Everything is Better With Chocolate Sauce—Here's Where to Buy and How to Make It Without the Dairy

Chocolate sauce arguably makes most things better. Sure, it’s great with ice cream, but it can also level up popcorn, pancakes, waffles, fruit slices, brownies, donuts, and so much more. While it’s often made with cream or milk, there are plenty of vegan chocolate sauce options on the market. It makes sense—the dairy-free dessert industry is growing all the time. In fact, it was valued at nearly $3 billion in 2022, and by 2030, it’s set to reach $5.8 billion.

Below, we’ve got some of the best vegan chocolate sauce brands, as well as delicious recipes (of course). But first, the million-dollar question: is Hershey’s chocolate sauce vegan?

Is Hershey’s chocolate sauce vegan?

The biggest chocolate company in the US, Hershey’s products are everywhere. And unfortunately, most of them are not vegan. But there are a few exceptions. In 2023, the chocolate giant launched Reese’s Plant-Based, a vegan version of the iconic milk chocolate butter cups, for the first time. It also launched its own Hershey’s Plant-Based Extra Creamy with Almonds and Sea Salt.

But chocolate sauce lovers are also in luck, because Hershey’s popular chocolate syrups are vegan, too. This includes Hershey’s Special Dark Syrup, Hershey’s Chocolate Squeeze Syrup, and Hershey’s Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup.

But Hershey’s is far from the only brand that makes delicious vegan chocolate sauce. Check out the list below for more of our favorite options.

Where to buy vegan chocolate sauce

Wildly Organic

1 Wildly Organic

This USDA Organic, fair-trade, and vegan chocolate sauce, from the online health food store Wildly Organic, is made with just two ingredients: raw cacao powder and raw agave. It’s all-natural, gluten-free, thick, indulgent, and delicious.
get it here

2 Mr. Dewie’s

California-based Mr. Dewie’s specializes in delicious, dairy-free, cashew-based ice cream, but it also makes a rich, vegan chocolate sauce, too (which makes sense, because it’s the perfect ice cream companion). It’s delectable, wholesome, non-GMO, organic, and gluten-free, too.
get it here

3 Hollander

Crafted from Holland’s finest Dutched cacao, real cane sugar, and natural vanilla, this professional-grade café sauce is loved by baristas all over the world and will take your mochas, hot cocoa, and desserts to the next level.
get it here

4 Whole Foods Market 

Whole Foods Market has a wide range of vegan products, including this rich, decadent organic chocolate syrup. It’s the perfect accompaniment to everything from ice cream to brownies to vegan milkshakes.
get it here

5 Lakanta

This rich-tasting, low-calorie syrup from Lakanta is ideal for dipping, drizzling, and mixing in various tasty vegan recipes. It’s a great choice for those looking to reduce their sugar intake because it’s sweetened with monkfruit, a popular natural sweetener.
get it here

6 Holy Kakow

Handcrafted in small batches in Sisters, Oregon, Holy Kakow’s delicious chocolate sauces are made with simple, natural ingredients, including cacao, agave nectar, and bourbon vanilla extract. According to the brand, the latter is “floral and buttery at the same time,” which makes it the perfect companion for chocolate.
get it here

Pyure

7 Pyure

Sweetened with organic Stevia and organic erythritol, this chocolate syrup mimics traditional, sugar-laden chocolate syrup beautifully. It’s also high in fiber, tastes delicious, and it’s gluten-free, too.
get it here

How to make your own vegan chocolate sauce

Vegan chocolate sauce is rich, indulgent, and incredibly easy to make. This recipe, for example, requires just three ingredients: sugar, water, and cocoa, and comes together in four steps. “This is so easy to make that you will never need to buy a commercial chocolate syrup that can be full of additives and preservatives, as well as simply not tasting as good,” writes Helen Best-Shaw of Fuss Free Flavours, before adding that the recipe was adapted from a 1990’s cookbook by London food writer Katie Stewart.

This recipe from Loving It Vegan is another great choice. It requires a few more ingredients, including canned coconut cream, maple syrup, tahini, and vanilla extract, but the result is worth it. “This vegan chocolate sauce ticks all the boxes. It’s smooth, velvety, and absolutely divine drizzled over ice cream,” notes recipe developer Alison Andrews.

The best desserts to enjoy with vegan chocolate sauce

Chocolate sauce is incredibly versatile; it complements many desserts and sweet breakfasts beautifully. But if you need inspiration, check out some of our favorite vegan recipes to enjoy with chocolate sauce below.

1 Vegan Banana Tahini Chia Pudding

If you love the golden combination of peanut butter, chocolate, and banana, you need to try this recipe. The pudding blends tahini, dates, and bananas for a tasty mix of sweet and nutty flavors, but the best part is arguably the rich, velvety peanut butter chocolate sauce.
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2 Vegan Cinnamon Sugar Churros

Melted chocolate chips, coconut milk, vanilla, and cinnamon combine to make a vegan chocolate sauce that is rich, creamy, and incredibly decadent. It takes these tasty, crispy sugar churros to the next level.
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Jamie Orlando Smith

3 Vegan Puffed Pears

This stunning dessert tastes as good as it looks, thanks, in part, to the buttery puff pastry and the decadent dark chocolate sauce. This is a real showstopper—bookmark it for your next dinner party.
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Gaz Oakley

4 Vegan Boozy Profiteroles

Another stunning dessert, these golden-fried profiteroles, which are filled with boozy cream, are guaranteed to impress your guests. Serve with spun melted sugar and, of course, plenty of vegan chocolate sauce.
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Gibbs Smith Publishing

5 Creamy Vegan Chocolate-Almond Butter Pudding Pie

This pudding pie—which even features an Oreo cookie crust—is irresistibly tasty. Take it to the next level by topping with coconut whipped cream, chocolate drizzle, and crunchy almonds.
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BOSH!

6 Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Bread Blondies

These dense, chocolate-filled blondies, enriched with roasted almonds, caramelized bananas, and a drizzle of melted dark chocolate, offer a buttery, rich flavor in every bite. You won’t be able to get enough.
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Disney

7 Disney’s Famous Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Fries

You don’t need to go all the way to Disney’s Beach Club Resort to enjoy its iconic cookie fries. Instead, make them yourself from home (and save a ton of cash, too). These crispy, biscotti-like cookie sticks, featuring vegan butter and mini chocolate chips, are extra delicious when dipped in your favorite vegan chocolate sauce.
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Charlotte is a writer and editor based in sunny Southsea on England’s southern coast.