Chocolate & Love

Coffee Chocolate

Despite coffee and chocolate being a classic combination, it is very difficult to actually come across a decent bar of coffee flavoured chocolate. But coffee fans, the wait is over! For this has to be one of the most incredible things that I have ever eaten. It is rich, obviously of a high quality, the coffee flavour shines through wonderfully and I cannot help but smile whilst eating it because it is just that good!

Rating - 9.75/10

Vegan - Yes

Mint Chocolate 

After trying the coffee flavour, I had high hopes for this flavour, particularly because of my love for all things mint chocolate! This was a higher percentage of cocoa which added a richness to it and I loved it. The flavour was absolutely fantastic with the mint shining through without being overpowering, it seemed to have these tiny pieces of crunchy mint bits in it, I thought that these added a nice bit of texture to the bar. Overall, another delicious bar! 

Rating - 9.75/10

Vegan - Yes

Orange Chocolate

This bar, like the others, was of a very high quality, it was richly indulgent with a lovely orange flavour. This is yet another fantastic bar and I am running out of ways to describe just how good these bars are! Basically, I loved this bar!

Rating - 9.5/10

Vegan – Yes

Filthy Rich 

This was a plain dark chocolate bar with a 71% cocoa content, and like the other bars, it was incredible. They certainly named it accurately because this bar is incredibly rich. It left me feeling satisfied after only 25g, so it lasts quite a while and you savour every bite, allowing it to slowly melt in your mouth. I just can't get over the quality of these bars, it is just incredible! It makes all other chocolate I have had before seem poor in comparison! 

Rating – 9.25/10

Vegan – Yes

Panama

This bar had a whopping 80% cocoa content and may be a bit too dark for some people (but certainly not for me!) So I would probably suggest having this flavour if you are a true dark chocolate fan. This was even richer than the previous bar and I loved it! I can imagine that this would be perfect for baking with and making a high quality mousse or ganache.

Rating – 9/10

Vegan - Yes

Moo Free Mini Chocolate Bars

I feel like I am becoming quite the chocolate fiend, which is particularly odd due to my newly found dairy free life. I think that I actually eat more chocolate now than I have in the past several years, but that's another story that I won't bore you all with, not yet anyway...
The thing that I miss the most is chocolate and I thought I would be living off of boring food with little frivolity or whimsy. I am glad to say that I was very wrong! I was aware of Moo Free but I wasn't quite aware of quite how big the range was and how it is rather unique in its offerings. I loved their adorable and cute packaging so it was a no brainier when I came across them in my local Sainsburys, to pick up a bar in each flavour. Unfortunately, they only had two little bars but to paraphrase Shakespeare, they may be little, but the flavour is fierce! (Can you tell that I am planning on doing and English degree?!).
Now, onto the review!

Bunnycomb Bar
Basically this was a honeycomb topped bar of chocolate, it was 25g so a good size that left me feeling satisfied, the chocolate was sweet, smooth and creamy, this worked very well against the crunchy and chewy honeycomb that decorated the top. Overall, this was a really lovely bar to eat, I couldn't actually tell the difference between this and regular chocolate and I can imagine that this would appeal predominantly to children but I would happily eat this bar again!

Rating - 8/10

Minty Moo Bar
This was made in the same style as the previous bar, a plain dairy free chocolate bar with a crunchy mint topping. Very similar to the honeycomb variety but instead of the golden colour, they are white, and a bit like glacé mints. It added a nice bit of texture to the bar, whilst also contributing to the overall flavour of the bar. I really enjoyed this bar, and despite it being aimed at children, I can easily see both adults and children enjoying this as a treat because it isn't overly sweet.

Rating – 8.5/10

Heinz 50% Less Sugar Beans

Okay, now I know that this isn't some brand new product innovation, but this is a new recipe and new rebranding so I feel it is worthy of a review. Regular Heinz Beans are rather healthy anyway, what with their high levels of fibre and protein. So it is interesting that they have a healthier- or less sugary version- to add to the range. This tin boats a significant 50% sugar reduction, they have replaced the sugar with a natural sweetener called stevia. 

I don't really know if I enjoyed the taste, it was a little too sweet for my liking. I think I preferred it when they didn't sweeten it at all. I ended up adding a bit of salt to them in order to counter the painfully and strangely sweet flavour of the sauce. I thought it was worth a second try, just incase I was just getting used to this new taste, but I still didn't particularly enjoy them and I regret buying eight tins... Maybe somebody in my family will eat them, or I suppose they aren't unpalatable. 

Personally, I would rather they go back to their old recipe, or I will just buy the regular beans instead. I am so disappointed in these beans! Why did they ‘improve’ upon an already delicious product?

Rating – 3/10

Vegan – Yes

Calories – 278 per tin

Buy Again – Definitely Not!

Nak'd Nibbles Part 2

Salted Caramel

Salted caramel has to be one of the biggest food trends at the moment, so it was only a matter of time before it entered the health food market and I am thrilled at this arrival! These are just incredible, Nak'd manage to really capture the rich caramel flavour whilst still tasting natural. The salt was very subtle, almost undetectable, but still, it was a lovely little treat!

Rating – 9.5/10

Toffee Treat

These were just divine, they tastes just like a sticky toffee pudding (probably due to the dates in it). I was really impressed with how much this tasted like toffee, the level of sweetness was perfect and worked well with the nuttiness. I can imagine that this would make a delicious dessert heated up on top of custard (I recommend Alpro for vegan custard).

Rating - 9/10

Strawberries & Cream

Again, this was w great snack to have with my breakfast, the strawberry flavour came through nicely and there was a very subtle hint of cream albeit very subtle (this didn't particularly add to the overall flavour but certainly it didn't detract!). Basically, I really enjoyed it and can't wait to eat my next bag tomorrow morning with my breakfast!

Rating - 9/10

Fox's Party Footballs

Party Rings are such a snazzy biscuit what with their decorative and sweet icing on top of a crunchy biscuit base. It is easy to see why they are a packed lunch staple for both children and adults alike! Well, at least this adult enjoys them and I am a proud advocate of them (the see no evil monkey emoji would have been perfect here but alas I feel that would undermine my authority as an adult…)

Party Rings, around a year ago, became not only vegetarian but vegan. Therefore they contain no dairy, eggs or anything else derived from animals, despite this change, they still have the same great taste I remembered from being younger. 

Shall I stop boring you all and finally move onto the review? I better had. Now, these Party Footballs are basically Party Rings without the hole, same basic sweet flavour and crunchy yet somehow buttery biscuit. The biscuit is a little different in appearance because on the back, it has football related things imprinted upon the back, the icing is also only green or blue, this had no impact upon the flavour but it was a nice variation albeit a bit of a step back in gender stereotypes. Overall, I really enjoyed these biscuits and found them a rad easier to eat when they were in this shape!

Rating – 8/10

Vegan – Yes

Calories – 111 per Bag

Buy Again – Yes!

Nak'd Nibbles Part 1

Tooty Fruity

Initially I was worried that these would be sickeningly sweet and artificial, thus lacking in the typical flavour that I associate with Nak'd products. Thankfully my fears were unwarranted as they tastes delicious! The prevalent flavour was strawberry I think, and it was lovely! I really enjoyed this as party of my breakfast!

Rating - 8/10

Fruit Salad

I enjoyed this flavour a lot more than I expected, it actually tasted just like a Fruit Salad sweet but without all of the teeth breaking, plus, you know that you are eating nothing but good stuff. It is filled with fruit and nuts, it is really impressive that they can make these taste so much like a Fruit Salad! But without all of the nasty additives! Overall, a delicious treat to enjoy!

Rating - 8/10

Coconut Bliss

This flavour was rather mild in taste when compared with the others. I felt that the coconut was too mild but regardless of this, I still enjoyed them as part of my breakfast and I would still buy them again! Maybe it needed a cocoa element to it? 

Rating - 7.75/10

Freedom Mallows Strawberry

Marshmallows like most sweets, typically contain gelatine which is derived from animals, therefore it is suitable for neither vegetarians nor vegans. Marshmallows are my all time favourite sweet and I miss them dreadfully (perhaps the allure is primarily there because they are off limits).  But thanks to Freedom Mallows I can once again enjoy my favourite treat! I have been looking everywhere for the strawberry variety of these sweets because after trying the original vanilla I was hooked! 

Upon opening the bag, I was greeted with a lovely smell of strawberries mixed with the classic marshmallowy sweetness, the marshmallows themselves were soft and squidgy and brought back many a childhood memories of eating Flumps. They have a very moreish quality to them that means it is very difficult not to eat the whole bag, obviously I have very little restraint… Although, I did allow my mother to try one, and she actually said that they taste better than the regular variety, so a glowing recommendation indeed!

Rating – 9.5/10

Vegan – Yes

Calories – 342 per 100g

Buy Again? – YES!

Cadbury's Dairy Milk Puddles - Smooth Mint

Cadbury’s seem to be on a roll with the release of new products, and this by far has to be the best. The Cadbury’s Puddles. They are quite snazzy in appearance with their unique and interesting design, this does however make it a little difficult to break even bits off and to portion it out properly, but with its moreish quality, it is difficult to not eat the entire bar in one go! It is made with the classic Dairy Milk chocolate so it is sweet, creamy and smooth. This works very well with the puddles of mint filling, the mint filling has a lovely flavour, it is fresh and gooey, similar to caramel in consistency.

Overall, it is a really good product, unique yet a combination of classic flavours that we all know to be a wonderful match! The only criticism is that it is not yet available in small bars!

Rating – 9/10

Vegan – No

Calories – 448 per Bar

Buy Again – Yes!

Sweet Freedom Chocolate Orange Shot

I have heard rave reviews about the products from Sweet Freedom, what with their wide variety of uses and ever expanding flavour range. So you can imagine my delight when the kind people of Sweet Freedom sent me their brand new flavour to try! I honestly cannot believe that their products are all vegan, they have such a good and indulgent taste to the chocolate. All of the ingredients are natural so there is absolutely no guilt involved in eating this (not that food should ever really be associated with guilt, but I won't bore you with that rant today).

My favourite flavour was the deliciously spiced chocolate orange, and oh my goodness. It is delicious! It has such a rich flavour to it, whilst still being light enough to eat an abundance of it. It can be enjoyed on porridge, yogurt, over granola, over ice cream or to create a delicious hot beverage (this was my favourite method of use). I added it to a cup of almond milk and whisked it together to create a cup of vegan chocolate milk, initially I never put enough chocolate syrup in it and it tasted a little weak, but then being the dope that I am, I had put only a quarter of the amount required! So no wonder it didn't taste great… 

After adding the correct amount, I was rewarded with a simply divine drink that tasted natural and had a good amount of depth to the flavour. I was very impressed indeed!

Rating – 8.75/10

Vegan – Yes

Calories – 14 per teaspoon

Buy Again – Yes!

Reese's Pieces

Peanut butter has to be a favourite of mine, although I am normally put off eating it because of how calorie dense it is. So that for me is a bit frightening (I'm a tad odd I know).

Because of my love for peanut butter, it is no surprise that I am a big fan of Reese's products then seeing as they specialise in peanut butter. I was however surprised when I found out that their Reese's Pieces were vegan (as far as I can tell anyway). 

Basically, Reese’s Pieces are tiny buttons of peanut butter coated in a crispy sugar shell, the peanut butter is classically salty with a sweetness to it. They are incredibly moreish so I try to make them last as long as possible by eating them one by one and letting them melt in my mouth. My dad looks at me with disdain whilst he eats them two packets at a time ( I will let you decide who the mad one here is… )

I am a big fan of these and they are actually pretty low in calories considering the large serving size of 43g. A chocolate bar of this size would probably come in at about 250 calories whereas these are only 214 calories. I know calories aren't everything and taste is the most important thing so I won't go on about it anymore!

Overall, I love these and I have added several bags to my stash and can't wait to eat my next bag!

Rating – 9/10

Vegan – Yes

Calories – 214

Buy Again – Already Have!

Trek Banana Blast

As you have probably worked out from my reviews, I am a bit of a sucker for raw food bars. This is probably because as a vegan, or a sufferer of a lactose intolerance,  many biscuits and cakes become off limits to you so you have to get your sweet fix from somewhere else. Trek a branch off from the well known Nak’d brand,  are probably one of the most prevalent companies to offer these types of products. Today I am going to review the Banana Blast flavour that was so kindly sent to me by the people of Trek.

It has a subtle banana flavour to it that worked well with the nuttier base flavour of the bar. It was very filling and a very substantial treat, perfect as a snack for anyone on the go or in need of a power boost in the afternoon to keep themselves going! I did really enjoy this bar but maybe the banana flavour could have been a tad stronger, but then again, that may be difficult to achieve without artificial flavourings. I think I would rather have a natural bar that has no additives and has a subtler flavour rather than an obnoxiously strong banana taste and be full of strange chemicals!

Rating – 8/10

Vegan – Yes

Calories – 170

Buy Again - Yes