One of my children was diagnosed with a dairy allergy around two years old. Since then, he has been living dairy free. That’s over twelve years and counting. Even though he is already in his teens, I can still remember the days when I started learning how make dairy free versions of well loved dishes like mac and cheese, ice cream, smoothies, mashed potatoes and more.
As time moves, a lot has changed in the food industry to accommodate people who can’t or choose not to have dairy in their diets. Unlike the past decade, regular grocery stores now have an abundant stock of milk free “cheeses, buttery spreads, ice creams and whatever you fancy. Even the tastes and textures have improved too. That is why when our friends from MomsMeet asked me if my kids and I are open to try a new dairy free pudding, it’s an instant “YES”.
Here’s a peek of what they sent me. A nice size insulated bag filled with Wayfare Dairy Free Puddings, an insulated water bottle and cute spatula.
Are you familiar with the Wayfare brand?
To be really honest, this was actually the first time I heard of the company. Even though I was a staple of Expos pre-pandemic and has been active in the food allergy community for almost a decade, I was never familiar with the Wayfare Dairy Free Brand.
While I was very open and excited to try the products they sent, there was part of me that was a bit skeptical. Let’s just say that after tasting so many dairy free alternatives through out the years, my standards have also increased. Gone where the days when it’s okay as long as it doesn’t contain dairy.
For this review, I was sent all the three pudding flavors – vanilla, chocolate and butterscotch. Yes, dairy free butterscotch pudding!
Aside from the eye-catching packaging, I was really surprised with the consistency of the pudding. Unlike those “regular milk based puddings available in the refrigerated section for decades, these Wayfare Foods puddings hold their shape, not jiggly or even watery. Its was dessert that you would expect to get in fancier restaurants, not in grocery shelves.
The kids and I all agree that the texture was very smooth and creamy. The vanilla flavored ones tend to be a bit softer but the chocolate and butterscotch flavors were exceptionally light with the right balance of airiness and thickness.
Flavor wise, we liked that the puddings are not overly sweet. While its sweet enough to satisfy that dessert craving, it had enough room for fruit, chocolate, syrups or any toppings to make it an elegant sweet course.
The chocolate was rich and decadent. While the butterscotch was a real treat because it has that warm caramel like taste which is often very hard to find dairy free. As for the vanilla, its delicious but we all felt that it lacks some flavor. Compared to the chocolate and butterscotch which are full of flavor, the vanilla one seemed like an after thought. We were expecting some stronger hints of vanilla or even some specks to make it more artisan made.
Price wise, a pack of 4 cups retails around $7.49. For something that is free of 10 common allergens – dairy, gluten/wheat, peanuts, tree nuts (except for highly processed coconut oil), soy, fish, shellfish, sesame and mustard, it is quite affordable. If that doesn’t sound enticing enough, these puddings are also certified gluten free, organic and vegan.
I know most food allergy parents are asking, how about the facility. So far, all the products are from a dairy free creamery. I contacted them about the other allergens but as of this writing, I’m still waiting for their response. I’ll let you know as soon as I hear from them.
Lastly, I sure you are all wondering what was the base items they used to make it dairy free. The answer is – Organic Butter Beans and Organic Oats. Yes, I also inquired if the oats are certified gluten free. So come back once I get the updates.
To sum up, my children and I were both surprised and delighted to find out how delicious Wayfare Foods Puddings are. We all agreed that chocolate was our favorite and these puddings are not part of our staples.
Have you tried any dairy free products from Wayfare Foods? Let me know in the comments section what you think of them.
Hugs,
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