Well, it's on! The hunt for the best in dairy free Easter Eggs, 2013!!
Technically, I think I am probably a bit too old for Easter eggs - certainly my parents didn't seem to worry too much about having chocolate eggs for themselves, when we were little. Even now, I'm always told not to bother about getting them one, although I usually get them something. However, at Easter, the big kid that's still there inside of me always looks forward to chocolate Easter eggs.
Last year, I was a getting just a leeetle bit worried - I was pretty sure that dairy free eggs must exist somewhere, but they took some time to reach the shelves of the shops! For a while, I did consider making my own - melting down some dairy free chocolate, such as Moo Free or Kinnertons. I even bought the molds, and started to think about packaging, but fortunately, just at the last minute - the supermarkets stepped in.
However, this year, there's definitely no need to worry - the dairy free chocolate manufacturers seem to have got there ahead of me - it's just a case of knowing where to look and what to look for!
What is out there looks pretty much the same as last year - with a few exceptions. The packaging is identical (sigh). But the where has shifted slightly.
As this post has the potential of being rather long (aren't they all), I'm splitting it into tow halves. This one is about...
What's in the shops?
The best option, around our way is definitely the big Sainsbury's. Morrison's is much bigger around here, but all they sell is the Kinnerton Egg, some Easter Haribo and a few plastic eggs containing jelly sweets.
 |
| These look quite fun! |
Easter Haribos might be seen in quite a few places, I found these in my local Co-op.
 |
| These would be great hidden inside an egg-shaped gift box! |
The Kinnerton egg is suitable for anyone who has problems with dairy, gluten, egg or nuts. It's dark, though, so you're okay as long as you like dark chocolate.
 |
| The distinctively packaged Kinnerton egg |
Sainsbury's, meanwhile, has the Kinnerton Egg, plus all three of the Choices (by Celtic Chocolates) range as well as their own yellow wrapped egg - although I think I'm right in saying that's also made by Celtic Chocolates.
Celtic chocolate has more of a 'milk' chocolate flavour, and is pretty good value for money.
 |
| What a welcome sight - at Sainsbury's! |
This particular display was found in the Free From aisle of a large Sainsbury's, but in the smaller Sainsbury's in town, the Choices egg was displayed alongside the 'normal' Easter eggs.
The Choices Easter Egg is also sold by the online supermarket, Ocado, who interestingly enough, are not selling the Moo Free egg that some larger Waitroses are selling. Most Waitroses seem to be selling Rosie, the Moo Free Easter Bunny.
Moo Free chocolate is gluten as well as dairy free. It's not made with soya - so it's a good bet for those who cannot tolerate soya in any form. That said, the packets do warn that Moo Free may contain soya, but, as yet, I do not know of anyone who has had a bad reaction to it. If you are the exception to this rule, please let me know!!
 |
| Meet Rosie Rabbit |
Waitrose also appear to be selling Divine chocolate eggs. The nice thing about buying Divine chocolate is knowing that it's fairly traded. The darker eggs, like this one (spotted in TK Maxx) are not made with milk, but be warned - they may contain traces of milk and other allergens. So, if you're super-sensitive, I'd give these a miss.
 |
| The Divine egg |
The Asda, near us, so far has nothing and neither did Tesco, even though Tesco has been selling 'normal' Easter Eggs since Christmas!!! However, Tesco now stock the Kinnerton egg, as well as Divine dark chocolate mini eggs.
On the High Street, my local Holland and Barrett appear to be stocking the Choices range, complete with a chocolate bunny!
 |
| Hmmm! Choices! |
Very similar to the Moo Free bunny in appearance, it is in fact much larger, but also more expensive - £1.49 each, although everything at Holland and Barrett is buy one, get one half price, at the moment, so get in there quick!!
Holland and Barrett are also stocking Booja Booja's Champagne Truffles - yes really!
My nearest health food shop sell Moo Free and Booja Booja chocolate and Easter eggs. Booja Booja's eggs must surely win the prize for the most attractively-packaged. Basically (as in previous years), you get a incredibly decorative papier mache egg, containing some of their truffles.
At Thornton's - not known generally for producing dairy free chocolate, you can find a dark chocolate Easter egg, but it's really not intended for allergy sufferers, so if you're sensitive, beware!
Meanwhile Hotel Chocolat, the well-known high street chocolatiers, have disappointed me, a little, this year. The amazingly extravagant Gianduja egg, that they sold last year, has not made a reappearance. However, as it didn't appear to sell well (there were an awful lot of them on sale after Easter, last year), that's probably not too much of a surprise! You can still obtain the 'Bombes' that came with the egg - in a packet of six.
 |
| These are truly amaze-balls!! |
They are nothing much to look at, BUT I have to tell you - they are incredibly gorgeous!! If you can tolerate nuts and soya lecithin, you should really try them!
However, Hotel Chocolat are selling an egg this year, of sorts. It's called the egg sandwich. In comparison with last year's offering, I personally find it a little disappointing and unimaginative. You can read about it, in more detail, on the Veggie's blog.
Hotel Chocolat's range thankfully doesn't begin and end with the egg sandwich! They also have a 'Bunny Lick' (chocolate lollipop), an 'Egg Catcher Tablet' (chocolate bar with relief design) as well as a box of the 'Tiddly Chicks' that they sold last year.
 |
| Note new packaging design! |
Just a little reminder - only the dark chocolate at Hotel Chocolat is dairy free. Look for 70% on the packaging. Vegans will need to be a little more careful, as I have noticed that not all of the dairy free choices show up as Vegan, when I looked at them online.
And also, please note that not all branches of Hotel Chocolat are stocking the complete range. I visited Basingstoke branch, at the weekend and was disappointed to learn that although they stocked the 'Bunny Licks', only the milk chocolate version was available, not the dark (milk free version). You can however, obtain them online, direct from Hotel Chocolat.
At which point, I think I shall probably stop. More on online chocolate, next time!! If you can't stand the suspense, you can find links to more posts, on a similar theme, below!!
NB Please be aware that details about products may change. Check out our Facebook Page for further updates, or follow us on Twitter!
Related Posts:
On the trail of the Dairy Free Easter Bunny! (Last years' post)
Be the Easter Bunny
Oo! Ah! Chocolat!
Sweets for my sweet...
