One of my daughters can hear things being discussed halfway across the house, especially when it has to do with something she likes to eat. 🙂 During the school year, both of my daughters usually have cereal and yogurt for breakfast. On the weekends, however, we try to do something different like pancakes, fruit, granola, eggs & bacon, or something that always brings a smile: gluten-free waffles!
Our go-to brand has been Van’s Natural Foods, for as long as my daughters and I have been gluten-free. Van’s makes many types of waffles so please note that some are NOT gluten-free. Their gluten free varieties are: totally natural, buckwheat, blueberry, apple cinnamon, flax and plain minis. And besides waffles, they also make gluten-free cinnamon french toast sticks. All of these products are made with whole grains and are also egg and dairy free, plus the waffles are sweetened with fruit juice. The boxes are clearly labeled “wheat/gluten free” so just make sure you grab the right box.
While their gluten-free products are not made in a dedicated facility, but the verbiage on the box reads, “Our Gluten Free Promise: At Van’s, we are absolutely committed to upholding the highest standards of allergen safety. Every batch of our wheat free waffles is tested for the presence of gluten, dairy & eggs so you can enjoy them with confidence.”
A while back I gave away a few “free product” Van’s coupons on Facebook and was amazed by the number of people who wanted them. That prompted me to contact Van’s to see if they’d like to offer free product coupons for this giveaway along with an honest review from Yours Truly. They generously agreed and also sent me a few coupons to use for this review as well.
As I noted above, we have already tried and enjoyed a few types of Van’s gluten-free waffles (totally natural and apple cinnamon) but I was excited to try a few more varieties — along with my girls, of course!
The first type we tried for this review were Van’s GF blueberry waffles. There were 6 average-sized waffles in the box and, although it was hard to see them, they contained tiny dried blueberries and blackberries. The waffles were light and crispy and had a naturally sweet blueberry taste to them. All you do is heat them up as directed, top them as desired (you’re never too old for a smiley face, right?) and watch your g-free kids gobble them up. I added maple syrup to these waffles and they were gone in a flash…
The second variety I’d like to call out are their plain minis, shown below. There are 32 of these cute little guys in each box and they are attached to each other in sets of 4 for easy toasting. You just pull or cut them apart after they are heated up. They’re the perfect size for dipping into syrup and whipped cream — our favorite way to eat both waffles and pancakes. Again, like the larger muffins, these also had a light, crispy feel and a naturally sweet taste (must be the fruit juices they use). These are super easy to top with jam, peanut butter, nutella, syrup or fruit slices and are a fun size for little hands.
We also discovered and became new fans of Van’s GF cinnamon french toast sticks, a product I had never seen before. When I first saw them in the freezer at Wegmans, I had the feeling that they were going to be really hard and crusty but, in fact, (like Van’s waffles) they were actually light and crispy, yet substantial. I was pleasantly surprised by these little dippers, which we dunked into honey and syrup, yet which also tasted great plain. My daughters really enjoyed these and said they wished I had made more…
Donkey would be proud….all three of these Van’s products were just wonderful. We will definitely continue to keep our freezer stocked with them, much to my daughters’ delight. I asked my girls if there was anything they would change about any of the Van’s products they tried, and the only thing they said was, “Can we have them at other times instead of just for breakfast?” As a Mom, I can handle that — especially after seeing these fun ideas:
Want to try something more exciting with your waffles? Check these out…
And now for the giveaway:Â Five random winners will each win TWO “FREE PRODUCT” coupons (retail value up to $3.50 each) courtesy of Van’s Natural Foods. U.S. and Canadian residents may enter.
To enter, please leave a comment below, letting me know how you will prepare Van’s gluten-free waffles for your g-free kid. Plain? Topped with something? Made into a sandwich somehow? Will you try something fancy with them? Please share some ideas in order to be entered…
Giveaway ends at midnight on Sunday, June 3, 2012. Then the 5 winners have 24 hours to get back to me, otherwise new names will be chosen. U.S. and Canadian residents may enter. Good luck!
Disclaimer: Van’s sent me a couple of free product coupons to use for this review. In return I only promised an honest review and was not compensated in any other way. Opinions are my daughters’ and my own.
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