GFCF Peanut Butter Cup a Real Treat

When we put our son on a gluten-free, casein free (GFCF) diet, my wife often lamented that Kai would never truly experience the joy of eating that other kids do because he would not get to eat the foods that most kids enjoy. Never is this more evident than at Halloween.

Over the years, my wife has found many ways to give Kai treats. For instance, she now makes a GFCF pizza with a gluten-free crust and soy cheese that does a decent job of replicating the taste of real pizza. And, she’s found some really tasty GFCF cookies and pretzels that are as yummy as the “real” ones.

But, when it comes to Halloween, we still felt like Kai missed out. All of the popular chocolate candies that most kids love are made with dairy and contain casein. Sure, he can have Smarties and Skittles, and those are fine if you’re not craving something sweet. But, they’re not made of chocolate and I don’t think too many kids would rank them among their top Halloween choices.

My personal favorite is peanut butter cups. There is something about that combination of chocolate and peanut butter that is almost heavenly. As I discussed this with my wife last week, she said that she would try to make a GFCF version of it for Kai.

So, this past Saturday afternoon, she tried it out. The day before, she had gotten everything we needed including a pan normally used to make mini muffins, the mini cupcake cups to lay in the pan, and some dairy-free chocolate. She already had SunButter, which is made from sunflower seeds and looks, smells, and tastes just like peanut butter. It is an awesome substitute for anyone who is allergic or sensitive to peanuts.

These days, Kai often enjoys helping Mom in the kitchen and he was curious to find out about this peanut butter cup that Dad was raving about. The aroma of chocolate filled the air as Mom heated it up and then carefully poured a little into each mini cup. Then she scooped a bit of SunButter into each cup. Finally, she topped each cup off with a little more chocolate, and then put the pan into the refrigerator. About a half hour later, they were ready to eat.

Kai took the first bite. He didn’t say anything. He took another bite, and another after that. When he finished the first one, he asked for another. Finally, he declared that it was great. Later that day, after he had eaten dinner, Kai asked for more for dessert. My wife and I tried it as well. The SunButter was gooey so it was messy to eat, but the taste was as awesome as the real peanut butter cups that I love.

I know that it seems a little silly to find so much joy over your child being able to eat chocolate candy. And, in the big scheme of things, it certainly is not as important as doing well at school, or learning to cope with waiting, or practicing social interactions. But, when you can give your son something that most other kids can take for granted, it feels like you are giving him a little bit of happiness. And that is a real treat.