Well, guess what?? I found a vegan chocolate company online that is completely dairy AND NUT FREE (and gluten and egg free too), which is very difficult to find!!! I was impressed to see the variety of specialty treats that Premium Chocolatiers offers. They even make a dairy/nut free WHITE chocolate, which I haven’t been able to find anywhere else! The down side is that Premium Chocolatiers is (as of now) available in only a handful of retail stores across the U.S. so buying online is the only option for many of us. That and the chocolates are a bit pricey…..but then again, so is the other brand of chocolate bar I currently buy at Good Earth (Enjoy Life, around $2.15 each), and those only come in small bar form in either dark, milk, or crisp. So….
A grimace and $79 later (at least I qualified for free shipping) I ended up with 2 bags of Mini Peanot Cups (a substitute for Reese’s PB Cups), 2 bags of No Whey! (small squares of caramel/nougat coated in chocolate), 1 pretty box of 15 chocolates (5 choc covered marshmallows, 5 dark chocolate covered caramel squares, and 5 choc covered “peanot” nougats), 1 bag of gold foil wrapped milk chocolates, 1 hollow chocolate bear, 1 heart shaped chocolate lollipop, and 6 good sized chocolate bars (2 dark, 2 milk, 2 white).
The taste testing results? Here’s our opinion:
Mini Peanot Cups are the bomb.com!! Texture and flavor closely match Reese’s PB Cups! We were 100% satisfied with this product and will definitely buy again!
No Whey! was OK. The texture of the caramel and nougat are spot on, but the flavor is a little too subtle. I mean, it was definitely sweet– just a bit bland. It still tastes good overall, but it isn’t one that I’m dying to purchase again.
The box of 15 chocolates gives a pretty presentation just like any other fancy box of chocolates, which in my opinion is a big plus on its own. (My children would feel special receiving this.) And although the fillings seem plain and simple, they are good quality and tasty. The marshmallows are moist and taste homemade, the caramel has great texture and flavor, and the peanot nougat filling here tasted better to me than the plain nougat found in the No Whey! chocolates. All in all, this pricey-for-what-it-is box of chocolates IS something I would purchase again but ONLY IF a really special occasion called for it. I look forward to tasting their signature truffles, which have fillings such as raspberry, salted caramel, and fudge. Perhaps those ones will send my taste buds shooting through the roof, making it easier for me to fork out $30-$60 per box….
The chocolate bars work great for all your chocolaty purposes…whether it’s to eat plain or to use in baking/decorating. The dark chocolate is especially good– from the crisp sound it makes when you break it, to its rich flavor as it melts in your mouth. The white chocolate isn’t as creamy as dairy-based white chocolate when melted down, but it is still workable and will reset when cooled. The taste is also close to dairy-based white chocolate. (I should mention that I’m not a big fan of white chocolate to begin with. I usually only use white chocolate in combination with other chocolates and for aesthetics.)
The gold smilies/chocolate lollipops/hollow chocolate bears are just good ol’ chocolates. Being dairy/nut free AND in specialty form makes them easy winners! They are the perfect substitute when you need them for special occasions (birthday parties, Valentine’s Day, small gifts, etc). Shipping costs are a set back here when all you need are a few small items, but if you plan ahead like I often do, you can make a bulk order to get free shipping and then store them until needed.
SO WHAT’S MY FINAL WORD? I think it’s obvious that my purchases from this company would be more frequent if costs were a tad lower and if their products were more widely accessible in local stores. But despite the higher cost and shipping wait times, Premium Chocolatiers has won me over based on the variety of nut/dairy-free chocolates they offer. I look forward to seeing what other products these guys roll out.
I will be placing another order soon to refill my stash of Mini Peanot Cups (woohoo!) AND to taste test more of their products. Updated review to come…
