Product Review: Surf Sweets gluten free gummy candy & jelly beans
Posted on | October 26, 2009 | 1 Comment
Candy can be tricky on a gluten free diet.
When it comes to gummy candies and jelly beans, I have had a hard time finding a certified gluten free product. I like to err on the side of caution, so I usually opt out of gummy candies all together because it just isn’t worth the risk of a reaction.
Surf Sweets sent me a few samples of their gluten free candies and they looked so good I marched off to Whole Foods and picked up the rest of their product line, keeping my fingers crossed they would all be tasty. The prices ranged from $1.79 for the larger bags of gluten free gummy candies and jelly beans, and 99 cents for the smaller gummy bear snacks.
Surf Sweets is a company that makes their candy with organic sweeteners and fruit juice, no corn syrup, are vegan and are produced in a nut free environment. They are also free of artificial colors and flavors. Most of the candies provide 60% RDA of Vitamin C, and the gummy swirls are fortified to provide 100% RDA of calcium. So far so good, right?
The candy I tested was their gummy worms, sour worms, jelly beans, gummy bears, sour berry bears and gummy swirls.
*The gummy bears and worms are your standard, familiar gummies- they are sweet, fruity, chewy and satisfying. In fact, these are better than the tougher gummy worms I used to enjoy. I don’t miss the corn syrup AT ALL ( Yuck!).
*The sour bears and worms provide the perfect sweet and sour experience. Surprisingly, these sour candies seem a bit softer than their regular gummy counterparts, but still provided me with a chewy and tasty gluten free treat.
*The gummy swirls tasted mostly sweet with a slightly sweet crunch. However, they seemed more like a soft candy than a gummy to me. I loved that they are fortified with calcium- I used that as justification for eating all of them and not sharing. I did it for my bones, I promise! 
* I am not a huge fan of jelly beans, so I gave a pack to my kids to share. Here is what one of them said ” Hey mom, this is probably the second best jelly beans I have ever had. Wait, I think it is the best because I can’t think of a better one.” My seven year old said ” I don’t like jelly beans at all, but I sure like these, as long as I don’t have to eat the yellow ones.” They handed me an empty bag later that day. In our house, that means they really liked them.
Pros: vegan, mostly organic, small portable packages, great flavor, no corn syrup
Cons: On the pricey side
Rating: 5 stars
For a list of ingredients and nutritional information, please click here to visit their website
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Want to try these candies for yourself? Check your local Whole Foods or click HERE for a comprehensive list of 19 local stores to purchase them from. Click HERE for a list of online shops that carry Surf Sweets gluten free treats.
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Category: * MY FAVORITES!, *Candy, *Kid Friendly Foods, *Snack Foods, *Surf Sweets, *Vegan, Uncategorized
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One Response to “Product Review: Surf Sweets gluten free gummy candy & jelly beans”
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November 2nd, 2009 @ 3:53 am
Those look great. I am always looking for a healthier version of junk food. Even the price sounds good. It is hard to find that in many GF products.