Oo! Ah! Christmas Chocolat! 2014

This is it folks! 

*Cue drum roll*

For it is the time of year when we all eye what 'normal' folks are able to get from the shops, by way of seasonal products, and wish for our own - dairy free, of course!

Well, as per usual, I've been eyeing up all the dairy free options, and it seems that there is more availability than ever, this year!

I have, of course, been keeping folks updated via Twitter and Face Book, whenever a 'find' has been made, but here is the list again - just to prevent anyone from missing out on anything!

Previously, I've begun with the more pricey stuff, but this time we're kicking off our list with...

Moo Free

This is one of my favourite dairy free brands - quite simply because it tastes good and is now so freely available - thanks to Sainsbury's! I love he fact that I can now pick up a bar (or maybe two) of Moo Free when I do my supermarket shop!

For Christmas, Merry Moo's Selection Box (containing a Mini Moo chocolate bar, a Mini Moo Bunnycomb Bar, a Mini Moo Minty Moo Bar, a Mini Moo Cheeky Orange Bar and a Mini Moo Santa Bar) for £4.49. It's also available from Holland and Barrett for the same price. It's £4.50 at Ocado.

Via Ocado, you can buy an ideal stocking filler, the Mini Moo Santa Bar, for £1.25 and the Advent Calendar for £4.99. I'm also expecting these to appear in Waitrose before too long!

Mini Moo Selection Box and Advent Calendar

Allergy Information:
Dairy, egg and gluten free. It may contain soya and hazelnuts.

'Choices' by Celtic Chocolates

Another dairy free brand that I enjoy is Celtic Chocolates - you can find them in most of the major supermarkets in various guises - usually as the stores 'own brand' free from chocolate, but sometimes under their own name of 'Choices'!

Their Advent Calendar is available from Sainsbury's, Tesco and Asda - the designs are all different on the outside, but inside the chocolate is the same! Interestingly, depending on where you buy it, you might be charged very differently for exactly the same thing! Sadly, my Asda doesn't have them!

Sainsbury's £2.69

Tesco £3.25

'Choices' at Sainsbury's

Their Chocolate Santa comes in 'milk' chocolate and white chocolate. It's available at both Sainsbury's and Tesco for £1, or you can pay £1.79 for the white chocolate or £1 for the 'milk' chocolate at Ocado. Holland and Barrett have both Santas priced at £1.49 each.

Great stocking fillers!

The Chocolate Discs (coins to you and me) are sold via Sainsbury's for £1.59 or at the moment for 2 for £2.50. Sometimes these are sold in read and green wrappers. They are a great favourite in our house, for parties (see here) and also for making Christmas tree decorations (see here)! I have also recently seen them in Tesco in silver and purple wrappers, for £1.50. I thought they'd disappeared, but they've reappeared in the Seasonal aisle in a special free from section!

See? Same thing, but different packaging!

Choices also make Assorted Nets - basically a selection pack. These are sold by Ocado for £5.50.

If you're looking for a gift, their Caramel Gift Box is priced at £4.59 (Ocado).

For after dinner mints, try their Mint Crisps - available from Sainsbury's under their 'own brand' for £2.49 at the moment.

Allergy Information:

Dairy and gluten free. The chocolate is made with soya lecithin. The Caramels are also made with soya flour. I have heard (via @Twobabyfoxes on Twitter - who has been in correspondence with them) that they are also nut free.

Kinnerton

Kinnerton specialise in making chocolate that is specifically nut free. They also make a dairy, egg and gluten free chocolate. This is quite a dark chocolate. They do make an Advent Calendar, but you have to join their mailing list to obtain one. They release the order form for these in September - they have to be ordered well in advance as they do a very limited run. This was highlighted on the Dairy Free Baby and Me Face Book page a while back. It's too late to get one for this year, but you can sign up to be notified for next year (see here).

However, this year, Kinnerton have produced a large Chocolate Santa, which is available through Asda.

Nice to see Kinnerton branching out!

Allergy Information:

Dairy, gluten, egg and nut free. Made with soya lecithin.

Plamil

Plamil have been around for a while, but are only becoming more widely available quite recently. Their pack of Snowmen can be found at Holland and Barrett and some health food shops. They can also be bought online directly from Plamil (see here).We tried these last year and 'Baby' and I both enjoyed them, but the chocolate was quite hard to bite into. 

Plamil's Snowmen

They also make Advent calendars, which are available through health food stores or their website, but I think Holland and Barrett's Advent dairy free calendars are also made by Plamil. 

Allergy Information:

Dairy and nut free. They are made without, but may contain soya.

Hotel Chocolat

Their 'Without Dairy' range, this year, consists of their usual classy Advent Calendar, priced £12.50.

And these little lovelies:

Mini Santas: 3 for £2.50; Tiddly Penguins: 8 for £5.50; Star Tree Decorations: 1 for £1.95 or 5 for £8. The Star contains 3 mini snowflakes. What a classy way of adding chocolate to your Christmas tree!

Rabat 1475 Small 100g Christmas Wreath: £8; Christmas Nights 100g Chocolate Slab: £3.75, or mix and match with other selectors for £3.15 each; Christmas Giandujas Selector: 6 truffles for £3.75, or mix and match selector packs 3 for £3.15 each.

Chocolate Chilli Penguins: 10 for £7, or three or more for £6; Rabat 1475 Large 450g Christmas Wreath: £22.

Sadly, however, Hotel Chocolat aren't making their dark chocolate Rudolph licks this year, sadly, theey're only available in milk and white chocolate. They've also discontinued the dark chocolate smiley licks as well, which is a real shame as 'Baby' used to like these.

Allergy Information:

'Without dairy' isn't the same as completely milk free. Somewhere on their website I noted a message that stated that all the Hotel Chocolat dark chocolates that are listed as 'Vegan' are considered suitable for Vegans but they cannot guarantee no traces of milk whatsoever. 

All the dark chocolates are made with soya lecithin. Most people allergic to soya should be okay with soya lecithin, as the protein has been removed, however, some people still experience a reaction.

The Advent calendar, Dark Chocolate Star, Tiddly Penguins, The Chilli Penguins and the Mini Santas are also made without gluten. However, you shouldn't necessarily read this as gluten free.

Some Hotel Chocolat chocolates contain nuts, therefore all Hotel Chocolat chocolates may contain traces.

Not all of the 'Without Dairy' chocolates are 'Vegan' - the lists are slightly different! 

See the Hotel Chocolat website for more details.


Montezumas

Montezuma's have a few shops scatttered around the south of England, but it is also available to buy online. They sell milk chocolate and dark chocolate. Some (but not all) of their dark chocolate items are made without dairy and are listed as Vegan. Some of you may be okay with their dark chocolate, see notes on allergies (below), for further information.

Dark Chocolate Advent Calendar is made with organic chocolate and is suitable for Vegans. It costs £9.99.

Dark Christmas Star £3.99 or 3 for £11.


Allergy Information:

Montezuma's dark chocolate is described as suitable for Vegans or those avoiding dairy. They say it may contain dairy and nuts, but is free from gluten and soya.

Personally, we do not eat Montezuma's, as I think 'Baby' reacted to it, when she tried some last year. We only tried it because the shop assistant described their manufacturing and cleaning practices in some detail and it seemed thorough, enough, but not for us!



Ayni


New to my list, this year, is Ayni - a paleo chocolate, that is free from the top allergens! It is also refined sugar free. Unfortunately, it's only available by ordering online, but what I've seen does look worth the effort (see here)! 

I've not tried any yet, but apparently Ayni was exhibiting at the Liverpool Allergy Show in October, and I've heard that they taste good!

I love the look of their Advent chocolates from £3.99 

How cute are these?

...and also their Christmas Cracker from £2.99. I certainly wouldn't say no, to this in my stocking, this year!

A classy Christmas treat!

Allergy Information: 

Ayni is free from dairy, egg, gluten, grain, soya, sesame and nuts! It is also refined sugar free.

D & D Chocolates

I first found D and D Chocolates some while ago. They are another source of dairy free chocolate that is also only available online. We love their mini Easter eggs (see here).They don't sell ready packed Advent Calendars, but they do sell some refillable ones, as well as the shapes with which to fill them! These Chocolate Advent Calendar Shapes are £6.49 for 25.

And there's also these Christmas Tree Decorations 6 for £3.98.

Dairy free Christmas tree decorations!

Meanwhile, these Chocolate Minty Snowmen are £8.75 for a box of twelve. they might seem pricey, but won a Free From Food Award, earlier this year!

Tasty after dinner treat?

Allergy Information:

Free from dairy, gluten, eggs and nuts. Not made with soya, but may contain.


D and D also have Christmas Carob, for those for whom chocolate is not an option (see here).



And finally...

If you're struggling to find a stockist, of these products, near you, you may like to try the following online sites: 

A Lot of Chocolates
Alternative Stores (online Vegan store)
Free From for Kids
Goodness Direct
Sam's Pantry (based in Ireland but will post to the UK)
Tasha's Dairy Free Delights (also makes her own hand made chocolates)
The Shop in the Shed
The Vegan Store (watch out as some details, such as 'may contain milk' may not be listed)

And if you'd rather do without chocolate, many toy stores sell Advent calendars containing small toys - I know Playmobile make some. And Holland and Barrett also sell a Peppa Pig and a Thomas the Tank Engine Advent Calendar containing vitamins! Well that's certainly one way of getting them in!

Related Posts: 


Dairy free ways to decorate your tree



Have yourself a gluten and dairy free Christmas (2013)



Baking with Baby - it's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas



Baking with Baby - Gingerbread



Baking with Baby - Wishing Yule a Happy Dairy Free Christmas



Treating Father Christmas (Mince Pies)

Have yourself an Allergy Free Easter Egg Hunt!!

Once a week, 'Baby' and I go to a toddler group, at which I volunteer. There are definite benefits to being a volunteer at your child's toddler group - you get to have input on important things like celebrations, food... and chocolate!

So the other week, with Easter approaching, when we made Easter nests, we made them dairy free (see here, in case you missed the recipe)

Today we're having an Easter egg hunt, and it's going to be 'Baby' proofed - that goes without saying!

So how do we 'Baby' proof it?

Last year 'Baby' was invited to her first Easter egg hunt. In anticipation of such a happening, I purchased some small chocolate eggs online in advance. I also bought some plastic Easter egg hunt eggs. We practiced hiding them around the house for her to find, so she'd know what to do. She loved it! Even with nothing inside the eggs, she thought it was a great game!

Well, this year, not wanting her to come into contact with chocolate made with dairy, or to feel different by having to search for eggs that weren't noticeably different from everyone else's, I decided to reuse the plastic eggs (pictured above) and add a few more. You can buy them from quite a few shops at the moment. Poundland have packs for (funnily enough) £1. These ones are from Poundland. Waitrose packs cost £1.50. I've found lots of other Easter egg hunt resources for sale online, via Party Delights.

Instead of filling them, we're going to let the children collect the empty eggs and swap them at the end for Easter treats. Of course you don't need to make these Easter treats food - it could be some toys like chicks etc.

Of course you can't have an Easter egg hunt without a basket in which to collect the eggs, so I decided the children could also have fun doing some craft - something quick and easy, 'cos some little ones have almost no attention span!!

You can, of course, skip making the baskets and buy your own, either plastic, or in packs at Poundland or Tesco, for just £1, but I think children get more fun out of making their own!!

I searched online for ideas and thought these were fab:

Allergy Adventures

Carrot Pockets

Recycled plastic bottles

However, they weren't big enough for what I wanted to do (although they would be great for holding smaller prizes, such as Haribo).

Then I found these, by 'Jellyfish'. They are the perfect size for holding a couple of plastic eggs.

Here's 'Baby's' prototype: 

'Baby's' basket

I used a gold-coloured paper plate, left over from our angel craft we did at Christmas. The gold inside reflects the colour of the shredded paper beautifully. Also because they are metallic, they are a little bit stronger, so able to hold more.

I pre-cut the paper plate and stapled it, before giving 'Baby' the chance to decorate it with a few stickers and some ribbon.

The shredded paper and decorative stickers can be bought from places like The Works, Poundland and Hobbycraft. Along with the ribbon around the side (covers the staples).

'scuse the fake grass!

SO 'Baby' is now all ready to go!

And her reward? Well the others will get a small choclate egg, but of course 'Baby' can't have those. I did buy some chocolate half eggs from Plamil. I was going to put two halves together, to make one whole egg and wrap them together in some foil, but 'Baby' being 'Baby', she requested some pink wrapped eggs! I've no idea where to get pink foil squares, do you? 


Update: 

I've found some smaller fillable plastic eggs at Poundland this year, in packs of 18. Two Plamil Easter egg halves (see here) which you can buy from Holland and Barrett or online from Plamil, fit these perfectly!! Happy days!!

BUT, these these dairy, gluten, soya, egg and nut free chocolate mini eggs (bought from D and D Chocolates), would also do the job nicely!! 

Allergy free Easter eggs

Now if you're planning an Easter egg hunt, you might not have time to send off for these, but you could fill the plastic eggs with a small packet of dairy free buttons, which you can buy from Sainsbury's Free From section, or maybe some small packets of Haribo sweets - theyve made some which have been designed especially for Easter egg hunts.

Alternatively, you could swap the plastic eggs for other Easter treats, such as the Celtic Choices bunny (Sainsbury's, Tesco or Asda). For more information, about these and other dairy free Easter treats, see our Great Big Dairy Free Easter Egg Hunt (2017) post for further details, or Dairy Free Easter Treats. 

Either way, hope you and your little ones have a cracking dairy free Easter :)


Related posts: 

Baking with 'Baby' - Dairy Free, Gluten Free Easter Nests

The Great Big Dairy Free Easter Egg Hunt 2014

Update March 2015: Find 2015's post here.


Oo! Get me! Can't believe I'm writing this post so early, but following the response to posts on the FB page about dairy free Easter eggs, it's clear that people are champing at the bit, ready for the off, so here we go...

What's in the shops??

If you're in the area for Ocado, you may want to check out their offers first, but if you're not and rely on the supermarkets near you, here's what to expect at the moment:

Well there's nothing chocolate, dairy free and Easter egg-shaped in my Asda, so far, and I'm not near a Morrisons (let me know if you are), but bless my soul! Mark's and Spencer's have finally risen to the dairy free challenge and brought out the first product in their (soon to be expanded) 'Made Without Dairy' range. It just so happens to be a chocolate Easter egg or reasonable size, which is accompanied by a chocolate bar (hidden 'round the back). 

The M & S egg

The M & S egg is £6.00. It is made with soya lecithin and is suitable for vegetarians, but sadly not for those with a nut allergy. I had to go some distance to a fairly large store to find it, hopefully, it will be in a store near you. But, if not, there's always Tesco and Sainsbury's:

So, first out this year was the 'Choices' eggs by Celtic chocolates. 

One of the Choices eggs

In stock this year at both Tesco and Sainsbury's (29p cheaper at Tesco). They're dairy free, and gluten free. You can also find them in Holland and Barrett. In Holland and Barrett they cost £4.99, but you can buy one and get another half price. Which is a good offer, if you want two (works out about £7.49, for the two)!!

They come in two sizes - the smaller one is 'white' chocolate and the larger is 'milk' chocolate with either large chocolate coins (pictured above) or caramels. Actually, there is a third choice, Holland and Barrett also sell a dark chocolate version. Sainsbury's 'own brand' Free From egg looks exactly the same, but is somewhat unimaginatively packaged in a clear plastic box. It costs £3.99. 

Speaking from personal experience, I much prefer the 'milk' chocolate version to the 'white' chocolate version, but that is perhaps due to the fact that I have fond memories of milky bars. 'Baby' with no prior experience of 'white' chocolate loves it!! (Weird, huh?) 

Sainsbury's also stock the Choices Easter bunny - again in white and 'milk' chocolate - priced £1. Holland and Barrett have them priced at £1.49. Again, you can buy one, and get one half price, at the moment. This could be a good way of 'sampling' the chocolate, to see if you like it  :)

'White' or 'Milk'. Which would you prefer?

Sainsury's is also stocking the Kinnerton egg, priced £4.99. Confusingly, it used to be the only dairy free egg that Tesco sold, but hasn't appeared there this year. This egg is perhaps the largest of the dairy free eggs that is likely to grace the shelves of the supermarkets. It's dairy, gluten, egg and nut free. It's made with dark chocolate and comes with a bar of the same.

This egg has also been spotted in Home Bargains for £1.99! It doesn't appear to be everywhere, though, so keep your eyes peeled. 

The packaging hasn't changed at all since last year!

Now, Sainsbury's are also stocking Moo Free Chocolate eggs this year, for £3.99, and that is a real departure! Up 'til now, these have only been sold by Waitrose (particularly, I find, in the stores that are situated in posh areas, like Cobham at the same price). 

Moo Free's Original 

Moo Free chocolate is like a dairy free 'milk' chocolate. The advantage of these eggs is that they are not only dairy and gluten free, they are not made of soya. The label says, 'may contain' and most people seem OK with that.

Moo Free are not in every Sainsbury's at the mo (check out the big ones), but all is not lost if you can't find them locally. Online traders, such as Love Free From and Free From for Kids will most likely be stocking them, as well as some of the Vegan online companies, such as Alternative Stores. 

Oo! The options! My Sainos, a few weeks ago! The Moo Free ones are no longer there!

Online you get the choice of two new flavours: Honeycomb and Hazelnut. (Oo! Which to choose?)  Sainsbury's and Waitrose only have the original version, so get hold of these you may have to go online, unless you have a great health food shop near you. BUT, online you pay more (£4.50 at Alternative Stores) and you have to factor in the extra costs of post and packaging as well!

Moo Free also make chocolate bunnies. They were cheapest with Love Free From last year, so it's worth shopping around!!

Meanwhile, Tesco's only other dairy free choice, apart from the same Kinnerton egg (thanks to @Sugarpuffish (on Twitter) for this - her Tesco is MUCH better than mine),  is these: 

Not chocolate!

Oh, and this egg-shaped lolly (available in various colours)!

No dairy, egg or soya but 'May contain nuts'!

Ok, Haribo bunnies and lollies are definitely NOT chocolate, but could be popped inside a cardboard egg shape, should the worst come to the worst! Co-op had some of these last year too and I think Waitrose does as well. Let's face it, you can find Haribo most places, but what we really want is chocolate, right? So, on with the hunt!

Another brand that may or may not appear in a High Street near your is Montezuma's. They only have a few shops in the south of England, but their Easter eggs are now available in Holland and Barrett, for £7.99 each, or two for £11.98. They are also usually available online from Love Free From.

This year, they have smaller praline filled eggs as well, (which you can buy from Alternative Stores, priced £5.49). Mmm! I like their style. Although... I'd love it if a dairy free chocolatier tried making some dairy free 'Cream Eggs' like Cadbury's!!

Montezuma's dark chocolate is not made with any cow's milk, but 'may contain'. The dilemma with 'may contain,' of course, is that nine times out of ten you may be OK and not come across any 'traces'. However, you never can tell, so if at all sensitive please avoid - just to be on the safe side!!

If you're looking for something that's more widely available, Hotel Chocolat have shops all over the place it would seem. Their dark chocolate has always been OK with us, although, again, it 'may contain'. The only thing to watch out for, though, is that they have recently taken to mixing their dark chocolate with other flavours, that may not be dairy free, so do check carefully, when making your choice

Sadly, the Gianduja egg, that The Hub bought for me from Hotel Chocolat a couple of years ago, has vanished without a trace. Hotel Chocolat discontinued it. What's more, I haven't seen their dark chocolate Tiddly Chicks online this year, only the milk chocolate ones. Last year I thought they were rather fun! Bit of a shame that, but their chocolate sandwich eggs are back this year and I think I'm right in saying that 'Baby' has got me one of these. 'Shhh! Don't tell anyone, will you?' 'Cos she's not supposed to have told me ;) 

The Gianduja egg was all about extravagance and was such an unexpected treat from The Hub. This year, if you're looking for similar extravagance, look no further than Booja Booja! Their beautifully decorated papier mache eggs are filed with their truly delicious dairy free truffles. If they're not sold in your local health food shop, they can be bought online, but they're not cheap though! We're talking £9.99 for a small one and they really are quite small. See here.

This year, you can also buy these eggs at Holland and Barrett. They are available in two sizes, the largest of which is £24.99 or £37.48 for two. The other costs £9.99 or two for £14.98, but they only had the larger ones in the shop near me.

What if you can't have nuts or soya?? Look online!!

Plamil are a brand to look out for, if you can't have soya or nuts. Like Moo Free, although they're not made with soya, Plamil chocolates 'may contain'. But, unlike Moo Free, their chocolates are nut free. 

These were not on sale anywhere near me until Holland and Barrett suddenly started stocking them, this week, priced at £3.69. Again, you can buy one and get one free. The local health food shop might also eventually get them in, as they stocked their snowmen at Christmas. They seemed a bit reluctant to put out their Easter eggs yet, even though they already have them in! However, I think they're missing a trick, as I've already bought ours - the early bird catches the worm and all that!

Again, if you can't find them locally, look online. Various online Vegan and Free From companies stock them, but you can also obtain them direct from Plamil's own website, where you can currently get 5% off their Easter eggs at the moment (current price £3.51)!

Cute! Huh? 'Baby' loved the look of these!

I took advantage of this offer and bought an egg for packet of half eggs too (current price £4.70)! Rude not to - especially as you have to factor in post and packaging costs as well!

Another source for dairy free chocolate, that is soya free and nut free is D and D Chocolates. These are definitely soya and nut free but can only be bought online directly from the company that makes them. I bought some mini eggs from them last year for 'Baby'. They were a bit pricey (36.95 for a box), but perfect for an Easter egg hunt and a hit with 'Baby', so I've bought some more for this year!

Perfect for an egg hunt!

They stock a whole range of 'child friendly' Easter gifts. SO, if you've not been inspired so far, you may want to check them out.

Last but not least, a company called Mulu, make raw chocolate eggs. Mulu say that their chocolate eggs are dairy, soya, and refined cane sugar free. They do not contain nuts, but cannot offer a 100% guarantee that their ingredients have not come into contact with any. I've not tried this chocolate, but I know Emma, at Love Free From, stocks some of their chocolate buttons and usually sells their eggs at Easter too.

Now, you may have noticed along the way, that although some companies think a little bit more carefully about presentation, than others, none of them can really match the commercial presentation of the 'normal' Easter eggs that are out there this year. 

If, as in our case, your child is becoming more aware of the difference, you may end up doing the same as us - 'Baby' having fallen in love with Doc Mc Stuffins (just DON'T ask - the catchy jingles are responsible for a seemingly permanent ear worm), I've bought her a 'normal' Doc Mc Stuffins egg. The milk chocolate egg currently inside the packet will be ditched/donated to The Hub/chucked in the bin/whatever and substituted with a free from egg. 

Anything for a quiet life!!  ;)


Please note: Further updates to this article will be posted on our Face Book page 'Dairy Free Baby and Me' and also on Twitter @dairyfree


Related posts:

The Great Big Dairy Free Easter Egg Hunt (Part1) (2013)

The Great Big Dairy Free Easter Egg Hunt (Part2) (2013)

On the trail of the Dairy Free Easter Bunny! (2012)

Be the Easter Bunny (2012)

Oo! Ah! Chocolat!

Sweets for my sweet...