From Easter eggs to truffle bites, we test dairy-free alternatives to your favourite treats
ABOUT eight per cent of the population has an intolerance to lactose, which is a sugar found in dairy products.
Sufferers have low levels of the enzyme lactase – and there is no way to boost it.
With Easter coming up and milk chocolate everywhere, it can be a frustrating time if you are lactose intolerant – so Jane Atkinson has looked at dairy-free alternatives.
Truffle bites
H!P chocolate only went on the market in 2021 but has grown and grown.
It uses oat milk to create creamy vegan chocolate.
I tried one of its new sharer pouch bags of Peanut Butter Chocolate Truffle Bites, made from Colombian oat milk chocolate and a peanut filling, which includes peanuts, vegetable fats, dextrose, sugar and salt, but no palm oil.
This has a cream chocolate shell with a gooey filling of peanut butter.
These are moreish.
They are quite big – you get a full mouthful so they’re not the most delicate to eat, but they taste amazing – not too sweet and generously filled.
You’re meant to share the 80g packet but I ate the lot, which isn’t great, as they’re 40 per cent fat and 30 per cent sugar.
- £3.50, hipchocolate.com
Traditional egg
IF you want a traditional egg without the milk, this is a great option.
There are no nasties in Montezuma’s organic dark chocolate eco egg as it is just a combination of organic cocoa mass, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter and organic vanilla extract.
But this isn’t one for the kids – it is dark, dark chocolate with 74 per cent cocoa solids.
But if you like your chocolate properly dark, then this is the perfect choice.
It doesn’t use palm oil and it also comes in a plastic-free container, so you are doing your bit for the planet too.
Each 150g egg has 873cals, 44 per cent fat and 25 per cent sugar.
I hate to say it at this high price, but this would be fab chocolate for vegan-friendly baking if there is any left over.
- £6.99, montezumas.co.uk
Mini eggs
THESE dark chocolate Doisy & Dam Good Eggs are mini eggs that taste very much like the Cadbury variety, just a bit darker.
Vegan Society-certified and made using sustainably sourced 58 per cent fair trade cocoa, they really are lovely.
They contain natural ingredients – dark chocolate (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier vanilla extract), sugar, rice starch, glazing agents, concentrates of radish, sweet potato and spirulina with curcumin colouring.
With 381cal per 75g bag, they contain 25 per cent fat and 58 per cent sugar.
Creamy, crunchy, good (ish) for you – or at least better than the alternative – these are on my Easter bunny list.
- £2.50, or buy one get one half price, hollandandbarrett.com.