Free2b Chocolate Cups are Filled with Allergy-Friendly Sweetness

About two years ago, Free2b made the transition into a fully dairy-free company, which meant a reformulation of the Free2b chocolate cups. It took a little time to get the recipe just right, to push the old inventory through, and to make sure their lines were indeed dairy free. But they nailed all of it, and now their dedicated facility is reportedly free of the “top 12” allergens. This means that peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, soy, gluten, egg, fish, shellfish, corn, sesame, coconut and mustard are never allowed in production.

When I first wrote this review, they still had a “may contain” dairy disclaimer, and we hadn’t sampled the Mint Cups. Since they’re now “safely” dairy free, we finally found those Mint Cups, AND they now have Minis, I thought it was time for a Free2b Chocolate Cups update. I’ve also added ingredients, availability, and a few more details.

Tasting Notes for Free2b Chocolate Cups

We finally had the chance to taste test their whole line-up when I spotted all of the chocolate cup varieties at Sprouts. This included their Caramel Cups (also dairy free), but I’m not seeing them on their website anymore. They might be discontinued. Nonetheless, I’ve included the review – just in case!

Chocolate Sunflower Butter Cups (aka dairy-free “milk” chocolate cups)

You could call this the “Milk” Chocolate variety, but Free2b simply calls them Rice Chocolate to avoid dairy milk misconceptions. The outer shall has a smooth, sweet, milky flavor that beckons to beloved candy bar coatings. The inside isn’t really comparable to a peanut butter cup, but has its own sweet seedy charms. It’s quite soft, perfectly sweet, and indulgent. If you like sunflower seed butter, I’m pretty sure you will love these. But  even if you don’t, they might win you over. As mentioned, Tony liked these and he doesn’t typically enjoy chocolate desserts that use Sun Butter.

To note, we both thought these were less sweet than traditional peanut butter cups, and indeed, they have 25% less sugar than Reese’s. In our opinion, that extra sugar is unwarranted as we thought these Free2b Chocolate Cups were very well balanced.

Ingredients: chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, rice syrup powder, unsweetened chocolate, sunflower lecithin (an emulsifier), salt, natural vanilla extract, natural flavors(s)), sunflower seeds, powdered sugar (cane sugar, tapioca starch), cocoa butter, sea salt.

Nutrition (per 2 cups): 240 calories, 18g fat, 17g carbs, 2g fiber, 12g sugars (includes 12g added sugars), 4g protein.*

Dark Chocolate Sun Cups

These have the same soft, creamy sunflower seed filling as the Chocolate but with a notably bittersweet thick chocolate coating. I would call these the “grown-up” Sun Cups. Tony liked both, and was hard-pressed to choose a favorite. I really liked how the distinctive deep chocolate coating and sweeter filling played off of one another, and could really detect contrasting bursts of sea salt in this flavor. I would probably reach for these when I was craving something that tasted less sweet and a little more complex. However, the Chocolate Sun Cups would be my go-to for a straight-up dessert hit.

And did you notice that I said “tasted less sweet”? Interestingly enough both the Chocolate and Dark Chocolate have 6 grams of sugar per chocolate cup. So you need not feel guilty if your sweet tooth craves the milkier chocolate.

Ingredients: dark chocolate (unsweetened chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter), sunflower seeds, organic powdered sugar (evaporated cane juice, tapioca starch), cocoa butter, sea salt.

Nutrition (per 2 cups): 240 calories, 18g fat, 18g carbs, 3g fiber, 11g sugars (includes 11g added sugars), 4g protein.*

Dark Chocolate Mint Cups

These cool cups could give York a run for their money! The rick dark chocolate coating plays off the pure peppermint filling for a true after dinner treat. The chocolate is more intense than the other chocolate cup flavors, and has a little bit of bitterness in the aftertaste. But the darker cacao seems to play nicely with the refreshing center. The filling is soft, and a little sugary in texture, but not at all gooey.

Ingredients: dark chocolate (unsweetened chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter), sugar, powdered sugar (evaporate cane juice, tapioca starch), rice drink (filtered water, brown rice, (partially milled), expeller pressed canola oil and/or safflower oil, sea salt),cocoa butter, peppermint flavoring (peppermint, sunflower oil).

Nutrition (per 2 cups): 210 calories, 13g fat, 23g carbs, 4g fiber, 19g sugars (includes 19g added sugars), 2g protein.*

Chocolate Caramel Cups (Currently Unavailable)

Based on the package picture, I expected a gooey filling. I wasn’t disappointed, just surprised by the relatively firm center. It was definitely less messy and still had a nice sugary caramel flavor. I wouldn’t call it traditional caramel, but I would definitely call it delicious! The milky chocolate coating was the perfect complement, melding harmoniously for a “this is dairy-free?!” type of treat.

This flavor is not surprisingly a little bit higher in sugar than the rest. It has about 8.5 grams of sugar per cup. I did recently buy this package at the store, but unfortunately, I’m not see the Caramel Cups on the Free2B website at this time. I’ve left this part of the review up as wishful thinking that they might return!

Free2B Sun Cups Minis

The milky Rice Chocolate and Dark Chocolate Sun Cups are also available as Minis! They come in 4.2-ounce resealable bags with 12 mini cups. The littler cups have a slightly higher chocolate to sun butter filling ratio, but otherwise taste the same as their larger predecessors. And they have the same ingredients as the full-size noted above. During the holiday season, Free2B usually brings out Mini Mint Cups, too!

The Facts on Free2b Chocolate Cups

Price: $2.08 1.5-ounce 2 cup package; $5.99 per 4.2-ounce bag of Minis

Availability: Free2b Chocolate Cups are sold in natural food grocers throughout the United States. We believe they are available in Canada, too (and can be found online in Canada). They can be purchased online, direct from the company, and from a number of online retailers, like Amazon.

Certifications: Free2b Chocolate Cups are Certified Kosher Pareve, Certified Gluten Free, Non-GMO Verified, and Rain Forest Alliance Certified.

Dietary Notes: By ingredients, Free2b Chocolate Cups are dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian.*

For More Product Information: Visit the Free2b website at www.free2bfoods.com.

*Always read the ingredient and nutrition statement prior to consumption. Ingredients, processes, and labeling are subject to change at any time for any company or product. Contact the company to discuss their manufacturing processes if potential allergen cross-contamination is an issue for you. No food product can be guaranteed “safe” for every individual’s needs. You should never rely on ingredient and allergen statements alone if dealing with a severe food allergy. 

Sunflower butter cups 4 packages were all moldy

Rated 1 out of 5

July 22, 2020

Disappointed! I bought 4 packs today and they have white mold on them!

Mary Matos

Hard not to love

Rated 5 out of 5

July 14, 2020

The chocolate shells are smooth and thick, just the way I like them. The dark chocolate has a nice bittersweet contrast, while the milky chocolate version is straight up dessert. The filling is quite soft, and definitely not peanut butter, but everyone in our house still loved these. In fact, we all liked that they weren’t quite as sweet as Reese’s. They have more flavor, less sugary-ness.

Alisa Fleming