Is Kit Kat Vegan? New Kit Kat V

The original Kit Kat has been non-vegan for a long time. However, a vegan variety of the popular candy was launched in 2021, as the world continues to explore plant-based foods. 

In this blog post, you’ll learn more about the world’s famous Kit Kat and its common varieties and why they are not suitable for fans of plant-based foods. 

We will also discuss the newly introduced Kit Kat plant-based option that, although 100% dairy-free, promises everything you can find in a chocolate bar and more. 

What’s Kit Kat?

Kit Kat is a chocolate bar confection made of three layers of wafers. Each wafer is covered by chocolate inside and outside to make a complete piece called a finger. 

A Kit Kat bar may contain one, two, or more fingers that are usually attached. 

Globally, Kit Kat is produced by Nestle, except in the United States, where a division of the Hershey company, HB Reese Candy Company, is responsible for making the world’s popular chocolate candy. 

Kit Kat has many different varieties. Some are permanent while others are seasonal such as those sold during festive days like Valentine’s Day to enable lovers to celebrate romantic love with a style. 

Besides the classic Kit Kat, other popular flavors include white creme, mint, and dark chocolate. 

Classic Kit Kat 

The classic Kit Kat comes in various presentations, each with different nutritional ingredients. 

Although all the classic Kit Kats contain cocoa which the company claims to be “sustainably sourced” for your ethical needs, the entire bars are far from what you would call a plant-based confectionery. 

The main ingredients in the classic Kit Kat include sugar, wheat flour, cocoa butter, and now the troublesome modified milk ingredients. 

While some types of milk are suitable for vegans if obtained from plant-based sources such as oats, almonds, or soya, the one you find on classic Kit Kat is animal-derived dairy. 

Regular milk comes from the exploitative milk industry, where cows are subjected to different types of torture to leverage production.

Milk Chocolate Kit Kat

Each block of Milk chocolate Kit Kat packs 11 wafer fingers, making the snack suitable for a family. 

Unfortunately, it’s not meant for vegans, as it contains about 25% full cream milk powder on top of the main ingredients. The milk powder comes from regular milk, which vegans opt to avoid due to ethical reasons. 

To rub salt into the wounds, the Milk Chocolate Kit Kat also contains traces of lactose. Lactose may add more flavor to the candy, as it’s a type of sugar, but it only comes from animal milk.

Milk Chocolate Kit Kat is, however, vegetarian, as the standard Kit Kat. 

Dark Chocolate Kit Kat 

Like other popular flavors, Dark Chocolate Kit Kat is a popular snack for those who want something extra to go with a brew or anytime treat. 

Many prefer this flavor to the classic and milk version, thanks to its reported extra health benefits. Dark Chocolate Kit Kat is richer in antioxidants, in the shape of flavonoids, compared to its counterparts. Flavonoids are natural anti-inflammatories and are also known to boost the immune system.

But if you follow a plant-based diet, Dark Chocolate Kit Kat is not for you. In addition to the main ingredients, chocolate, wheat flour, and cocoa butter, it has milk, lactose, and milk fat, which all come from regular milk.

Kit Kat V 

With people globally increasingly embracing plant-based diets, Nestle jumped in to help in the course.

For the record, the company now produces pea-based beverages, coffee creamers, and non-dairy ice creams after successfully launching plant-based dairy alternatives. 

And now, to make the dreams of vegans come true, the food and beverage giant introduced Kit Kat V.

How Nestle Developed Kit Kat V

Vegans can thank a team of experts comprising chocolatiers and food scientists in Nestle’s Research and Development center based in York, UK, for the V flavor. 

Several requests from social media, all demanding a vegan Kit Kat, helped push the company to make the groundbreaking move. 

Kit Kat V contains the same ingredients as in other types. But in place of dairy, the new flavor uses rice-based milk. 

While satisfying the global pleas of plant-based fans, Nestle also focused on delivering a delicious treat. 

Taste was a key factor when developing the plant-based chocolate for our new vegan KitKat

– Louise Barrett, head of the Nestle Confectionery Product Technology Center

But is Kit Kat V Up With the Other flavors?

You can barely notice any difference between this vegan Kit Kat option and the others. 

If you are really attentive, however, you can notice Kit Kat V is less sweet. But this is understandable when the V contains 14.2 grams of sugar in four fingers, compared to the traditional flavors, which pack 20.5 grams. 

It may be less sweet, but this is good news if you are looking to lose weight. 

Is Kit Kat a Healthy Treat?

With all these different varieties of Kit Kat, they come with some health benefits, alongside their rich pleasant smell. 

A quick source of energy 

Kit Kat chocolates are a rich and quick source of carbohydrates. Carbs play several roles in your body, including providing energy. 

That suggests why many people prefer snacking on a Kit Kat whenever they are catching a break. Hence, the slogan: have a break, have a Kit Kat.

Cardiovascular health 

What’s more, the cocoa in Kit Kat contains several healthy compounds, particularly flavonoids. 

These compounds may help lower risks of cardiovascular diseases, as per a study by experts at the University of Aberdeen. 

May boost body’s overall health 

Kit Kats contain significant amounts of cocoa and chocolate, which are all sources of antioxidants. 

Antioxidants help neutralize free radicals, which would otherwise harm cells and hamper proper body functioning. 

So while enjoying a bite of a Kit Kat, you are also doing justice to your overall health. 

Important minerals 

A Kit Kat bar offers the following essential nutrients, although in small amounts. 

Iron 

Dominant in red blood cells, iron plays a role in the production of blood. 

Copper 

Copper links up with iron in the formation of red blood cells. The body also needs copper for healthy nerves, immune systems, and blood vessels. 

Other nutrients Kit Kats comes with are proteins, calcium, and vitamin E. 

But remember, do not over enjoy! 

Eating a Kit Kat occasionally rarely causes any major health concerns. 

But if you take the fun further, Kit Kats are rich in calories and sugar, thanks to the layers of milky chocolate. Therefore, you should moderate how you consume the treats as they may cause dental carriers. 

Other long-term effects of excessive consumption of Kit Kats include weight gain and elevated blood pressure. Remember, Kit Kat is still considered junk food.

Kit Kat Candy Vegan Alternatives 

One of the best ways of ensuring your candy is vegan is by making it yourself, and there are various recipes if you choose that route. 

That’s said, several brands are giving Nestle a run for their money with, fair to say, delicious chocolate candies.

Better yet, these alternative brands offer dairy-free candies options for chocoholics who follow a plant-based diet. 

1. Little Secrets

Little Secrets is a Fair Trade Certified chocolate candy company. 

Their crispy wafers are covered by layers of certified chocolate and sea salt topping. 

Not all their flavors are vegan. Their vegan varieties include dark chocolate, almond butter, sea salted almond, and peppermint.

Additionally, Little Secrets chocolate bars are non-GMO and do not contain artificial sugars.

2. Galaxy Audio

Galaxy Audio combines cocoa with smooth, creamy paste from hazelnut to make their chocolate bars. 

While not all options are vegan under this brand, you can try their Orange flavor, which is certified plant-based chocolate candy. 

3. No Whey Foods

No Whey Foods make mouth-watering chocolates that you may not believe are 100% milk-free.

Their treats feature a nougat caramel core with layers of chocolate shell on the sides. 

There are also gluten-free, with no artificial flavors and colors, and do not contain the top common allergens. 

Other vegan chocolate candy brands are Yumearth and ‎GO MAX GO. 

Conclusion

There has never been a vegan Kit Kat since the chocolate candy hit the shelves 85 years ago. Nestle has, however, changed the story in 2021 with the launch of Kit Kat V. 

In Kit Kat V, rice-based milk replaces dairy, but the chocolate candy is just as delicious as the original flavors.

Nestle launching a milk-free option in its chocolate bar line is a testimony people continue to explore a plant-based lifestyle. 

Reluctant to support a brand that also uses animal-based ingredients in their other products? Feel free to try out other 100% vegan competing brands, whose treats are just as great as Kit Kat, if not better.

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