Need dairy free/vegan chocolate chips

mbcakes · #1 01-24-2006, 04:36 PM

I'm desperate for small (not mini) sized chocolate chips that are completely dairy free/vegan....I can verify the vegan aspect with the company but just need some names of quality chocolate chips...the chips I use now I can't get in bulk on the east coast (tropical source...made in Israel and distributed out of California) and the price in small cases is not helping things but the chocolate has a smooth rich dark chocolate flavor thats great for cookies and in ganache. Anyone on the east coast have any companies to recommend????

panini · #2 01-24-2006, 04:55 PM

mb,
Have you looked into the hawaiian choco? I think the name is Kona
pan
I don't know if it comes in bulk, but I have tasted their chips. very good

panini · #3 01-24-2006, 04:59 PM

M,
never mind. They are really high.
http://www.konakavafarm.com/chocolat...FQm6JAodzAWmjg

scott123 · #4 01-24-2006, 05:07 PM

It depends on how you define vegan. Most semi sweet chocolate chips are dairy free but contained refined sugar, which is a gray area because of the way the sugar is processed. I would say 99% of vegans eat refined sugar, but there are those few that don't.

Ghirardelli makes an excellent dairy free chocolate chip that I'm sure you could find in bulk.

Trader Joes makes a dairy free chocolate chip that's Belgian I believe. It might be tricky to find in bulk, but the retail price is quite competitive. In fact, I'd wager to say that TJs chips, bought in single packages are cheaper than what you're paying now. And, of superior quality. At least, from my experience they are. I've baked with the Tropical Source chips a bit and although they're pretty good, both Ghirardelli and Trader Joes are superior. To me, Tropical Source is less about the quality of the chocolate and more about wacky ingredients and saavy marketing.

mbcakes · #5 01-24-2006, 08:31 PM

Thanks Pan, wow $$ you weren't kidding!

Scott...refined is okay but the sugar can't be refined using bone char. Not sure if Trader Joe's is vegan but will contact them as well as Ghiradelli. I've tried and like Ghiradelli but haven't tried Traders will get a bag, try it and see if they'll sell wholesale.

We have a new product line, all vegan, and the ingredients can get pricey. Anywhere I can save is a plus till we get better distribution, increase volume and make $. Right now it feels like I'm working for free but its about getting the new name out there and letting folks get a taste of our stuff. Wholesale, distribution and brokers....it's a whole different world from retail cake shop

mbcakes · #6 01-24-2006, 08:35 PM

ignore this I'm just playing with the posting options while I wait for my cakes to finish baking and want to see if it works

scott123 · #7 01-25-2006, 02:29 PM

Again, not sure about the bone char, but I was really surprised by the quality of shop rite chocolate chips. Those are really inexpensive.

To be honest, I can taste a massive difference between, say, baker's chocolate and callebaut unsweetened couverture, but when it comes to small semi sweet chips, I don't notice a huge difference between the expensive chips and the inexpensive ones.

mbcakes · #8 01-25-2006, 04:46 PM

some store brands are ok but I guess I've been trying so many chip lately that I can taste the difference now. Some just taste sugary or waxy or don't have a creamy chocolate texture. We're starting to go through alot of chips now so buying at stores isn't really feesible. It would save time to be able to weigh out what I need and not have to rip open a million bags too.

Kelleybean · #9 01-25-2006, 05:11 PM

Maybe these w9ll work. http://www.goodbaker.com/Merchant2/m...ROD/Chips/0108 Let me know.

supercarrot · #10 02-10-2006, 04:42 PM

hey mbcakes, have you been successful in your search?

i've found http://www.naturesflavors.com/produc...2353%7B1%7D100
Organic Dark Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
- Sizes 4 lbs. $24.99 that's about 6 bucks a lb.

and http://store.candywarehouse.com/smallchips.html guittard chips, 77.50 for a 25 lb case, ($3.10/lb.) but i don't know if the sugar they use is refined with bone char or not.

and i also haven't contacted these folks about the veganity of their chips as of yet. http://www.bulkfoods.com/Drops.asp

so yeah, if you've found a better source of vegan chocolate chips, let me know. thanks.