Hershey’s is trialling oat milk-based vegan chocolate bars in retailers across the US.
US-based chocolate brand Hershey’s has released its first vegan chocolate bars.
The two new “Oat Made” bars are made from oat milk. They’re available in two flavours: Classic Dark and Extra Creamy Almond & Sea Salt.
The bars are also non-GMO and made with Rainforest Alliance certified cocoa.
Where to buy Hershey’s vegan chocolate bars
However, the oat milk-based vegan bars are not yet a permanent addition to the Hershey’s range.
The bars are being trialled as part of a test release running until June 2022, after which they may become part of the permanent range depending on consumer response.
The vegan Hershey’s bars can be found in various US retail stores, including Target.
They have also been spotted being sold by plant-based food truck Soul Miners’ Garden in North Carolina.
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The much-anticipated launch comes after Hershey’s teased the possibility of a future vegan product back in February.
At the time, the brand revealed that it ‘will expand its future portfolio to deliver more reduced sugar, organic and plant-based alternatives while also continuing to build its classic array of beloved products’.
Dan Mohnshine, Team Lead of Strategic Growth Platforms at the Hershey Company, said: “We started our work on the Hershey’s Oat Made products by evaluating the current plant-based offerings on the candy market.
“After finding that the ingredient formulas of existing products could be improved upon, our masterful R&D team at Hershey developed formulas using oats that we believe deliver better on consumers’ expectations than what is in the marketplace today.”
Vegan chocolate bars
Hershey’s isn’t the first major chocolate brand to release a vegan version of an old favourite.
Earlier this year Nestle released a vegan version of the break-time classic KitKat, while plant-based versions of Bounty, Topic, and Galaxy bars have also been made available in the UK recently.
Moreover, Lindt has also released its first range of oat milk-based vegan chocolates in Cookie, Hazelnut, and Salted Caramel flavours.
Need a chocolate fix? Find a recipe for your favourite chocolate bar to make at home.
