Allergy-Free Halloween Candy Round-Up 2015

By Kelley Lindberg

Go Teal! The teal pumpkin means we
have non-food treats available!

Every year I hit the stores looking for Halloween candy, and I share a list of common candies and the allergens they list. This year, I have been burning the candle at both ends and in the middle and haven’t had a chance to do that. But I’m going to post last year’s list, because I don’t usually see much variation year to year, so last year’s list will at least give you a starting point as you help your little trick-or-treaters sort through their candy loot.

If you still need to find candies free from all of the Top 8 allergens or free from corn, Target had a large supply of YumEarth Gummy Bears, Gummy Worms, and Lollipops yesterday when I was there (each $3.14 bag contains 10 individually wrapped packets). Dollar Tree always has a surprising amount of safe “icky” choices, like gummy skeletons and lollipops shaped like skulls, so if you’re looking for something fun and gross to put on top of cupcakes, for example, try Dollar Tree. They also carry the best peanut-free and tree nut-free candy corn I’ve found, from Crystal Bay. (I think Crystal Bay candy corn tastes better than Brach’s, anyway!)

A BIG WARNING:  CHECK EVERY PIECE, EVERY TIME.

Large companies use multiple factories. That means the same candy may be produced in different places, with different allergens present. So CHECK LABELS on every single piece of candy. Wonka is one of the worst companies for producing the same candy in different packages containing different allergen warnings, but they are one of the best at individually labeling their candies so you can verify its safety before every bite. A few candies may have changed their ingredients and moved to other places in my list from last year -- a good reminder to check old favorites. When in doubt, call the manufacturer for clarification (most list a phone number right on their package).

First I’ll list candies that don’t list corn as an ingredient (because there aren’t very many of them). Then I’ll list the candies and treats that do contain corn, but are free from some or all of the Top 8 allergens (peanuts, tree nuts, milk, egg, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish).

By the way, EVERYTHING on this entire list is nut-free and peanut-free. That's where I started, then I broke them down by the other allergens. I hope it helps simplify your Halloween!

Corn-free as well as free from Top 8:

YumEarth is at Target, and
this year they're even cheaper!

• Bob’s Sweet Stripes Soft Mint Candies (red & white peppermints) (Sam’s Club)
• Cotton Candy (Parade brand, Sam’s Club, 8 tubs per package)
• Cotton Candy in Candy Corn and Boo-Berry flavors (Dollar Tree)
• Cotton Candy, Hello Kitty (Dollar Tree)
• YumEarth Gummy Bears and Gummy Worms (in Target!)
• YumEarth Organic Pops (in Target!)

Everything from here on down contains corn ingredients:

Free from Top 8 (Wheat, Peanut, Tree Nut, Milk, Egg, Soy, Fish, Shellfish):

• Baby Bottle Pops (Sam’s Club)
• Betty Crocker Halloween Fruit Snacks
• Bubble Babies Gum Balls (contains coconut, Dollar Tree)
• Candy Jewelry (Dollar Tree)
• Dots
• Dum-Dums
• Giant Lollipop (Dollar Tree)
• Grave Gummies (contains coconut) (Dollar Tree)
• Gummy Body Parts (contains coconut oil) (Dollar Tree – coffins and bags) [Note: 2 years ago, 
• Walmart sold Frankford Candy Body Parts that contained peanuts, nuts, milk, soy, beef, and corn, so read company name and ingredients carefully]
• Gummy Turtle Power Candy Pizza (contains beef gelatin, Dollar Tree)
• Halloween Pops (contain gelatin, Dollar Tree)
• Haribo Gummy Bears (contains coconut)
• Hello Kitty Family Favorites Candy Mix (Dollar Tree)
• Hot Tamales
• Hubba Bubba bubble gum
• Jelly Belly trick-or-treat-sized packets of jelly beans (Target)
• Jolly Rancher
• Life Savers
• Life Savers Lollipops
• Life Savers Gummies (contains gelatin, possibly pork-derived, although I can’t verify)
• Market Pantry Spooky Shapes fruit snacks (Target – contains pork gelatin)
• Mike & Ike
• Pixy Stix, regular and giant (Sam’s Club carries a package of 50 Giant Pixy Stix)
• Push Pops
• Ring Pops
• Skittles
• Skulls & Bones Hard Candy (Dollar Tree)
• Smarties
• Sour Patch Kids (but be careful—the Sour Patch Twists contain wheat, so read labels carefully)
• Spiderman Villains Candy Sticks (contains beef gelatin) (Dollar Tree)
• Spongebob Gummy Krabby Patties (beef gelatin) (Dollar Tree)
• Spooky Lollipop Rings (Dollar Tree)
• Starbursts
• Swedish Fish
• Tic Tacs
• Trolli Sour Brite Crawlers (gummi worms) (Sam’s Club – contains gelatin)

Contains Soy or Soy Warning (but free from other 7 top allergens):

• Bon Bon Boom Lollipops (Dollard Tree)
• Cry Baby Extra Sour Bubble Gum (Dollar Tree)
• Hubba Bubba Bubble Tape
• Jolly Rancher Crunch ‘n’ Chew (last year, these had soy listed, but I didn’t find any this year, so I can’t verify ingredients. Call the company at 800-468-1714)
• Jolly Rancher Fruit Chews (last year, these had soy listed, but I didn’t find any this year, so I can’t verify ingredients. Call the company at 800-468-1714)
• Jolly Rancher Lollipops (last year, these had soy listed, but I didn’t find any this year, so I can’t verify ingredients. Call the company at 800-468-1714)
• Laffy Taffy
• Laffy Taffy Ropes (Sam’s Club)
• Lollipop Skulls (Dollar Tree)
• Market Pantry Candy Corn Flavored Kettle-Cooked Popcorn (Target)
• Scary Eyeballs Bubble Gum (Dollar Tree)
• SweeTarts Chews (check every individual Wonka candy label because ingredients vary by assortment, and SweeTarts GUMMIES contain a warning for peanuts, tree nuts, milk, soy, and wheat!!!)
• Gum: Dentyne, Trident, Orbit, Eclipse, Wrigley’s (Doublemint, Winterfresh, Big Red, Juicy Fruit, Spearmint, etc.)

Contains Wheat or Wheat warning (but free from other 7 top allergens):

• Red Vines
• Scooby-Doo Sour Straws (beef) (Dollar Tree)
• Sour Punch Twists
• Twizzler’s Pull ‘n’ Peel (these don’t list soy, although regular Twizzlers do, so read carefully)
• Twizzler’s Strawberry Twists (these don’t list soy, although regular Twizzlers do, so read carefully)
• Twizzler’s Rainbow Twists (these don’t list soy, although regular Twizzlers do, so read carefully)

Contains Milk or Milk warning (but free from other 7 top allergens):

• Pop Rocks
• Popping Candy (Dollar Tree)
• Pumpkin Face Bubble Gum in Jar (Target)

Contains Egg or Egg warning (but free from other 7 top allergens):

• Bottlecaps (check every individual Wonka candy label because ingredients vary by assortment – some have wheat warning)
• Gobstoppers (check every individual Wonka candy label because ingredients vary by assortment)
• Nerds (check every individual Wonka candy label because ingredients vary by assortment – some have wheat warning)
• Nerds Ropes(check every individual Wonka candy label because ingredients vary by assortment)
• Spree (check every individual Wonka candy label because ingredients vary by assortment)
• SweeTarts (check every individual Wonka candy label because ingredients vary by assortment, and SweeTarts GUMMIES contain a warning for peanuts, tree nuts, milk, soy, and wheat!!!)
• SweeTarts Mini (check every individual Wonka candy label because ingredients vary by assortment, and SweeTarts GUMMIES contain a warning for peanuts, tree nuts, milk, soy, and wheat!!!)
• SweeTart Twists (check every individual Wonka candy label because ingredients vary by assortment, and SweeTarts GUMMIES contain a warning for peanuts, tree nuts, milk, soy, and wheat!!!)

Contains Soy and Wheat or warnings (but free from other 6 top allergens):

• Airheads
• Twizzlers

Contains Milk and Soy or warnings (but free from other 6 top allergens):

• Charms Blow Pops
• Double Bubble gum (check every individual Double Bubble candy label because ingredients vary by assortment and store)
• Hershey’s Chocolate bars, the 1.55 ounce size ONLY (the S’mores size) (all other sizes contain nut warnings)
• Kraft Caramels
• Sixlets candy-coated chocolate drops
• Tootsie Pops
• Tootsie Rolls
• Tootsie Fruit Rolls

Contains Wheat and Egg or warnings (but free from other 6 top allergens):

• Bottlecaps (check every individual Wonka candy label because ingredients vary by assortment – some don’t have wheat warning)
• Nerds (check every individual Wonka candy label because ingredients vary by assortment – some don’t have wheat warning)
• Nerds Ropes (Sam’s Club)
• Shockers (check every individual Wonka candy label because ingredients vary) (Sam’s Club)
• SweeTarts (check every individual Wonka candy label because ingredients vary by assortment – some don’t have wheat warning)

Contains Wheat and Milk or warnings (but free from other 6 top allergens):

• Utz Halloween Pretzel Treats (contains sesame warning, too)

Contains Soy, Milk, and Egg or warnings (but free from other 5 top allergens):

• Sugar Daddies (Dollar Tree)

Non-Candy Ideas (can find packs of individual serving sizes at warehouse stores like Sam’s Club):

• Boom Chicka Pop Sea Salt Popcorn (Target – 16 individual bags per container)
• Chex Mix (contains wheat, soy, and corn)
• David’s Sunflower seeds
• Funyuns Onion Flavored Rings (contains milk, soy, and corn)
• Jack Link’s beef jerky (contains beef, free from Top 8)
• Keebler Crème-Filled Sugar Wafer Cookies (contains soy, wheat, and cornstarch)
• Lay’s Potato Chips (free from Top 8)
• Nabisco Lorna Doone cookies (contains wheat, corn, and soy)
• Oberto Beef Jerky (contains beef, free from the Top 8)
• Oreos (contains soy, wheat, and corn)
• Slim Jim Meat Sticks (contains beef, chicken, soy, wheat, and corn)
• Zoo Animals crackers (Sam’s Club, contains wheat, corn, soy, milk)
• Drinks, like Kool-Aid Jammers or Capri Suns, or sodas in mini-cans – check ingredients

Watch Out for These:

• The following candies may land in your child’s trick-or-treat bags, and they may not have ingredients labels, so watch out for them:
• Bazooka Gum-Filled Pops – lists only corn, but comes in an assortment listing all allergens in a factory warning
• Banana Splits (sold at Sam’s Club in an assortment. Contains soy and egg, and has factory warning for peanuts, tree nuts, and milk)
• Brachs – everything this manufacturer seems to make has peanut and nut warnings, plus some of the other allergens, depending on the product.
• Columbina candies – all have a factory warning for peanuts, egg, tree nuts, soy, milk, and wheat
• Goetze’s Caramel Creams (sold at Sam’s Club in an assortment. Contains wheat, milk, and soy.)
• Hershey’s: All mini and fun-sized Hershey’s chocolates contain nut warnings and should be avoided. Plain milk-chocolate and dark-chocolate Hershey’s kisses are nut-free, but contain milk. Most flavored Hershey’s kisses (caramel, cherry-filled, etc.) list nut contamination. The only nut-free size of Hershey bars is the 1.55 ounce size (the type commonly sold alongside graham crackers and marshmallows for S’Mores.)
• IBC Root Beer Barrels (sold at Sam’s Club in an assortment. Has factory warning for peanuts, tree nuts, milk, soy)
• Jawbreakers contain only sucrose, but packaged in an assortment that lists all the allergens in a factory warning
• Lemonheads contain only corn, but are usually found in assortment bags that include warnings for all the allergens on the overall packaging
• Mary Janes (sold at Sam’s Club in an assortment. Contains peanuts and soy, and has factory warning for tree nuts, wheat, milk, and egg)
• Slo Poke (sold at Sam’s Club in an assortment. Contains soy and milk, and has factory warning for peanuts, tree nuts, and milk)
• Taffy: For the first time this year, there are 2 taffy brands that are nut free. One is made by Taffy Town, and local company, but theirs do contain eggs, milk, and soy. http://www.taffytown.com/ The other is by an online store called Sweet Pete’s http://www.sweetpetescandy.com/search?x=0&y=0&q=taffy , which advertises that their taffy is made in a nut-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free facility. Other than those two sources, I have not found any other taffy that is nut-free, so assume most taffy in your child’s trick-or-treat bucket contains nut contamination.
• Tiger Pops – packaging lists all allergens
• Warheads – various packaging lists some or all Top 8 allergens in factory warnings

Allergy-Free Halloween Candy Round-Up 2012, Part 2 (Local Stores) and Great Candy Corn Hunt!

by Kelley Lindberg


*Please remember to vote for my blog every day until Oct 17, in the Circle of Moms Top 25 Food Allergy Blogs contest. Click the icon to the right to vote – it’s easy, and I really appreciate you helping me reach more food-allergy readers!*

Last week, I told you about some places online to order your allergen-free Halloween candy. This week, I’ll tell you about the candy I found in stores locally. Believe it or not, there are plenty of choices besides Skittles and Starbursts! (Although I’m not dissing S & S – we love them, and they are our favorite go-to brands!)

But first… “The Great Candy Corn Hunt 2012” is on!

• Nut-free candy corn: Your best bet is Sunrise candy corn, available at the Dollar Tree or online from Peanut Free Planet. Sunrise candy corn contains egg and soy.
• Egg-free and peanut-free candy corn: Jelly Belly candy corn. It contains soy protein, and it’s manufactured on shared equipment with milk, wheat, tree nuts, and coconut, but they say their manufacturing and cleaning processes are very stringent. You can order Jelly Belly candy corn from Jelly Belly’s website, or from Amazon. You may also find them in stores that sell Jelly Belly candy, like Smith’s.

Now, on to the Halloween candy I found in local stores. This year, I hit Sam’s Club, Walmart, Target, and Dollar Tree.

A BIG WARNING:  CHECK EVERY PIECE, EVERY TIME.

Large companies use multiple factories. That means the same candy may be produced in different places, with different allergens present. So CHECK LABELS on every single piece of candy. Wonka is one of the worst companies for producing the same candy in different packages containing different allergen warnings, but they are one of the best at individually labeling their candies so you can verify its safety before every bite. Another example: Ring Pops in Halloween flavors from Target and Walmart appear free from the Top 8. But the Ring Pops from Sam’s Club have a milk warning. So they were probably made in different factories. And a few candies have changed their ingredients and moved to other places in my list -- a good reminder to even check old favorites.

I’ve done my best to give you a representative list of what I found, to help make your candy shopping trip a little easier. But please double-check every label before you purchase, and if in doubt, call the manufacturer for clarification (most list a phone number right on their package).

I may have missed something or made mistakes as I scribbled my notes while standing in the aisles. (That goes for prices, too – sometimes it’s hard to tell the prices for different sizes of packages, so forgive me if I get something wrong!) If you find a mistake, let me know. Also, if you find a great source for safe candy, let me know that, too.

First I’ll list candies that don’t list corn as an ingredient (because there aren’t very many of them). Then I’ll list the candies and treats that do contain corn, but are free from some or all of the Top 8 allergens (peanuts, tree nuts, milk, egg, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish).

By the way, EVERYTHING on this entire list is NUT-FREE and PEANUT-FREE. That's where I started, then I broke them down by the other allergens. I hope it helps simplify your Halloween season!

CORN-FREE as well as free from Top 8
(These candies don’t list corn syrup in their ingredients, so they may be safe for corn-allergic kids – please double-check ingredients. Some list dextrose, and that can come from corn, so contact the manufacturer directly if you are allergic to corn):

• Smarties (Target - 67 pcs for $2.66 or 210 pcs for $7.99; Walmart – 165 pcs for $4.48.
• Pixie Stix (Target, 120 for $2.69)
• Giant Pixy Stix (Sam’s Club, 50 giant stix for $11.78)
• Bob’s Sweet Stripes Soft Mint Candies (red & white peppermints) (Sam’s Club, 290 for $6.98)
• Test Tube Powder Candy (doesn’t list corn, but does list “glucose syrup”) (Dollar Tree, 8 tubes for $1)
• Candy Jewelry (doesn’t list corn, but does list “glucose syrup”), (Dollar Tree, 15 pcs for $1)
• Spongebob Gummy Krabby Patties (doesn’t list corn, but has “glucose syrup” and beef gelatin) (Dollar Tree, 10 for $1)
• Skulls & Bones Hard Candy (contains dextrose) (Dollar Tree, 11 for $1)
• Too Tarts Spray Candy (contains sucralose) (Sam’s Club, 12 for $9.02)

CORN-FREE, but contains Soy warning:

• Bakers & Chefs Starlight Mints (contains “glucose syrup” and traces of soy); (Sam’s Club has 620 for $7.48)

Everything from here on down contains corn ingredients

Free from Top 8 (Wheat, Peanut, Tree Nut, Milk, Egg, Soy, Fish, Shellfish):

• Betty Crocker Halloween Fruit Snacks; (Sam’s Club - 48 pouches for $7.48; Walmart - 28 pouches for $4.96)
• Betty Crocker Fruit Roll-ups, Halloween designs with tattoos (Target – 36 for ???; Walmart – 36 for $4.96)
• Kellogg’s Fruity Snacks (contains coconut oil) (Sam’s Club - 24 per box, $6.98
• Market Pantry Halloween Fruit-Flavored Snacks (Target – 54 for $7.99)
• Great Value Fruit Smiles (Walmart - 42 pouches for $5.28)
• 24 Halloween Jelly LolliPops (Sam’s Club - 24 for $7.98)
• Skittles Funsize pouches (Walmart - 20 for $2.28; Target - 21 for $2.66 or 80 for $7.99; Sam’s Club - vending size pouches, 36 for $19.88)
• Starbursts Funsize pouches (Walmart - 32 for $2.28; Target - 32 for $2.66; Sam’s Club – vending size pouches, 36 for $19.88)
• Starburst Gummiburst (contains coconut oil) (Walmart – 12 for $2.28)
• Skittles and Starbursts Assortment (Sam’s Club – 172 for $10.98 or 30 vending size pouches for $14.58; Walmart - 55 for $4.48; Target – 105 for $9.99 or 55 for $4.99)
• Skittles, Starbursts, and LifeSaver Gummies assortment (Target – 315 for $13.99; Walmart – 180 for $13.88)
• Skittles Twist ‘n Pour (candies in a plastic pumpkin or ghost dispenser) (Target - $1 each, or 12 for $13.99)
• Dum-Dums (Sam’s Club - 360 for $8.52; or Target has 320 for 9.99; Dollar Tree - 25 for $1; Walmart 160 for $4.48 or 70 for $2.28)
• Dum-Dum & Smarties Assortment (Target – 200 for $7.99)
• Ring Pops, Halloween flavors (Walmart – 22 for $4.48; Target – 2 for $1) [NOTE: Ring Pops from Sam’s Club have a milk warning, so read all labels!]
• Market Pantry Sour Gummy Worms (Target - single hang-bag for $1)
• Trolli Gummy Candy Mix (Target – 50 for $7.99)
• Comix Mix Candy Stix (contains beef gelatin) (Dollar Tree – 22 for $1)
• Marvel Heroes Candy Sticks (contains beef gelatin) (Dollar Tree - 22 for $1)
• Jolly Rancher (Sam’s Club - 5 lb bag of 378 pcs for $10.48; Target – 3 lb bag of 285 pcs for $8.49)
• Push Pops (Sam’s Club – 24 for $10.62)
• Hot Tamales (Sam’s Club - 24 vending-sized packs for $14.17)
• Mike & Ike (Sam’s Club - 24 vending-sized packs for $14.17; Target – 63 for $7.99)
• Sour Patch Zombie Kids (Target – 80 for $7.99)
• Sour Patch Kids (Sam’s Club - 24 vending-sized packs for $13.32)
• Swedish Fish (Sam’s Club - 24 vending-sized packs for $13.32)
• Dots (Dollar Tree - 6 mini-boxes for $1)
• Life Savers Big Ring Gummies (Walmart – 32 for $2.28)
• Bubble Babies Bubble Gum (Dollar Tree - 88 for $1)
• Bubble Babies Sour Gum Balls (contains coconut), (Dollar Tree - 77 for $1)
• Spooky Lollipop Rings (Dollar Tree – 5 for $1)
• Mini Sour Dudes Straws (Dollar Tree - 10 for $1)
• Zombie Fingers (Dollar Tree – 4 for $1)
• Bloody Bites (plastic fangs with blood bags of blood-colored liquid candy) (Dollar Tree – 8 for $1)
• Gummy Body Parts (Dollar Tree – coffins and bags of 12 for $1) [Note: Walmart sells Frankford Candy Body Parts that contain peanuts, nuts, milk, soy, beef, and corn, so read company name and ingredients carefully]
• Monster Pops Lollipops (Dollar Tree – 6 for $1)
• Grave Gummies (contains coconut) (Dollar Tree - 12 for $1)
• Life Savers Spooky Shapes Gummies (Target – single box for $1)
• Box of Boogers (Target – $1 each)
• Spooky Lip Pop (Target – $1 each)
• Snoopy Gummies (Target - $1 each)

Contains Soy or Soy Warning (but free from other 7 top allergens):

• Wrigley’s Gum (Doublemint, Winterfresh, Big Red, Juicy Fruit, Spearmint) (Sam’s Club - 40 5-stick packs for $7.14)
• Laffy Taffy Ropes (Sam’s Club – 48 ropes, $9.52)
• Laffy Taffy (Sam’s Club’s – in tub of 145 for $6.22, or in Wonka Mixups bag, which contains candy with egg, 270 for $9.98)
• Jolly Rancher Fruit Chews (Sam’s Club – 12 boxes for $6.72, or in Jolly Rancher & Twizzler Assortment, which has candy with wheat, 225 for $10.98)
• Jolly Rancher Lollipops (Sam’s Club – in Jolly Rancher & Twizzler Assortment, which has candy with wheat, 225 for $10.98)
• Jolly Rancher Assortment (Target – 120 for $7.99)
• Jolly Rancher Watermelon Stix and Apple Stix (Walmart – in Jolly Rancher & Twizzler Assortment, which has candy with wheat, 100 for $4.48)
• Double Bubble Bubble Gum (Target – 38.5 ounce bag for $7.99; Walmart – 160 for $4.48)
• Lollipop Skulls (Dollar Tree – 16 for $1)

Contains Wheat or Wheat warning (but free from other 7 top allergens):

• Twizzlers Cherry Pull N Peel (comes in assortments with Twizzlers containing wheat) (Target – assortment of 120 for $7.99; Walmart – assortment of 100 for $4.48)
• Disney Candy Mix (Target – 120 for $7.99)
• Marvel Candy Mix (Target – 120 for $7.99)
• Twizzler Strawberry Twists and Twizzler Filled Twists, in Twizzler & Jolly Rancher assortment (Walmart – 100 for $4.48; Sam’s Club – 225 for $10.98; Target – 120 for $7.99)

Contains Milk or Milk warning (but free from other 7 top allergens):

• Ring Pops (Sam’s Club - 40 for $9.98)
• Exploding Candy (Dollar Tree - 25 pouches for $1)

Contains Egg or Egg warning (but free from other 7 top allergens):

• Nerds, SweeTarts, Bottlecaps, and Laffy Taffy (which contains soy) in Wonka Mixups bag (Sam’s Club – 270 for $9.98)
• Spooky Nerds, SweeTart Skull & Bones, and Howlin’ Laffy Taffy (which contains soy) in Wonka Monster Treats bag (Walmart – 1.81 lbs for $4.48)

Contains Soy and Wheat or warnings (but free from other 6 top allergens):

• Twizzlers (Sam’s Club - tub of 180 individually wrapped for $7.24)
• Twizzler Snack Size Twists (Target - 60 for $2.66)
• Airheads (Sam’s Club: 90 for $8.98; Target – 60 for $7.99)
• Airhead Mini Bars (Target – 105 for $7.99; Walmart – 30 for $2.28)

Contains Milk and Soy or warnings (but free from other 6 top allergens):

• Charms Blow Pops (Sam’s Club - 100 for $8.86; Walmart - 50 for $4.48)
• Double Bubble gum (Walmart – 72 for $2.28) [Note: the Double Bubble Gum from Dollar Tree and from Target doesn’t have a milk warning, so they may use multiple factories. Check labels carefully before eating]
• Kraft Caramels (Walmart - 50 for $1.98)
• Sixlets (tiny cellophane tubes of 6 round candy-coated chocolate flavored balls): (Dollar Tree - 18 for $1; Target – 150 for $7.99)
• Tootsie Rolls Midges (Dollar Tree and Target carry, but I forgot to check prices; Sam’s Club – 760 for $7.48; Walmart – 360 for $4.48)
• Tootsie Roll large rolls, in jar (Sam’s Club – 96 for $8.34)
• Child’s Playtime Mix with Tootsie Fruit Rolls (corn, soy, milk), Dots (corn), Tootsie Pops (corn, soy, milk), Tootsie Rolls (corn, soy, milk). (Sam’s Club – 5.3 lbs for $9.78)
• Sugar Daddies (Dollar Tree – 10 for $1)
• Tootsie Pops (Dollar Tree – 11 for $1; Sam’s Club – 100 for $9.18; Walmart – 50 for $4.48)
• Hershey’s Chocolate bars, the 1.55 ounce size ONLY (most other sizes contain nut warnings) (Sam’s Club – 36 for $19.15)

Contains Wheat and Egg or warnings (but free from other 6 top allergens):

• Wonka Nerds Ropes (Sam’s Club - 24 for $13.18)
• Wonka Shockers (Sam’s Club – 24 for $13.18)
• Wonka Nerds (Sam’s Club – 24 boxes for $13.18, Target - 27 for $2.66)

Non-Candy Ideas:

• Angie’s Kettle Corn Classic Flavor, free from Top 8 (Target, 24 pouches for $7.99)
• Lay’s Potato Chips, free from Top 8 (Sam’s Club, 50 pouches for $11.98)
• Corn Nuts Ranch Flavor, contains soy but free from other 7 (Sam’s Club – 18 for $8.12)
• Funyuns Onion Flavored Rings, contains milk and soy (Sam’s Club – 50 pouches for $11.98)
• Oreos Minis, in Funsize packages, contains soy and wheat (Target – 18 for ???)
• Oreos, regular size, 30 packs of 6 cookies each, contains soy and wheat (Sam’s Club – $9.56)
• Keebler Crème-Filled Sugar Wafer Cookies, 24 packs of 10 cookies each, contains soy and wheat (Sam’s Club - $8.48)
• Slim Jim Meat Sticks, contains beef, chicken, soy, and wheat (Sam’s Club – 100 individually wrapped for $16.64)
• Drinks, like Kool-Aid Jammers or Capri Suns, or sodas in mini-cans (available everywhere) – check ingredients

Non-Food Ideas:
Don’t forget, you don’t have to hand out candy to your trick-or-treaters. Walmart, Target, Dollar Tree, and party stores like Zurchers, as well as Oriental Trading Company’s website have plenty of Halloween-themed novelties you can hand out, such as:

• Halloween Hot Wheels 5-pack (Target)
• Bat or spider rings
• Plastic bugs and creepy crawlies
• Halloween bouncy balls
• Vampire teeth
• Halloween-colored bracelets
• Halloween pencils or erasers
• Glow sticks or bracelets
• Drinking straws with Halloween figures on them

Watch Out for These:
The following candies may land in your child’s trick-or-treat bags, and they may not have ingredients labels, so watch out for them:

• Columbina candies – all have a factory warning for Peanuts, Egg, Tree Nuts, Soy, Milk, and Wheat
• Tiger Pops – packaging lists all allergens
• Lemonheads contain only corn, but are usually found in assortment bags that include warnings for all the allergens on the overall packaging
• Jawbreakers contain only sucrose (doesn’t list corn), but packaged in an assortment that lists all the allergens in a factory warning
• Warheads – various packaging lists some or all Top 8 allergens in factory warnings
• Bazooka Gum-Filled Pops – lists only corn, but comes in an assortment listing all allergens in a factory warning
• Cry Baby Sour Gumballs – contains corn
• All mini and fun-sized Hershey’s chocolates contain nut warnings and should be avoided. Plain milk-chocolate and dark-chocolate Hershey’s kisses are nut-free, but contain milk. Most flavored kisses (caramel, cherry-filled, etc.) list nut contamination. The only nut-free size of Hershey bars is the 1.55 ounce size (the type commonly sold alongside graham crackers and marshmallows for S’Mores.)
• I have not found any taffy that is nut-free, so assume all taffy contains nut contamination.

Ideas for Decorating Cupcakes or Party Food:

• Market Pantry Sour Gummy Worms (Target – single hang-bag for $1)
• Life Savers Spooky Shapes Gummies (Target – single box for $1)
• Dollar Tree has lots of spooky, creepy gummies and candies that would look great on cupcakes, Jell-O cups, or Rice Krispy Treats.
• Haribo Gummy Bears (contains corn and coconut, but free from Top 8), available at Target and other stores

Allergy-Free Halloween Candy Round-Up 2012, Part 1 (Online Sources)

by Kelley Lindberg


Halloween is creeping in on little black kitten paws…

And that means it’s time for my annual Allergy-Free Halloween Candy Round-Up!

Nothing stresses parents of food-allergic kids like holidays. And Halloween, with its focus on candy, is one of the scariest! But believe it or not, there are plenty of ways to satisfy almost every sweet tooth, no matter what allergies your little ones have.

I’ve been shopping locally for candy to see what types of allergen-free candy we can find in stores and online. But since most candies I’ve been finding locally contain corn syrup and food colorings, if those are your issues, your best bet may be to order your candy online. If that’s the case, you’ll want to order candy this week so that it arrives in plenty of time for Halloween parties and trick-or-treating. Online sources are also great for finding allergy-free chocolate, as well as unusual treats, like allergy-free brain-shaped lollipops! That’s why this week I’ll write about some online sources that offer great allergy-free Halloween candy.

• Indie Candy:  This site is the place to go for all-natural candy with no dyes or any of the Big 8 allergens at all! Most of their candy also appears to be corn-free, too. They have a large selection of confections including gorgeous crystal lollipops, chocolate, and gummis, and you can search by your specific allergy needs.
• Yummy Earth.  Yummy Earth candies (lollipops, drops, gummy bears, and gummy worms) are corn-free, as well as being free from the big 8, and they use natural colorings and flavorings. You can buy them online at www.YummyEarth.com and on Amazon.
• Peanut Free Planet: This allergy-friendly grocery site sells a ton of different candy from lots of different manufacturers, including Vermont Nut Free, Enjoy Life Foods, and Amanda’s Own. You’ll find chocolate, jelly beans, and all sorts of allergen-friendly groceries. They also sell KitKats, Mars bars, and Nestle Aero Milk chocolate bars that are made in a Canadian factory, and therefore nut-free (unlike their American factories). They also carry nut-free candy corn from A and J Bakery (but it contains egg whites and soy), as well as Surf Sweets jelly beans and gummies. Surf Sweets is a brand I’ve just learned about; they are organic, natural, gluten-free, and free from the Top 8 allergens. 
• Amanda’s Own Confections:  They offer chocolate in some fun Halloween shapes, as well as jelly beans and other candies, all dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and gluten-free!
• Divvies:  Nut-free, dairy-free, and egg-free chocolate ghosts, jelly beans, gummy stars, and chocolate chips! Oh my! (Chocolate contains soya lecithin.)
• Natural Candy Store:  Looking for those lollipops shaped like brains? Found it! This site focuses on natural ingredients, but they also let you search for candy that’s free from all Top 8 allergens. Even better, you can search for candy free from single allergens, like milk or soy. They carry hard candy, Glee gum, Enjoy Life chocolate, organic chocolate syrup, breath mints, and licorice, among others! Click here for their Allergen-Free Candy page.
• Vermont Nut Free:   Their chocolates are peanut-free and nut-free, but they do have milk and egg warnings on them. Their huge selection of nut-free chocolates includes caramel and chocolate pumpkins, chocolate-covered marshmallows on a stick, Halloween chocolate pretzels, and foil-wrapped chocolate shapes (like bats, witches, and ghosts). They also sell skippers, which are similar to M&Ms, but nut-free, of course.
• Chocolate Emporium:  Read the ingredients carefully on this website, but they do offer a lot of allergen-friendly goodies. All Halloween items are dairy-free, certified parve by the Star-K. Call before you order to ensure you get what you need.
• Mad Alex Products: I haven’t ordered from this store before, but they advertise Candy Tree Twists in different flavors (similar-looking to Twizzlers). Here is their ingredient info for the strawberry flavor: “Allergen Considerations: Chemical Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Fish Free, Gluten Free, No MSG, Organic, Peanut Free, Potato Free, Sesame Free, Shellfish Free, Soy Free, Tree Nut Free, Wheat Free, Yeast Free. Ingredients: Organic corn syrup, organic rice flour, organic rice starch, organic concentrated fruit juice: strawberry (3%), apple, elderberry, organic flavor: strawberry. Made in a Facility that Processes: Gluten and Dairy. Made on Equipment that Processes: Gluten.”
• Oriental Trading Co.:  Remember, trick-or-treats bags don’t have to be filled with candy. Oriental Trading Company offers a bazillion (I counted them) super-cheap novelty toys, many that you can buy in quantities of 50, 144, or more.

Remember, next week I’ll post a list of what I found in local stores and where I found it, so check back next Monday.

Ten Allergy-Safe Ways to Celebrate Halloween

by Kelley Lindberg


First, a quick “candy corn update”: http://www.peanutfreeplanet.com/ is now selling A and J Bakery Candy Corn that is nut-free, peanut-free, and gluten-free, but it still contains soy, egg, and corn. (For those of you who hate candy corn, I apologize for the updates – but it’s a hot topic every year!)

Meanwhile…Halloween is about more than candy corn (yes, it’s true!). It’s also about parties and trick-or-treating, both of which can add stress to an already-stressed parent of allergic kids. So it’s time to post some suggestions for ways to help take the “scary” out of Halloween.

Especially for parents of newly diagnosed kids, this holiday brings up a lot of questions. Should we let them go trick-or-treating? Should we have a party instead? Should we stay home, lock the doors, and turn out the lights? What about that giant bag of unsafe candy?!!

In our family, we’ve discovered that the candy is really the least important part of the holiday. The adventure is the best part. Candy seems like the goal (“I’m going to fill this WHOLE bucket!”), but it’s really just the excuse for dressing up, running around the neighborhood in the dark squealing with flashlights, and getting together with friends.

Focus on the adventure, and create your Halloween traditions around the parts of the holiday your kids love best. Here are ten ideas for a fun Halloween:

1. Go trick-or-treating. If they want to trick-or-treat, don’t be afraid of it. There are plenty of things you can do with unsafe candy afterwards, and if the kids know about the rules ahead of time, it will be surprisingly easy to keep them safe while doing it. (I’ll post my tips for safe trick-or-treating next week. I promise you can do this if your kids have their hearts set on it!)

2. Have a party at your house – that way you can control the food that comes in and out of your door. Kids can wear costumes, decorate mini pumpkins, play games, or watch “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!” (Okay, it’s probably too tame for kids these days, but it was always MY favorite.) If you go to a party at someone else’s house, call them ahead of time to offer your help planning the menu, bringing safe treats, etc.

3. Visit a haunted house or Lagoon’s Frightmares (which has attractions for tiny tots as well as older kids and teens).

4. Get lost in a corn maze. Many of them have additional attractions, like small rides, hayrides, or pumpkin patches.

5. Rent The Nightmare Before Christmas and snuggle up together in the dark with your favorite safe popcorn or candy. Wear your costumes, or indulge in some Halloween pajamas for the whole family!

6. Catch a movie at the theater (the kids can dress up!).

7. If your kids are a little older, reserve tickets for a “ghost tour” of your local city. In Salt Lake City and Ogden, Utah, you can find these tours offered by storytellers through Ogden & Salt Lake City Ghost Tours. (Just be sure to buy your tickets ahead of time.) The tours run from Oct 20 – Oct 31, 2011.

8. Stage a “Zombies vs Aliens” soccer game or Frisbee match – invite all their friends to join. It could be even more fun after dark with glowstick-bracelets (available at most dollar stores)! (Or it could be “Zombies vs. Humans,” “Princesses vs Superheros” or any other combination your kids like.)

9. Attend the Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center in West Valley City. It’s not to be confused with Halloween at all, but this Mexican celebration honors and remembers loved ones who have passed. The Cultural Center is hosting this annual family-oriented community gathering featuring altar displays, folk art exhibit, and more. You don’t have to be Catholic or of Mexican descent to attend – what a great way to expand your kids’ horizons and bring new meaning to “remembering our lost ones.” (Note that skulls made of sugar and bread shaped like human bodies or bones is a traditional part of Día de los Muertos, so be aware that there will be allergens present.) The celebration istelf will be on Nov. 2, 2011, from 6pm - 9pm, but he altars will be on display from Oct 17 - Nov 3.

10. And finally, don’t forget UFAN’s FOOD-FREE Halloween Trunk-or-Treat on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011, at the Intermountain Medical Center (southwest parking lot), 5121 Cottonwood St., Murray, UT. Decorate the trunk of your car, and bring plenty of non-edible goodies (small toys and novelties – no candy or food!) to pass out. There will be decorated trunk prizes and festive music, so don’t miss it! See UFAN’s website, http://www.utahfoodallergy.org/, for more info. This year’s Trunk-or-Treat is presented by UFAN, the Utah Eosinophilic Disorders Support Group, and the Intermountain PKU and Allied Disorders Association.

There’s plenty to do this Halloween where you can control the food your child comes into contact with. So have fun, and don't get spooked by Halloween!

Allergy-Friendly Halloween Candy & Nut-Free Candy Corn Hunt 2011

by Kelley Lindberg


Yep, it’s that time again… my annual candy corn hunt! Everyone seems to either love or hate candy corn – there’s no in-between – but for those of us who love it, it’s hard to live without it every year because of nut allergies. So every year, people ask me if I’ve found any nut-free candy corn.

You’ll be happy to hear I’ve found two sources for nut-free candy corn again this year, but they both contain egg, soy, and corn syrup.

The first is the Kroger brand – sold in Smith’s here in Utah, and possibly in other Kroger stores elsewhere. They sell nut-free candy corn, mellowcreme pumpkins, and Autumn Mix. Yummy!

The other is made by Sunrise Confections. You can order the Sunrise candy corn (as well as their Autumn Mix and Blueberry Hill Indian Corn) from Peanut Free Planet.

I heard there was a safe candy corn brand at Target, but when I went there today, I couldn’t find any. If I locate any more, I’ll let you know!

I’ve also been shopping locally for candy to see what types of allergen-free candy we can find in stores. Next week, I’ll post a list of what I found and where I found it. Most of it contains corn syrup and food colorings, of course. So if those are your issues, you’ll probably want to order candy online, and you’ll want to do it this week so it arrives in time for Halloween. There are also some good online resources for Halloween chocolates and gluten-free candy, so this week I’ll focus on online candy sources.

• Indie Candy:  This site is the place to go for all-natural candy with no dyes or any of the Big 8 allergens at all! Most of their candy also appears to be corn-free, too. They have a large selection of confections including gorgeous crystal lollipops, chocolate, and gummis, and you can search by your specific allergy needs.
• Yummy Earth:  Yummy Earth candies (lollipops, drops, gummy bears, and gummy worms) are corn-free, as well as being free from the big 8, and they use natural colorings and flavorings. You can buy them online at www.YummyEarth.com {http://www.yummyearth.com/} and on Amazon.com.
• Peanut Free Planet:  This allergy-friendly grocery site sells a ton of different candy from lots of different manufacturers, including Vermont Nut Free, Enjoy Life Foods, and Amanda’s Own. You’ll find chocolate, jelly beans, and all sorts of allergen-friendly groceries. They also sell KitKats, Mars bars, and Nestle Aero Milk chocolate bars that are made in a Canadian factory, and therefore nut-free (unlike their American factories). And most importantly, THEY HAVE NUT-FREE CANDY CORN!
• Amanda’s Own Confections:  They offer chocolate in some fun Halloween shapes, as well as jelly beans and other candies, all dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and gluten-free!
• Divvies:  Nut-free, dairy-free, and egg-free chocolate ghosts, jelly beans, gummy stars, and chocolate chips! Oh my!
• Vermont Nut Free:  Their chocolates are peanut-free and nut-free, but they do have milk and egg warnings on them. Their huge selection of nut-free chocolates includes caramel and chocolate pumpkins, chocolate-covered marshmallows on a stick, and foil-wrapped chocolate shapes (like bats, witches, and ghosts). They also sell skippers, which are similar to M&Ms, but nut-free, of course.
• Chocolate Emporium:  Read the ingredients carefully on this website, but they do offer a lot of allergen-friendly goodies. Call before you order to ensure you get what you need.
• Oriental Trading Co.:  Remember, trick-or-treats bags don’t have to be filled with candy. Oriental Trading Company offers a bazillion (I counted them) super-cheap novelty toys, many that you can buy in quantities of 50, 144, or more.

Updates: I found Sunrise candy corn at the Dollar Tree! And I think it tastes better than the Kroger brand. In addition, Jelly Belly Candy Corn contains soy, and it's manufactured on shared equipment with milk, wheat, tree nuts, and coconuts, but they say their manufacturing and cleaning processes are very stringent. For more detailed info, read Daniella's Smart Allergy blog for her correspondence with the company. And finally, A&J Bakery Candy Corn is now available at http://www.peanutfreeplanet.com/, but they contain soy, egg, and corn (but they're nut-free, peanut-free and gluten-free).

Allergy-Free Candy Corn Hunt 2010

by Kelley Lindberg


It’s time again for the annual candy corn hunt. But first…

Sometimes the best ideas come from kids. I have a dear friend who lives in the Washington D.C. area. Her family keeps Kosher (which brings its own set of food issues to the table each day), and during the Jewish holiday Sukkot (which just finished), her community holds an annual “sukkah hop” where the kids visit a set of predetermined families. At each house, they sit down in a “sukkah” (a structure covered in branches) to have a snack, hear a story or learn about the holiday, then move on to the next one.

This wonderful tradition prompted my friend’s youngest daughter to think of kids with food allergies and trick-or-treating at Halloween. She asked her mom to ask me if I’d write about her suggestion – telling food-allergic families that they could pre-arrange “safe houses” where allergic kids could go trick-or-treating and be certain to get “safe” candy or treats. I think it’s a great idea, and easily accomplished. Thank you, Miriam! It’s people like you that help kids with food allergies feel “normal” and welcomed in this world. We really appreciate you!

Now, for the candy corn news…

Every year, one of the most common questions I hear is: “Where can I find nut-free candy corn?” I have found two sources for nut-free candy corn this year, but they both contain egg, soy, and corn syrup.

• Kroger brand – sold in Smith’s here in Utah, and possibly in other Kroger stores elsewhere. They sell nut-free candy corn, mellowcreme pumpkins, and Autumn Mix. Yummy!
• Sunrise Confections, labeled with either the Blueberry Hill or Sunrise brand. You can order the Sunrise candy corn from Peanut Free Planet.
• Dots candy -- Okay, they're not really candy corn, but they're colored like candy corn, and they're milk-free, egg-free, and nut-free, soy-free, and I think gluten-free, so hey, they're worth a shot! I found them at Shopko yesterday!

I’ve been shopping locally for candy to see what types of allergen-free candy we can find in stores. Next week, I’ll post a list of what I found and where I found it. Most of it contains corn syrup and food colorings, of course. So if those are your issues, you’ll probably want to order candy online, and you’ll want to do it this week so it arrives in time for Halloween. There are also some good online resources for Halloween chocolates and gluten-free candy, so this week I’ll focus on online candy sources.

• Yummy Earth. Yummy Earth candies (lollipops, drops and gummy bears) are corn-free, as well as being free from the big 8, and they use natural colorings and flavorings. They’re sometimes available in health food stores, Toys R Us and Babies R Us, but I don’t know if they’re here in Utah. However, you can buy them online at YummyEarth.com and on Amazon.
• Allergies and Me:  This is a great online grocer who sells gluten-free and allergy-friendly products, including candy, including gluten-free licorice twists in several flavors (for those of you who miss Twizzlers!).
• Amanda’s Own Confections: They offer chocolate in some fun Halloween shapes, as well as jelly beans and other candies, all dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and gluten-free!
• Divvies: Nut-free, dairy-free, and egg-free chocolate ghosts, jelly beans, gummy stars, and chocolate chips! Oh my!
• AllerNeeds.com:  This online grocer sells allergy-friendly foods from several vendors, including Enjoy Life! Foods’ Boom Choco Boom chocolate bars in a variety pack of six bars. (Enjoy Life! Foods are free from the top 8 allergens.) They also sell some candy manufactured in Canada’s nut-free and peanut-free factories, so it’s worth checking out.
• Vermont Nut Free: Their chocolates are peanut-free and nut-free, but they do have milk and egg warnings on them. Their huge selection of nut-free chocolates includes caramel and chocolate pumpkins, chocolate-covered marshmallows on a stick, and foil-wrapped chocolate shapes (like bats, witches, and ghosts).
• Chocolate Emporium:  Read the ingredients carefully on this website, but they do offer a lot of allergen-friendly goodies. Call before you order to ensure you get what you need.
• Peanut Free Planet: This site sells candy from lots of different manufacturers, including Vermont Nut Free and Amanda’s Own. You’ll find chocolate, jelly beans, and all sorts of allergen-friendly groceries. And most importantly, THEY HAVE NUT-FREE CANDY CORN!
• Oriental Trading Co.: Remember, trick-or-treats bags don’t have to be filled with candy. Oriental Trading Company offers a bazillion (I counted them) novelty toys, many that you can buy in quantities of 50, 144, or more.

Happy shopping!

The Great Candy Corn Hunt

Last year, you may remember that I went searching high and low for nut-free candy corn for my son. I couldn’t find any for sale, but I did find a vegan recipe for candy corn at “The Urban Housewife” blog. (It does call for soy milk, but maybe you can substitute rice milk if you're allergic to soy.)

This year, however, I have exciting news to report: Nut-free candy corn exists!

My friend Kim finally found nut-free candy corn from the manufacturer Blueberry Hill (warning: it does contain soy and eggs). There’s an interesting discussion on the Food Allergy Buzz blog about whether Blueberry Hill’s manufacturing process should be considered nut-free, however, because they do process peanut products in their facility, but the area where they produce the nut-free products is separate and they actually have a food-allergy protocol where an outside organization tests for allergens (and their testing has not turned up any allergens).

While there is plenty of debate on that blog about whether this should constitute a “nut-free” environment, for my own son, I’ve made the decision that I am comfortable with their candy, because any company that actually has a food-allergy protocol, maintains a separate allergen-free manufacturing area, and can show allergen testing results tells me they’re probably more aware and concerned than the average manufacturer. Read the Food Allergy Buzz blog for more information including emails from the companies involved, and make your own decision, of course.

I found Blueberry Hill candy corn at Honk’s dollar store in Layton. Peanut Free Planet carries Blueberry Hill Harvest Mix Assorted Mellowcremes (which contain soy and eggs) as well as Sunrise brand candy corn (which is in identical packaging to the Blueberry Hill Harvest Mix, but made in a nut-free factory in Mexico, so I don’t know what their connection is). Since Peanut-Free Planet strives to carry only products that are manufactured in nut-free factories, I assume the Sunrise product is equivalent to the Blueberry Hill product, but I haven’t tried it, so I can’t vouch for it.

I also found nut-free candy corn (but it, too, contains egg and soy) available by the pound at The Chocolate Emporium. I haven’t bought theirs to try, but it’s worth a shot if you can’t find it elsewhere.

If you can find the Blueberry Hill candy corn, it’s pretty tasty. Not quite identical to Brach’s version, but definitely passable, and my son loves it.

Not everyone loves candy corn, and if you’re allergic to eggs, you still can’t eat the ones I found. So with that in mind, I did a quick survey of other Halloween treat options online, and here’s what I found:

1. Nut-free: Lots of nut-free Halloween treats at Vermont Nut Free and Peanut Free Planet.

2. Nut-free, milk-free, egg-free: Yummy-looking chocolate ghosts at Divvies.

3. Nut-free, egg-free, milk-free, gluten-free (and certified Kosher parve): Lots of chocolate and candy treats, including chocolate ghost pops, foil-wrapped chocolate pumpkins, etc., at the Chocolate Emporium. Not all their products have the same allergens, so check ingredients carefully.

Next week, I’ll try to have suggestions for allergen-friendly candy to hand out to those little trick-or-treaters.

Hunting the Elusive Safe Candy Corn

It’s that time of year again – candy corn season! I love candy corn. I don’t know why. It’s kind of a ridiculous craving. After all, what’s so appealing about artificially colored bits of sugar? Beats me. But it’s hard for me to get into the autumn spirit without it.

Alas, it’s a bitter-sweet craving, though, because there are no brands of candy corn that are nut-free. (Not to mention they usually contain egg, too.) Three years ago, Target produced their own bags of candy corn that had no nut warnings on them. I was ecstatic! I even had their service desk call their manufacturing plant, who assured me that there was no nut contamination! Finally, my son could try my favorite Halloween treat! He loved them, and I was thrilled!

Unfortunately, it was a short-lived thrill. The next year, they didn’t offer that candy anymore. Oh sure, I finally get to share candy corn with my son, he’s developed a candy-corn sweet tooth like his mother, and now I can’t get them anymore. Great. So now I’m back to compulsively checking the ingredients label of every bag of candy corn I walk by. All brands we’ve found have a nut cross-contamination warning. I even asked my wonderfully helpful contact, Ronni, at Enjoy Life! Foods for help finding some. She asked her contact at the Allergy Grocer, and that contact said that no one is making allergen-safe candy corn yet.

Bummer.

My friend Kim was laughing at her own desperation this weekend, because she discovered a greeting card in the store that contained a small packet of candy corn, and she found herself reading the ingredients label, hoping they were safe. She was already calculating how many of the greeting cards she’d have to buy in order to get a reasonable candy-dish full of the colorful little treats when she found the words in the ingredients label that dashed her hopes. They weren’t safe.

So, what’s a food-allergic mom to do? Hit the internet for a do-it-yourself solution, of course. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s to not fear the mixing bowl. This morning, I went on the hunt. Surely someone somewhere has tackled the elusive candy corn and developed their own recipe, right?

Right! I found a vegan recipe for candy corn at “The Urban Housewife” blog. Click here for the recipe. It does call for soy milk, but I'm hoping you can substitute rice milk if you're allergic to soy. I haven’t tried making it yet (I’m going to have to psych myself up for a 15-minute kneading session, since I haven’t worked out in … uh… decades?... and my upper arm muscles bear a striking resemblance to Jell-O), so I can’t vouch for the recipe, but it looks reasonable and the photos look tasty. (Maybe I can just show the photos to my son. “Here, sweetie, don’t they look tasty? Just pretend Mommy made some for you, ‘kay?”)

But if you’re a candy-corn junkie like me, and you’ve got the upper body strength to wrestle these little morsels into shape, this might be just the ticket to a tasty Halloween! And I like the Urban Housewife’s suggestion of hosting a candy-corn-making party so that you can share the kneading duties with friends. What a great idea for a kids’ party activity, too!

So all hope is not lost for us candy corn addicts. Where there’s a sweet-tooth, there’s a way. Enjoy this recipe, and many thanks to the Urban Housewife for sharing her recipe!