Free Snacking: Christmas Candy Edition

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you know my love of chocolate candy. You also know that chocolate candy is a hot bed for common food allergens. Milk, nuts, peanuts, soy, even egg and wheat are everywhere you turn in the candy aisle. Even candy bars that aren't made with food allergens are usually made on the same line as other candy bars, so me and my kid just steer clear of the whole aisle.

This is a huge problem for Christmas because I associate stockings with chocolate Santas- there's nothing like gnawing off Santa's head to celebrate the true spirit of Christmas. In the past, I’ve relied on sour patch kids or other gummy candies, but after Halloween, my kids are tired of those. So, this was the year that I ventured into ordering safe chocolate candy online. I settled on No Whey Foods because they are Top 9 allergen free! Plus, I love a good pun.

They had a Christmas three pack- Santa head, gingerbread man, and reindeer; I got one for each kid. Then, I just couldn’t say no to a few more things- Choco No No’s (like M&Ms), PeaNOT cups (like Reese’s cups), and No Tricks (like Twix). They also have other things like chocolate covered prezels and cupcakes but I went to that website for one reason and one reason only: candy.

I love the names but I do think that packing looks like they've been at the back of the shelf at the convenience store since 1982.

SO do they taste good?

As far as milkless chocolate goes, it was actually pretty good. It’s no Hersey's milk chocolate, but there was nothing offputing about the taste. The PeaNOT cups really tasted delicious and although it’s been a while since I have had the real thing, I thought the creamy Sunbutter inside was great. The top layer of chocolate was a little thick which made it hard to eat, the bottom layer cracked and squished out the filling. But I would definitely get them again.

Luckily, the cracks did not stop me from eating the whole thing.

The No Tricks bar was a little further from the original inspiration- the cookie layer was too thick (I’m sure the no wheat threw off the texture) and the caramel was so sticky I thought it had permanently fused to my teeth (I blame no dairy for that one). Did I still enjoy eating it? Yes. It’s candy. But I don’t think I would order it again.

We’ll see how the kids like the Santas in a few days!