Vegan chef Andrea Young founded Sweet Vegan Chocolates after learning to bake from her grandmother in Indiana, building a New York City chocolate company around inclusive, allergy-conscious indulgence. Its small-batch truffles are made for people who want plant-based chocolate without giving up flavor, while the company’s partnership with the Summer Youth Employment Program gives local students practical experience in food entrepreneurship.
Good Food Award Finalist
Lagusta's LusciousSince 2003, Lagusta’s Luscious has made small-batch vegan chocolates in New Paltz, pairing bold, unexpected flavors with painstaking artisan techniques. The woman-owned business works with small farmers and producers, uses ethical ingredients and recycled packaging, and treats social justice and environmental responsibility as part of the confectionery’s everyday practice. Its chocolates are made by hand in a shop that grew from one employee to as many as 15 during the holiday season.NEW PALTZ, NY
The Chocolatier's PaletteThe Chocolatier’s Palette grew from more than a decade of holiday fudge-making for family and friends before its founding in 2013. Today, its Maryland kitchen produces small-batch Belgian-chocolate fudge with a rotating, art-inspired set of flavors, including options for vegan customers and custom orders for events or gifts.ROCKVILLE, MD
Morito ChocolatesFemale-founded Morito Chocolates makes cacao-driven vegan confections by hand in Brooklyn, beginning with its signature chocolate sticks and expanding into filled mini cups. The company builds each small batch from cacao, using organic, gluten-free ingredients and a short ingredient list so the chocolate’s character stays clear. Its sourcing is rooted in the Caribbean, including a partnership with Puerto Rico’s Hacienda Jeanmarie, the island’s first registered cacao hacienda.BROOKLYN, NY
Sol CacaoFounded by Trinidadian-born brothers raised in New York City, Sol Cacao makes bean-to-bar chocolate in the Bronx. The family business is the borough’s first bean-to-bar chocolate factory, using just cacao, cane sugar and cocoa butter to keep its bars minimally processed while connecting Caribbean heritage with New York craftsmanship. Its all-vegan chocolate also supports the company’s aim of creating specialty manufacturing jobs in the Bronx and supporting cacao farmers.BRONX, NY