Opinion The best Easter chocolates in Australia (that happen to be dairy-free)

Whether you’re about to enjoy your first dairy-free Easter or your 21st, the vegan market in Australia has made incredible gains on store shelves this year, ensuring you’re spoilt for all the luxuriously smooth and creamy choice you can handle – and then some!

When it comes to eating chocolate, I like to think of myself as a seasoned veteran. I’ve spent over a decade watching the vegan Easter ranges in stores progress in both quality and quantity, and this year … boy, oh boy, oh boy! Shelves across Australia are literally choc-full of offerings – pun intended. There are so many options that for the first time in my life, I can’t possibly try them all in one holiday period – which, if you ask me, is a great problem to have!

If you’re looking to treat yourselves and loved ones this Easter, get out your pen and paper (or prepare to take screenshots), because this will be one doozy of a shopping list!

NOMO

The range: Creamy Chocolate Egg & Bar, Caramel Easter Egg & Bar, Cookie Dough Crunch Easter Egg & Bunny, Sea Salt & Caramel Egg, Cookie Dough Bunny, Choc Lollies.

Available from Woolworths, Big W, Kmart, Aldi, Vegan Grocery Store and specialty stores.

Moo Free

The range: Easter Egg Hunt Box, Choccy Easter Egg & Choccy Mini Bar, Bunnycomb Easter Egg & Bunnycomb Mini Bar, Moofreesa Ball & Bag of Moofreesas (think dairy-free Maltesers), Choccy Eggsplosion Easter Egg, Mikey Bunny Lemon Fizz, Hammy Hamster Orange Fizz, Rosie Rabbit.

Available from Vegan Grocery Store, Chocolate Box, Easter Egg Warehouse, and specialty stores.

Mummy Meegz

The range: Chuckie Egg (individual), Chuckie Egg (5 pack).

Available from Vegan Grocery Store, Flora & Fauna, Vegan Perfection and specialty stores.

Happi Oat Milk Chocolate

The range: Milk Chocolate Egg, Salted Caramel Egg, Milk Chocolate Bunny Lollipop.

Available from Vegan Grocery Store, Harris Farm Markets, Chocolate Box and specialty stores.

Pana Organic

The range: Caramel Hot Cross Bun, Peanut Butter & Strawberry, Dark Mint Crunch, Golden Comb, White Macadamia.

Available from Woolworths, Coles, Vegan Grocery Store and specialty stores.

Buttermilk

The range: Honeycomb Blast Egg and Bar, Salted Caramel Crunch Egg and Caramel Nougat Bar.

Available from Vegan Grocery Store, Chocolate Box and specialty stores.

Montezuma’s

The range: Plucky Chick with Chocolate Buttons, Peanut Butter Mini Eggs.

Available from Vegan Grocery Store and specialty stores.

Springhill Farm

The range: Carrot Cake-inspired Slice, Carrot Cake-inspired Slice-filled Easter Carrot, Speckled Chocolate Slice, Speckled Chocolate Slice-filled Easter Carrot, Giant Choc-loaded Easter Slice (exclusive to Costco).

Available from Vegan Grocery Store, Springhill Farm and specialty stores.

Lindt

The range: Dark Chocolate Gold Bunny … or pick up one of the three vegan block varieties in milk chocolate, hazelnut, and salted caramel. They’re absolutely divine!

Available from Coles, Woolworths, Kmart, Big W, Easter Egg Warehouse and specialty stores.

Ferrero Rocher

The range: Grand Ferrero Rocher (Dark).

Available from Woolworths, Easter Egg Warehouse.

Gingerbread Folk

Who says gingerbread is just for Christmas?! If you’re looking for a gift for yourself or others, gingerbread bunnies can be a great way to break up the seasonal chocolate to chocolate ratio. Y’know … a palate cleanser of warmly spiced biscuit, with chocolate flavouring.

The range: Gingerbread Easter Bunny, Chocolate Gingerbread Easter Bunny.

Available from Vegan Grocery Store, Gingerbread Folk and specialty stores.

Animals Australia

Choosing dairy-free is one of the kindest choices you can make for cows, but this Easter, you can extend that kindness even further with one of these beautifully curated gift packs from Animals Australia. (That’s right, a shameless plug for our own org, because we think it’s a gorgeous little pack!) Aside from being deliciously cruelty-free, all proceeds go directly towards our team’s vital work to create a kinder world for all animals. And isn’t that really the sweetest gift of all?

The range: Easter Gift Pack, Plush Bunny & Plush Cow (Symbolic Adoptions), Luxury Chocolates from House of Nestar and more.

Available from Animals Australia directly here.

One final Easter tip

For those celebrating Greek Easter and wishing to keep things plant-based, I come bearing good news! The Greek Orthodox tradition of dyeing and smashing hard-boiled eggs need not be abandoned, just slightly amended with one small sub…

Simply pick up a bag of potatoes and boil them whole, leaving the skin on. Once they’re cool and you can pat them dry, get out your food dye and a paint brush, and get to work. The best thing about this version is – post-smashing, you can simply combine potato pieces, mash with some plant-based butter, and create your own rainbow creamy potato mash! It’s kind to chickens, cheaper than eggs, and a deliciously colourful addition to your Easter lunch spread.

But wait, there’s more!

As mentioned earlier, there are so many vegan offerings on shelves this year that even I – the self-proclaimed ‘Augustus Gloop of vegan chocolates’ – cannot try them all. This list is in no way exhaustive, so check out your local stores to see what’s available. A great starting point is The Vegan Grocery Store, but be warned: viewing this page is likely to induce drooling, which can only be treated by snacking on such quality Easter treats. So, y’know … it’s kinda like a medical emergency. That’s all the justification you need to go forth and treat yo’self! (you’re very welcome 😉 )

Chocolate aside, vegan hot cross buns are on the shelves too, at major supermarkets, bakery chains and independent grocers – so keep an eye out for those treats, and let’s celebrate all there is to indulge in, on this super sweet holiday.

Happy Easter, chickens!