Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Pinterest Twitter Instagram RSS Facebook
    Buy GO DAIRY FREE and EAT DAIRY FREE today!
    Go Dairy Free
    • Need to Know
      • Newbies Start Here!
      • Take the Challenge!
      • Dairy-Free FAQs
      • Latest News
      • Milk Allergies
      • Lactose Intolerance
      • Other Health Issues
      • Testimonials
      • Calcium Guide
      • Holidays & More
      • Best Books
      • The Community
    • Recipes
      • Recipes by Category
        • Alisa’s Recipes
        • Sarah’s Recipes
        • Appetizers
        • Beverages
        • Bread
        • Breakfast
        • Cheese Substitutes
        • Condiments & Dressings
        • Cream Substitutes
        • Desserts
        • Entrees
        • Kids Can Cook
        • Milk Substitutes
        • Pasta
        • Salad
        • Sandwiches
        • Sauces
        • Sides
        • Snacks
        • Soup
      • Full Dairy-Free Recipe Index
      • Gluten-Free Recipe Index
      • Vegan Recipe Index
    • Reviews
      • Dairy Substitutes
        • Butter
        • Cheese
        • Cream
        • Creamer
        • Dessert Toppings
        • Ice Cream
        • Ice Cream Novelties
        • Milk
        • Yogurt
        • More Kitchen Essentials
      • Sweets & Snacks
        • Protein Shakes
        • More Creamy Beverages
        • Snack & Protein Bars
        • More Snacks
        • Chocolate
        • Cookie Dough
        • Cookies & Brownies
        • Pies & Cakes
        • Pudding & Mousse
        • More Sweet Treats
      • Meal Makers
        • Baking Mixes
        • Bread Products
        • Breakfast Pastries
        • Cereal & Granola
        • Cheesy Pasta & Rice
        • Frozen Pizza
        • More Entrees
        • Dip and Spreads
        • Salad Dressing
        • Sauces
      • All Product Reviews
        • New Product Reviews!
        • Browse by Product Type
        • Full Review Index
        • Gluten-Free Review Index
        • Vegan Review Index
    • Grocery Guide
      • Alisa’s Dairy-Free Kitchen
      • Brands We Love
      • Dairy Substitutes
      • Dairy Ingredient List
      • Understanding Food Labels
      • No Dairy Product Lists
      • Ordering Specialty Foods
      • Best Grocery Stores
    • Eating Out
      • Fast Food Listings
      • Recommended Restaurants
    • My Books!
      • Go Dairy Free 2nd Edition (best seller!)
      • Eat Dairy Free 1st Edition (full color!)
      • eBooks & Printables
      • Book Supplements & Resources
    • About Us
      • Meet Us
      • Contact Us
      • Join Us
      • Work With Us
    Go Dairy Free
    You are at:Home»Ask Alisa»Is Chocolate Dairy Free? Yes and No. Here’s Why …

    Is Chocolate Dairy Free? Yes and No. Here’s Why …

    8
    By Alisa Fleming on February 5, 2020 Ask Alisa, In The News, News

    Over the years, one of our top FAQs has been “Is Chocolate Dairy Free?” It’s such a misunderstood food, that I’ve actually had readers get angry at me for using chocolate in recipes. They are convinced that chocolate contains milk. But the fact of the matter is, pure chocolate is dairy free. It’s naturally free of all milk ingredients, vegan, and even allergy-friendly. It’s what manufacturers choose to add to chocolate that becomes the issue. But read on to fully understand this confusing topic. I have answers to all of your dairy-free chocolate questions.

    Chocolate is Dairy-Free - Understanding the Ingredients and why so many chocolate products contain dairy.

    Is Chocolate Dairy Free? Yes and No. Here’s Why …

    The cacoa bean, from which commercial chocolate is made, is a raw ingredient. It doesn’t contain dairy, gluten, or any other allergenic components. It’s what is added to the recipe to create many popular chocolates and candy bars that can cause concern.

    A Quick Primer on How Chocolate is Made

    Cacao beans grow in pods on cacao trees, which thrive in the shade of hot, humid climates. Yes, chocolate is plant-based and doesn’t come from a cow! The raw beans are cleaned, fermented, dried, cleaned again, and then roasted. The shells are then separated from the cacao nibs, or the “meat” of the bean.

    The cacao nibs are then finely ground into cocoa mass, which is also called cocoa liquor or cocoa solids. When placed under extremely high pressure, cocoa mass separates into cocoa powder and cocoa butter (sometimes called cacao butter). Pure chocolate is then created by combining cocoa solids and cocoa butter via processes called conching, tempering, and finally molding.

    Fact #1: Cocoa Butter is not Dairy. The name is deceiving, but like other popular plant-based foods (i.e. peanut butter), the term “butter” is not related to dairy butter. Rather, it refers to the smooth and creamy texture of the product. As note above, cocoa butter, or cacao butter, is simply the vegetable fat extracted from cacao beans, and it doesn’t contain any milk.

    Fact #2: Cocoa Liquor is not Alcohol. It is simply another name for cocoa mass, and does not contain any alcohol. Unlike alcoholic liquor, cocoa liquor is a solid or semi-solid. But cocoa liquor should not be confused with chocolate liqueur, which is a flavored type of alcohol.

    Chocolate is Dairy-Free - Understanding the Ingredients and why so many chocolate products contain dairy.Photo and source: Lake Champlain Chocolate.

    The Other Ingredients in Chocolate

    Thus far, we are only talking about pure chocolate, which is naturally dairy-free and vegan. This is unsweetened 100% cacao chocolate, often called baking chocolate.

    To create dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate, sugar is added when the cacao ingredients are processed into chocolate. For milk chocolate, milk powder is also added. And for pure white chocolate (that’s made with real chocolate) cacao butter, milk powder, and sugar are typically used – no cocoa solids are added. Frequently, soy lecithin or sunflower lecithin is also added to chocolate as an emulsifier. Although many traditional chocolatiers still don’t use an emulsifier.

    So typical milk chocolate is made with dairy and typical white chocolate is made with dairy. But, there are now many vegan brands of chocolate that use alternate ingredients, like soymilk powder, dairy-free coconut milk powder, cashews, hemp seeds, or oat flour, to make dairy-free milk chocolate and white chocolate.

    True dark chocolate should remain dairy-free, but many popular brands, including Cadbury and Lindt, add milk-based ingredients to most of their dark chocolate products. You might spot butter oil, milk fat, milk solids, cream, lactose, whey, or other milky ingredients on the label. By FDA law, dairy will not be “hidden” in the ingredients. If it is in there, it has to be clearly identifiable.

    For dairy-free chocolate options, see our Chocolate Reviews, my Chocolate Chip Guide, and my Favorite Chocolate Picks. And for those special occasions, we have big roundups of Dairy-Free Valentine Chocolates, Chocolate Easter Bunnies & Eggs, and Holiday Chocolates.

    You can also make your own dairy-free dark chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, white chocolate, and milk chocolate with my easy recipes in Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook.

    Chocolate is Dairy-Free - Understanding the Ingredients and why so many chocolate products contain dairy.

    Why do many Dairy-Free Chocolate Products say “May Contain Milk?”

    A lot of chocolates are dairy-free by ingredients, and do not “contain” any dairy. But it is very common for dark chocolate to be made on shared lines with milk chocolate. Most manufacturers do wash the lines between batches, but not all have allergen protocols in place. This means with some companies, there is a risk for potential cross-contamination with dairy. This could be a small risk or a high risk, it could be a risk for trace amounts of dairy in an entire batch, or a risk for a notable amount of dairy in any given batch.

    “May Contain” labels are voluntary and do not tell the whole story. They’re really just a flashy headline that shouldn’t be relied upon either way. Some brands omit “May Contain” labels when they have a high risk for cross-contamination with a top allergen, and some brands use “May Contain” labels when they follow good cleaning protocols, but want another buffer to mitigate any potential liability.

    If you are severely sensitive or highly allergic to all traces of dairy, then you must always contact the manufacturer to discuss their allergen protocols. Do not rely on the label alone when searching for dairy-free chocolate or any other food. If you aren’t as sensitive to dairy, and are okay with potential trace amounts, then most varieties of dairy-free chocolate (made without dairy ingredients) will likely be okay for you. But always do your own due diligence! Only you can decide if a food is safe for your needs.

    Naturally Keto - Chocolate Bars or Chips

    What is Dairy Free?

    Dairy free means a product that is made without milk-based ingredients of any kind, even according to the FDA. It might still be made with eggs (though not likely in the case of chocolate), and nearly every food product is at some degree of risk for potential cross-contamination with dairy in manufacturing. Food is not kept in a vacuum from farm to store shelves. There is always some place along the way that dairy, or another top allergen, could get introduced.

    If you are concerned about traces of any top allergen, then you must contact the manufacturer to find out their allergen protocols. Companies who have strict allergen protocols typically test for allergens down below a certain level. This level is usually so low, that studies have shown most allergic people will not react to it. Yes, even “allergen free” products are often made on shared equipment and could contain a very, very minute amount of dairy.

    The fact is, there is no requirement for allergen testing, and no defined level that everyone who is allergic will react to. It varies from individual to individual. This is why dairy-free for one person, might not be strict enough for another.

    For More Dairy-Free Guidance, Get Go Dairy Free!

    Go Dairy Free 2nd Edition - The Ultimate Guide and Cookbook for Dairy-Free Living with Over 250 Recipes!

    Alisa Fleming
    • Website

    Alisa is the founder of GoDairyFree.org, Food Editor for Allergic Living magazine, and author of the best-selling dairy-free book, Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living, and the new cookbook, Eat Dairy Free: Your Essential Cookbook for Everyday Meals, Snacks, and Sweets. Alisa is also a professional recipe creator and product ambassador for the natural food industry.

    Related Posts

    Enjoy Life Easter Chocolate Minis - Dark, Ricemilk, Ricemilk Crunch - dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free, gluten-free, free from 14 top allergens

    Hop to the Store, Enjoy Life Easter Chocolates are Here!

    The Best Dairy-Free Easter Candy & Treats at the Store! With vegan, gluten-free, and allergy-friendly options.

    The Best Dairy-Free Easter Candy & Treats at the Store!

    https://www.vegantreats.com/

    22 Dairy-Free & Vegan Alternatives to Cadbury Creme Eggs

    8 Comments

    1. Pingback: Dairy-Free Triple Chocolate Brownie Cookies Recipe (Gluten-Free Option!)

    2. Sydney on May 14, 2015 11:59 am

      Alisa,

      How about semi-sweet Baker’s chocolate? The list of ingredients reads: Chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin [emulsifier], and vanilla extract. Is the “chocolate” listed referring to pure cocoa? Or does it contain dairy?

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on May 14, 2015 1:55 pm

        Hi Sydney, that is an odd way to list the ingredient, and I can’t give a clear answer – only the company could since “chocolate” really isn’t a single ingredient. That said, they should have a clear allergen statement listing if any of those ingredients are derived from milk. My guess would be that it is dairy-free (not sure about cross-contamination though for severe allergies), but I would verify with the label and company.

        Reply
    3. Caroline on March 8, 2013 3:29 pm

      Hi, my son has a dairy allergy. After passing a ‘cooked milk’ food challenge we were told we could start introducing cooked milk products into his diet such as muffins, waffles, cakes. I was wondering in milk chocolate would be allowed. Is milk chocolate heated during the manufacturing process?

      Many thanks

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on March 11, 2013 7:58 am

        Hi Caroline, I couldn’t answer this since milk chocolate is not “baked.” I would consult your physician on this.

        Reply
    4. Robin Ross on December 9, 2012 11:42 am

      Alisa, this is incredibly helpful, thanks so much. I’ve been totally avoiding chocolate (which is good for my weight-loss diet), but with the holidays here I’m thinking about doing some baking. I specifically have a recipe that includes cocoa powder, and based on this explanation, it appears I don’t really have to worry about cocoa powder. Of course, I’ll check the ingredient list just to be sure….

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on December 9, 2012 4:46 pm

        I’m so happy that I could bring some chocolate back into your life! Everyone deserves a little chocolate now and then. Good brownie wishes to you!

        Reply
    5. Pingback: Victory!!! Chocolate!!!! « healingjournies

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    Go Dairy Free - The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance and Casein-Free Living
    The Best Dairy-Free Easter Candy & Treats at the Store! With vegan, gluten-free, and allergy-friendly options.

    The Best Dairy-Free Easter Candy & Treats at the Store!

    So Delicious Dairy Free Simply Yogurt Reviews and Info - Added Sugar Free, Plant Based, Allergy Friendly, All Natural

    So Delicious Dairy Free Simply Yogurt is Sweetened with Fruit, Not Sugar

    Enjoy Life FoodsFames Chocolates. From Brooklyn with loveEat dairy free bookChocolate Emporium
    Go Dairy Free is the leading website for information on the dairy-free diet. We share dairy-free recipes, product reviews, news, recommendations and health guides to aide those with milk allergies, lactose intolerance or a general need or desire to live without dairy. Dairy-free does include milk-free, lactose-free, casein-free and whey-free, too! We also offer ample resources for gluten-free, soy-free, food allergy, vegan and paleo diets. Please note that ingredients, processes and products are subject to change by a manufacturer at any time. All foods and products should be considered at risk for cross-contamination with milk and other allergens. Always contact the manufacturer prior to consumption. Disclaimer - All Rights Reserved - Privacy Policy Go Dairy Free © 2005-2022 Fleming Marrs Inc.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.