Being born in the nineties, Kinder Bueno has always been close to my heart… and palate. But even though it’s super popular here in Europe, it’s still just making its debut in the United States.
The reason I’m surprised is that Kinder Bueno is Europe’s #3 best selling chocolate bar and is ranked #6 globally.
Being vegan, I made it my mission to find out what foods are vegan, from the most to the least popular. Unfortunately, Kinder Bueno is not vegan.
If you’re interested in finding out why… feel free to continue reading this blog post!
Anyway, Why Is Kinder Bueno Not Vegan?
The reason is quite simple — it contains animal-based ingredients.
First, let’s take a look at Kinder Bueno’s label and dissect the non-vegan elements.
As you can see Kinder Bueno is packed with milk-based ingredients. In fact, It relies heavily on dairy to make a profit, and there’s nothing in sight that suggests an incoming change.
Lest not forget the people behind this chocolate bar are also behind products such as Ferrero Rocher, and Nutella. Products that rely excessively on milk. Yes, their products are creamy, crunchy and delicious, but the impact the Ferrero Group has on the eco-system and biodiversity is immense (negatively-speaking).
The only vegan-friendly product the Ferrero Group has is the Mon Chéri. It tastes very much like liquor, and unless you’re a cherry lover, I’m not sure you’ll feel as compelled to eat it.
This being said, the impact of the Kinder Bueno can’t only be measured by the use of milk but also because it contains palm oil.
Yes, Palm Oil Is Also Bad
As you’re already aware, the palm oil industry is responsible for the deforestation and the widespread destruction of natural habitats. This means more species are pushed closer to extinction because they have trouble surviving outside their natural environment.
Orangutans, the Borneo elephant, and the Sumatran tiger are just some of those species.
While palm oil can be technically considered vegan since it’s a product created from a plant, the unsustainable practices behind its production are chaotic. If you still want to make use of palm oil, I suggest that you find organic palm oil, since it’s often a byproduct of sustainable farming.
Otherwise, be aware that consuming conventional palm oil is still contributing to the harm of different living species.
Are There Any Vegan Alternatives To Kinder Bueno?
Unfortunately, I haven’t found any vegan alternatives to Kinder Bueno. But assuming that it draws some attention from the American public, we may actually see those alternatives popping up on the radar.
At present, there is only one way to taste a vegan Kinder Bueno and that is by making it at home.
Can You Make A Vegan Kinder Bueno At Home?
Hell yes!
There’s not an abundance of vegan Kinder Bueno recipes, but you can still rely on the existing few to keep your desire at bay.
The first recipe I found was shared by the blog The Tasty K. According to this recipe, creating four chocolate bars should take you 15 minutes. Plus, using chocolate molds will make your life easier.
Here’s the list of ingredients shared on the Tasty K website.
The outer layer requires:
- Vegan classic chocolate
- Raw cacao butter
- Vegan unsweetened wafer (1 piece)
- A few pieces of dark vegan chocolate (85%)
As for the filling, you need:
- Coconut cream
- Hazelnut butter
- Maple syrup
Franky, these are not the cheapest ingredients out there but this is the most harmless and affordable way to eat Kinder Bueno. If you want to read the full recipe, just follow this link here.
Conclusion: Sorry, It’s Not Vegan
Kinder Bueno is filled with milk-based ingredients, which include milk fat and milk powder. In addition, they also use palm oil, which makes the product and company even more guilty.
So far the only way for you to eat Kinder Bueno is by making your own version of it.
This method is more expensive than buying a Kinder Bueno bar, since ingredients like hazelnut butter, coconut cream, maple syrup, and vegan wafers are required to make the recipe.
However, note that you can create a big batch of them, and make it worth it.
