Best Vegan Advent Calendars: 2019
Disclaimer: Some of the advent calendars below were gifted to me to review, and some were bought. I had to keep a healthy balance between chocolate and my bank balance!
As the vegan movement continues to boom, supply is finally starting to meet demand - big brands and supermarkets are taking notice, and we no longer have to search out a decades-old health food shop or Holland & Barrett to find a single bar of dark chocolate that’s vegan-friendly… there are options all around us, whether we’re lost & hungry in the streets of London, or popping to Tesco in Inverness.
One great thing about the expansion of vegan-friendly products is that we can finally feel included in festivities! All the supermarket giants have speciality vegan options for Christmas, and advent calendars are no exception. While some of the below can be found in local shops, and some are only available online, there’s something for every budget and every taste palate.
Best Advent Calendar For: Dark Chocolate Lovers
Divine Chocolate: Deliciously Rich Dark Chocolate 70% Advent Calendar
This traditional-style advent calendar features a fun fact on the inside of each calendar window - just like the old school calendars. Alongside this, Divine Chocolate’s calendar features a tinfoil-covered 70% dark chocolate treat. You get quality chocolate throughout the season of advent, plus they support the empowerment of women through their Fairtrade work.
Cost: £5
Buy Divine Chocolate: Deliciously Rich Dark Chocolate 70% Advent Calendar
Available From: Ocado, Waitrose, Amazon and Divine Chocolate
Best Advent Calendar For: Supporting Social Good
Nono Cocoa: Advent Calendar - Vegan Superfood Chocolates
This calendar not only looks amazing, but the ‘truffles’ inside are very special! Nono Cocoa are a wonderful dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free, egg-free, artificial-colouring-free, GMO-free brand, who trade ethically and work with “unemployable” people to prove that they are perfectly fit for work: those with autism, single mums, and those with mental health issues, for example. These are the fantastic people who hand-finish each truffle. The flavours are the most creative I’ve seen, and include coffee, lime & matcha, rose, cinnamon and many more!
Cost: £17.50
Buy Nono Cocoa’s Vegan Superfood Chocolates Advent Calendar
Available From: Nono-cocoa.com, Yumbles,
Best Advent Calendar For: Milkybar Nostalgia
So Free: White Chocolate Alternative Advent Calendar
This is the first of two choices from Plamil, offering a great alternative to white chocolate. This multi-certified cheerful vegan calendar is a great option for kids (and adults) looking for an affordable option for a dairy-free advent - it’s everything you want from an accessible advent calendar: under a fiver, tastes like Milkybar, cute characters, and child-friendly.
Cost: £4.95
Buy So Free’s White Chocolate Alternative Advent Calendar
Available From: Holland and Barrett and www.plamilfoods.co.uk
Best Advent Calendar For: Something New
Vegan Chocolatier Iconic Vegan Advent Calendar
This limited edition advent calendar contains 24 vegan chocolate in the shape of 15 different premium chocolates - made from rice and almond milk as an alternative to dairy. Founded in 2019 as a way to introduce premium vegan chocolate on to the market, Vegan Chocolatier also uses 100% biodegradable packaging.
Cost: £24.99
Buy Vegan Chocolatier Iconic Vegan Advent Calendar
Available From: Friars
Best Advent Calendar For: Elves On A Budget
So Free: Organic Milk Chocolate Alternative Advent Calendar
This is the second of two vegan advent calendars from Plamil. This calendar has all the taste of dairy milk, but obviously without the dairy - it tastes a lot like the ‘regular’ advent calendars from my childhood. Made from rice, sugar and cocoa butter, this advent calendar is a great way to introduce vegan chocolate to a child who would otherwise be eating a dairy advent calendar, without them even noticing the difference!
Cost: £4.95
Buy So Free’s Organic Milk Chocolate Alternative Advent Calendar
Available From: Holland and Barratt, www.plamilfoods.co.uk
Best Advent Calendar For: Pure Indulgence
Livia’s Advent Calendar
Livia’s (formerly Livia’s Kitchen) new advent calendar holds 24 indulgent snacks, from heavenly Nugglets to gooey Million Squares, and dreamy DUNX. If you’re someone who likes a little more than a piece of chocolate when opening their calendar, this is the one for you! It’s made by healthy sweet-tooth queen, Olivia Wollenberg, so you know it’ll hit the sweet spot.
Cost £39.95
Available from: Livia’s Kitchen and Selfridges
Best Advent Calendar For: Kids And Kids-At-Heart
PLAYin CHOC Advent Calendar
The PLAYin CHOC advent calendar contains 24 drawers, each containing an organic vegan m•lk chocolate + 3D puzzle toy & fun facts card. I love PLAYin CHOC, as their products are very fun for smaller children and it offers more than just a delicious chocolate. Topped with 100% plant-based, biodegradable packaging (and toy production), PLAYin CHOC is a great option for advent. Our family may or may not have already eaten 11 chocolates, and I’m writing this on November 4…
Cost: £55
Buy PLAYin CHOC advent calendar
Available at PLAYin CHOC, Ocado, Not On The Highstreet
Best Advent Calendar For: Milk(-Free) Chocolate Lovers
Cocoa Libre: Dairy Free Luxury Advent Calendar
No dark chocolate here - just a vegan alternative to milk chocolate for vegans and people with allergies or an intolerance to dairy. The chunky chocolates come in a variety of shapes and, although they’re bitesize, you do feel like you get your money’s worth because of the depth of each piece. The chocolates are also free from gluten, nuts, peanuts, and wheat.
Cost £9.99
Buy Cocoa Libre Dairy Free Luxury Advent Calendar
Available at Cocoa Libre, Holland & Barrett and Amazon.
Best Advent Calendar For: Fuss-Free Kids
MOO Free Advent Calendar
This dairy-free milk chocolate advent calendar is a great option for children, as it features a child-friendly design and comes in at under £5. Made in a factory that ensures there’s no cross contamination from dairy, soya, or gluten, the organic rice milk chocolates are a lovely treat at an affordable price. This or the Plamil calendar is probably what my mum would have bought me as a child if I’d been vegan!
Cost: £4.99
Available at Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Amazon and more
Best Advent Calendar For: Adulting Adults
Eponine: Fine Chocolate Vegan Advent Calendar
For that friend whose idea of ‘festive’ is a large glass of Malbec and a crackling fireplace screensaver on their MacBook, Eponine has you covered! Sleek & pretty, this truffle-filled box is one that’ll take pride of place on the mantlepiece and probably make several appearances on Instagram throughout December. This makes a beautiful gift pre-December 25th!
Cost: £35.00
