STOCKING STUFFER & YEAR-ROUND TREAT: Sun Cups
If you love peanut butter, you may have the same reaction we do when we hear of someone with a peanut allergy: “I’m so sorry.”
Those who know the joys of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or peanut butter cups empathize with those who can’t have them. But everyone can have sunflower butter! Sunflower butter is a smooth spread that looks and tastes almost identical to peanut butter. It’s made from sunflower seeds and is completely peanut- and tree nut-free. It’s healthier than PB, with one-third less saturated fat and 27% of a day’s recommended allowance of vitamin E, along with a much higher iron and fiber content (but 25% less protein). In jars, it’s available in the same variations as peanut butter: creamy, crunchy, natural, organic, unsweetened, even individual snack-size packs. Sunflower butter is also an ingredient in snack foods that previously relied on peanut butter, including energy bars, granola bars and peanut butter cups. |
All the lusciousness of peanut butter cups with no nuts whatsoever! Photo by Elvira Kalviste | THE NIBBLE. |
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Sun Cups are chocolate cups filled with sunflower butter instead of PB. They’re made by Seth Ellis Chocolatier in Boulder, Colorado. They resemble Reese’s peanut butter cups, with a similar flavor (there’s just a hint of sunflower seed tanginess). How Sun Cups Differ From Peanut Butter Cups The manufacturing plant and the entire supply chain (the ingredients suppliers) is nut-free, so even folks with the strongest of peanut allergies can nibble safely. The Sun Cups team must wear “inside shoes” so nothing gets tracked in from outside. The sunflower seeds are even grown in a region too cold to grow peanuts, so the fields can’t be contaminated with migrating peanut plants. And the cost: about $1.00 per cup. A 20-pack of duos is less than $40 on Amazon.com. Or if you just want to test them out, Sun Cups offers a $1.99 sampler of the four flavors. Sun Cups are a safe bet for stocking stuffers, school lunch boxes and Halloween. They‘re a sweet treat for anyone—with nut allergies or without. And they’re a favorite at THE NIBBLE. Try them! |