The founder of Krave Jerky and SmashMallow thinks paleo chocolate has a bright future.
Jonathan Sebastiani’s Sonoma Brands has invested in Hu Products’ artisan dairy-free chocolate bars, made with 70 percent stone ground, organic, fair trade cacao. In addition to (mostly) following Paleo diet standards, they are also vegan.
It’s what they don’t have, rather than what they do that makes the difference. The chocolates contain no GMOs, emulsifiers, soy lecithin, gluten, refined sugar, cane sugar or sugar alcohols. To sweeten the chocolate, Hu uses unrefined coconut sugar. Flavors include Almond Butter and Puffed Quinoa, Cashew Butter, Hazelnut Butter, Salty Dark Chocolate and Crunchy Mint.
While most of the chocolate bars conform to paleo diets, a few added ingredients are labeled “primal” rather than paleo.
Locally Sjaaks Chocolate in Petaluma creates vegan chocolate or “melk” bars. In Novato, Sacred Chocolate also has vegan chocolate products.