Swearing off sugar isn’t hard when you have alternatives like these.
I was happy to see the postal worker today, because Hillside Candy sent me a package of their Golightly Sugar Free Candy to sample, and my teeth were ready to do some chewing. You see, I can find plenty of sugar free chocolate and hard candy to enjoy, but sugar free chewy candies never seem quite right. And sometimes, chewy candy is the only thing that’ll hit the spot. Because I can’t turn to Laffy Taffy and Tootsie Rolls anymore, I hoped I could find an alternative in these Golightly candies, which can be found in Walgreens stores nationwide.
I wasn’t disappointed.
Fudgie Rolls
When I opened the bag of Fudgie Rolls, a strong cocoa scent wafted out. The package says these are “artificially flavored chewy chocolate candy,” and they smell just like – you guessed it – a Tootsie Roll. Made with Splenda, these chews are darker, shinier and a bit more pliable than a Tootsie Roll, and they have more depth of chocolate flavor. Because these taste just like one of my favorite childhood treats but without the sugar, I’m going to have to give it props for being the best piece of sugar-free candy out of the bunch Hillside sent to me.
Blueberry & Creme Chew
This little chew, about an inch long and wrapped tight in a cute blueberry-decorated wrapper, is a softer candy than the Fudgie Roll. Half blueberry-flavored and half cream-flavored, it delivers a lot of chew! But while chocolate flavoring does a great job of masking any sugar-free aftertaste, the blueberry doesn’t quite stand up to it. It’s flavorful and chewy, but I wouldn’t mind seeing the flavor a bit more intense.
Peach & Creme Chew
Until recently, I’ve hated all things peach-flavored. I think my taste buds must have redeveloped their thinking, because this peach-flavored chew is pretty delightful. Like the blueberry, the chew is half peach-flavored and half creme-flavored. Unlike the blueberry, the peach flavoring strikes me as more realistic.
Root Beer Creme Float
This chew doesn’t smell like root beer, and at first it doesn’t really taste like root beer. But as you keep chewing, you break through the cream flavor and the root beer shines through. If you don’t like root beer, then you certainly won’t like this candy. Root beer can be an overpowering flavor, though, and in this candy it’s sweet and intriguing.
Strawberry & Creme
This tastes like a softer, less tart version of a strawberry Starburst candy. At first, the strawberry flavors give you a hint of fresh strawberry flavor, and that mellows out into a decidedly more artificial taste. Like the blueberry, this flavor would be good if the strawberry were more intense. The creme-flavoring is yummy, but it dilutes the berry-goodness a bit too much.
Chocolate & Creme
I expected this to taste like a Fudgie Roll, but I was wrong. The chocolate flavors are still very artificial, but they’re reminiscent of a darker chocolate than the Fudgie Roll. The creme rounds out the chocolate’s essence and makes it more grown-up. But chewing this one gave me a strange taste in my mouth alongside the chocolate, reminding me that I was eating something sugarfree.
Vanilla Caramel
It seems like it’d be difficult to achieve a realistic caramel without using any sugar – caramel is, after all, derived from caramelized sugar. For those of us who can’t eat real caramel, this is a good alternative, but it’s not quite on par with its sugary predecessor. It is soft and pliable, and it smells faintly of vanilla. The caramel loses its smoothness the longer you chew, and a bit of an aftertaste is apparent. However, you can only expect a sugar-free aftertaste in a sugar-free caramel, right?
This candy is sweetened with sugar alcohols, which may cause a strange aftertaste in individuals who are accustomed to eating candy with sugar in it.
Buy Hillside Golightly Sugar Free Candy Online:
- at Amazon.com
