The Vegan Cuts Snack Box is a monthly subscription box from Vegan Cuts full of vegan and natural food products and snacks. Many of the items will be gluten-free, but this box is not a dedicated gluten-free box. Vegan Cuts also offers a Beauty Box and quarterly Makeup Box.
This review is of the Vegan Cuts Snack, $22.95 a month, box.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About the Vegan Cuts Snack Box
The Subscription Box: Vegan Cuts Snack Box
The Cost: $22.95 a month with discounts for 3, 6, and 12-month pre-paid subscriptions
The Products: 7-10 vegan snacks, pantry items, and occasionally supplements.
Ships to: U.S. for free, Canada for $9 CAD, and Worldwide for $15
Vegan Cuts Snack Box December 2018 Review
I think Vegan Cuts has really stepped things up lately in terms of snack box curation. Let’s see what they sent for December:
The box came with this information card detailing the items in the box.
Taza Chocolate Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds (4.2 oz) – Buy 8 oz for $14.50
As far as I can tell, I’ve linked to the correct product, it just looks like they’ve recently undergone a packaging change (or maybe there’s just different packaging for this smaller size product). At any rate, this was one of the highlights of the box for me because I like chocolate and I like almonds and they are put together quite well here.
Four Sigmatic Mushroom Hot Cacao Mix in “Chill with Reishi” (10 packets) – Retail Value $20
The whole deal behind Four Sigmatic is incorporating mushrooms into drinks. While I do love hot cocoa, I have never had much of an appreciation for umami-type flavors (probably why I have been easily able to avoid meat for over 25 years) and I just don’t feel like chocolate and umami go together. Also, well, this is sweetened with stevia, which I feel has an odd aftertaste. I’d either go for straight up sugar or for aspartame (though you are unlikely to see products with aspartame in Vegan Cuts). Anyway, I was a good sport and tried one of these, but I am going to pass the rest of it along to someone else. (On the other hand, if you like this, well, you almost get the whole cost of the month’s box back with this one product.)
Get Fluffed Up Churros Cotton Candy (1 oz) – Retail Value $8
The retail packaging looks different for this product but I assume Vegan Cuts couldn’t fit the big jar (see what I mean by clicking the link) into their box so they got it in this compressed format. The listed package weights are the same, anyway, it’s just that the cotton candy in the jar is fluffy, and this is compressed. It kept breaking when I tried to remove some from the bag for photos. Anyway, I don’t think I’ve had cotton candy since I was a kid (I’m 41 now) and this really does melt in your mouth like a second after you put it in.
The Dough Bar Crispy Bar in Chocolate Chip (2.05 oz) – Buy 12 Bars for $34.99
These have been making the rounds lately as I have received them in at least two food boxes this month and also in one last month. They have some added protein so they are a little denser than what I remember Rice Krispie treats to be like (and it’s been a long time since I had one of those since I became a vegetarian when I was 15, so admittedly my recollection may be poor) but honestly they work pretty well, flavor-wise, and I think the crispy texture works way better for plant-based protein than some of the more traditional bars out there. If you are just now getting into this box, I would not advise eating this right after the Dragon Puffs, as those flavors conflict a bit.
Dandies All Natural Vanilla Marshmallows (2 oz) – Buy 10 oz for $5.19 (found here for $3.99)
I’ve loved Dandies for a long time. They do taste like regular marshmallows. You can roast them on a bamboo skewer over a gas stove burner and probably also over a fire (though these are the mini marshmallows; you need the bigger ones for that). They just don’t melt the way regular marshmallows do. You can make a version of Rice Krispie treats with them (well I use brown rice puffed cereal from Whole Foods instead of the commercial stuff) but it takes a lot of work because of the melting issue. Also, they don’t really work in hot cocoa because you end up with wet puffy lumps that haven’t dispersed into the cocoa at all.
Bean Smash in Green Chile Pinto Bean (2 oz) – Buy a 6 Pack for $14.99
We received this in a different flavor last month and I was a fan. Here is a suggestion: actually carefully follow the preparation directions, including all the waiting time recommended, and this will turn out pretty well (if you have a low-power microwave you can cook for like 15 seconds longer). Anyway, last month there were some chips to put this on. This month there were not, so I poured it over the coconut rice (see below) which was a little weird. I’d probably just get some tortilla chips in the future. But it’s good!
Vegan Rob’s Dragon Puffs (1.25 oz) – Buy 3.5 oz for $2.99
These, I think, are called “dragon puffs” because they will give you dragon breath. Seriously, consider not eating them in public and also think about whether you are going to eat anything afterward because they will affect the flavor of the next couple of things you eat (my husband and I share a few subscription box snacks each night after dinner until we’ve been through the box). But don’t let that put you off because if you like hot and spicy snacks, these are pretty tasty. They allegedly have probiotics but I wouldn’t buy them for that as the bacteria are not encapsulated in any way and won’t survive your stomach acid.
Som Sleep (8.1 fl oz) – Buy a 12 Pack for $26.99
I am happy to get the zero sugar kind (they also have “original”). Although this does have stevia in it again, which is the strongest flavor for me (it also has erythritol and monk fruit extract for additional sweetness, and I will say, the blend is better than stevia alone). This has L-theanine, GABA, and melatonin for helping you get to sleep. I only tasted a little because I have a bad reaction to melatonin. Some percentage of people who take it will have vivid, unsettling dreams, and I am apparently one of those people, so I generally avoid melatonin-containing products.
Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts (15g) – Buy 12, 2-oz Packs for $16.82
This shows up in food subscription boxes all the time and has been for years. As it turns out, it’s something I already buy. I eat a pretty low-fat diet but do try to incorporate some healthful plant fats just so I am not missing out on any important nutrients, and I like to add seeds to my morning smoothies. Well, these have a pretty neutral flavor and they blend better and stick to the glass less than either chia seeds or flax seeds, so these are my seeds of choice (this brand, too).
Enjoy Life Soft-Baked Breakfast Ovals in Chocolate Chip Banana (1.76 oz) – Buy an 8.8 oz Box for $5.59
This bran is known for making various snacks that are free of the 8 major allergens. Some of their snacks work better than others. This was a bit dry and didn’t hold together well, to be honest, although the flavor wasn’t bad. (It was more “banana” than “chocolate.”) These would be good for multi-allergen households but I’m not sure I’d recommend them otherwise.
Healthee USA Organic Coconut Brown Rice (7.6 oz) – Retail Value $2.99 (found here for $1.91)
You’ll get pantry items every now and then in the Vegan Cuts Snack Box. This is brown rice cooked with coconut milk. It is definitely a pain to make brown rice as it takes so long, so if you need a convenience food for lunch or something, this could fit the bill (though note that one container has two servings so you are getting 320 calories, not just 160). We put the bean smash product over it, which was a little strange, but that stuff is spicy enough that it needs something more neutral to go with it and this did work.
Paromi Full Leaf Tea in “Sleep with Me” (1 bag) – Buy 2 oz for $9.98
This is an herbal tea and I was pleasantly surprised that it only had normal ingredients (and not anything, like licorice or lemongrass, that I dislike). The base is chamomile with lemon balm and honeybush (all good so far) and then smaller amounts of apple, cinnamon, linden leaves, apricot, and quince, so it is ever so slightly astringent but the spices kind of hide that.
Theo Coconut Turmeric Chocolate Clusters (2.8 oz) – Retail Value $5.99
These are hyped as having lots of flavanols (antioxidants, from the cocoa in this case) as well as anti-inflammatory compounds from turmeric, iron, and fiber. The best thing about them, though, is that they don’t taste like they’re good for you. They really are pleasant to eat and probably my favorite item from the box.
Verdict: This month’s Vegan Cuts Snack Box had 13 items for an average value per item of about $1.77. I had tried a lot of these brands before (Enjoy Life, Theo, Dandies, Bean Smash, Manitoba Harvest, Vegan Rob’s, Taza Chocolate) but other than the Dandies and hemp hearts (which are things I’d buy anyway), the items and/or flavors were new to me. I think this month’s curation was great although I note there were a lot of sweet items (but I have a sweet tooth) and fewer savory items, which is fine by me. Looking at it another way, the hot cocoa and cotton candy together more than cover the cost of the box, with everything else just being a bonus.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, your first box would be January’s box, but some of the products may be available from the Vegan Cuts shop.
Value Breakdown: At $22.95 for this box, you are paying about $1.77 per item.
Check out our past Vegan Cuts Snack Box reviews and the Food Subscription Box Directory.
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
What do you think of the December 2018 Vegan Cuts Snack Box?
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