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There’s no shortage of chocolate-makers out there, but two of the brands that are perhaps the most synonymous with premium bars in the U.S. are Lindt and Ghirardelli. The former is a Swiss company known for its popular Lindor truffle collection (which we’ve ranked from worst to best), while the latter is a homegrown business that manufactures its products primarily in California, though Ghirardelli was acquired by Lindt & Sprungli in 1998. Both make delicious chocolate, and luckily for our vegan friends, they also both produce dairy-free options. But which one makes the better vegan bar? We set out to answer this question by comparing 16 different vegan chocolate bars, and in our opinion, Lindt reigns supreme.
We placed Lindt’s Classic Recipe Oatmilk Chocolate in seventh place when ranking the bars from worst to best, while Ghirardelli’s Intense Dark 72% Cacao Chocolate sank to 10th place. Neither bar stole the top spot (that honor went to Hu Kitchen’s Salty Dark Chocolate Bar), but Lindt’s oat milk bar was exceptionally creamy and sweet. Made with refined plant-based products, the truffle-like bar is light and smooth, with a mocha coloring and hazelnut undertones.
We enjoyed the milky mouthfeel of the chocolate, but Lindt’s bar was lacking some complexity in terms of flavor. It’s perfect for those who like a more plain tasting chocolate, but for anyone who craves a bit of bite, it isn’t the best option on shelves. However, it did fare much better than Ghirardelli’s bar.
The Ghirardelli option may work better for others
Ghirardelli’s intense dark chocolate wasn’t specifically designed for vegans, but it is naturally dairy-free. Dark chocolate is generally made using nothing but sugar and cacao beans, while milk chocolate has milk products to make it creamier. This is why dark chocolate is more expensive than milk chocolate and why it tastes different. The higher the cacao percentage, the darker the chocolate, and the Ghirardelli Intense lineup is true to its name.
The Ghirardelli 72% was one of the darkest we tried, and there just wasn’t enough sweetness to counteract the bitterness. The bar is the most popular product in the Intense range, promising notes of blackberry, mocha, and dark cherry — however, these were lost on us. It had a smooth mouthfeel, but there was something missing.
That being said, not everyone’s taste preferences are the same, and the bar has good ratings online. Some customers have called it their favorite dark chocolate, and others keep their pantries stocked with it. There are also comments that mention the flavor notes, so perhaps they’re not lost on everyone.
To us, neither bar was quite as good as Hu Salty Dark Chocolate, which tasted much more balanced than Ghirardelli. You could always put all three to the test if you want to find out for yourself. Use this guide on how to taste chocolate like a connoisseur and be the judge!
