Boom Choco Boom Crispy Rice Milk Chocolate Bar

(Note: Contains Honey) This is an allergy friendly rice milk chocolate bar made by Enjoy Life. It is like an allergy friendly crunch bar. It was really stupid of me not to re-read the ingredients before beginning this post. But, since I have already eaten one square and uploaded the photos, I might as well continue my post about it.

The taste is okay. I really enjoy dark chocolate so this seems really sweet and otherwise bland. The texture is nice though. The little rice crisps' saltiness adds to the overall flavor of the bar. These seem to be a great chocolate bar alternative for kids with allergies.

Ingredients: Evaporated cane juice, Non-dairy cocoa butter, Natural chocolate liquor (non-alcoholic), Rice crisps (rice flour, rice bran, raisin juice concentrate, honey, salt), Rice milk powder (rice syrup powder, rice starch, rice flour, carrageenan), salt.

Nutrition: A serving is one package. 220 calories, 140 fat calories. Total fat 15g, Saturated fat 10g, Sodium 30mg, Total carbohydrate 22g, Fiber 1g, Sugars 16g, Protein 1g.

I guess this chocolate bar proves that animal products are lurking everywhere. I'm not going to rate this product as it doesn't fit into my vegan criteria.

Mahalo Candy Bar

Today was a fabulous day. A: I received my report card and I am doing insanely well in all of my classes. B: I got a package from Go Max Go Foods today. C: Theater rehearsal went great (I play Marty in Grease). D: I spent the rest of the day with my mom hitting up Wegmans for dinner (best salad bar ever) and shopping til we dropped. Woah, rewind. What was B? That's right, Go Max Go sent me a package. What was in that package? Four of the best candy bars known to mankind. Why was I sent this package? Well a few days ago I sent Go Max Go Foods an email questioning the use of Palm Kernel Oil in their products rather than Cocoa Butter. I got a lengthy, informative response regarding the chemistry that goes into making these candy bars. In addition to this, the reader of my email, Susan, followed my link to this blog where she noted the poor appearance of my Twilight bar. She explained to me that the white splotches were due to changes in climate and could have happened during the shipping and handling of the product or even in my house. She then asked for my address and stated her intentions of sending me a Twilight bar in better physical condition. She of course did (very quickly might I add) along with Twilight's three best friends and a handwritten post-it note which reads "Hi Emily :) Enjoy! -Go Max Go." So, after a great day its time to review the last Go Max Go candy bar: Mahalo (veganized Almond Joy).

Well, the rice-milk chocolate is consistently yummy. The almonds have a deliciously fresh roasted taste. The coconut center is super sweet and really.. coconutty. I don't know why I'm not a huge fan of coconut, but I will say this is probably something coconut people or previous Almond Joy fans would enjoy. The texture is dense, chewy, and grainy.

Ingredients (Vegan): Dessicated coconut, Evaporated cane juice, Rice syrup, Palm kernel oil, Agave syrup, Beet sugar, Almonds (dry roasted), Cocoa powder (natural), Rice powder (rice syrup solids, rice starch, rice flour, carrageenan), Palm oil, Natural flavors, Soybean lecithin, Enzyme modified soy protein, Salt.

Nutrition: One serving is 57g or one bar. 280 calories per serving, 170 calories from fat. Total fat 19g, Saturated fat 16g, Sodium 55mg, Total carbohydrate 26g, Dietary fiber 1g, Sugars 18g, Protein 3g.

So, I am beyond impressed with this company. Personal preference steers me away from these bars but there is nothing quality-wise wrong with them. There is nothing wrong with them texture-wise or flavor-wise either (for those who enjoy coconut). I give these bars a 6 out of 10. I give Go Max Go a 36274891950 out of 10.

Twilight Candy Bar

For the past week I have been out of town, in Florida actually, hence the lack of new entries. But now that I'm home, I have finally decided to review the Go Max Go Twilight candy bar. This is the vegan equivalent of a Milky Way. It is described as caramel and chocolatey nougat with a rice-milk chocolatey coating. Upon opening, there are some obvious physical abnormalities. The chocolate is speckled with a white-ish substance. I'll admit it is kind of freaky and I've never encountered an issue with these bars before. However, it was entirely sealed and therefore hardly inedible.

The caramel is soft and sweet with a sort of buttery flavor. The chocolatey nougat tastes the same as in the Buccaneer though maybe a bit less chewy. The rice-milk chocolate coating is deliciously sweet and melty and the whole combination is really terrific flavor-wise. My only issue, as with the buccaneer bar, is the lack of texture. I wish there were some sort of crunch to these like in the Jokerz.

Ingredients (Vegan): Corn syrup, Beet sugar, Evaporated cane juice, Palm kernel oil, Palm oil, Cocoa powder (natural and alkalized), Rice powder (rice syrup powder, rice starch, rice flour, carrageenan), Soy protein concentrate, Dextrose, Natural flavors, Soybean lecithin, Salt, Malt powder (extract of barley malt and corn), Enzyme modified soy protein, Carrageenan.

Nutrition: A serving is 60 grams or one bar. 250 calories per serving, 80 calories from fat. Total fat 9g, Saturated fat 5g, Sodium 85mg, Total carbohydrate 42g, Dietary fiber 1g, Sugars 29g, Protein 1g.

As I said, my only complaint is the texture thing, but then again this isn't a new candy bar, just a veganized version of something classic. So, overall I find this bar pretty delicious and totally satisfying. I am interested to see if Go Max Go comes out with any other rice-milk chocolate confections. This one is a solid 9 out of 10.

Buccaneer Candy Bar

As I continue my reviews of veganized candy bars, I decided today was the day for the Buccaneer. This candy bar by Go Max Go Foods is the vegan alternative to a 3 Musketeers. It is described as chocolately nougat with a rice-milk chocolatey coating. The first difference I notice between this and the Jokerz is the shape. The Buccaneer is rounder, more log-shaped whereas the Jokerz is more of a rectangle shape.

The first bite is soft and chewy. It is very sweet with warm cocoa tones, kind of like hot cocoa. It becomes enjoyably grainy as it dissolves. I wouldn't say these are just like a 3 Musketeers because I haven't had one of those in years. I do however remember them having a lighter chocolatey center. The center in this candy bar is more chewy than fluffy. Thats definitely not a bad thing in my book.

Ingredients (Vegan): Beet sugar, Corn syrup, Evaporated cane juice, Palm kernel oil, Cocoa powder (natural and alkalized), Rice powder (rice syrup powder, rice starch, rice flour, carrageenan), Palm oil, Malt powder (extract of barley malt and corn), Enzyme modified soy protein, Salt, Natural flavors, Soybean lecithin.

Nutrition: A serving is 57g (one bar). 230 calories, 60 calories from fat, Total fat 7g, Saturated fat 6g, Sodium 75mg, Total carbohydrate 43g, Dietary fiber 1g, Sugars 33g, Protein 1g.

These have the least calories of all the bars and only 26% of the total calories are from fat (Jokerz is about 46% fat). I really enjoyed this but found it to be lacking in texture. I couldn't finish the whole bar because it was so rich. The flavor is great though. I rate this a 9 out of 10.

Jokerz Candy Bar

Go Max Go Foods is a relatively new company that makes a line of vegan candy bars. These implicitly imitate some of the most popular mainstream chocolate bars of nonvegan candy lovers. The four bars are Jokerz (like a Snickers), Twilight (like a Milky Way), Buccaneer (like a 3 Musketeers), and Mahalo (like an Almond Joy). I received the first three in my stocking at Christmas and was never so inclined to buy a Mahalo as I never actually enjoyed Almond Joys in my pre-vegan days. These can be found at Wegmans for about $2.00 each. They can also be ordered online at veganessentials.com.

The first thing i notice after taking a bite is the fresh roasted peanut taste. After that subsides, the caramel which has a very slight pull and grainy texture (or maybe the grain is from the nougat) comes through. The caramel is sweet, sugary, and kind of buttery (with a nice hint of salt). The rice milk chocolate is delicious, kind of cool on the tongue but has very little cocoa notes (I don't mind). The nougat is delicious too, chewy and sweet. You can only imagine how everything tastes together. It's just how I remember a Snickers bar.. minus all the guilty feelings :) I also for some reason remember Snickers being a bit drier.

Ingredients (Vegan): Corn syrup, Peanuts (dry roasted), Beet sugar, Evaporated cane juice, Palm kernal oil, Cocoa powder (natural), Palm oil, Rice powder (rice syrup powder, rice starch, rice flour, carrageenan), Soy protein concentrate, Dextrose, Natural flavors, Malt powder (extract of barley malt and corn), Soybean lecithin, Salt, Carrageenan, Enzyme modified soy protein.

Nutrition: A serving is 60g (or one bar). 280 calories per serving, 130 calories from fat, Total fat 15g, Saturated fat 6g, Sodium 95mg, Total carbohydrate 33g, Dietary fiber 2g, Sugars 22g, Protein 5g.

So, this is by no means a light treat. It's actually quite fattening. However this is candy so who cares? After all it is vegan, there is no cholesterol (obviously), there is no contribution to animal cruelty, and it is absolutely delicious. I can't wait to review the other two bars. It would be cool if these came in smaller sizes and maybe dark chocolate varieties. Overall though, I have no complaints. I rate this a 10 out of 10.