Based in New Zealand, they’ve been busily cranking out cruelty-free marshmallows for lucky locals, but when trying to ship them abroad, it seems that those fragile mallows go south quickly. In order to share their creations with vegans abroad, they’ve developed an ingenious way to ensure freshness, no matter how far away - by sending the basic ingredients in two packets for the recipient to put together for themselves. Supply your own sugar, syrup, and starch, and you’ve got yourself a highly economical and crafty indulgence, much more fun than picking up a pack at the store and less pricey (all things considered) than the current alternatives.

Whipping up a steady foam in no time, the most difficult part of the whole endeavor is waiting. Waiting to achieve soft peaks, waiting for the syrup to boil, waiting for the syrup to cool down, and then waiting for the marshmallows to set. The same could be said for any marshmallow recipe, so patience is perhaps the most important ingredient in this process.

After letting them set up overnight, I cut my pristine white slab into small cubes, some of them more ragged than others due to the incredibly soft nature of the marshmallow, but all of them more than edible. In fact, the ugly ones were first to go - I was just cleaning up, after all.

Surprisingly soft, they really were cloud-like, dissolving into an ephemeral sweet whisper onto my tongue with hints of vanilla. Not even the least bit chewy as I expect from marshmallows, they showed no resistance when faced with the most gentle of bites. Simply melting away as if they never existed in the first place, it was easy to keep on popping the pale squares into my mouth one after another, proving them to be dangerously addictive indeed. If it says anything about the marshmallows (or perhaps my sweet tooth) I’m certain I was responsible for at least half of that batch going missing after a mere 24 hours.

The good news is that they get even better with age; those that I could leave be for a bit longer began to form a pleasant crust around the outside, giving them more texture and substance than those newborn mallows. The bad news is that hardly any of them lived long enough to reach that stage. I would highly recommend hiding the entire pan someplace for at least a day or two before digging in, but trust me, this is much easier said than done.

Being so light and fluffy, I really could imagine these marshmallows as treat that angels might munch on… But now, a little bite of heaven is much more attainable than ever before.

[Written for BitterSweet and the Well Fed Network.  Please do not reprint else where without permission from the author.]

Talk about irony. A few short years ago, you wouldn’t have been able to get me to touch a block of white chocolate with a 10-foot pole, and now? Now it’s become an incredible luxury, a culinary diamond in my eyes, and I’ve become completely enamored with its simple existence. Simple indeed, because as I’m sure anyone who’s been around the block with a hunk of chocolate knows that the white stuff has no actual cocoa solids, and thus remains pale as freshly fallen snow. Most manufacturers add dry milk powder and other undesirable elements to their white chips and chunks, to increase shelf stability and augment their supplies of pricey cocoa butter… Or cheap, trans-fatty hydrogenated oils, making for that cheap, waxy crap that turned me away in the first place. Insipid and unctuous at best, it’s no shock that most people would consider shelling out their hard earned cash for this pallid imitator when given a darker option.

Before you flip to the next interesting blog and pass this post over, let me venture a guess that you’ve never had real white chocolate. Made with cocoa butter, this stuff is like the nectar of the gods- Creamy, sweet, with some slightly floral notes in the background. It makes my heart flutter just thinking about it.

This isn’t to say that I’ve developed the end-all, be-all recipe for creating this confection; There’s still plenty of room for improvement, and I would love to hear what others find through their own trials. I would love to keep on experimenting for months, honing it to an exact and simple science… But the trouble with using real cocoa butter, as those money-savvy businesses discovered, is that it costs a small fortune. I’m not going to lie, as this stuff doesn’t come cheap, but for an occasional indulgence, I think you could find it a worthwhile investment.

Still with me? Oh good, thanks for your patience. The first critical step to making the white chocolate is: Finding good cocoa butter. I know, I can’t stop harping about this stuff but it’s really important to pick up high quality, food grade cocoa butter. As a popular ingredient in body lotions and lip balms, some of it comes with fillers and undesirable additives, so shop carefully if you search locally. Next, you’ll want to invest in a decent mold. It doesn’t have to be fancy, and it doesn’t even need to be bar-shaped, you just want somewhere to park your molten chocolate so that it can cool and solidify into a usable shape. Hell, even silicon ice cube trays could work!

After collecting all of the software and hardware, the procedure will seem far easier than that preliminary hunt, so don’t worry, it only gets easier from here.

For the recipe, and ideas with what to do with the finished chocolate, continue on to BitterSweet!

Last-minute gifts are truly the norm for Valentine’s Day, especially when it comes to edible offerings. Being something of a cynic, this simple fact just validates my belief that this is one useless holiday, not worth remembering until the date itself even for couples so deeply in love. Of course, it’s also true that all food is best when fresh, so I’ll give you guys the benefit of the doubt and pass along this quick dessert idea, just in case you were holding out for that perfect edible expression.

To be perfectly honest, I’m a bit embarrassed to be posting about this. Unarguably delicious and beautiful, yes, but I barely can even consider this homemade. At its core, it’s nothing but chocolate ice cream smushed into a heart-shaped silicon mold and paired with raspberry sauce. But here’s where the creativity comes in: That ice cream could be any flavor you or your sweetie desires, homemade no less, and the same goes for that sauce. Since I barely had enough time to let these freeze in the first place, and no significant other to speak of, I hope you’ll forgive my lax approach this time. Now, here’s your chance to make this idea shine, so go forth and woo!

[This article was written for BitterSweet and the WellFed Network. Please do not use elsewhere without permission from the author.]

Craving a taste since word first reached my ears about this “magical” frozen treat, I could hardly contain my excitement when the carton of four chocolate variations arrived at the door. Having waited for so long, I threw myself upon the box and got right to work, snapping pictures fast as the temptation to tear into each bowlful proved overwhelming. I must apologize in advance for the sloppy photos that resulted.

First up was Mexican Chocolate, an unassuming shade of medium brown that concealed what intense flavors it contained. Smelling of sugar and cocoa with a few floral notes and a fragrant vanilla perfume, only a taste would tell what a fox in sheep’s clothing it truly was. Melting smoothly across my tongue like no other vegan ice cream has before, snatches of sweet cinnamon burst like fireworks before engulfing the whole palate. Super smooth, velvety, and rich, I swear my eyes must have rolled back into my head on the first taste. An incredibly well-balanced concoction, the spice actually is the star here, while the chocolate flavor provides an elegant backdrop to support it. Sad to say, the entire container was gone before I had finished writing down notes, and I could have easily polished off two or three more right then and there had I been given half a chance.

Moving next to Chocolate Coconut, I could already tell that good things were in store just by the tropical scent that dazzled my nose while photographing this stuff. Casually sneaking a taste while I had my back turned, my mom declared “Wow, that is coconut!” and a moment later when I tried it for myself, I must have echoed her words exactly. So very coconut, it’s crazy! Like an exotic vacation in the tropics, smothered with decadent, creamy chocolate, who needs paradise when you can have ice cream? Pieces of shredded coconut emerged in every spoonful, adding to the astonishing flavor, but as a fair-weather coconut lover, this was a bit much for me. Coming off as perhaps gritty when it looks like it should be smooth, it was still very good overall… But not exactly my cup of tea.

My enthusiasm for this next flavor is simply through the roof, and I couldn’t possibly wait to declare this one as my favorite of the batch, the clear winner even in a race of champions: Chocolate Black Russian. Now, I had only heard of a white russian previous to this experience, but a little bit of research proved that a black russian was pretty much the same thing, only without cream. Pretty clever, Wheeler! Having had little experience with alcohol, I wouldn’t be able to tell you how close this comes to the original drink, but to me, this ice cream base is the best coffee ice cream I have tasted since going vegan. Seriously, my first thought was “Woah, this seriously tastes like Häagen-Dazs!” I still can’t quite wrap my mind around it, the flavor is just so insane. Add in some huge slabs of bittersweet chocolate that snap cleanly between the teeth, and I swear my heart could have stopped while eating this and I wouldn’t have noticed. It is that good. If heaven were an ice cream, this must be what it tastes like.

Finally, all that remained of my incredible treasure was Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip. Sporting those same lovely chocolate chunks as the Black Russian, it was certainly a treat just to look at. Smelling of nothing but roasted peanuts, it promised a serious peanut-punch despite its pale pallor. Rich as a spoonful of pure, frosty peanut butter with chocolate sprinkled in, this stuff is maddeningly addictive. For those who are already harboring peanut butter obsessions, this just might be like crack-cocaine, so I must warn against trying it. Especially since that would leave more for me.

This stuff was so convincing that I was almost worried that it might not be vegan after all, but the proof was in digestion: Days later and still no ill effects, I’m thrilled and overwhelmed at how delicious this new dairy-free option is. Although it’s still a bit hard to come by, slowly but surely Wheeler’s is breaking into various restaurant menus and hopefully on to the open market… I just wish it would hurry up, as my main complaint is that they didn’t send me enough!

[Written for BitterSweet and the WellFed Network. Please do not use elsewhere without permission from the author.]

Ever eat so much that it feels like you’re pregnant with a humpback whale, you’ve been filled up with cotton and polyester like a soft toy, you can’t even move because you’re so stuffed but can’t remain sitting up straight due to the strain on your back from that bloated belly hanging past your knees? That’s how I feel right now, and I blame it all on Trader Joe’s. Yes, I adore the place and all of their wonderful creations, but at this moment, I’m cursing their name in between hiccups and burps. They just had to come out with a special holiday edition of their already delectable Joe-Joe’s, including pieces of real crushed candy canes no less, and then flaunt those festive red-striped boxes right in front of my nose? The nerve! Listen to me, my dear readers: Do not buy the Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s, whatever you do! Otherwise you’ll attempt crazy stunts like eating the entire box in one sitting, and you too will develop a terrible tummy ache, inconsolably gurgly and burbly with saccharine holiday cheer. I have no pictures for you because… Well… I think you can guess where all the cookies are at this point.

Take my word for it, these cookies are so incredibly addictive, you won’t be able to stop at 1, or 10, for that matter, so don’t even think about tossing them into your cart!

Sorry to make this so short, but I can feel the sugar coma coming any minute now, so if you would excuse me…

[This article was written for BitterSweet and the Well Fed Network.  Please do not reproduce it elsewhere without permission from the author.]

To the sugar-crazed youth of America, Halloween must be one of the most highly anticipated days of the year. After all, what could be better than dressing in some crazy garb, going out in the dark of night (or mid-afternoon), and getting free candy from any house you stop at? Kids have all the luck on this one magical evening, and the world is their oyster… But once you hit a certain age, this sort of parading about becomes unacceptable, and you are forced to hang up your treat bag for good. I for one am particularly nostalgic about the ritual of trick-or-treating, but now that I am past that age and also unable to eat 95% of the dairy- and egg-laden morsels that are bound to be collected, there’s simply no turning back.

However, even in my prime as an avid candy hunter, there was something about this whole trick-or-treating business that just didn’t sit right with me. After all, who made these rules about only using hermetically sealed, vacuum packed treats made from giant machines that ended up being about as tasty as chemically-treated plastic? Wouldn’t it be even better if these treats were actually… Well… A treat to receive, not just another brand name product found in every supermarket and gas station around? How I begged to hand out homemade candy to the youngsters in costumes in later years, watching them come and go while I remained home. But no, that simply wouldn’t be safe; We all know about the dangers of adulterated Halloween candy already, so attempting to pass out something homemade, with real ingredients?! Simply reprehensible!

So perhaps it’s the trick-or-treaters who are missing out, because I’ve decided that I’ll still make my own simple sweets this year, but I’ll only be treating my friends- You know, for the sake of “safety.” And the labor involved in making them is certainly nothing to fear, as these chocolate morsels are so quick and easy, you could decide to make them only an hour before guests arrive for a Halloween soirée.

Who doesn’t love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate? A great classic, based on a classic candy but reinvented with quality ingredients. Besides, when you make them yourself, they can be dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, and gluten-free. Don’t feel you need to stop there though, because any sort of nut butter would work just as well and perhaps even raise the bar in terms of sophistication. Think of almonds, hazelnuts, or pistachios instead, and this childhood favorite can morph into grown-up indulgence. But let’s say you have some picky guests coming over, or have to cater to someone with severe nut allergies. Never fear, because there are other options…

Simply rework the filling and you’ve got yourself a peppermint patty instead, containing absolutely no common allergens! An intensely minty center enrobed in a dark, decadent chocolate shell should satisfy even the most discerning chocolate or candy connoisseur. This recipe will make one dozen peppermint patties and one dozen peanut butter cups, so if you only want one of the two for your party, go ahead and double the recipe for that filling.

Chocolate Candy Cups

1 Cup Chocolate Chips

Peanut Butter:
1/2 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1/4 Cup Confectioner’s Sugar
Splash Vanilla Extract

Peppermint:
1/3 Cup Vegetable Shortening
2/3 Cup Confectioner’s Sugar
1/2 - 3/4 Teaspoon Peppermint Extract (depending on desired intensity)
Splash Vanilla Extract

For both treats, begin by melting you chocolate in the microwave 30 - 60 seconds at a time, and stir thoroughly until completely smooth. Use a spoon, thin spatula, or paint brush to brush the melted chocolate over the insides of paper mini muffin cups, making sure to leave no holes and spread it as evenly as possible. No need to go crazy though, because even if the walls are too thin and break when removed from the wrapper, I doubt anyone will mind after they take a bite! You will only use about 1/2 - 3/4 of the chocolate, so set the rest aside for later. Place the chocolate-covered papers into mini muffin tins so that they retain their shape, and let them cool and set completely. You can speed up this process by placing the tins in your refrigerator (or on the windowsill like I did- It suddenly got cold out!)

To make the peanut butter filling, just stir together the peanut butter, sugar, and vanilla until completely homogeneous and toss the mixture into the microwave for 30 - 45, just to warm it through and liquefy slightly. Give it another good stir to combine everything again, and drop dollops of the filling into your prepared chocolate cups. Be careful not to rub the sides too much so as not to melt the chocolate, and fill each up to about 2 - 3 mm from the top. Let the filling cool completely.

To make the peppermint filling, place the shortening into a bowl and microwave it briefly until just melted. Add in the sugar and both extracts and stir everything together until smooth. Drop the mixture into the cups as described above for the peanut butter cups, and let cool.

Finally, take out the remaining chocolate and melt it back down into a liquid state. Spoon the chocolate onto each of the filled cups and spread it out to the edges to fill in any gaps. Let it cool once again until set, and enjoy your ghoulish goodies with friends!

[This article was written for BitterSweet and the WellFed Network. Please do not reproduce elsewhere without express permission from the author!]

Yes, you heard me right- Those sugary little Halloween treats that usually contain either honey, gelatin, egg whites, or all of the above, and have yet to ever appear in any vegan form… Until now. Thanks to the creative mind of Melisser from The Urban Housewife, you can now create your very own candy corn at home, sans animal products. Well, what are you waiting for- Halloween’s only a month away, and I know you’ll want to start snacking on these incredible confections asap!

Ever since world cuisine opened America’s eyes to a whole new culinary realm, Italian food has been one of the most ubiquitous choices in everyday home cooking. Adored by cooks and consumers alike for ease of preparation and vibrant, fresh flavors, these dishes are so versatile that they can be modified to accommodate almost any dietary need.

Unfortunately, the communal feasting often ends as the last savory course is polished off, as most traditional Italian desserts are impossible to recreate without copious amounts of eggs or dairy. Take gelato for instance- Rich and creamy, you would never think that this frozen confection could ever be any good in a vegan-friendly format… until now. Raising the bar for vegan products to a whole new level, Blackwell’s seems to have come along at just the right time, riding the wave of increasing interest in animal-free foods, and offering some relief from this sweltering summer heat.

Noting the wide selection of enticing flavors listed online, I could barely contain my excitement as I waited for that fateful FedEx delivery. While this brand is sadly available in only a very few stores at the moment, having that heavy cardboard box arrive at my doorstop was admittedly very convenient. No need to venture out into the heat and humidity when this delightful treat will come to you instead! Quickly unloading the contents directly into my freezer, the sheer number of pints that kept coming from this single package was jaw dropping. No less that eight different flavors in all, four of which being the innovative gelato that had so tickled my curiosity, and another four flavors of their other Italian-inspired sorbettos. Most curious about an eggless, dairy-free gelato, those pints were the first to be opened, and promptly emptied.

Beginning with the basics, it only seemed right that I sample the Vanilla first. Often disregarded as a bland flavor, vanilla is actually amazingly complex, so it’s a good indication of whether or not the producer knows their beans. It is also usually the base of any other ice cream flavors, so you can get a good idea of what to expect from the rest of the line by just this one simple offering. Instantly setting eyes on those beautiful, bountiful flecks of real vanilla bean in this pint, I knew I was in for a treat.

Forcing a spoon into its frozen depths, it seemed a bit hard and icy at first, but given just a moment to thaw, it became the creamiest, dreamiest concoction I could have hoped for. Melting smoothly over my tongue, the vanilla notes were so intense; it was honestly like nothing else I had ever tasted. Forget what you think you know about vanilla before approaching this rendition- This is an entirely different animal altogether. Sweet and decadent but still cool and refreshing this creation does the humble bean justice at long last.

After demolishing that previous pint unaided, I was ready to move on to the next enticing flavor in my frosty freezer. Reaching in and pulling out the incredible indulgent-sounding Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl, this pint practically leapt out on its own, begging to be eaten. Lifting the lid with high hopes, I have to admit that I was a little disappointed to see a spare, uneven dotting of chocolate, not the grand swirl that I had envisioned. Nonetheless, smelling strongly of peanuts, it was no surprise that its intense nutty flavors shone through brightly. Not so sweet, but as rich as pure frozen peanut butter, deeper roasted notes added to the myriad of complex nuances throughout this sophisticated gelato. With just enough fudge mixed in to add variety, it was easy to just continuously down spoonful after spoonful without tiring of the flavor. My only reservation is that I wish it had a slightly saltier hit, as I simply love a little salt in good peanut butter.

Moving back to the classics, Chocolate was next on my hit list. Uncovering a deep, dark, velvety brown color just beneath the plastic seal, I’m sure my eyes grew to the size of saucers, marveling at the incredible treat that was sure to come. Scooping out with the texture of chilly ganache, standard ice cream, vegan or not, couldn’t even put a finger on the consistency of this stuff.

Quickly spooning a serious mound of it into my mouth, it took me a moment to consider this creation. For once, I wasn’t struck with feelings of adoration for the flavor, and it was hard to pin down exactly what to make of it. An undeniably intense cocoa flavor permeated through every last molecule, but all the same, it seemed a bit… flat. Lacking the round, well-developed components of solid chocolate, there wasn’t any sweetness I could detect, giving it a more 2-dimensional taste, much like plain cocoa powder. Don’t get me wrong, it was still quite good and the pint was finished off all the same, but I might have appreciated a slightly more balanced flavor profile, and just a little bit more sugar.

Finally approaching my usual favorite, I simply couldn’t hold back any long when it came to tasting the creamy tan contents of the container billed as Coffee. As an unapologetic lover of all things coffee, I knew that this would be an instant winner, but it turned out to be so much more than I had anticipated. Mellow enough that those not so fond of the stereotypically harsh flavor would also be able to enjoy it, this was better than any ice latte a coffeehouse might serve. Nothing like the bitter black cups of mud brewed daily, it had a very sweet and almost milky slant to it. As someone who make their coffee with about 1/3 cup of grounds to every cup of water like myself, I found this was still an incredibly delicious departure from the regular morning wake-up call, worthy of the dessert plate even without accompaniment. Although my taste test was a fairly large portion, I found myself instantly going back for more, craving that amazing coffee goodness.

Delicious, cold, and intensely flavored overall, these Italian-inspired frozen desserts were just as amazing as I had dreamed. However, I’m not entirely sure that they are quite as rich as authentic gelato, lacking the thick, heavy texture that is synonymous with cream and egg yolks. That said, it’s definitely in a whole different category from you average soy ice cream, and no matter what you want to call it, the bottom line is that it is damn good.

[Written for Go Dairy Free, BitterSweet, and the Well Fed Network. Please ask for permission from the author before using this article elsewhere!]

A strange concept for those used to the traditional sports gels and power bars, Sharkies happen to be fruit chews that are marketed as a source of electrolytes and complex carbohydrates meant to aid endurance and stamina. Made of all unrefined and quality ingredients bound together with pectin instead of the usual gelatin derived from animal bones, these organic munchies are surprisingly vegan, too. Now I may not be athletically inclined or in need of an energy boost to help me through the day, but finding vegan gummies is a rare treat in itself, so for my purposes these “healthy” candies were just a special treat.

Pouring the contents of the “Fruit Splash” packet out to view what I expected to be some mangled, unidentifiable shapes, I was delighted to see figures that actually looked like sharks spill onto my napkin! Most fruit snacks that I had previously indulged in during my pre-vegan days were more like nondescript blobs no matter what they were designated as on the box, so these already seemed to have a leg-up on the competition.

Brightly colored and smelling of a mixed fruit salad, I was excited that such intense shades and scents were derived from only natural, plant sources, as opposed to those mysterious chemicals so frequently used as dyes or flavorings. Sporting a range of tones that included a light red (cherry), dark red/magenta (blackberry), yellow (lemon), and orange (tangerine), this pack has all the flavors offered by sharkies, but individual packs of just the berries or just the citrus are also available, so you can pick and choose your favorites instead of getting stuck with some extras that you don’t care for.

Jumping right into the shark tank and shoveling a cherry piece into my mouth, I was expecting nothing spectacular as I’m not a real fan of the fruit itself, and much less artificial flavors that try to mimic it. After one soft bite yielding to a springy chewiness, I was taken aback by how pleasant the light fruity flavor was. Modestly sweetened and in no way overwhelming, it seemed like an excellent balance that would satisfy one’s sweet tooth without leading to a sugar coma shortly after. Moving directly to the blackberry shark to compare the two berry offerings, I found that this had a deeper flavor that was definitely a nice variation on the first without being so different that it would clash. I’m certain that if you were to blind fold me and ask me which piece was which, I would be able to accurately determine the answer.

Swimming to the citrus side of the pool, I snatched up a lemon shark first, chewing to slight disappointment at first. Beginning with a very mild flavor I found myself underwhelmed, but as I continued to chew the small aquatic creature, it developed into a sharper, more pronounced citrus bite. I really loved what a bright flavor it became, and without being the least bit sour. The tangerine was a bit more mild, but still made for a pleasant contrast to the other flavors in the pack.

All in all, I would have to say that if you’re looking for real, fresh-tasting fruit flavors then try a real, fresh fruit instead. Nothing can really replicate that taste, even using all-natural sources, but these gummies were still fruity all the same, and without any sort of chemical aftertaste to boot. The pack that I consumed had a nice variety with at least two sharks in each flavor, providing enough interest that I could eat the whole pack without it becoming boring or monotonous.

Kids would absolutely love the fun shapes and sweet taste, and I’m sure that parents would love the fact that they’re portion-controlled and made of quality ingredients. Far and away the best gummies I can remember sampling, vegan or not, I would definitely pick up these chewy creatures again, even if I can’t vouch for their re-energizing claims!

Enter the Crispy Cat, claiming the title as “the world’s first organic, vegan candy bar,” and invented by the masterminds behind Tree Huggin’ Treats. Granted, you probably won’t find one of these in your hole-in-the-wall convenience store any time soon, but their mere existence is a huge advancement for all of vegan-kind. Each of their three varieties are composed of the same crispy brown rice base and coated in dark chocolate, explaining their crunchy-sounding name.

Clocking in at about the same size and weight of the average chemical- and dairy-laden candy bars on the market, they pose some serious competition to the traditional saccharine treats right off the bat.

I simply couldn’t stay away from the most unique combination of the batch, instantly snatching up the curious Mint Coconut bar without a moment’s hesitation. Fearing the worst but hoping for the best, an intensely minty smell hit my nostrils like a ton of bricks as soon as the wrapper had been removed. Taking my first cautious bite, I was slightly taken aback by how… Crunchy granola it was. In fact, it instantly struck me as an over-enthusiastically sweetened granola bar enrobed in chocolate. As granola is perhaps one of mankind’s greatest inventions ever, this isn’t such a bad thing, but the fibrous coconut pieces intertwining between clumps of crispy brown rice really didn’t strike me as a “candy bar,” per-say. Even with my serious sweet tooth, I found them to be tooth-achingly sweet, and began to feel as if I were entering a sugar coma after consuming only half of this one bar!

On the plus side, the chocolate is amazing. Dark, conservatively sweetened, and smooth as can be, bright accents of mint come through to add interest without overpowering everything. Luckily, I discovered that the coating could be cleaved away from the center easily enough, and enjoyed each component even more as separate entities. A great idea for a new, innovative flavor sensation to be sure, but perhaps not the best in practice.

After recovering from the brief sugar rush, I soldiered to investigate the next variety, Roasted Peanut. Excited by the strong aroma of peanut butter escaping the chocolate-covered candy, I wasted no time once it had been relieved of the protective plastic package. A swift chomp revealed a denser center than the previous, thick with nutty goodness and complete with whole peanut pieces. However, despite the amazing scent still dancing through the air, the peanut flavor was sadly lacking. Sure, the variety of textures from the smooth chocolate, crunchy puffed rice, and chewy innards worked together quite nicely, but where was the roasted, toasted taste I had expected? Comparing this treat to the Nutz Over Chocolate Luna Bar due to their similar composition, it was a close race, but I found that the Luna bar actually won over my taste buds, as it simply had more intense flavors and was ultimately more satisfying than a candy bar.

At this point, I was a bit more than dubious of the final variant, Toasted Almond, but gave it the benefit of the doubt nonetheless. I hoped desperately that this would be the savior of the bunch. Smelling only of chocolate, it was no surprise that the almond flavor was very delicate indeed, drowning in the powerhouse of cocoa surrounding it. Still, if these two elements were eaten separately as with the mint coconut bar, the almond center proved to burst with potential and be a delicious treat all on its own. Unlike the intense, sugary taste of marzipan, this bar has a quieter, more sophisticated, yet wonderfully nutty essence. Very sweet as always but accompanied by a good hit of salt and solid chunks of almonds, I would have simply adored this bar without the excessive use of chocolate. It’s good chocolate to be sure, but - I hate to burst anyone’s bubble - some things don’t need chocolate to taste good!

Clearly the palate is a subjective entity, because while these don’t really strike my fancy too much, they have won numerous awards from reputable sources such as VegNews. Although they do seem more like granola bars and are certainly more health-conscious than you average sugary treat, touting the fact that they are all organic, gluten-free, kosher, and vegan with abandon, they still do live up to the designation as candy. Maybe not a candy bar in the traditional sense, and probably not something that you would see average omnivores reaching for if offered their old favorites instead, but still a seriously sweet treat that could curb cravings in a pinch.

This post originally appeared on Go Dairy Free.