As an editor for Allergic Living, I had the opportunity to learn about a lot of interesting allergy-friendly brands. One that immediately impressed me was Made Good Foods. They produce organic, top allergen-free, gluten-free, vegan goodies for hungry consumers in the U.S. and Canada. Their initial products were granola snacks, but they’ve since released Made Good Crispy Squares.
Made Good Crispy Squares are like traditional crispy treats in some ways. They look very similar, and have the same textural vibe. However, they’re relatively low in sugars and fat.
And somehow Made Good has hidden a full serving of vegetables in each square. They add a vegetable powder that contains spinach, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, beets, and shiitake mushrooms. Seriously, I have no idea how they add such vibrant sounding vegetables and end up with treats that look like this.
Tasting Notes for Made Good Crispy Squares
Overall, Made Good Crispy Squares are tasty, pleasing, and definitely kid-friendly. I think they’re a great single-serve dessert for lunchboxes, parties, and even holidays (Halloween, stocking stuffers, etc). I’ve included my notes below with the flavors that we tried.
Vanilla
These Made Good Crispy Squares have a bright vanilla flavor, and not a hint of vegetable. They are perfectly crispy and chewy, but not as sticky as traditional crispy treats. But they are a treat. Despite the lower sugars, these taste very sweet. In fact, they were almost a little too sweet for us, and begged for a mug of black tea or perhaps some unsweetened milk beverage.
Ingredients: crisp rice*, cane sugar*, sustainable palm fruit oil*, inulin*, vegetable glycerin*, tapioca flour*, sea salt, vanilla flavor*, vegetable extracts (spinach, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, beets, shiitake mushrooms). *organic.
Nutrition (per .79-ounce bar): 80 calories, 1.5g fat, 17g carbs, 1g fiber, 7g sugars, 1g protein.*
Chocolate Chip
These have the same texture as the Vanilla, but with a smattering of mini dairy-free chocolate chips added. I wouldn’t call this full blown chocolate, although it has an underlying malty cocoa flavor. I expected the cocoa to tame the sugar, but this bar is also quite sweet. Nonetheless, it hits the mark for a convenient little dessert.
Ingredients: crisp rice*, cane sugar syrup*, chocolate chips* (cane sugar*, cocoa mass*, cocoa butter*, vanilla*), sustainable palm fruit oil*, vegetable glycerin*, cane sugar*, inulin*, tapioca flour*, cocoa powder*, sea salt, vanilla flavor*, vegetable extracts (spinach, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, beets, shiitake mushrooms).*organic.
Nutrition (per .79-ounce bar): 90 calories, 2.5g fat, 16g carbs, 1g fiber, 8g sugars, 1g protein.*
Strawberry
Ingredients: crisp brown rice*, invert cane syrup*, palm fruit oil*†, inulin*, vegetable glycerin*, cane sugar*, tapioca flour*, freeze dried strawberry pieces*, sea salt, natural flavors*, vegetable extracts (spinach, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, beets, shiitake mushrooms), beet powder*. *organic.
Nutrition (per .79-ounce bar): 90 calories, 2g fat, 17g carbs, 1g fiber, 7g sugars, 1g protein.*
Caramel
Ingredients: crisp brown rice*, invert cane syrup*, palm fruit oil*†, inulin*, vegetable glycerin*, cane sugar*, tapioca flour*, natural flavors*, sea salt, caramel*, vegetable extracts (spinach, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, beets, shiitake mushrooms). *organic.
Nutrition (per .79-ounce bar): 90 calories, 2g fat, 17g carbs, 1g fiber, 7g sugars, 1g protein.*
More Facts on Made Good Crispy Squares
Price: $3.99/box (6 crispy treats)
Availability: Made Good Crispy Squares are sold in natural food stores and conventional grocers throughout the U.S. and Canada. You can also order these squares on Amazon.
Certifications: Made Good Crispy Squares are Certified Organic, Certified Vegan, Certified Gluten-Free, Certified Kosher Parve, and Non-GMO Verified.
Dietary Notes: By ingredients, Made Good Crispy Squares are dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian.*
For More Product Information: Visit the Made Good Foods website at www.madegoodfoods.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.
Crispy, pleasantly chewy, vegan and allergy-friendly
Since they’ve managed to make these treats low sugar, and somehow packed in veggies, I’ll overlook the fact that these organic “squares” are actually rectangular! They have many virtues to make parents happy, but the taste is pure kid bliss. They’re a perfectly crispy, pleasantly chewy, vegan and allergy-friendly dessert that’s very, very, very (did I say very?) sweet. Read the rest of this post for full details and notes.