When many people convert to dairy-free living, concerns of consuming chocolate immediately pop up. But for me, all thoughts went to brown sugary confections like caramel. Traditional caramel recipes include butter, cream, and/or evaporated / condensed milk.

I eventually overcame my cravings, but the memories of those sweet, chewy confections have returned, thanks to Chocolate Inspirations. I have had some vegan caramel in candy bars like those from Go Max Go, and in a variety of delicious dairy-free truffles, but this was the first time I had tasted caramel, plain and simple, vegan-style.

Chocolate Inspirations makes two vegan “Naked Caramel Cups” as they call them, and a “Caramel Candy Bar.” Let’s start with those caramel cups. The “naked” part means they are simply caramel. No fillings, no coatings, just that pure sugary goodness. The “cups” part made me feel like I was about to dive into a Reese’s peanut butter cup. They were the same shape and I think close to the same size as a Reese’s, with that familiar jagged paper cup. Here are my notes on the two flavors:

Raspberry Carmel – Delicious! My description is simple, a raspberry jam taste with a sweet caramel texture and vibe. Excellent chew, definitely a caramel, but not as stick to your teeth as some caramels can be.

Caramel (Plain) – Hmm, I’m not sure this would classify as a caramel, but oh-my-goodness was it addictive and delicious. As someone who likes their sugar hits in close to pure form (I’ll pass on the cake, but can I try a bit of that frosting?), I actually preferred this confection to a traditional caramel. It was softer, and in fact it only had a very slight chews. I’m not sure if I got an off batch, and the normal caramel is typically more like the raspberry caramel – but I hope not because I LOVED this unique confection! The very sweet brown sugar-like goodness literally melted in my mouth for the ultimate sweet craving fix.

I think my only complaint about either of these treats was that the wrapper and outside of the confections tends to get a bit oily to the touch. They don’t taste oily in the least bit, but a napkin was required. Luckily, they double bag the caramel cups to prevent any of the greasies from getting to the other treats.

Onto the …

Caramel Candy Bar – This is basically a thick block of candy bar-sized caramel enrobed in a blanket of dark chocolate. The shape is beautiful and so much more refined than your average candy bar, but the taste … very much like a 100 Grand Bar, but without the crispies. The flavor and texture blend is simple, yet perfect. I don’t think you could find a better chocolate-caramel bar, vegan or not.

Note: I had some lighting issues with the photo below. In real life, the caramel filling looks like the caramel cups above.

An added bonus: The creaminess of the caramel from Chocolate Inspirations actually comes from a nut-coconut milk combination. They are not completely soy-free (they do contain soy lecithin), but they are “soy low” for those who are not bothered by lecithin or trace amounts.

This is a third party review by Alisa Fleming, author of Go Dairy Free: The Guide & Cookbook. For more information about these products and to purchase, see the Chocolate Inspirations Website.

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