Abstract: Vacuum pressure is applied in a process for extrusion of fat-based confectionery materials, particularly chocolate, chocolate substitute and chocolate analog materials. In the process, a fat-containing confectionery material is fed to, into and through an extruder having a flow constriction and die to obtain an extrudate from the die under conditions of temperature, pressure, contraction ratio and extrusion rate so that the material and the extrudate obtained from the die are in a non-pourable state and so that the material is deformed plastically in the extruder and so that the extrudate is plastically deformable for a period of time, and in the process, the vacuum pressure is applied to the material at a point prior to passing the material through the flow constriction.