Gluten Free Easter Candy: One of My New Favorite Brands
March 23, 2015
Well, folks…we've got less than two weeks to go until Easter. Time to be on the lookout for updated gluten free Easter candy lists so you know if you can eat what the Easter Bunny brings. I found that some of the websites that typically list gluten free Easter candy were updated, but some weren't yet…I'd suggest doing a quick Internet search to get the low-down.
I do hope the Easter Bunny leaves some "Surf Sweets" candy in our family's Easter baskets. I first saw this line of sweet treats a year or two ago, but it's just recently that I developed an appreciation for them. That's because I learned that they're not just certified gluten-free…they are also organic, non-GMO (this is increasingly important to me), and allergy-friendly. They are produced and packaged in a facility that's free of the Top 10 allergens: wheat, dairy, soy, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, fish, shellfish, sesame and sulfites. Plus, they don't contain any artificial colors, artificial flavors, or corn syrup.
Natural, organic, gluten free, and non-GMO? That's a home-run in my book!
As if that weren't enough, they not only make gluten-free and allergic kids happy, they do go in the world, giving a minimum of 1% of their sales to support environmental causes through 1% for the Planet. And they're made in the USA. What more could you ask for, folks? In my opinion, if my kids are going to indulge in candy every so often, these Surf Sweets products -- and high quality chocolate -- are my top picks.
Surf Sweets makes jelly beans, gummy bears, gummy worms, sour berry bears, sour worms, fruity worms, watermelon rings, peach rings…something for everyone's sweet or sour taste! The company also has a "Tru Joy" line of sweets including fruit chews (similar to Starbursts, but made with organic fruit juice and free of corn syrup!) and "Choco Chews" (like Tootsie Rolls but free of artificial colors, flavors, corn syrup). One note: the Tru Joy line of treats are formulated free of the same 10 allergens, but they are made in a different plant and on shared equipment with dairy, nuts, and soy.
You can visit Surf Sweets' website to find where the products are sold near you -- or to order them online (but hurry…the Easter Bunny doesn't have much time!). Some large chains that carry them near us (even if just at select locations) include Wegmans, Target, and Whole Foods.
I hope this trend toward "healthier" candy continues with more companies following Surf Sweets' lead. While there's no sugar-coating the fact that it's still candy (pun intended!), I feel better knowing my kids aren't ingesting all the artificial chemicals and GMOs found in so many other brands.