Udderly trendy chocolate for a post-milk generation

Dirty Cow’s plant-based range of small-batch vegan chocolate bars is all hand-made and flavoured with large chunks of nuts, fruit, or biscuits. Credit: Alena Haurylik / Shutterstock.

With plant-based and paleo diets becoming increasingly popular around the world, stand-out brands have released new products this year in the fight to stand out with the most modern, on-trend product for young shoppers. However, according to GlobalData’s survey conducted last month showed 48% of American females have never bought plant-based dairy alternative products, and don’t intend to buy them in future. With so much gains to be made in the American dairy-free confectionery sector, the battle for emerging brands is hotting up with holiday season coming upon us.

Females consume the most confectionery in the US, with 11% more consumption than males 6. However, that gap may be set to shrink during Covid-19. The US’ Consumer Covid Tracker Recovery survey shows that since the outbreak, men are buying more chocolate and women are buying less. To persuade women back towards buying up chocolate again, confectionery brands are breaking barriers built from possible misconceptions. As American consumers become more sensitive towards the need for sustainable about plant-based snacks, up-market chocolate products are appealing to what the UK’s latest breakthrough chocolate brand, Dirty Cow, call the “post-milk generation – where today’s meat and dairy norm is unsustainable”.

Dirty Cow’s plant-based range of small-batch vegan chocolate bars is all hand-made and flavoured with large chunks of nuts, fruit, or biscuits. Their simplistic approach pairs each flavour with a different colour accent and its own expressive paint splatter. This does a noticeable but subtle job of clearly distinguishing the varieties from each other. But how will these global trends translate across the pond?

MAGICdATES contain no refined sugars, meaning no spikes in your blood sugar. They come in two varieties, one covered with indulgent dark chocolate (Coconut, Hazelnut, Chocolate, and Blueberry flavours) and the original (Lemon, Chocolate, and Coconut flavours). This product targets on-the-go, active consumers who are likely to exercise but may feel like they are missing out on perceived unhealthy items like confectionery. The product claims to give an energy boost before or after a workout.

Moody Girl has taken on a holistic approach to added functionality, with unusual health claims on its Instagram page. Their health claims include the promotion of adaptogens, which they claim to help ground our minds and bodies. Moody Girl says, “Maca and ashwagandha are wonderful roots that help us to feel centred. We have infused these adaptogens into our chocolate to make you feel balanced”. Their three flavours claim to help ease PMS, relaxation, and the libido. These claims help the brand stand out from larger companies and reach a niche that exclusively targets women.

In a world where consumer products are becoming more diverse, these unusual approaches to guided health give a premium quality to the chocolate that can’t be found elsewhere. These products, which deliver health claims first, and the plant-based aspect second, may be the key to breaking the US dairy-free market wide open.

Latest reports from

• Chocolate (Confectionery) Market in Canada – Outlook to 2024; Market Size, Growth and Forecast Analytics (updated with COVID-19 Impact)

Or to search over 50,000 other reports please visit

GlobalData Report Store

GlobalData is this website’s parent business intelligence company.