Innovations are ramping up, but it is still rare to say you are the first ever to reveal an item. In this case, discovery is chip-sized, with baking possibilities limited only by the imagination. Endangered Species Chocolate (ESC), is launching the first plant-based milk chocolate chip, which will be available this month at Whole Foods Market stores, additional retailers nationwide, and online.
“We are excited to offer Endangered Species Chocolate’s new baking chips because they offer our customers a new, plant-based chocolate chip option without compromising on flavor,” said Chris Poling, Global Baking Buyer at Whole Foods Market. “The baking chips are innovative and also fill a need for our customers looking for a lower sugar baking chip.”
The newest addition expands ESC’s oat milk chocolate offerings, with the chips being made from real gluten-free oats and 55 percent cocoa, with half the sugar of standard baking chips.
“When we launched the Oat Milk Chocolate Bars earlier this year, the consumer response was overwhelmingly positive to the dairy-free alternative,” said Whitney Bembenick, ESC’s Director of Marketing and Innovation. “Customers love the lower sugar content and the sweet, creamy taste that oat milk brings to the table and with no ingredient substitutes in any of our products it is by far the better-for-you alternative. We wanted to replicate these benefits found in the oat milk chocolate bars and bring them to the baking aisle to change baked goods for the better.”
ESC looked at all of the options from almond to coconut milk when creating the new offering, according to a press release, reporting that nothing compared to the flavor profile that oat milk provided.
Since its launch in January 2020, the Oat Milk Chocolate Bar line has been the most successful new product launch in the company’s history.
ESC touts “no mystery additives” and certified vegan and gluten-free. With lower cholesterol found in oat milk versus traditional dairy, heart-health benefits, and dark chocolate’s less sugary option for the marketplace, it’s no mystery why ESC’s baking chips are a match for the Whole Foods brand and the health-conscious consumers looking for a not-so-guilty pleasure.
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