It’s difficult to find tasty allergy free snacks, but it is getting easier! I couldn’t even imagine how difficult it would have been even ten years ago to find staples that were allergy free – let alone snacks. Thankfully, now it is 2020 and companies and a growing part of the population are recognizing the need for foods that are free of the top allergens. Thanks to this there is a growing selection of foods and snacks that are tasty and worry free!

My household went Top 8+ allergy free about a year ago now, after an EOE diagnosis, and I still get giddy when I find new foods and snacks that we can all enjoy together! At the beginning cutting out all the things we thought were staples to a diet was rough, but over time it has been easier to find and to make the dishes and items that we want.

If you’re just starting on your food allergy avoidance journey I recommend you do not lose hope… this past Thanksgiving I made a fully Top 8+ allergen free traditional Thanksgiving meal – green bean casserole, stuffing, pie, and more!!! Sorry, I found no substitute for the deviled eggs. It was so fun to test recipes and we ended up having a very normal looking Thanksgiving meal that tasted great and was safe for everyone!

free2b Sun cups are not only top 8 free, they’re top 12 free that means this snack also discludes corn, mustard, sesame, and coconut! This is the only brand I’ve found that advertises top 12 free, I’ve seen several without those things as well… but they usually don’t advertise it. It’s nice for those who are specifically trying to avoid sesame or something that isn’t in the top 8.

Allergy free chocolate snacks especially are completely hit or miss. I compare it to finding a tasty sugar free ice cream… seemingly impossible at times. We have tried many many cookies, bars, chocolate chips, and other chocolate flavored things and have been mostly disappointed. Dark chocolate especially is hard to find, you can find it without dairy… but be prepared for it to be very bitter. The dark chocolate in these cups however is divine, we are lovers of dark chocolate to begin with but I don’t think you really need to be to enjoy these. The dark chocolate in this snack I found to not be too bitter or hard.

Sunflower seed spread seems to be something of a love it or hate it kind of thing. I LOVE it and could put it on everything, my boyfriend only tolerates it if he has to. Fortunately, with this snack it took no convincing from either of us to love this snack! The sunflower seed spread to dark chocolate ratio was perfect, and neither flavor fought too harshly against the other. It doesn’t taste exactly like a normal peanut butter cup, but it does taste really similarly.

These cups also had a great texture. Not too grainy, too mushy, or too crumbly for me. Like a standard cup just pop it out of the wrapper and into your mouth and don’t worry about it losing its structure. The chocolate melts nicely, the sunflower seed butter is perfectly sticky, and again it felt perfectly blended and was easy to keep eating. I’d be lying if I said my household didn’t eat the whole bag in one sitting!

These mini sun cups have a price of about $4 on Thrive Market, and about $6 a pack on the Free2B website and Amazon (you have to buy in multi-packs in these places though). To me, this price is reasonable, because it’s such a rare treat and I know it is safe and tastes great. It is significantly more expensive than what you’ll find for Reece’s or generic peanut butter cups, but it’s not going to be a staple so I consider it ok.

I’d recommend these to anyone who is looking for a tasty substitute for peanut butter cups. It’s not something I’d want to purchase on a regular basis, but as a snack once in a while or a special treat it’s definitely recommended!

Have you found any snacks like this that you love?

❤ Squared