Who doesn’t love chocolate? It makes us happy by releasing the feel-good hormones serotonin and dopamine. It also contains antioxidants, and most importantly, tastes great. Well, no wonder it’s addictive. Going gluten and dairy-free may make you miss Snickers, Hershey’s, and other famous chocolates. But good news for chocoholics: there are vegan and gluten-free chocolates that taste like brand-name chocolates.

Peanut Butter Cups (similar to Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups)

No Whey! Pea NOT Cups 

One of the best things about this chocolate is that it’s safe for those with peanut allergies. Pea Not Cups are like a mild-tasting Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. And the sunflower seeds that replace the peanuts have a mild nutty taste.

Go Max Go Cleo’s Peanut Butter Cups

Because they contain peanuts, Cleo’s taste is more like Reese’s but with a dark chocolate flavor. Both are tasty, but I prefer No Whey’s milder milk chocolate-like flavor.

Go Max Go Peanut Butter Cups, White Chocolate

White chocolate is technically not real chocolate. It contains cocoa butter, but this version uses palm kernel oil instead, and the taste can pass for white chocolate. It’s very sweet with a strong peanut butter flavor.

Go Max Go chocolates are new to me, and I’m happy to have found them because they are similar to popular brands with gluten and dairy. You can purchase the bars individually on their website or buy the variety pack on Amazon, which I did.

For Snackers Only Peanut Butter Bites

The chocolate bites are a cross between Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup and Nestle Crunch with rice crispies. Topped with chocolate coating, they are very crispy and have a great peanut butter flavor. It’s a perfect little snack to satisfy your chocolate craving.

Milk Chocolate Bars (similar to Hershey’s Chocolate Bar)

Enjoy Life and No Whey Milkless

Enjoy Life and No Whey Milkless make chocolate bars that taste like Hershey’s.

The bars are so alike that their ingredients are identical. Both contain cane sugar, cocoa butter, unsweetened chocolate, and rice syrup. However, No Whey Milkless has a slight advantage in having a smoother and more authentic milk chocolate-like taste.

Here are other chocolates similar to brand names:

No Whey Choco No No’s (similar to M&M’s)

No Whey Choco No No’s is a mild version of M&M’s, with chocolates in candy coating. And they don’t melt, just like M&M’s.

Go Max Go Snap! (similar to Nestle Crunch)

The chocolate bar contains crunchy rice crisps. It’s the dark chocolate version of Nestle Crunch and the chocolate taste was too bittersweet for me.

Go Max Go Mahalo (similar to Almond Joy)

I enjoyed Mahalo’s almost identical taste to Almond Joy. Like Almond Joy, sweet chocolate covers a coconut candy bar with almonds.

Go Max Go Twilight (similar to Milky Way)

This is my second favorite Go Max Go chocolate. It has a fluffy nougat and caramel, topped with chocolate, just like a Milky Way bar.

Go Max Go Jokerz (similar to Snickers)

This is my favorite Go Max Go chocolate bar because it has the most authentic taste and is close to Snickers. It even smells like a Snickers bar.

Lindt Oatmilk Chocolate Bar

While Enjoy Life and No Whey Milkless chocolate bars are closer to Hershey’s, Lindt tastes like, well, Lindt. Leave it to Lindt to make a vegan chocolate bar that tastes like their regular one.

Lindt Lindor Oatmilk Truffles

The truffles taste the same as the bars, but are round and melt in your mouth. Lindt, made with oat milk, is the best vegan chocolate I have ever tasted. The bar and truffles are silky smooth with a sweet enough chocolate flavor.

Usually, I’m not too fond of dark chocolate, but even the dark chocolate truffles have a smooth taste with no bitterness.

Both the bar and truffles contain almonds and soy.

Not Reviewed: Lindt Oatmilk Salted Caramel–vegan but contains wheat.

Rigoni di Asiago Nocciolata Dairy-Free Hazelnut and Cocoa Spread (similar to Nutella)

This delicious spread has all of Nutella’s creaminess, chocolate, and hazelnut flavors without the dairy. Most people spread Nutella on toast, but try grapes dipped in this spread. You’ll be pleased.

Conclusion

Which reviewed vegan and gluten-free chocolate taste like the brand name ones? My picks are Nocciolata spread, No Whey Pea NOT and Milkless, and Lindt Oatmilk chocolates. Also, Go Max Go has several chocolates that taste like brand-named ones. Their Jokerz, Twilight, and Mahalo taste like Snickers, Milky Way, and Almond Joy.

In the News

Taco Bell offers vegan cheese made with soy to go with their Nacho Fries. However, their fries contain wheat.

Did You Know?

There is a Nutella Café in Chicago. They serve baguettes, croissants, pound cake, and overnight oats with Nutella.

Fun Food Fact

Barry Callebaut states, “Chocolate is a gift from nature and a multisensorial product. It appeals to all five senses [Sight, Touch, Hearing, Smell, Taste] thanks to its attributes: color, snap, mouthfeel, and complexity of flavors and aromas. “

(https://www.barry-callebaut.com/en/manufacturers/trends-insights/why-do-consumers-love-chocolate#:~:text=Chocolate%20is%20a%20gift%20from,complexity%20of%20flavors%20and%20aromas.)

Quote

“When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile”–Regina Brett