A little while ago, I was fortunate to discover the Facebook page for Black Velvet Gold Chocolat, a boutique chocolatier handcrafting beautiful chocolates in Rosedale, Victoria. They were asking for feedback from vegans to see whether a vegan/dairy free range would be successful or popular, and to find out what flavours we wanted the most.
After much positive response, Ruth (the chocolatier herself) has released a vegan chocolate range! I emailed her enquiring as to whether I could order some to be sent to Sydney, as I won’t be visiting Victoria again until July. She was generous enough to send me a beautiful box of samples for review on Cat’s Kitchen.
Aren’t they just the prettiest chocolates you ever did see?
Whether you’re vegan, dairy intolerant, or just a lover of fine chocolate, these are divine. Handcrafted and made without any animal products, Ruth has taken great care to avoid any cross contamination during the making of the chocolates. With the help of another vegan chocolate lover, Ash and another non-vegan, we sampled marzipan, peppermint, coconut rough, walnut & coffee, rum & raisin, and creamy dreamy caramel truffles.
Each of us tried a caramel truffle. Easily the winner all-round, these glossy little chocolates snap temptingly to melt into a soft, gooey caramel centre.
A close second was the peppermint truffle. I’m not usually one for mint and chocolate, but these tasted just like a mint slice biscuit (which I am partial to). The delicate chocolate shell revealed a smooth, almost liquid, ganache centre.
The rum & raisin was my personal favourite – a fine shell, cracking into a soft, strongly rum-flavoured ganache centre, interspersed with pieces of raisin.
The other flavours were each delicious, fudgy almond marzipan, textured coconut rough, and smooth coffee ganache offset by crunchy walnut.
Next time you’re in Rosedale, Victoria, I absolutely recommend a visit to any of Black Velvet Gold Chocolat’s stockists. Or visit the website.
Until then, I am giving away one of the sample packets of chocolate truffles, which includes a gorgeous chocolate cameo jewellery box. To enter, tell me what your favourite chocolate is, or what flavour you wish has been made. I will draw a name a week from today (next Wednesday night), and contact the winner.
xx
It just so happens I’ll be in Melbourne next weekend, but you already knew that.
I would love Peanut butter and dark chocolate!!
You lucky lady
Consider yourself entered!
The caramel and marzipan ones sound so nice… well, they all do. Difficult question to ask! In Germany there is this really awesome vegan chocolate made by Rapunzel called nirwana noir that I haven’t seen in Australia, from what I remember it had this hazelnut stuff in the middle, that might be my favourite. Caramel is always good too though. Or orange. Or just plain dark chocolate…
Dark orange chocolate, or caramel filled, or creamy hazelnut filled (Rapunzel make one called Nirwana Noir) are my favourites, or just plain dark chocolate. These ones you’ve posted look delicious.
Thanks Hilda! That rapunzel chocolate does sound delicious, hazelnut is amazing… Mmm
anything milk chocolate, anything with nuts, and just anything chocolate
m8usi@yahoo.com
OMG how awesome does that chocolate look – and it’s vegan! Have I died and gone to heaven???????
I’m not even sure it’s a possibility but I’d love for a vegan white chocolate.
What a beautiful blog you have! I haven’t seen vegan chocolate that looks that ever! I would love to find a good vegan chocolate and peppermint.
Thank you!
Well one of the chocolates in the giveaway packet is peppermint, so cross your fingers!
Peppermint chocolate, every time. These chocolates look almost too beautiful to eat
Oh my yumminess!!
I would have to say a strawberry cream is always a winner, as is chocolate/hazelnut. And then there’s also coffee creme.
I could go on for ages….
)
What a beautiful blog you have! I have never seen vegan chocolates this good looking in my life! I’d love to find a good vegan “milk” chocolate and peppermint.
Oh wow they look and sound AMAZING!!! I would totally make a trip to Melbourne just to try them lol. My favourite would be caramel, I have never seen (let alone tried) a vegan caramel chocolate!
I honestly can’t believe they’re vegan, they look amazing! The coffee ganache one sounds extraordinary. I’m currently 4 days into feeding myself on $2 a day to fundraise money for aid work in PNG and both my sugar and coffee cravings are screaming at me! Two birds with one stone right there!
I can’t believe they’re vegan, they look amazing. I must say the coffee ganache one sounds extraordinary. I’m currently 4 days into feeding myself for $2 a day to raise money for aid work in PNG, and my coffee and sugar cravings are screaming at me. Kill two birds with one stone right there!
Good on you! I’m so impressed with the people doing that.
Thanks all for the feedback and entries!
I agree, a good quality vegan milk chocolate would really be something. I’ve suggested it to them!
Mmm I’d have to go dark chocolate and cherry (real cherry, not imitation stuff!). These look beautiful and I can’t wait to find and try them!
That just made me think of cherryripe – both would be amazing! Mmmm
Oh goodness, yes. Love dark cherry.
I’d love a Hazelnut cream chocolate – but are they gluten free?? Also, favourite is burnt almond in honey – Yum,Yum.
Ohhh how lovely, will definately save the site. Dark chocolate coffee fudge will do me thanks.
Angela
Oooh I would like a vegan Irish Coffee flavour!
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I love anything with caramel in it. Especially hard caramels!
Yes! My mother used to buy me one or two hard chewy chocolate-coated caramels from the chocolate counter at David Jones each time we would go for a day out clothes shopping. They are some of the best chocolates.
I’ve suggested that Ruth from Black Velvet Gold Chocolat reads the feedback and suggested flavours here, so maybe we might see some hard caramels veganised, along with some of the other great suggestions!
I can never go past a box of Ferrero Rocher or Rafaello – I’m too much of a sweet tooth!!!
Ah! I agree!
I actually was looking at the new dark Ferrero’s tonight at Coles – and they were ever so close to being vegan, it was heartbreaking. They have a small amount of whey powder in them. I’m seriously thinking of emailing them to see if they might just use something else.
I would love a good vegan milk chocolate!!!
Thank you for the giveaway!
Pistachio and rose is a beautiful combination. Or lemon. Chocolate and lemon is such an underused team! So thrilled to see these chocolates! Since going vegan I’ve been living on Lindt and Sweet William bars. Nice to see some variety!
So have I! Lindt is lovely and all but always having 70% cocoa can get a bit boring.
still dark chocolate but at least it’s more interesting!
Did you know Whittakers dark peanut slabs don’t have dairy? Neither does their dark rum’n'raisin block
Whittakers Rum And Raisin, you say? Hmmmm. So I’ll send you the bill for all the next-size-up clothes I’ll need…
Hahaha I know, risky business this chocolate stuff!
Most of the Whittaker’s dark variety’s are vegan friendly!!
They do a dark almond, dark peppermint and a dark orange that are all pretty good!! They also do a plain 70%-ish dark, and a 50% dark!
Ess Mick, oh my goodness. Yum!
I love Strawberry filling in chocolates. I have only been vegan for 4 months now, but I am not going back.
I’ve only been vegan since last September, so we’re both quite new
Who would want to turn back!