapioca in it. I corresponded with Eating Evolved on Facebook to find out more specific information on how they handle common allergens. Here is what they said:
Our chocolates are completely gluten, dairy, soy-free and is made in a facility that is free of those allergens. We do have three flavors of Primal Chocolate that contain nuts (banana walnut, coconut almond, and fig & almond) so our facility is not nut-free.
No Gluten: no gluten in the ingredietns and made in a gluten-free facility but is not yet tested for gluten. Gluten testing is in the company's future plans.
No Dairy: no dairy n the ingredients and made in a dairy-free facility but is not yet tested for dairy. Dairy testing is in the company's future plans.
No Soy: no soy in the ingredients and made in a soy-free facility but is not yet tested for soy. Soy testing is in the company's future plans.
No Tapioca: ingredients are tapioca free
Organic Status: All ingredients are organic except for the coffee beans used in the Maple Bacon Mocha Truffle and the Vanilla Latte Primal Chocolate. The estate that produces the coffee beans is Passive Organic and the family that owns it does not allow chemicals (herbicides, pesticides, etc.). Click here to find out more about the coffee beans they use.
Tree Nuts: Certain products contain nuts
Peanuts: Though there are no peanuts in Eating Evolved products, nor are there any in their facility, Some of their ingredients that they get from other vendors are packaged in facilites that handle peanuts.
Righteously Raw
This is dark stuff, and I love, love, love it. If you haven't had raw chocolate that isn't too sweet, this might be a palate changer for you. The chocolate is developed to contain many phytonutrients from superfoods, including the raw cacao itself. I always feel like I feel better after I eat one of these bars. I don't think its my imagination! The acai and maca are my favorites. The caramel, which I also like, is an acquired taste (it doesn't taste like typical caramel), as is the rose. But I wouldn't kick them out of my shopping cart.
No Dairy: Certified Vegan, no dairy in the facility
No Gluten: Facility is free of gluten / wheat
No Soy: Facility is free from soy
No Peanuts: Facility is free from peanuts
No Nuts: Facility is free from nuts
PLEASE NOTE: I have a call in to discuss any testing that they do, and to see if any of their suppliers have allergens in their facilities. Stay tuned for more info on that.
Ceritifed Kosher
Certified Organic
GMO Status: part of the non-GMO project (love that)
Indie Candy
Indie Candy makes allergen-free confections for Tender Foodies of all kinds. Their truffles are very good, and they cater to several special diets. They offer selections that are:
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
- Soy-free
- Nut-free
- Kosher
- Vegan
- Feingold Diet Approved
- Contains Tapioca
Check out what The Tender Foodie has to say about Indie Candy in our Review.