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Vegan KitKat bars are now available in UK and Europe

Following an announcement earlier this year that a vegan KitKat was on its way, Nestlé’s vegan version of its iconic chocolate wafer, the KitKat V, were spotted on retail shelves in mid-June according to industry reports.

A U.K.-based Instagram account posted evidence of the appearance of the KitKat V on June 14 where it stated these bars are available at Sainsburys for £1 for a 41.5g bar.

Getting to commercialization, however, was a long road. Industry publication Green Queen reported that the R&D required to replicate the creaminess of the original chocolate recipe posed a challenge for Nestlé. It took the multinational 12 months to find a recipe with which they could replace milk. In the end, Nestlé chose a rice-based alternative that is combined with cocoa butter and vegetable-based fats to recreate the candy bar's signature silky chocolate coating.

Nevertheless, these vegan KitKats are still manufactured using the same equipment as other Nestlé products. As such, the ingredients panel on the treat states that these bars may contain milk.

KitKats are Nestlé’s most iconic candy worldwide, but the KitKat V is currently only available in U.K. and several European markets. In the future, Nestlé plans to introduce this vegan cady bar to Australia and Brazil and hopes to continue to expand the global presence of this vegan KitKat based on its popularity following the initial launch.

While any new product has to weather the whims of the market. Nestlé has a good chance of succeeding with this product as vegan KitKats are the most requested product spinoff by consumers on social media for the company, Delish reported. If the KitKat V proves to be popular, it is likely that Nestlé will make good on its aspirations to roll the candy out globally as the Swiss conglomerate is increasingly interested in bolstering its plant-based portfolio. Just last year, the company committed $3.5 billion to fund more plant-based innovation and regenerative agriculture projects.