by The Chocolate Salon Comment Closed

We are proud to present the results of the 2017 VEGAN CHOCOLATE AWARDS Competition.

The International Chocolate Salon Awards for the 2017 VEGAN CHOCOLATE AWARDS are based on the combined total number of votes received by each entrant from the Judging Panel.

The Judging Panel consists of National and Regional Magazines, Newspaper and Blog Editors, plus Topic Experts, Local Chefs and Food Gurus.

The award winners below have the honor of being able to display and use the Official Award Winner title and award logos, as well as use items (such as the Award Winner lapel pin), as well as use Custom Award Certificates, and logo award merchandise.

Best Ingredient Combinations

GOLD

  • Lagusta Hazelnut Sugar Plum Caramel Bar
  • Zazubean Organic Chocolates SASSY- 55 % Coconut Milk Chocolate with pomegranate & Hazelnut

SILVER

  • Chuao Chocolatier The Enamored Collection: Blueberry Lavender
  • David Bacco Chocolatier CITRAL H20- Lemongrass Water Truffle
  • Delysia Chocolatier Gingered garam masala chocolate truffle
  • Ethereal Confections Almond Nib Inclusion Bar
  • Lagusta Thyme Preserved Lemon Sea Salt Caramel
  • SELEUSS Chocolates SELEUSS Chocolates { Vegan Coconut }

BRONZE

  • Loving Earth - Raw Organic Chocolate Salted Caramel Chocolate
  • Cocoa Republic Ltd. 65% Dark Chocolate with Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
  • Delysia Chocolatier Herbed almond & olive oil dark chocolate bark
  • Lagusta Smoky Corn on the Cob Bar
  • UliMana Chocolate Coco Nectar Truffles

Best Taste

GOLD

  • Zazubean Organic Chocolates SASSY- 55 % Coconut Milk Chocolate with pomegranate & Hazelnut

SILVER

  • Delysia Chocolatier Gingered garam masala chocolate truffle
  • Ethereal Confections Vanilla Sea Salt Meltaway
  • Solkiki Tahitian Nougat

BRONZE

  • Chocolate Inspirations, Inc Vegan English Toffee
  • Chuao Chocolatier The Enamored Collection: Blueberry Lavender
  • David Bacco Chocolatier CITRAL H20- Lemongrass Water Truffle
  • Delysia Chocolatier Herbed almond & olive oil dark chocolate bark
  • EHChocolatier Tart Cherry Bites
  • Ethereal Confections Almond Nib Inclusion Bar
  • Hu Products Almond Butter + Puffed Quinoa Dark Chocolate
  • Hu Products Cashew Butter + Pure Vanilla Bean Dark Chocolate
  • Hu Products Hazelnut Butter Dark Chocolate
  • SELEUSS Chocolates SELEUSS Chocolates { Vegan Coconut }
  • Solkiki Marañón 60% Salted Dark Milk with coconut
  • Zazubean Organic Chocolates NUDIE- 80 % Extra dark

Best Texture

GOLD

  • Chocolate Inspirations, Inc Vegan English Toffee
  • Hu Products Almond Butter + Puffed Quinoa Dark Chocolate
  • Zazubean Organic Chocolates NUDIE- 80 % Extra dark

SILVER

  • Loving Earth - Raw Organic Chocolate Creamy Coconut Mylk Chocolate
  • Chuao Chocolatier The Enamored Collection: Coconut Hibiscus
  • Chuao Chocolatier The Enamored Collection: Blueberry Lavender
  • Cocoa Republic Ltd. 65% Dark Chocolate with Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
  • David Bacco Chocolatier CITRAL H20- Lemongrass Water Truffle
  • Ethereal Confections Vanilla Sea Salt Meltaway
  • Hu Products Cashew Butter + Pure Vanilla Bean Dark Chocolate
  • Lagusta Hazelnut Sugar Plum Caramel Bar
  • Lagusta Thyme Preserved Lemon Sea Salt Caramel
  • SELEUSS Chocolates SELEUSS Chocolates { Vegan Coconut }
  • Solkiki Tahitian Nougat
  • UliMana Chocolate Coco Nectar Truffles
  • Zazubean Organic Chocolates SASSY- 55 % Coconut Milk Chocolate with pomegranate & Hazelnut

BRONZE

  • NA

Most Unique

GOLD

  • Lagusta Smoky Corn on the Cob Bar

 

SILVER

  • Delysia Chocolatier Gingered garam masala chocolate truffle
  • Lagusta Hazelnut Sugar Plum Caramel Bar
  • Lagusta Thyme Preserved Lemon Sea Salt Caramel

 

BRONZE

  • Cocoa Republic Ltd. 65% Dark Chocolate with Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
  • David Bacco Chocolatier CITRAL H20- Lemongrass Water Truffle
  • Hu Products Cashew Butter + Pure Vanilla Bean Dark Chocolate
  • Zazubean Organic Chocolates SASSY- 55 % Coconut Milk Chocolate with pomegranate & Hazelnut

Top Vegan Chocolate

GOLD

  • Chuao Chocolatier The Enamored Collection: Blueberry Lavender

SILVER

  • Ethereal Confections Almond Nib Inclusion Bar
  • Solkiki Marañón 60% Salted Dark Milk with coconut
  • Zazubean Organic Chocolates SASSY- 55 % Coconut Milk Chocolate with pomegranate

BRONZE

  • Loving Earth - Raw Organic Chocolate Creamy Coconut Mylk Chocolate
  • Loving Earth - Raw Organic Chocolate Salted Caramel Chocolate
  • David Bacco Chocolatier KASHMIR H2O- Smoked Paprika, Coconut & Mandarin Orange Water Truffle
  • David Bacco Chocolatier CITRAL H20- Lemongrass Water Truffle
  • Delysia Chocolatier Herbed almond & olive oil dark chocolate bark
  • Delysia Chocolatier Gingered garam masala chocolate truffle
  • EHChocolatier Tart Cherry Bites
  • Lagusta Smoky Corn on the Cob Bar
  • Lagusta Hazelnut Sugar Plum Caramel Bar
  • SELEUSS Chocolates SELEUSS Chocolates { Vegan Coconut }
  • UliMana Chocolate Coco Nectar Truffles
  • Zazubean Organic Chocolates NUDIE- 80 % Extra dark

STAR RATINGS

4 STARS

  • SELEUSS Chocolates SELEUSS Chocolates { Vegan Coconut }
  • Hu Products Cashew Butter + Pure Vanilla Bean Dark Chocolate
  • Zazubean Organic Chocolates SASSY- 55 % Coconut Milk Chocolate with pomegranate & Hazelnut

3 1/2 STARS

  • Chocolate Inspirations, Inc Vegan English Toffee
  • Delysia Chocolatier Gingered garam masala chocolate truffle
  • Ethereal Confections Vanilla Sea Salt Meltaway
  • Lagusta Thyme Preserved Lemon Sea Salt Caramel
  • Ethereal Confections Almond Nib Inclusion Bar
  • Lagusta Hazelnut Sugar Plum Caramel Bar
  • Solkiki Marañón 60% Salted Dark Milk with coconut
  • Delysia Chocolatier Herbed almond & olive oil dark chocolate bark
  • Solkiki Tahitian Nougat
  • Zazubean Organic Chocolates NUDIE- 80 % Extra dark
  • Loving Earth - Raw Organic Chocolate Salted Caramel Chocolate
  • Hu Products Almond Butter + Puffed Quinoa Dark Chocolate
  • Hu Products Hazelnut Butter Dark Chocolate
  • UliMana Chocolate Coco Nectar Truffles

3 STARS

  • Loving Earth - Raw Organic Chocolate Creamy Coconut Mylk Chocolate
  • Chuao Chocolatier The Enamored Collection: Raspberry Rose
  • Chuao Chocolatier The Enamored Collection: Blueberry Lavender
  • David Bacco Chocolatier CITRAL H20- Lemongrass Water Truffle
  • EHChocolatier Tart Cherry Bites
  • Chuao Chocolatier The Enamored Collection: Coconut Hibiscus
  • David Bacco Chocolatier KASHMIR H2O- Smoked Paprika, Coconut & Mandarin Orange Water Truffle "
  • Cocoa Republic Ltd. 65% Dark Chocolate with Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
  • Lagusta Smoky Corn on the Cob Bar

JUDGES' COMMENTS

FAVORITES

  • I had three: Ethereal Vanilla Sea salt Meltaway was excellent -- so creamy and delicious; Chuau Blueberry Lavender was wonderfully fruity and fragrant and unique in flavor; and Lagusta Hazelnut Sugar Plum Caramel Bar was bursting with flavors in the creamy caramel.
  • Loving Earth Salted Caramel
  • Solkiki Maranon 60 Salted Caramel Dark Mylk
  • Zazybeen NUDIE
  • SELEUSS
  • Solkiki
  • David Bacco Citral H20 Lemongrass Water Truffle

 

COMMENTS

  • Lagusta Hazelnut Sugar Plum Carmanel Bar is as delicious as any Sugar Plum Fairy might create, with intense fruity-flavored, creamy caramel with a bit of crunch that's enrobed in fine chocolate.
  • The overall quality is very high, hard to pick a favorite. All samples were good in their own right, even though some were outstanding
  • David Bacco Citral H20 Lemongrass Water Truffle: "The yin & yang of chocolates. These flavors complement each other so wholly, my tastebuds craved another dose for days!"

 

RECOMMENDATIONS TO CHOCOLATIERS

  • To anyone using almonds for crunch, the taste comes through so much better if they're roasted. Nut butters don't age very well. . . they taste musty quickly. Thyme is too strong for chocolate. Smokiness has to be subtle to work well with chocolate. Smoked paprika, for example, is too strong and hits you on the head with its smokiness.
  • Making vegan chocolate is obviously quite hard -- kudos to those using interesting ingredients along the way.
  • Excessive sugar in chocolate is never desirable, however excessive bitter and tart notes, especially in overly dry bars, with no creaminess can also impede the enjoyment. Balance is key.
 
 
 

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