Perfect World Pistachio Ice Cream

Following my reviews of Perfect World Caramel and Pecan and Raspberry Ripple Ice Creams today's is another from their newly revamped vegan, sugar free and gluten free range in a rather delicious flavour indeed...Pistachio! Containing only 5.2g of natural sugars and 390 calories per tub this also boasts 12 vitamins and minerals too. Not bad for an indulgent treat!

The ice cream is made with a blend of coconut milk, almond, cashew and pistachio nut paste as well as the sweeteners xylitol, erythritol and stevia. Opening the lid, it had a lovely green hue and inviting pistachio aroma. There's little pistachio pieces mixed into the ice cream.

Taste wise it was lovely, a super creamy and inviting pistachio flavour that melted in the mouth beautifully. The crunchy pieces add a nice bit of bite without it being too much. This is most definitely one for pistachio lovers, it's so nutty and moreish! I liked the fact that it's not sickly sweet like some dairy-based ice creams can be.

Overall, this is yet another win from Perfect World, proving that you really don't need dairy or sugar to make a nice icy treat. If you're vegan or avoiding sugar these are a must try...keep an eye out for them on Ocado.com and in Tesco stores! The more requests they get the more likely they are to stock them locally :)

8.5 out of 10.

Ingredients: Water, sweeteners (erythritol, xylitol, stevia), coconut milk, solubo gluco fibre, pistachio paste, almonds, cashews, tapioca starch, vegetable glycerine, pistachio pieces, stabilisers (guar gum, carob bean gum, xanthan gum), mono and diglycerides of fatty acids, natural flavours, natural colours, salt, vitamins (D, E, B1 Thiamin, B2 Riboflavin, B3 Niacin, B5 pantothetic acid, B7 biotin, B12), minerals (chromium, manganese, copper, zinc). 

Nutrition Information (per 100ml): 78 Calories, 4.45g Fat, 11.1g Carbohydrates, 0.92g Sugars, 3.93g Fibre, 2.16g Protein.

More info: http://www.perfectworldicecream.co.uk/

Perfect World Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream

After reviewing the delicious Perfect World Caramel Pecan Ice Cream yesterday I thought I'd follow it up with another one of my favourites from their newly revamped range - Raspberry Ripple. If you've never heard of Perfect World before they are a company making vegan, dairy free, gluten free and sugar free ice creams that are available from ocado.com and Tesco. They contain 12 vitamins and minerals per tub and this particular flavour has 334 calories and only 5.4g of natural sugars. Pretty good going for an indulgent dessert!

Unlike some vegan and dairy free ice creams I like the fact this doesn't contain soya and thickeners like carageenan, as those can be allergenic in themselves (I'm personally sensitive to carageenan). The sweeteners used instead of sugar are tooth-friendly xylitol, erythritol and stevia which are derived from natural sources.

Removing the lid, the ice cream had a lovely pink swirled effect from the raspberry sauce and looked very inviting indeed.

I really loved the taste of this one - the raspberry sauce is zingy and refreshing and blends well with the plain ice cream section. The main problem was there was just too much of the plain part...I wanted more raspberry! Still it was nice to have the contrast of the two. The melt was perfect and the texture just right - a cross between sorbet and a whipped ice cream. It's very creamy and makes for a lovely sweet dessert that isn't overpowering or sickly.

Overall, this is another win from Perfect World, and most certainly a flavour I would buy in shops! I do hope this range becomes widely available from the larger supermarket chains because it's ideal for anyone with allergies or who is avoiding sugar.

8 out of 10.

Ingredients: Water, sweeteners (erythritol, xylitol, steviol glycosides), coconut milk, soluble gluco fibre, raspberry puree, almonds, cashews, concentrtaed raspberry juice, tapioca starch, vegetable glycerine, stabilisers (guar gum, carob bean gum, xanthan gum), mono and diglycerides of fatty acids, natural flavours, salt, vitamins (D, E, B2 riboflavin, B3 niacin, B5 pantothetic acid, B7 biotin, B12), minerals (chromium, manganese, copper, zinc).

Nutrition Information (per 100ml): 67 Calories, 3.29g Fat, 11.8g Carbohydrates, 0.95g Sugars, 4.06g Fibre, 1.8g Protein. 

More info: http://www.perfectworldicecream.co.uk/

Perfect World Caramel Pecan Ice Cream

Today's review (and upcoming reviews) are specially thanks to the makers of Perfect World ice creams, a company specializing in vegan, sugar and gluten free ice creams that are suitable for pretty much any dietary needs. I first reviewed the brand a few years ago with the Taste Of Carrot Cake Ice Cream, and since then they have totally revamped their range, removing egg from the ingredients and adding new flavours such as Raspberry Ripple, Mint Choc Chip, Sweet Espresso, Pistachio, Double Chocolate Chip and this...the delightful Caramel Pecan!

With only 4.7g of natural sugars and 423 calories in a tub, this ice cream is completely vegan and dairy free and made with a mixture of coconut milk, cashew nuts, vegetable fibre and the sweeteners xylitol, erythritol and stevia. It's also high in 12 vitamins and minerals, making it a truly healthy ice cream indeed! As impressive as all that is though it would mean nothing if it didn't taste good...so does it?

I would shout this out loud if I could...but that's a resounding YES! This ice cream is bloody amazing! I started with the Caramel Pecan because it was hands down my favourite of the range (which isn't to say the others aren't great too) and I would urge anyone who is vegan or avoiding dairy/sugar to seek out a tub immediately - you won't regret it!

The melt of the ice cream is great, it's lighter than luxury ice creams which is to be expected, and is somewhere between a sorbet and whipped ice cream. It's super creamy and has a delicious authentic caramel flavour. I honestly couldn't tell it didn't have real sugar in, because it allowed the toasty flavour of the pecans to shine, without overpowering them. It was so, so moreish! I must admit that I got a bit greedy and nearly ate the whole tub...probably because I have missed out on ice cream like this for ages!

If you're vegan, avoiding dairy or just avoiding sugar, then this is the icecream for you! Seriously, you can't find anything better currently in UK supermarkets in my opinion.

9 out of 10. 

Available from Ocado.com and Tesco.

More info: http://www.perfectworldicecream.co.uk/

Ingredients: Water, Sweeteners (Erythritol, Xylitol, Steviol Glycosides), Coconut Milk, Soluble Gluco Fibre, Almonds, Cashews, Pecans, Tapioca Starch, Vegetable Glycerine, Stabilisers (Guar Gum, Carob Bean Gum, Xanthan Gum), Mono and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids, Natural Flavours, Natural Colours, Salt, Vitamins (D, E, B1 Thiamine, B2 Riboflavin, B3 Niacin, B5 Pantothenic Acid, B7 Biotin, B12), Minerals (Chromium, Manganese, Copper, Zinc).

Suitable for Vegans; No Added Sugar.

Nutrition (per 100ml): 85 Calories, 5.23g Fat, 11.1g Carbohydrates, 0.83g Sugars, 4.03g Fibre, 2.1g Protein.

Plamil So Free Espresso Dark Chocolate

Just a quick review today, and it's one for those who may be reducing or cutting out the sugar what with the news of the UK Sugar Tax coming into force. Most chocolate bars using sweeteners can often taste chemically or just "wrong", so how does Plamil's So Free Espresso bar fare?

Made with xylitol, a natural sweetener derived from birch, I found this bar in Holland and Barrett. It contains 72% cocoa solids, is gluten free, dairy free and suitable for vegans.

The bar has small segments you can break off. I went for the espresso variety simply because I was in need of an energy boost, and although the coffee only comes from flavouring I reasoned the placebo effect might still give me a boost!

And it was just what I needed for a sweet coffee hit. The chocolate gives a rich flavour, with the coffee lingering in the aftertaste whilst the xylitol makes it sweet enough to be palatable. It's not the same as sugar of course, and it does take a little getting used to, but it's pleasant and far more tolerable than a completely sugar free chocolate bar.

Overall, if you're reducing or cutting out the sugar, or even just avoiding dairy, I would recommend this bar for a sweet hit that is hopefully kinder to your health...and teeth! (xylitol apparently prevents tooth decay).

8 out of 10. 

Kind Snacks Dark Chocolate Almond & Mint Bar

A huge thanks to Kind Snacks UK for sending me some of their new bars to review recently, which includes a Pomegrante, Blueberry & Pistachio bar plus today's review: Dark Chocolate Almond & Mint, a bit of a different flavour for a healthy snack bar!

Kind bars are all gluten free, dairy free and made with ingredients you can see and pronounce. This particular bar contains a whopping 60% nuts, a lot more than the dried fruits that most healthy snack bars are based on.

Described as a "40g Almond & Mint bar with dark chocolate mint flavoured coating", this contains cashews, almonds and honey as well as rice crisp pieces.

The bar is chunky, with the nuts looking very plentiful. The honey and glucose syrup binding it make it slightly sticky, and it's easy to split in half.

I really enjoyed the refreshing taste of the mint chocolate on this bar, it's very different but very lovely and works well with the savoury nuts. This felt like quite a treat indeed, yes there's only a drizzle of the chocolate but its enough to make it decadent whilst also being a healthy bar.

Overall, I have to say this bar is a definite win! It lives up to its healthy credentials and is slightly naughty at the same time, you can't ask for more really. I haven't compared it to other healthy snacks bars but I'm guessing the sugar content is a lot lower.

8.5 out of 10. 

Ingredients: Almonds, Cashews, Dark Chocolate Flavored Coating (Palm Kernel Oil, Chicory Root Fiber, Sugar, Cocoa Powder, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor, Salt, Peppermint Oil), Chicory Root Fiber, Honey, Glucose Syrup, Rice Flour, Unsweetened Chocolate, Madagascar Vanilla, Soy Lecithin, Peppermint Extract, Sugar, Sea Salt, Peppermint Leaves.

For more info on Kind snacks see their UK website: https://www.kindsnacks.co.uk/products/

Califia Farms Go Coconuts Coconut Milk

I've been trying a lot of sugar free, dairy free vegan nut milks recently, in an effort to be healthy and find the best tasting ones. The results have been mixed, with the new Innocent Almond Milk being the best I've tried so far. Another new brand on the U.K market is Califia Farms, who make a range of nut milks and cold brew coffee drinks. Unlike other brands their range is free from the thickener carageenan, which has been linked to various health problems, and contain 50% more calcium than milk. Pretty impressive right?!

This Coconut variety is available from Waitrose, and Sainsbury's also used to stock it although I haven't seen it there recently. It's made from a blend of coconut and coconut water to give it an authnetic light coconut flavour without the need for added sugars.

And it tastes pretty good! It has a creamy, frothy texture and tastes quite light and refreshing to drink. The added calcium is noticeable and does give it a slightly chalky taste which I wasn't too keen on though. Compared to Vita Coco Coconut Milk, I would say that one is nicer and closer to regular dairy milk than this is. But this is a decent enough alternative. What I don't like is the chunky bottle it comes in - yes it looks fancy, but it's very uneccesary and means more plastic to recycle. You don't get this problem with tetra packs.

Overall, this is a good coconut milk, although probably not one I would go out of my way for with the other alternatives on the market.

Ingredients: Coconut Milk (Water, Coconut Cream), Coconut Water, Calcium Carbonate, Sunflower Lecithin, Sea Salt, Potassium Citrate, Locust Bean Gum, Gellan Gum.

7 out of 10.

Innocent Dairy Free Almond Milk Review

Innocent, famous for their bottled smoothies have attempted to branch out in a few areas in recent years. They've done things like vegetable juices and Fruity Spring Waters, but now they've launched their own range of vegan and dairy free Nut Milks, made with just three ingredients, and no stabilisers or thickeners. This is certainly a good move, since many who buy nut milks are tired of all the weird things added in brands likes Alpro.

I picked up this 750ml bottle for £1.99 in Waitrose, I think it was an introductory offer but I'm not sure. There was also a Hazelnut variety there and I believe Innocent make a Coconut version too.



Consisting of just almonds, sea salt and spring water, I didn't think there was much I would be able to say about this and I was right - it tastes as you would expect. If you've ever made nut milk at home this is pretty much the same thing, just pressed nuts and water. It has a slight marzipan-ish taste from the almonds and is good mixed in tea or coffee, but I think it would work best in smoothies or shakes as the consistency is a little thin. This is to be expected due to the lack of thickeners so this isn't a criticism at all. I liked that it tasted natural - other nut milks inevitably taste weird in some way due to the added calcium, vitamins and stabilisers, but this tastes pretty fresh and clean.

Overall, there's not a lot to say about this Innocent Almond Milk other than it does what it's supposed to! I would buy this again over other nut milks to avoid the unwanted additives, and I'll certainly be on the lookout for the Coconut version as I do tend to prefer coconut milks in general.

Ingredients: Spring Water, Almonds (5.8%), Sea Salt

7.5 out of 10. 

Montezuma's Absolute Black Easter Egg with Cocoa Nibs & Buttons

A huge thankyou to Montezuma's for sending me this Absolute Black Easter egg to review recently! Since I first heard of it I was eager to try it; I do enjoy Montezuma's Absolute Black bars - they're a godsend when trying to cut back on sugar intake and still enjoy some chocolate. So in Easter Egg form it makes the perfect treat for anyone wiahing to stick to a sugar free diet over the Easter period! Not only is it made with 100% cocoa chocolate, the shell contains cocoa nibs and there's a sachet of 100% Dark Chocolate buttons with it too.

The egg was silver foil wrapped, a nice touch compared to some of the shiny plastic wrappers found on many Easter Eggs.

Ripping open the foil, the egg looked super shiny - I didn't want to break it!

But it had to be done...for reviewing purposes! The shell is nice and thick with the cocoa nibs peeking out in places. Biting into a piece, there's the classic rich cocoa flavour of the Absolute Black Dark Chocolate punctuated with some earthier notes from the nibs, which do a great job of breaking up the texture and preventing it becoming boring, as I imagine it would without any additions at all. The buttons make for a nice accompaniment to nibble on separately, although due to the rich nature of them you won't be eating a lot at once. They're nice to have a few with a cuppa.

I do think it would have been nice if Montezuma's had included some other kind of addition, like coated nuts or something, although that would be unfair to those with allergies. This egg is certainly king when it comes to being allergen free - no sugar, dairy, nuts, gluten or soya, so it caters for everyone! It's made in a factory that processes dairy and nuts, of course, so if you are super sensitive please be aware of this.

Overall, in my opinion this is a superb egg and probably better than the Hotel Chocolat 100% Dark I reviewed last year. Although that one was nice, this one is a bit smoother in taste and easier to eat.

If you're avoiding dairy or sugar - this is the egg for you! Find it on montezumas.co.uk (they deliver within 24 hours, so hurry if you want one by the weekend!)

On the topic of Easter Eggs, if you've ever wondered why we eat Eggs at Easter here's an article from Montezuma's that explains all! https://www.montezumas.co.uk/blog/2017/04/why-do-we-eat-eggs-at-easter-2/

8.5 out of 10. 

New Coca Cola Zero Peach (UK)

When I bought the New Diet Coke Mango flavour the other day I didn't realize that there was also a Peach variety, in the Coca Cola Zero Sugar range and exclusively available from Tesco. When someone informed me via Instagram I had to go and look for some, and luckily found this bottle in the same Tesco Express as the Diet Coke Mango. This cost £1.25, quite a lot for a small bottle!

Described as "Sparkling Low Calorie Peach Flavour Soft Drink with Vegetable Extracts with Sweeteners" these come in both 500ml small bottles and also larger bottles.

Like all Coca Cola products this contains caffeine as well as the sweeteners aspartame and acesulfame k.

I waited until I got home to try it, as with the Mango variety I had to drink it using my authentic Coca Cola glass!

I took a sip...unlike the Mango variety the flavour here is a lot tamer, you get an initial peach taste that is very refreshing but it quickly gives way to the stronger cola flavour. It's very nice indeed, but I would have preferred the peach to be a lot stronger. I think the Diet Coke Mango variety works better because Diet Coke doesn't have a "strong" taste like Coca Cola Zero does, so the fruit flavouring isn't overshadowed quite so much.

Overall, this is definitely a nice and different drink from Coca Cola but it's not perfect, so I hope to see more new UK varieties in the future (maybe the Diet Coke Ginger Lime and Zesty Blood Orange cans recently launched in the US?):

Ingredients: Carbonated water, colour caramel e150d, phosphoric acid, natural flavourings including caffeine, sweeteners aspartame & acesulfame k, acidity regulator sodium citrate.

Nutrition: 0.4 calories, 0g carbohydrates, 0g sugars.

7.5 out of 10. 

New Diet Coke Exotic Mango (UK)

It's not often that Coca Cola bring out a new flavour, so when they do it's always an occasion worth shouting about. The last one was when Vanilla Coke was brought back (wayyyy back in 2013 - it feels like only yesterday!). More recently we had a Pepsi Max Ginger variety, which is about as exotic as the cola world gets these days.

So it's quite exciting indeed that Coca Cola have gone for such a bold, fruity flavour to pair with Diet Coke - Mango!

I was super surprised to find this in Tesco Express recently, I had heard rumours about it on Instagram but thought it would take a while to make it here up North. I immediately bought a bottle, not really caring about the price (turns out it was £1.10).

I waited until I got home to try this just so I could drink it from my bona fide special Coca Cola glass:

It's described as "sparkling low calorie mango flavour soft drink with vegetable extracts and sweeteners" and the ingredients are pretty much fizzy water, flavourings and sweetener. It also contains caffeine.

Taking a sip, I immediately tasted the mango and it was quite strong albeit artificial. This quickly gave way to the standard diet coke taste. It was kinda pleasant and definitely makes a change from regular diet coke, with the flavours both fighting for attention as you sip it. I wouldn't say the flavours blend together perfectly but it's an interesting drink for sure.

Would I recommend this? Yes, since it's more interesting than a regular Diet Coke, but I can't see it sticking around though as it's not super special or "unique" enough but it's still a nice change. I imagine it will be popular in the Summer months.

Available at Tesco. 

Nutrition Information (per 100ml): 0.3 Calories, 0g Carbohydrates, 0g Sugars.

Ingredients: carbonated water, colour caramel E150d, phosphoric acid, sweeteners aspartame & acesulfame k, natural flavourings including caffeine, acidity regulator sodium citrate.

8 out of 10. 

No & More Sugar Free Spring Waters Review

A big thank you to No & More for sending me some of their new drinks range to review recently. I've previously reviewed their NuVa Watermelon Water and enjoyed it, so was thankful indeed when they sent me this newly revamped range. They've changed their name from NuVa to No & More to better communicate what their range is all about, which is a good move in my opinion. Their waters are all sugar-free and only contain natural flavourings, making them suitable for any diet.

The Cucumber and Mint variety shown above was...interesting. I'm not really a fan of cucumber and mint so I can't say I liked it that much, although I'm sure some people might find it refreshing. I'm afraid this gets a low 5 out of 10 as it's just not my kinda flavour.

The Raspberry & Blueberry was more up my street - who doesn't like Berry flavoured drinks! There's only a hint of it but it's enough to make the water taste refreshing and interesting without giving you any added sugars or calories. If you're on a health kick be sure to give this a try. 8 out of 10.

Last but not least the Tangerine and Mango flavour, a more zesty variety, this is another I enjoyed and the hints of mango and tangerine gave it a refreshing edge. It's nice to see tangerine being more widely used in drinks; i prefer the flavour over Orange. Worth picking up if you're in a dash and need a low calorie drink. 8 out of 10.

Overall, despite my not liking the mint variety I do think these drinks are  a great idea. They'd be particularly good for the January season when everyone is on a weight loss kick I imagine. They give you a nice taste of interesting flavours to make water just a little bit less boring.

Califia Farms Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

There's many brands in the crowded dairy free "Mylk" market now, from the likes of Vita Coco, Plenish, Alpro, and Rude Health...but a new one muscling in on their territory is Califia Farms, a Californian brand made with non GMO ingredients, gluten and dairy free and now available from Sainsbury's and Waitrose in the UK.

The range was reduced to £2 a bottle recently in Sainsbury's, so I went for the Unsweetened Vanilla variety. This is sugar free, vegan, carageenan free and contains 2.3% almonds, and 50% more calcium than cows milk. Quite impressive! I don't drink milk anymore so it's nice to know I can get my calcium from an alternative source.

I do like the curved bottle design...it's very fancy and feels a bit me special than your standard dairy free milks.

The milk certainly has a lovely vanilla aroma, and pouring it into a glass it was a lot creamier than I was expecting. Taste wise it was very pleasant, the vanilla is very noticeable and makes the milk taste sweeter, despite the lack of any sugar. This is a nice milk as far as almond milk goes, certainly better than any others I've tried from the likes of Alpro. It's creamy, vanilla hinted and with a nice thick texture...pretty much all you need from a milk substitute.

It also passes the hot drinks test - it blended perfectly with a cup of chai rooibos I made. Although I still haven't tested it in coffee...I will try that next!

Overall, this is a lovely Almond Milk variation, much better than others on the market like Alpro and probably healthier too. If you see these on offer I would highly recommend giving them a try! I really want to try the Coconut version next, which I've only seen in Waitrose stores so far.

Ingredients: water, almonds 2.3%, flavourings, calcium carbonate, emulsifier sunflower lecithin, sea salt, potassium ctrate, stabilizers (locust bean gum, gellan gum). 

Nutrition (per 100ml): 17 calories, 1.3g Fat, 0.8g carbohydrates, 0.1g sugars, 0.5g protein, 190mg calcium. 

8.5 out of 10.

NuttVia Hazelnut Chocolate Spread Review

Today's review is the second time I've reviewed a sugar free chocolate spread made with sweeteners. The last time I suffered the all too familiar "unintended side effects", which scared me enough this time...why did I take this task on? The things I do for snacks research!

This spread contains 97% less sugar than standard chocolate spreads on the market, and is also palm oil free. In comparison, palm oil is the first ingredient in the leading brand Nutella. It's sweetened with a mixture of erythritol, maltitiol, stevia and maltodextrin. It also contains whey powder so unfortunately isn't suitable for vegans or those with dairy allergies.

The promise of a sugar free hazelnut spread made with sweeteners had me cautiously excited, because while I'm trying to reduce my sugar intake I don't enjoy being on the toilet all night! Eventually I faced my fears and tucked in with a spoon.

The spread is very lovely; rich, nutty and creamy and despite being sugar free it's still sweet enough. In fact I couldn't tell that it was sugar free at all...there was hardly any difference from this to regular chocolate spread, apart from the fact it tasted a bit less sickly.

Overall, this is a great product from NuttVia, definitely worth a try if you need to avoid sugar, and in fact it's just as good as Nutella in my opinion. The balance of sweet, nutty, creamy and rich is all spot on.

For more info check out the NuttVia website: http://nuttvia.com/products/
Available from ocado.com and Amazon.

9 out of 10. 

Ingredients: Sweeteners (maltitol, erythritol, steviol glycosides), vegetable oil (sunflower, coconut), maltodextrin, hazelnuts 10%, fat reduced cocoa powder 7.4%, cocoa butter, emulsifier (sunflower lecithins), sweet whey powder (milk). 

Nutrition Information (per 1 tbsp): 70 Calories, 4.8g Fat, 8.2g Carbohydrates, 0.3g Sugars, 0.5g Fibre, 0.5g Protein. 

Polo Sugar Free & Extra Strong Pots

Polo has been put in pots! Yes, the iconic "mint with the hole" is now available in this handy new recyclable pot format, containing approximately 44 mints, perfect for popping in your bag or handbag. I was offered some to review, and since I'm doing a low sugar diet recently these were just what I needed!

These contain 10 calories per serving and are toothkind, accredited by the Oral Health Foundation, and can be enjoyed without the risk of tooth decay.

Polo Sugar Free Extra Strong Pots:

These pack some mighty punch in the mint department, and are super duper strong but not unpleasantly so. They're the sort of thing you'll be needing when the weather gets a bit colder and on frosty mornings! 8 out of 10. 

Polo Sugar Free Regular Pots:

A bit tamer in the mint department, these had a gentler, sweeter mint flavour. I ended up crunching on quite a few, as is the tradition with Polo mints! I would probably go for the Extra Strong as my favourite but these are still good. 8 out of 10. 

Overall, there's not much to say about Polos other than it's nice to see them still on shelves after all these years, they've no doubt been part of everyone's youth...who doesn't remember buying them from vending machines at high school? (Are vending machines even allowed these days? - probably not!) Anyway it's nice to have them in this handy format and they certainly help with reducing sugar and calorie intake.

Nutrition per serving (3 mints): 10 Calories, 0g Fat, 0g Carbohydrates, 0g Fibre. 

Montezuma's Absolute Black with Almonds/Orange & Cocoa Nibs

Being on a low sugar diet it's hard to find many interesting chocolates, yes there's the lovely Montezuma's Absolute Black but sometimes you want some added crunch or flavour. Luckily Montezuma's have come to the rescue with not one, but two new Absolute Black varieties - the first 100% cacao bars on the market with added flavours. These are not available in major supermarkets just yet, but you can get them online from www.montezumas.co.uk. Luckily Montezuma's kindly sent me boith to review.

Absolute Black 100% Cocoa Solids with Almonds:

This bar is sugar free, vegan, and contains 80% chocolate and 20% almonds. Opening the wrapper the bar has the standard Montezuma's design - blocks make up half of it, with a thicker piece on one end with the Montezuma's logo. I've said it before but I do love the block design, it's nice to have the smaller pieces as well as a nice thicker piece to munch on!

The almonds are clearly visible when you snap off a block, although not evenly distributed throughout the bar unfortunately. I suspect it's difficult to make sure there's a piece in every block since they're whole rather than chopped almonds.

Taking a bite of a piece with the almonds in, it was lovely; the chocolate is rich and flavoursome, with a slightly fruity cocoa edge. It's not bitter like some 100% chocolates can be. The almonds bring a bit of chewiness as well as a creamy, nutty edge that really compliments the chocolate, and in fact tones it down a little. I loved this bar, it's the perfect mixture of more intense cocoa flavours with sweeter creamy almonds. My only gripe is that there weren't more of them distributed throughout the bar, but overall this was my favourite out of the two! 9 out of 10.

Absolute Black 100% Cocoa Solids with Orange & Cocoa Nibs: 

This bar is also sugar free and vegan, containing 93% chocolate, 7% cocoa nibs and orange oil. The nibs are fairly distributed throughout the bar so you get plenty in each bite. The chocolate had a pleasant zesty aroma when I opened the wrapper.

Taking a bite, this was a very crunchy bar indeed, the nibs give it the perfect texture. The orange oil gives it a welcoming citrus flavour, that almost reminded me of Chocolate Orange, but much better. The nibs are a little harsh in taste so it's good the orange oil counteracts their bitterness. I enjoyed this bar, and the crunchy texture is great, but I did find the nibs a bit too harsh to properly appreciate it overall. It's a shame because the orange flavour is lovely. I was torn between this and the almonds bar as to my favourite, because I love this one for the orange flavour and the almond bar for the lack of harshness. I think an almonds bar with orange oil and no cocoa nibs would be the ideal combination - but that's just me! I will still buy this if I see it in shops for a sugar free treat. 8 out of 10.

Overall...I have to congratulate Montezuma's for creating these two bars for those of us who are sugar free, they sure make life a lot more interesting! I hope this is the start of a new trend towards 100% chocolate with added flavourings, it's one that would be very welcome to many and would help people stick with lower sugar and low carb diets longterm. I'd like to see a bar with coconut or perhaps dried berries added...there's so many options to choose from. Please keep up the good work Montezuma's!

Available from: Montezumas.co.uk.

Nutrition (per 25g):
Orange & Cocoa Nibs: 13g Fat, 2g Carbohydrates, 3g Protein, 4g Fibre. 
Almonds: 14g Fat, 2g Carbohydrates, 3g Protein, 4g Fibre. 

Lakanto Monkfruit Golden Sweetener Review

Today's review is something a bit different, not a snack as such but a sweetener that is fast becoming popular amongst the low carb, keto diet crowd. I've experimented on and off with low carb and sugar free diets and tried a variety of different sweeteners, such as stevia and eryhtritol, but I chose this one as it supposedly bakes like brown sugar. It's even been awarded "superior tasting natural sweetener" by America's top chefs.

It's based on an ancient sacred fruit, but rather than explain I'll copy what is on the wrapper:

"Over a thousand years ago, in remote mountain highlands of Asia, a group of Buddhist monks called the Luohan achieved enlightenment through meditation, prayer and pure living. On the slopes of a primeval forest, the monks discovered and cultivated a rare fruit prized for its sweetness. This sacred fruit was named Monk Fruit, or Luohan Guo, after its devoted caretakers and was used in elixirs to increase chi, or life energy. Monk Fruit was used for centuries in eastern traditional herbalism to increase chi and well-being, earning it the nickname “The Immortals’ Fruit.” We still grow and harvest Monk Fruit for LAKANTO® in the same pristine area and according to traditional and environmental methods".

Sounds impressive doesn't it?! Increase your chi, become spiritual, find enlightenment...all through a sweetener. But how does it compare to The Almighty white stuff? I'll get to that later...

As well as being sacred, this sweetener is autism approved by the Autism Hope Alliance, non GMO, vegan, gluten free, contains zero calories and has zero glycemic index. It contains erythritol as well as monkfruit extract.

It looks similar to brown sugar in texture, and I initially used it in cups of tea. Although it is fairly sweet, I did find I had to use an extra spoonful to get the right level of sweetness. I suspected it would be better in baking so I tried using it in cookies, and they turned out rather well indeed, although the taste and texture is different from sugar. It's hard to describe really, but its definitely sweet and tastes more natural than any other low carb sweetener out there. I liked it; it's perfectly palatable and makes good cookies!

Overall, do I recommend this product? If you're on a low carb or sugar free diet, then yes, definitely! Its a lot healthier than real sugar and you can bake with it, which is the main point. However it may cause cravings for real sugar, so do exercise caution. I think it's great for occasional low carb baking, but maybe not for daily use. If you're not low carb but just want to reduce your sugar intake, then this is also a good product for you - it can be combined with real sugar to lessen the calorie load.

For more info on Lakanto: https://www.lakanto.com/

8 out of 10.