Time for GF/CF Friday... Darifree Chocolate Milk

With permission, I'm taking an idea from the Three Channels Blog (an awesome read if you don't already) and running with it. ...

It's called GF/CF Friday.

Each Friday I plan to post a product review for a GF/CF food and how good it goes over with my 7 year old Autistic son who is on "the diet". I'm going to focus mostly on commercially available foods but may venture out from that a bit from time to time.

Today's Entry is.... Vance's DariFree Chocolate Milk

Vance's Foods DariFree Chocolate Powder Gluten-Free Beverage

Designed with the gluten/casein free diet in mind by parents of a child with Autism.
DariFree is: Gluten Free, Casein Free, Soy Free, Rice Free, Fat Free, MSG Free, Protein Free

So, you might be thinking if it doesn't have any of those ingredients.. What the heck is in this stuff? DariFree is a "Vegan Friendly, Potato Based Milk alternative" It also contains "as much calcium as milk" and is vitamin enriched. A full breakdown of nutritional value can be found here .

I was first given a couple of containers of Vances DariFree in the "original" flavor by a friend who also has a child on the gf/cf diet. She had ordered it by the case and gave me a couple of cartons to try. There is something about mixing up milk with water that I found incredibly disgusting so I was perhaps jaded about it. I found it to have an aftertaste so I ended up not serving it to my son straight. I've opted to use it for baking purposes and anyplace that calls for powdered milk instead and it works great. Now, back to Chocolate DariFree. My kids are both chocolate milk drinkers. My daughter could live on Nesquick Chocolate milk and my son really loved it too before he went on "the diet". Now, some people on GF/CF also eliminate soy due to the effect that is has on the mind & gut that can be similar to the milk proteins. We are lucky to not have issues with soy and I do allow it in small amounts. My son's chocolate milk of choice is the 'lite' SILK soymilk and a cup of it from time to time is a real treat. Because I would ultimately like to fully eliminate the soy I was happy to learn that there is an alternative for him - Vance's DariFree Chocolate.


Bad new is that this stuff is expensive. You can get the best "deal" if you buy it by the case but before springing for a case of it I just picked up a single 23oz can of it at my local healthfood store and paid a whopping $10.99 for a a big can that acually only makes 5 quarts of 'milk'. To make it you measure out 1/2 cups of the powder and mix that with 2 cups of hot water. You can use cold water but hot water makes the milk creamier, and I suggest that. Then you shake shake shake and stir stir stir till any lumps are gone - a mixing type of pitcher works or a shaker bottle. Once it is blended then you add in cold water til it reaches the 2 quarts. Refrigerate and chill til it is served because it tastes best when cold. You can keep it in a sealed container for up to a week once it is blended.

So, the true test. Will the kids eat it??

First - my daughter who is not on the diet (and is picky-picky about her chocolate milk) tried it. To give you a frame of reference, she won't drink chocolate soy or rice milk - she can tell the difference.

Since she is mama's little helper, she had to help me make it so she knew that it wasn't the same chocolate milk that she usually gets.

Looks to me like the little princess is drinking it.

She sure did! In fact, she liked it so much she didn't want to share it with her brother and tried to tell him that it wasn't gluten free. Ah, love.

Next it was big brother's turn:

He was a little uncertain about it at first and made a face when he took a first sip. But, he didn't put the cup down.

He drank, and drank...

He likes it!

Final Verdict: Thumbs Up!

My full review of this product at posted at Epinions.com here


Vance's - Dari-Free Chocolate Milk Powder
From: glutenfree.com