Opinion Australian classic chocolate bars, made vegan

It’s truly an extraordinary time to be alive when all your fave chocolate bars exist in vegan form!

As a devoted chocolate lover, when I decided to stop eating dairy, I was apprehensive about the prospect of never having my favourite chocolate bars again. While I enjoyed dark chocolate, I doubted whether it was a viable stand-in for all the smooth and creamy delights I was accustomed to, and yes … part of me was feeling as bitter about that as a 100% cocoa block of pure dark Lindt.

Fast forward to this very moment, where almost any chocolate bar I can possibly dream of has its very own vegan counterpart, and you can imagine my delight!

Read on – or skip ahead – to find out where to get your hands on your favourites. And please … send all messages of thanks to me directly via our Instagram account!

• Snickers
• Mars Bar
• Milky Way
• Twix
• Cherry Ripe
• Crunchie
• Bounty
• Aero
• Turkish Delight
• Kit Kat
• Crunch
• Kinder Bueno
• Caramello Koala
• Picnic, Chokito & Polly Waffle
• M&Ms & Smarties
• Wagon Wheels
• Tim Tams
• Peanut Butter Cups

Snickers

Fluffy nougat, caramel, whole roasted peanuts and chocolate … this is understandably one of the most popular bars going. And with its popularity comes a slew of vegan imitators.

The most readily available is the Health Lab Mr Big Caramel, available at supermarkets nationally. But you’ll also find GoMaxGo Jokerz and Buttermilk Peanut Nougat Choccy bars in specialty stores around the country.

For a classy, upmarket twist, the Sneaky bar by Vegan Chocolate Co is a decadent option which, with its gold shimmery opulence, also makes it a great choice for gifting.

And lastly, for those of you who can relate to my personal lack of self-control and might prefer their bar in block form, (mistakenly) expecting it to last longer, the Slackers block by Totally Vegan by Charlie is an absolute godsend.

Mars Bar

There’s something about the simplicity of a Mars bar that makes it so attractive. And the childhood memories of trying to eat my way through one straight from the freezer on a hot summer’s day … aaah! You all know the feeling!

Well luckily, you can still enjoy the choc, caramel, and nougat combo in the Buttermilk Caramel Nougat bar or the GoMaxGo Twilight bar.

Side note: If you were a sucker for a Mars Almond, the Kresho bar is IT!

Milky Way

How did it take me to writing this piece to notice that Mars and Milky Way bars are essentially just a Snickers, with elements taken away…?!  Less complexity, but more whipping on the nougat front, still make this a bar that has a hefty following. Enter, the Buccaneer bar. This makes for a direct swap that will fill any Milky Way-shaped hole in your heart.

Hot tip: If you’re based in the US or more familiar with that candy bar landscape, then your ‘Milky Way’ counterpart is found in the Mars Bar imitators above. And the vegan Buccaneer bar mentioned here – that’s your plant-based version of the American ‘3 Musketeers’ bar.

Twix

It’s all about the chewy caramel with this one.

Again, the most readily available to buy is the Health Lab Charlotte’s Fix, which is super handy when the craving hits. GoMaxGo 2fer delivers on the assignment too, but I have to put a big blue ribbon on Totally Vegan by Charlie’s cleverly named Twicks for first place here. And that’s a pretty big deal, given that Twix was one of my favourites in my pre-vegan days. I’d be downing those suckers like they were going out of business. Luckily now, I wouldn’t even care if they did!

Cherry Ripe

It took me more than half my life to experience the wonder of the Cherry Ripe. Not via an actual Cadbury creation, but through a friend’s home-made version, which was epic – thank you, Tanya! #neverforget

While I am far too lazy to make my own, I have tried all the products that come close, and these days, there are a couple of great options.

Again, thanks to supermarkets stocking Health Lab nationally, you can easily grab a box of the delightful Samantha’s Cherry. This is a perfect 1:1 sub in my opinion and needs no further recommendation.

However, it would be remiss of me to not mention Vegan Chocolate Co’s Cherry. Made in small batches by chocolatier extraordinaire, Hamish, it’s an absolute treat. And as with all their products, it’s so stunningly beautiful that it makes any gift you may be giving that bit sweeter.

While technically not cherry, not a bar, and a bit harder to come by, Blackeby’s Sweets in Adelaide stock Jameson’s Raspberry Ruffles from the UK. They’re individually wrapped like a Quality Street, and well … are like bite-size raspberry ripes. If you’re around their store in Adelaide’s CBD, it’s well worth a pop-in.

Crunchie

Oh boy! If Crunchies are your thing, you are in for a real treat – or, many many treats!

In bar form, the Buttermilk Honeycomb Blast is a perfect replacement. Totally Vegan by Charlie also make their Honeycomb in a block bar, easy for breaking into small pieces so you can pretend you’re only going to eat a few bites.

Moo Free have the cutest little Bunnycomb bars, which can be found in specialty stores. These are a little different though as they’re thin bars mostly made of creamy chocolate, with little honeycomb specks throughout – kinda like the Crunchie Easter egg that was all the rage back in the day.

Finally, there are several brands making drool-worthy choc honeycomb pieces. House of Nestar’s Bee-free Honeycomb is a well-loved staple in my house. It’s dusted with French cocoa powder, making it a proper bougie treat. The Naughty Vegan Honeycomb is a bit fancy-feeling too.

And Vegan Perfection has been making their own ‘Golden Crunch’ for decades and is delicious eaten as is or crushed and used in baking.

Bounty

For Bounty lovers, you are well covered! Health Lab Carrie’s Coconut is exactly like a Bounty. And Vegan Chocolate Co also have a Coco bar on offer.

But for me, it’s all about the GoMaxGo Mahalo bar (which is actually a spin on the Almond Joy bar from the US).

Full disclosure: I’ve never had the Mars brand Bounty bar because I didn’t know I loved coconut back then. But the Mahalo bar is what I imagine to be a far more elevated version, because it not only contains a sweet, chewy, coconut centre, but it’s topped with three dry roasted almonds! With the perfect ratio of all components, it is so much more than just a Bounty sub. The coconut filling in the Mahalo is to die for and, as you can tell by my enthusiasm, is one you should make a point of trying!

Aero

There is only one business I have found that makes beautifully bubbly chocolate, and that is Totally Vegan by Charlie. But for Aero fans, you don’t need any other options, because Charlie’s is on point! Bubbly Jaffa and Bubble Mint are both available in the range and are a perfect match for the Aero. Or dare I say – even better.

Turkish Delight

I’ll just say it – I’ve never tried a Turkish Delight. Not any kind. It’s never appealed to me, but I know it has a loyal fanbase, because they appear to be all around me. Which is great, because it means I’m suddenly very popular when I am gifted any kind of Turkish Delight.

For this reason, I can’t give you my personal favourites, but I can tell you what’s out there.

The Naughty Vegan and Totally Vegan by Charlie both make their own varieties, as do House of Nestar, which I must say, is the one I hear people raving about the most often. Try them all and judge for yourself!

Kit Kat

Plot twist: Kit Kat is the maker of their own vegan Kit Kat! That’s right, Nestle have been making the plant-based Kit Kat for several years now, which unfortunately isn’t yet consistently available in Australian stores. It is, however, sold year-round in the UK, so you can still find them in some specialty sweet stores here in Australia. It’s slightly smaller than the dairy version, but it is exactly what the world asked them for – a Kit Kat that just so happens to be vegan! Hallelujah!

Vegan Chocolate Co have also taken the elements of this popular bar and turned them into a more indulgent version with their V Wafer. It’s chunkier, with a slightly thicker coating of chocolate on the outside, and that little bit of chocolate you break to separate the bars … there’s just something extra about it.

Totally Vegan by Charlie – who, if you haven’t yet noticed, are quickly becoming Australia’s #1 vegan chocolate confection brand – have also got this area covered with their deliciously crunchy Fat Cats.

Crunch

If you’re looking for a straight swap for a Crunch bar, then GoMaxGo Snap! is your faithful replica.

But if you’re looking for something similar but, frankly, waaaaaay better, you can’t beat a Vego Crisp. The Vego brand uses hazelnut milk with added hazelnut paste to make their chocolate, making it extra creamy. This, filled with loads of crispy puffed rice, is pretty much the ultimate.

Kinder Bueno

LoveRaw’s White Choc Cream Wafer Bars are exactly how I remember Kinder Buenos. But honestly, I feel confident that if I tried them side by side today, I’d find LoveRaw far superior. The hazelnut and almond cream filling is hard to beat, and the ratios of each delicious element are flawlessly balanced.

Caramello Koala

While they don’t make them in cute little animal shapes (at least not yet!), the Nomo Caramel bar is your perfect swap. And the good news is, they’re available at supermarkets nationally.

Picnic, Chokito & Polly Waffle

Though these bars would appear to be a random collection, they do have an important common thread – they all have vegan versions available thanks to Totally Vegan by Charlie.

I never thought I’d experience a Picnic or a Chokito again, and I had sadly never tried a Polly Waffle in my life. Well, you can imagine my delight as I chomped into my first ever Molly Waffle! Pure magic!

You can pick up a Piknik, Chocketo, or Molly Waffle (among many others) from Totally Vegan by Charlie directly.

M&Ms & Smarties

Okay, so I know these aren’t bars, but I’m sneaking these Aussie classics onto the list anyway!

The easiest M&M-lookalikes to come by are the Naturally Good Mylk Partyz range. Naturally Good focus on treats that are lower in sugar than your average, so their mylk, crispy, and peanut treats, which taste identical to M&Ms, are a little less likely to cause that sugar spike. The company takes it a step further, joking that they’re “…practically a salad” given they’re made entirely from plants!

And when it comes to Smarties, these Clarana Candy Buttons are the perfect, pastel-hued substitute. You can grab them in a snack-sized packet or go large for baking. Or, go large for snacking – but consider yourself warned: they’re the kind of tasty, crispy, morsels of yum that will probably render your self-control useless.

Wagon Wheels

It might be in the biscuit section but it really does have all the makings of a chocolate bar. This jammy biscuit and marshmallow number has made a home in the hearts of Aussies everywhere, which is why it has been so lovingly replicated for vegans.

Health Lab’s Oops We Did It Again isn’t lying. They really have done it again! Only, their take varies slightly to the OG Wagon Wheel as its marshmallow and jam are sandwiched between two gluten-free biscuits – great news for our intolerant and allergic mates.

Then we have the Buggy Wheel from Totally Vegan by Charlie, which I’m sure by now has everyone asking, “What can’t Charlie do?!” – to which the answer is, “Nothing!”

And lastly (and possibly my personal fave), the Wheelie from Vegan Chocolate Co. Don’t take my word for this, though – it’s time to take matters into your own hands.

Tim Tams

Since I’ve already brought biscuits into this, it’s only sensible that I mention another classic biscuit – the Tim Tam.

And Vegan Chocolate Co kindly offers us both a Timmy and a Tammy; the latter being a hazelnut variety, the former, your OG Tim Tam. There are several other brands out on the market, but these are worthy of a special shout out.

And if you want to have a crack at making your own – we’ve got a recipe that will make you think, ah, this is what Arnott’s was trying to make when they created the Tim Tam.

Peanut Butter Cups

I know these aren’t quite an ‘Aussie classic’, but they’re so well-loved around the world that they deserve an honorary place in this list.

While Australia is still waiting for the Reese’s Plant-based Peanut Butter Cups to make its way to our shores, GoMaxGo is proving yet again to be our saviour. Their Cleo’s Peanut Butter Cups come in both white and rice-milk chocolate varieties and are available at specialty stores.

Note: You don’t have to go store-bought! Check out our recipe for Easy Peanut Butter Cups and be the master of your own destiny.

Special mentions

While there is no ‘original’ it’s trying to mimic, no plant-based chocolate list would be complete without mentioning the Vego bar: a chunky bar of ridiculously smooth chocolate, made with the brand’s signature hazelnut paste for extra melt-in-your-mouth creaminess, and peppered with whole hazelnuts. Their bite size pralines, Vegolino, also rank high on my personal list.

Now, despite all the deliciousness I’ve just detailed, I would argue that I have saved the best for last. My personal holy grail of chocolates – my favourite block from my pre-vegan days – was always the Black Forest. And never again did I think I would bite my chompers into my beloved again … until Totally Vegan by Charlie came along. (yes, we’re seeing a pattern here!)

Enter, Jelly Crumb: delectable creamy chocolate, flecked with biscuit bits and chewy raspberry jelly pieces. There really are no words to describe this block of pure bliss sent down from the heavens. It’s a work of art, and one all the Black Forest lovers should know about.

Where to buy

I know that was an absolute whopper of a list, so allow me to take the guesswork out of where to find all these classic chocolate treats in Australia.

Health Lab, Naturally Good, and NOMO are stocked at Woolworths and Coles stores nationwide.

Totally Vegan by Charlie, Vegan Chocolate Co, House of Nestar and The Naughty Vegan can be ordered directly from their online stores. You can also check out their lists of stockists too, in case you have a retailer close by.

And for all other bars, check out this handy list of online retailers – like Vegan Perfection – that carry all manner of plant-based treats.

Have we missed your favourite? Let us know over on Instagram so we can gorge ourselves add it to our list.