Plant-based innovation continues to amaze us. Veggie burgers paved the way for the beefy, “bleeding” burgers of today—many of which are loved by the masses, not just plant-based crowds. Dairy-free cheese has achieved flavors and textures once thought impossible. Once limited to dark chocolate, vegans can now enjoy creamy, dairy-free milk chocolate thanks to ever-evolving formulations and the continued improvement of the plant milk market.
The plant-based sector has come a long way, and it’s not slowing down. VegNews headed to New York City’s Plant Based World Expo and Newtopia in Denver, CO to find the best in vegan innovation.
Don’t miss these 10 new vegan products
After scouring the floor and diligently taste-testing hundreds of upcoming new products, we can’t stop thinking about these 10 delicious treats and kitchen essentials.
Tcho
1 Tcho vegan matcha-strawberry chocolate bars
Ever since Tcho went 100 percent plant-based, we’ve been dying to get our hands on every new flavor they offer. Earlier this year, Tcho produced the mind-bending, limited-edition Choco Natchos just for 2024’s Super Bowl season. While the nacho-flavored chocolate squares were meant to showcase the seemingly endless possibilities of what innovators can do with cocoa butter, we’re hoping their latest flavor, Perfect Matcha, sticks around indefinitely. Inspired by Third Culture Bakery’s strawberry matcha latte, Tcho’s Perfect Matcha bar is melt-in-your-mouth goodness. It begins with the earthy matcha shell that gives way to a velvety oat milk white chocolate bar and finishes with a subtly sweet strawberry inlay. Even staff members who are notoriously anti-matcha loved this bar.
Ringa
2 Ringa
Can’t decide between hydration, gut-friendly kombucha, or an immune-boosting shot? Pop open a slightly fizzy Ringa and get all three in one delicious can! Ringa combines gut-friendly acetic acid from organic apple cider vinegar with prebiotic fiber from agave inulin and moringa, a North Indiana plant also known as the drumstick tree. Touted for its medicinal qualities, moringa is thought to be one of the most nutrient-dense plants on the planet. It’s adaptogenic, nootropic, and contains all 9 essential amino acids. Best of all, it comes in flavors such as Cucumber + Mint, Elderberry + Lavender Lemonade (a staff favorite!), and Lemon + Ginger. Enjoy this fizzy drink on its own or in a mocktail.
Imposter Food
3 Imposter Food vegan mozzarella sticks and jalapeño bites
Cheesy jalapeño bites and gooey mozzarella sticks are taking over the Northeast. Troy, NY-based Imposter Food has revamped our favorite adolescent snacks without the dairy—and they’re even better than yesteryear. Already available in retail shops and restaurants in New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Western Massachusetts, Imposter has plans to launch their shreds and breaded cheesy appetizers directly to consumers in the coming months. We’re counting down the days!
Candid
4 Noons chocolate candy
We don’t usually receive life directives from candy companies, but Candid isn’t just any candy company. “Be the chocolate snack you want to see in the world” is founder Chris Kajander’s motto born from compassion and cravings. Ethically sourced from vetted supply chains in Latin America, Candid’s bite-sized chocolate candies—called Noons—are organic, agroforestry-forward, and according to early reviews, better than your favorite chocolate crunch bar from your pre-vegan days! Choose from coffee or mint chocolate crunch, as well as Cashies (chocolate-and-banana-flake-covered cashews) and Goldies (sweet and tart golden berries drenched in dark chocolate). Even the packaging is backyard compostable. Stock up on these tasty stocking stuffers, and save a handful or two for yourself.
Growee Foods
5 Growee Foods vegan spreads and dips
If you prefer fresh and tasty condiments made from whole-food ingredients but don’t have the time or energy to make them yourself, lean on these spreads and dips from Growee Foods. The brand’s spreads and dips are made from fresh veggies, peak-season fruit, protein-packed seeds, and aromatic spices. Plus, Growee has a flavor for all your food cravings, from curry zucchini to spiced mango to red pepper. Every clean-label jar is free from gluten, soy, nuts, and dairy. Make a pretty panini, pepper up your pasta, or forego the ketchup and add some zing to your favorite veggie burger.
Kültee Kaviar
6 Kültee Caviar soft-serve ice cream and popping boba
Imagine the sweetest, creamiest oat-based vanilla or chocolate soft serve possible … now top it with tiny popping boba bubbles that burst like juicy, fruity caviar in your mouth. That’s the dessert experience delivered by Kültee Kaviar. After debuting their food truck to rave reviews in Los Angeles this summer and NYC’s Plant-Based World Expo this fall, Kültee is looking to enter the foodservice arena coast-to-coast in 2025. Prepare to enhance your favorite frozen treat with sweet, juicy boba in flavors like strawberry, blueberry, mango, raspberry, and even caramel.
Plant Ahead
7 Plant Ahead vegan cheese
Touting itself as the “perfect dairy-free solution,” Plant Ahead’s coconut oil-based cheese offerings include a bleu that’s robust, bright, and funky, and will most certainly give your taste buds an experience reminiscent of its dairy counterpart. But if bleu isn’t your style, Plant Ahead’s pre-sliced mozzarella in a log is perfect for Caprese salads, Margherita pizzas, and general snacking. These kosher and allergen-free offerings are destined to be true blue competition for other vegan cheese brands, and we can’t wait to see what 2025 will bring!
Milkadamia
8 Milkadamia 2D-printed oat milk Flat Pack
Beloved plant-milk brand Milkadamia is producing a game-changing, great-tasting, high-quality organic oat milk … in 2D-printed sheets! Poised to set the food-tech industry on fire, these 2D-printed sheets are the first of their kind in the United States and can save up to 94 percent of packaging waste. Just peel off a sheet (think 1980s Fruit Roll-Ups), toss it into a blender with water, and voila—your delicious, organic oat milk is ready to drink. With a projected launch date in January 2025, Flat Pack is making plant milk more sustainable than ever before.
Clean Living With Michelle
9 Clean Living 3-in-1 Plant Milker
Looking for the perfect blender for that Milkadamia Flat Pack? Or maybe you’re looking to make your very own plant milk? Need a kettle for your favorite coffee, tea, or soup? If you said yes to any or all of the above, the 3-in-1 Plant Milker by Clean Living With Michelle Carolla has you covered. This one-of-a-kind kitchen appliance blends, milks, and heats. We were incredibly impressed by its capabilities, and we weren’t the only ones. This handy gadget was the only non-food Vegpreneur finalist at New York’s Plant-Based World Expo 2024. We love the way this stylish unit looks on our kitchen counters (great for small spaces or anyone looking to declutter).
Currently available on Amazon, it makes the perfect holiday gift—even if you’re buying it for yourself.
Philosopher Foods
10Philosopher Foods stone-ground nut butters and sprouted nuts
Are you nuts for nut butters like us? We learned long ago that almond butter contains more iron, calcium, fiber, and vitamin E than peanut butter. Modern almond farming practices, however, are less than ideal and can cause harm to bees while decimating water, soil, and air quality. Not to mention almonds are drenched in more pesticides than any other crop in California (up to 39 millions pounds each year, including the herbicide glyphosate). Thankfully, Philosopher Foods founder Tim Richards decided to do something about it. Philosopher Foods is the first (and only) company to be certified glyphosate-residue-free. Its line of sprouted nuts and stone-ground nut butters are exquisite. If you’ve never tried fermented almonds or cashews before, you are in for a surprise. Made through regenerative agriculture, these tangy treats are as delicious as they are responsible. Healthy and delicious portable protein that causes no harm? Now that’s a philosophy we can get behind.
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Here at VegNews, we live and breathe the plant-based lifestyle, and only recommend products we feel make our lives amazing. Occasionally, articles may include shopping links where we might earn a small commission, but in no way does this effect the editorial integrity of VegNews.
