Oo ah! Christmas Chocolat 2016

Uh oh!

Christmas is almost upon us, the season of Advent is about to begin and I have not yet completed my annual dairy free chocolate post. However, of course there is more to Christmas chocolate than Advent calendars, so PHEW we might still be of some use to you! As always, this list is not exhaustive, but hopefully you should find most of the main brands listed here.

It's fabulous to see the choices for the dairy free community really expanding this year - although in Sainsbury's and Waitrose there have been very few changes this year, there are a few changes to some of the other store ranges, with a new entry by Asda stocking Kinnerton's new chocolate mints box. 

Great for lovers of dark chocolate - Kinnerton's new selection box

Unfortunately, last year's Asda Santa has not reappeared! :(

Tesco also have a new box of chocolates available (which I suspect are Choices caramels dressed up in a Tesco box, but of course I could be wrong)!

Tesco's new choc box

as well as an Advent calendar by 'Chocologic'. 

New kid on the block - Chocologic's Advent Calendar

It seemed a bit lightweight to me, when I picked up the box, but was cheaper than most, at £2.50. There hasn't been much stock available in my local store, so don't hold your breath finding one of these in yours! Made with soya flour, it was no good for me, so stayed firmly on the shelf!

Tesco have also opted on the Choices selection box this year - as have Asda and Holland & Barrett, but again, my local Tesco was very short on stock - not seen any since I bought these!

More by chocolate labelled 'Tesco' but made by Choices

Here is the same box, in Asda packaging:

Choices, Choices...

If you want something a bit more individual, then check out Cocoa Libre's range at Holland and Barrett. 

Fun shapes!

Kiddo loves their chocolate shapes. They're a bit more pricey, but that is because they are handmade.


So you can see there's plenty of places to choose from, so as in previous years, I've attempted to help you cut through to the information you need, by creating some handy comparison charts, which hopefully you will find useful.

This table shows the different products created by the major free from brands and where to find them:

	Advent Calendar	Selection Box	Chocolate Novelty Figures	Chocolate Boxes	Chocolate Coins	Tree Decorations
Booja Booja	x	x	x	Waitrose, Holland & Barrett Ocado	x	x
Choices (also make Tesco, Sainsbury’s & Asda’s free from chocolate)	Sainsbury’s  Asda	Holland & Barrett Ocado Asda	Sainsbury’s Tesco Asda Holland & Barrett	Sainsbury’s Holland & Barrett Ocado	Tesco Asda	X But see this post!
Chocologic	Tesco	x	x	x	x	x
Cocoa Libre	x	x	Holland & Barrett	x	x	x
D & D Chocolates	Online only	Online only	Online only	Online only	x	Online only
Holland & Barrett	Holland & Barret	x	x	x	x	x
Kinnerton	By pre-ordering online only (see here)	x	Asda Ocado	Kinnerton	x	x
Moo Free	Sainsbury’s Waitrose Asda Ocado	Sainsbury’s Ocado Holland & Barrett	Holland & Barrett	x	x	x
Plamil	Online only	Online only	Online Holland & Barrett	x	x	x

NB The chances are that not all Holland & Barrett items listed here, will be available in your local store, however, you can order online and have delivered either to your home or to your local store.

This table shows the main brands and some of the major allergens that they are free from:

	Dairy Free	Gluten Free	Soya Free	Egg Free	Nut Free	Vegan
Booja Booja	ü	ü	ü	ü	x	ü
Choices (also make Tesco, Sainsbury’s & Asda’s free from chocolate)	ü	ü	*Lecithin	ü	ü	ü
Cocoa Libre	ü	ü	*Lecithin	ü	ü	ü
D & D Chocolates	ü	ü	May Contain	ü	ü	ü
Kinnerton	ü	ü	*Lecithin	ü	ü	ü
Moo Free	ü	ü	ü	ü	x	ü
Plamil	ü	ü	May Contain	ü		ü

*Soya Lecithin is the oil from the Soy bean. Technically, this should not cause a reaction in those allergic to soya, as the protein has been removed, but those who are particularly sensitive may still react. If unsure please consult with your Doctor/Dietitian.

ONLINE

The good news is that should you find it difficult to find dairy free chocolate locally, there are places you can buy it online. Try the following websites if you are struggling to find dairy free chocolate locally:

Alternative Stores

Free From for Kids

Goodness Direct

The Vegan Store

Vegan Town

AND... CHOCOLATE THAT IS NOT QUITE DAIRY FREE ENOUGH FOR US

Not all 'dairy free' products are equal! Although Vegan products are made without milk, they may be made on factory production lines where other products that do contain milk have been made. This could mean that they contain traces of milk, which can cause problems for those who are quite sensitive to milk. However some people choose to be dairy free and those who are allergic to dairy have varying levels of sensitivity, so here are a few other brands that might interest those of you who are okay with traces of milk:

Aldi 

Hotel Chocolat

Lidl

Montezuma's dark chocolate

Zero Zebra - claim to be allergen free but are made on production lines where allergens have been handled and have caused mild allergic reactions in some allergic individuals.

FINALLY:

Hopefully this post has provided you with the information you need to find the chocolate that is right for you. The information included in this post may change over time, so follow @dairyfree on Twitter or Dairy Free Baby and Me on Face Book, to keep track of any updates.

Please note: 

This post is not an advert. I have not been paid to write this post. I am not sponsored in any way, even by advertising. I do not receive products free to review, although I have often been offered them. This is to try and maintain an unbiased approach. All views expressed are my own (unless I've asked for The Hub's or Kiddo's).

RELATED POSTS:

Dairy free ways to decorate your tree

Kinnerton Advent Calendars 2016

Cocoa Libre Dairy Free Milk Chocolate

May Contain - Explained

Dairy free ways to decorate your tree.

Last weekend we bought and decorated our Christmas Tree. A common enough occurrence in many households, at this time of the year, but it was momentous in that it was the first real tree we've had since Baby was born, and the first that she's helped to choose and decorate! It was also momentous in that we bought it early - the first weekend of Advent. Usually it goes up a few weeks later, in our household. Also, The Hub (for the first time since I've known him) was the one to suggest buying it - usually he's not so fussed about whether we have one at all!

So, it was, that late, on an outrageously cold Saturday afternoon, we chose and decorated our tree. And here it is!

Once Baby had gone to bed, I redecorated bits of it (couldn't help myself) and added just a few finishing touches - namely chocolate! 

The thing is, for me, a Christmas tree is not complete without a few hanging chocolate decorations. My memories of Christmas (as a child) were that Dad may not have spent out on a new tree each year, but he did the right thing when it came to chocolate. 

I looked around on the Internet for a bit, but research didn't yield the dairy free options for which I was searching, although I did like the look of some fillable baubles, sold by Love Lactose Free Life. 

Then I had an idea! 

The idea came from some time back, when I visited a friend. She wasn't dairy free, just trying to make her money go further and she was employed, together with her children, in making her own chocolate tree decorations! The idea came back to me and it seemed perfect!

The Hub questioned the wisdom of loading the tree with chocolate - pointing out that Baby had the self-control of any normal little one and wouldn't be able to leave it alone. 

Equipped and ready to go!

However,  I couldn't imagine a Christmas tree without chocolate on it! Plus, I had a bit of a bee in my bonnet - I had already bought the chocolate (Sainsbury's Free From Chocolate Coins and Mint Crisps). The coins pictured here are silver and gold, as I bought them a few weeks ago,but at the moment they seem to have changed to  a lovely festive red and green. 

It didn't take me long to gather the rest of my equipment: metallic thread (ours was by Korbond and I think I bought it at the supermarket), stickers, sellotape and scissors. I was ready and determined to give it a go!

One I made earlier

The method is simple! You just take some foil covered dairy free chocolate coins, and stick a Christmassy sticker on the flat side.  I had some stickers left over from last year. These stickers came from the Early Learning Centre, but I also used some from a packet I bought at Accessorize. 

On the other side, where the foil is gathered, you stick a loop of metallic thread (or a slender ribbon, if you prefer) with some sellotape (the stickier the better) and hey presto, there you have it! 

The only thing I would add, is that you need to make sure that you stick the sellotape near the top, or else the coin will hang at a bit of a strange angle! 

I would love to have had Baby help me with this job, as she loves stickers, but even I thought that was a step too far for her self-control! 

The easy option

If that sounds a bit faffy to you, you could always buy some little gift bags instead, fill them with some chocolate coins and hang them from your tree (as you can see, in this picture). The bags I used came from Tesco and come in packs of three, but Hobbycraft also sell these kinds of bags, in their Wedding Favours section.

I had originally considered actually making my own tree chocolate, by melting some dairy free chocolate and filling some chocolate moulds, that I bought from The Works - only 99p and 3 for 2, at the time! 

The only reason I didn't was because I wasn't sure how good they would look once I had foil wrapped them. Well I ask you - how do you get a small square of foil to wrap to neatly around a snowman or a Rudolph? However, it would be a possibility with these bags, because I think the bags could hide my unsightly wrapping quite easily!

Candy Canes seem to be dairy free!

After the chocolate was hung, I added some candy canes. I'm sure they are an American thing, but you see them everywhere, in the shops now. Just for the effect, I bought a few from a Christmas shop in Basingstoke. 

These are strawberry flavoured, as I thought Baby would prefer that to peppermint. I've checked out the ingredients and they seem to be dairy, soy, wheat etc. free. Baby hasn't suffered from the one she's attacked so far - yes her self-control is virtually non-existent!

Still surviving!

The chocolate hasn't survived too well either! A few have gone missing - I thought they were out of reach, but obviously not!! The rest have been moved to higher branches!!

So far, the gingerbread decorations, that we made have survived - well... the two that made it as far as the tree anyway! However, I know that Baby has her eye on them...

My next plan is to try making some dried orange and lemon slices or maybe a pomander, using an orange stuck with cloves, but I think I'll save those for another day.

Meanwhile, how's your dairy free Christmas preparations going? I hope you have a good 'un!

Update! 

Would you believe it? Having just written this post, I've unearthed some dairy free decorations after all! £2.99 for a pack of six, they are available online, from The Vegan Store. This online shop also sells a lot of other great dairy free and egg free products!

Update Nov. 2014
It seems that D and D Chocolates now sell chocolate Christmas tree decorations (see here). These are made with sunflower lecithin rather than soya and are also gluten and nut free, so a great choice for those with allergies! 

Related Post:

Baking with Baby 8 - Gingerbread... Bears?