There is a lot of dairy-free chocolate on the shelf to buy these days which is a good thing. However, there are a ton of times when I look at what is available and my heart sinks. Either it’s too expensive, may contain an allergen, or it’s not what you are looking for.
This Easter, I have decided to make dairy-free chocolate gifts for my family. It will add some fun to the chocolate they do receive and it’s made with a whole lot of love!
Let’s talk about dairy-free chocolate.
When melting dark chocolate, it’s fairly straightforward, but if you are planning to melt the chocolate that contains rice milk, keep in mind that it is a little more delicate and should not be overheated. I’d recommend starting with dark chocolate as it is easier to start over with it if you go wrong, as long as you have not contaminated it with anything else, such as nuts or sprinkles.
As I said, I would highly recommend starting with dairy-free dark chocolate. It varies in strength, with the higher the cocoa solids content the stronger the taste. If you are doing this with young children in mind, then a lower cocoa solids content will be less strong if they are not keen on dark chocolate. That isn’t to say you shouldn’t try using ‘m!lk’ chocolate but a little practice with dark chocolate might help first!
I’d also recommend avoiding cooking chocolate if you can as you will get a much better finish.
Choosing a chocolate mould.
Professional chocolatiers will tell you they use polycarbonate moulds. These are great but expensive and if you are just having a go at home then they are not really necessary. You can find plenty of plastic moulds online and in stores that are fine to use but you should handle them carefully as they might split or you can try silicone moulds. I have made chocolates using both types of mould. Wash your moulds by hand and do not put them in the dishwasher in case they warp.
All of these are dairy free!
I’m so pleased with the results of my chocolate making and it was great fun too!
These really cute mini chocolate egg shapes are made completely with dairy free chocolate.
I used a kit I bought from Lakeland. It came with a plastic mould, two sheets of stickers and small gift bags.
I’ve used the mould twice and added dairy-free sprinkles to the back of some of these.
https://www.lakeland.co.uk/32666/12-Easter-Chocolate-Shapes-Mould-Gift-Set
Minibars were made with dairy-free chocolate poured into a silicone mould, also from Lakeland.
If you are going to use this mould, set it on a flat plate or board before you start.
I added dairy-free sprinkles and Doisy & Dam chocolate drops for decoration.
https://www.lakeland.co.uk/32435/Lakeland-Chocolate-Bar-Mould
These Fleggs (Flat Eggs) were made using dairy-free chocolate and plastic moulds I bought from Amazon. I added crushed chocolate drops from Doisy & Dam and dairy free sprinkles.
Where I buy my dairy-free chocolate and sprinkles
I prefer to buy my dairy-free chocolate in bulk rather than messing around with bars and I purchase it from a company called Plamil. Their chocolate is vegan and does not contain milk. For the chocolates shown in this post, I used their Organic Luxury Chocolate Catering Drops and Organic Dairy Free Vegan White Drops. At first, this may seem expensive but if you buy in bulk, they will keep well in a cool dark place. Just keep away from sources of heat and stored airtight, they should keep for quite a while. I am planning to use some of the dark chocolate for a dairy-free ganache! Plamil may not be a name you recognise but they are very experienced!
I buy most of my sprinkles from Baking Time Club as they have a wide variety of sprinkles and I know they are safe for us.
https://www.bakingtimeclub.com/
https://www.plamilfoods.co.uk/
As with all dietary requirements and allergies, it is really important that you satisfy yourself that foods are safe for your own dietary requirements.
How to melt chocolate
There are lots of instruction videos on YouTube showing you how to melt chocolate, so that is a good place to start. Just remember to go slowly and gently with the heat, especially if you are heating chocolate that contains rice milk or rice milk powder. You can still use rice milk chocolate, just be extra careful not to overheat it. I’m going to put my method for melting chocolate in a separate post in a few days’ time but I wanted to get this out there in time for Easter!
