Plant-based pastry has become one of the most active areas of innovation in professional baking today, and Valrhona's Amatika range was developed to meet that demand without compromising on what a couverture chocolate is expected to deliver.
Your first vegan couvertures from Valrhona - the Vegan White Couverture and the Vegan Milk Couverture are authentic vegan products. With almonds and cocoa beans, they are the real substitutes for white and milk couverture: their plant-based ingredients are not just plant-based products without any animal ingredients; they are plant-based products with their own textures, flavors, and techniques of use. The Vegan White Couverture has a light almond aroma and a nuanced texture that can be integrated into creams, mousses, coatings, or ganaches without difficulty. The Vegan Milk Couverture, with a blend of roasted almonds and single-source Madagascan cocoa beans, offers a toasted, nutty, and slightly tart flavor note.
We will introduce you to the differences between these 2 couvertures, their use in your pastry work, as well as some inspiring recipes.
What Is Amatika?
Valrhona has two distinct personalities: The Vegan Milk and The Vegan White Couverture. Based on single origin cocoa beans from Madagascar, single origin beans from Madagascar and almonds offer the same depth and complexity as its classic cocoa nibs. The Vegan White Couverture boasts the same taste, character, and performance as a classic white chocolate, with unique almond notes. Both couvertures will offer a new sensory experience in plant-based pastry and confectionery.
The Vegan White Couverture of the new generation contains a mixture of cocoa butter and defatted almonds. The Vegan Milk Couverture combines beans from Madagascar with ground almonds. The organoleptic qualities of the two couvertures are different: nutty for the first one, more intense, roasted taste and acidity nuances for the second one.
Vegan vs. Plant-Based: What's the Difference?
Here's where that differentiation can be worth clarifying a bit, as it's probably more relevant for end consumers than it initially appears to be. Currently, several Valrhona dark couvertures are vegan from an ingredient standpoint - meaning they are formulated without any dairy ingredients. Conversely, the Vegan White Couverture and Vegan Milk Couverture are specifically formulated to cater to vegan requirements and have also been approved with the European Vegetarian Union (EVU) vegetarian label that means no animal-based ingredients have been introduced in the course of production.
Amatika 35%: The Vegan White Couverture
Valrhona plant-based solution to classic white couverture. Light, with almond-flavored notes and a light texture. Milk- and lactose-free with performance equal to classic white couverture - melts smoothly, remains reliable when tempered, stable in baked applications.
Application suggestions: Ganaches, creams and mousses, including those with lots of nuts; tarts, brownies and moist muffins, and as a basis for white hot chocolate.
Ideal pairings: banana, lemon zest and jasmine - to enhance the nutty, almond tones of the couvertures.
Amatika 46%: The Vegan Milk Couverture
The very first vegan milk couverture marks a milestone for Valrhona, which has a longstanding expertise in milk chocolate. Whereas foam and roundness in milk chocolates are due to milk solids, it is the almond butter base that provides the desired lightness, creaminess, and roundness in Vegan Milk Couverture.
Best for: Brownies, mousses, flans, hot chocolate, and bonbons.
Recommended pairing: Caramel, coconut, coffee, fruit-based desserts.
The Vegan White and Milk Couverture: Quick Comparison
Feature |
Vegan White Couverture (Amatika 35%) |
Vegan Milk Couverture (Amatika 46%) |
Cocoa Content |
35% |
46% |
Base |
Almond |
Almond + Madagascar cocoa |
Flavor |
Delicate almond, light sweetness |
Roasted almond, gentle acidity, rounder cocoa |
Best For |
Tarts, muffins, citrus ganaches |
Brownies, mousses, truffles |
Vegan Certified |
Yes (European Vegetarian Union) |
Yes (European Vegetarian Union) |
Why Pastry Chefs Are Reaching for Amatika
What sets Amatika apart within Valrhona's plant-based offering is that it was developed as a couverture in its own right, not as a dairy-free adaptation of an existing recipe. Both the Vegan White Couverture and Vegan Milk Couverture perform across the same range of creamy applications - creams, ganaches, and mousses - while the Vegan White Couverture also handles coating work for molded chocolate and confections well.
This versatility serves bakers across the board, whether the goal is a fully vegan dessert menu, accommodating a guest's dietary needs, or simply exploring new flavor territory. Valrhona's approach treats plant-based pastry as an opportunity for exploration rather than a limitation on what's possible - an ingredient that delivers distinct flavor, texture, and stability, used with the same confidence as any other couverture in the range.
Two Real Recipes to Try
We have chosen two recipes from Valrhona, their own recipes, which use Valrhona's genuine ingredients and expertise.
Decadent Vegan Chocolate Bars
Build a layered bar in three phases - crunchy roasted hazelnuts, almond-hazelnut pralin, melted Vegan Milk Couverture, and frozen in a mold; Lemon, citrus fruit ganache - drink, lemon juice, citrus zest, sugar mixed with melted Vegan White Couverture and set as a layer in the mold; glaze with a hazelnut glaze and let it rest before dipping in the chocolate couverture.
Traditional-Style Plant-Based Mousse
An authentic vegan mousse based on traditional technique. Liquid starch, a plant-based emulsion of cornstarch, sugar, and oat milk, is blended with melted Vegan White Couverture or Vegan Milk Couverture and cocoa butter, then a whipped egg white replacer of potato protein isolate and inulin is incorporated as the mixture starts to set, resulting in a moist, light mouthfeel.
Storing and Working With Amatika Couvertures
Amatika can be used in the same way as any other couverture; the most suitable method will often depend on how the couverture is to be used (ganache, cream, coating, mousse, moulding). For ganaches and creams especially, ensure that the couverture is melted until smooth, then that it is perfectly emulsified with the other ingredients when the couverture is incorporated slowly. For bar moulding, coating, or bars using the Vegan White Couverture, a normal chocolate tempering process can be followed.
Making the Case for Amatika in Everyday Baking
What makes Amatika worth exploring isn't simply that it's vegan - dairy-free chocolate already exists in many forms. It's that Valrhona built these couvertures to the same professional standard as its conventional range, rather than treating "vegan" as a secondary category.
Bakers wanting an authentic alternative - and not just a compromise - now have it in the Vegan White Couverture and Vegan Milk Couverture, whether they're catering to a totally vegan menu or to a guest who's just visiting.
Why Choose Valrhona for Vegan Baking
Valrhona's reputation rests on its expertise in chocolate, pastry, and flavor, and Amatika extends that same expertise into plant-based pastry. The range reflects Valrhona's view that plant-based work should be neither sparing nor a compromise: each couverture's value comes not from what it excludes, but from what it contributes - the delicate, almond-forward sweetness of Vegan White Couverture, and the cocoa-rich, toasted almond character of Vegan Milk Couverture. For bakers exploring plant-based pastry, both couvertures offer genuine range: ganaches, mousses, coatings, and more sophisticated creations are all within reach.
What's in the vegan couvertures?
Valrhona White Couverture: a more delicate white couverture with almond notes; there's softer acidity in our Valrhona Milk Couverture, which has less depth and intensity and is rounder.
Are the two couvertures interchangeable in recipes?
They are if the recipes demand the two couvertures together, like in Indulgent Vegan Chocolate Bars, where they bring layer after layer of flavor and texture.
How do the two couvertures compare to traditional alternatives?
They are similar to traditional milk and white couvertures. The Milk Couverture has a stronger milk flavor, while the White Couverture offers a more dominant almond note.
Do I need to change the way I use the couvertures?
They are both true couvertures and are appropriate for making ganaches, mousses, brownies, tarts, or to use as baking chocolates.
Can I prepare the recipe with vegan couvertures?
They are suitable for vegetarians, vegans, and flexitarians, because no animal-derived ingredients are added during the production process.
Do vegan couvertures work well for tempering?
The couvertures will melt and set in the same way as a standard couverture, with the tempering curve printed on the pack for molding and coating.
Do vegan couvertures work well for coating?
Yes, the couvertures are set in the same way as a standard couverture, with the tempering curve printed on the pack for coating.
Which flavors work best with the creme?
Creme is delicious with coconut, coffee, caramel, and citrus-flavored desserts.
Can I use the vegan couvertures for making additional vegan desserts?
Absolutely! White and Milk couvertures are used in recipes for Indulgent Vegan Chocolate Bars and The Traditional-Style Plant-Based Mousse.
Why does Vegan Milk Couverture matter for vegan baking specifically?
Vegan Milk Couverture is Valrhona's first vegan milk chocolate couverture, and Vegan White Couverture is its first vegan single-origin white chocolate - both genuine firsts within the category.
