Product Review: Vegan Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Chocolate chips are like wine: Don’t cook with anything you wouldn’t consume straight. Consequently, this product review is based on a taste test only.
Objectively Objective
I recognize taste is subjective. Hence, similar to my “mayonnaise” review, I decided to set each plant-based option herein against a conventional gold standard: NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels.
These dairy-containing droplets of deliciousness are quantifiably the most popular mix-in in the United States. As such, they are likely what a given US-American diner expects when served anything with chocolate chips. I thus aimed my taste test at answering, “Which vegan morsels are most like NESTLÉ’s?” not, “Which vegan morsels do I like best?”
Furthermore…
I make no commission from the products and links herein. Please consider the effort behind this content, and espresso your support on Ko-fi if you can ❤️
The Contestants
Refreshingly, finding a plant-based bag of fudgy nuggets to fold into your next batch of cookies is easy! I was overwhelmed by the number I could find through the US-national chains I reference for this blog (Walmart, Target, Aldi, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods Market).
For the combined sake of my sanity, wallet, limited pantry space, and balanced nutrition, I needed some discerning criteria. And so I figured, if they’re going to offer an experience similar to NESTLÉ, then they have to be similar to NESTLÉ! I thus shopped for vegan alternatives that are
- semi-sweet
- regular-sized
- morsels
not dark. not mini. not chunks. A manageable list of 4 products remained:
4. NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Plant Based Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
(PICTURE: left, one NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Plant Based Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsel; right, one NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsel)
In my head, NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Plant Based Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels won this product review before I tasted a single chip for it. The most popular brand has a standard to uphold!
Yet these morsels rank last. They don’t even look like their conventional counterpart.
Most disappointingly, they offer absolutely no melt-in-your-mouth factor. No wonder the original variety is labeled “Rich and Creamy” while these aren’t; “Flat and Dry” is more accurate.
3. Good & Gather Signature Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
(PICTURE: left, one Good & Gather Signature Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chip; right, one NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsel)
Good & Gather Signature Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips are pleasantly more promising than NESTLÉ Plant Based Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels.
That said, they’re unremarkable. They’re not dry, but not amazingly creamy; properly shaped, but greyish in color.
I’d use them in a pinch!
2. Trader Joe’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
(PICTURE: left, one Trader Joe’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chip; right, one NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsel)
At the time of this writing, for the same price as Good & Gather Signature Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, you can buy Trader Joe’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips.
And you should if possible! The only reason I could tell them apart from the dairy-containing gold standard with my eyes closed is size. (Each Trader Joe’s chip is slightly but noticeably larger.)
This increased volume is the one reason I’d choose another brand over this one. For some recipes, larger chocolate chips could compromise the structural integrity of your final product.
1. Guittard & Co. Semisweet Chocolate Chips
(PICTURE: left, one Guittard & Co. Semisweet Chocolate Chip; right, one NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsel)
OK, there’s a reason why Guittard & Co. Semisweet Chocolate Chips are so expensive: They’re incredible!
Shape, color, size, mouthfeel, taste, flavor – Everything about this plant-based mix-in is comparable – or even better than – the US favorite.
Admittedly, I’d like them more if they weren’t almost twice as much as the other products I tested in this post. My plan is to save them for special occasion baking.
Parting Notes
In short, avoid NESTLÉ Plant Based Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels. My taste test reveals why the conventional version of this product is labeled “Rich and Creamy” while these are not. They’re hard and dry!
Seek Guittard & Co. Semisweet Chocolate Chips if you can swing their price. Otherwise, anything other than NESTLÉ should do just fine.
Happy Baking!
Did I miss one?
Leave a comment if you see a bag of chocolate chips at Walmart, Target, Aldi, Trader Joe’s, and/or Whole Foods Market that’s not on this list. I’d love to test it against my winner and update my content!
Remember, they need to be
- plant-based
- semi-sweet
- regular-sized
- morsel-shaped
Please know I support and shop local when I can. Everywhere I’ve lived – and the number of places is many and growing – I have discovered numerous small companies making fantastic vegan alternatives.
Yet as much as I commend them, they are not the focus of this blog. My goal instead is to curate and present information that travels with me to wherever I go, and then travels again from wherever I am to wherever you are ❤️
