If you haven’t already got one it’s not too late and actually, this year there are quite a few on the market to help you count down the days to Christmas, though it does depend on which foods you have to avoid.
I normally stick to the old fashioned kind, with no chocolate behind the door, just a picture each day.
Who needs chocolate for breakfast anyway?
This way noone loses out or fights over the chocolate and noone has to watch as others eat the chocolate they can’t have.
Plamil Advent Calendar
This year however is a year of treats. It’s been a tough old year so I deserve a reward. In truth it was an impulse purchase while I was buying some Plamil rum and raisin chocolate, my ultimate all time favourite nut and dairy free chocolate. I can’t seem to buy it anywhere so I went direct.
This calendar is well worth the effort. The chocolate is thick and big pieces, which seems naughty at breakfast.
The best thing about it is that it tastes so good the whole family would love it, if you were going to share it. It’s sweetened with xylitol which I have been reliably informed is one of the safer sweeteners out there and means these are also sugar free.
Ingredients: sugar (35%), cocoa butter, rice powder (rice syrup powder, rice starch, rice flour), cocoa mass, emulsifier – sunflower lecithin. Total cocoa solids (cocoa butter and mass) 42%.
I was a bit disappointed that once the door is open it’s a bit dull. If you look really hard you can just about make out the shape in the clear plastic of a bauble or a stocking, but no colour pictures. Maybe they could have had a colour background underneath to jazz it up a bit?
On the whole though I’m really chuffed. Husband-who-can-eat-anything has steered clear so far but has started to sniff around the calender, realising he is missing out on chocolate at breakfast. I offered to share it with him, you know, one for me, one for you, two for me, one for you (if you’re good), that kind of thing. He is regretting saying, “No darling, they’re your special chocolates, you have them.”
Mwah, ha ha ha ha. Don’t mind if I do. I’m having them all because they’re really delicious.
If you want to shop around, you can also choose from:
Moo free
Moo Free are doing a dairy free advent calendar. These are made with rice milk but are not suitable for anyone with a nut allergy, probably because they also produce other chocolate products containing nuts.
Ingredients: Organic sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic rice powder, organic cocoa mass, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin) & natural flavouring. Contains cocoa solids 42% minimum. Made with fair trade sugar & cocoa.
Allergy advice: May contain traces of nuts and soya, dairy free, lactose free, gluten free, wheat free, egg free, casein free, vegetarian, vegan.
Kinnerton
Kinnerton have a range of different advent calendars for kids with a nut allergy, available in Hello Kitty, Marvel Heroes, Minnie Mouse, Peppa Pig & The Simpsons. Advent Calendar containing Milk Chocolate Shapes, a Decorated Milk Chocolate Bar, 2 Milk Chocolates with a soft Chocolate flavoured centre and 2 Surprise Gifts. These are all free from all nuts, artificial colours & flavours.
Ingredients:
Solid Milk Chocolate Shapes: Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Dried Whole Milk, Cocoa Mass, Dried Whey, Vegetable Fat, Emulsifiers (Soya Lecithin, Polyglycerol Polyricinoleate), Vanilla Flavouring.
Decorated Milk Chocolate Bar: Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Dried Whole Milk, Cocoa Mass, Dried Whey, Vegetable Fat, Dried Skimmed Milk, Emulsifiers (Soya Lecithin, Polyglycerol Polyricinoleate), Butteroil, Vanilla Flavouring.
Milk Chocolate With A Soft Chocolate Flavoured Centre (34%): Sugar, Invert Sugar Syrup, Cocoa Butter, Dried Whole Milk, Cocoa Mass, Dried Whey, Vegetable Fat, Emulsifiers (Soya Lecithin, Polyglycerol Polyricinoleate), Vanilla Flavouring.
Contains Vegetable Fat In Addition To Cocoa Butter
Milk Chocolate contains: Cocoa Solids 25% minimum, Milk Solids 14% minimum.
Milk Chocolate contains: Cocoa Solids 25% minimum
Allergen Declaration: Contains: Cow’s Milk, Soya
These should be available in Asda, Ocado, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.
They don’t do a dairy free one, though I’m sure they used to do them to order; they had problems with the chocolates all falling to the bottom of the box in transit. Do they still do the dairy free one anyone?
Celtic Chocolates
Celtic chocolates have produced a Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Wheat Free and Egg Free calendar with a grinch on the front. Made with rice, a delicious alternative to milk chocolate.
Ingredients: Allergen Advice: contains soya. No nuts used in the factory by the manufacturer. Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Cocoa Mass, Rice Powder (rice syrup, rice starch, rice flour) Inulin, Coconut Oil, Natural Flavourings, Emulsifier (soya lecithin).
Or you could go for the healthier option and search for an old fashioned one with a proper picture in your local post office or WHSmiths. They last for years too so no waste.
And to all you chocolate advent calendar suppliers out there. Can we have a luxury adult version which is nut AND dairy free please with a higher cocoa content? Much better for you too! Please?
You can also now get a Nomo and So Free Christmas Advent Calendar.
Also check out this great blog with loads more to choose from in The Best Allergy Advent Calendars, thanks to the Allergy Team.
I didn’t get a chocolate when I opened number 14 on the Bonbon buddies advent calendar
Oh no! What a dissappointment. I donated mine to my husband who was cycling to work on this miserable wet and windy morning. Perhaps it’s slipped to the bottom of the box? You might find a nice surprise when you can take the box apart. Can you shake it and see? Or maybe, a naughty elf opened it before you got there and nicked the chocolate? PS. BonBon buddies sounds good. Never heard of that one. Are you in the US?