Orgran Gluten-Free Kids Dinosaurs Wholefruit Cookies review

We're still working our way through the selection of Free-From snacks that Ocado kindly sent us to review a couple of weeks ago. The item that instantly leapt out at the Madhouse Mini-testers was this colourful box of Orgran Gluten-Free Kids Dinosaurs Wholefruit Cookies. It's a brand I'd never heard of, possibly because I never usually spend much time in the free-from aisle, but having tried the cookies, I'll definitely be researching what else they make.

Inside the box, you get a big plastic sachet full of tiny dinosaur shaped cookies. Well, I have to admit, if I didn't know they were supposed to be dinosaurs, I wouldn't have known but this slightly rough-and-ready appearance actually appeals to me because it makes them look more homemade and natural. Each small cookie is only about the size of a 2p coin but is absolutely packed with currants. In fact, currants are the top ingredient on the list and make up a whopping 25% of the product. If you ask me, they therefore (quite logically) taste of currants - every time I pop one in my mouth, they remind me of the scones my mum used to make ! - but according to the pack, they are "wildberry flavour". This initially puzzled me but it's because they have added "natural berry flavour", which I don't really think is necessary.

They're utterly lovely though. Each bite is packed with flavour and they're quite moist - the pack has been open for a couple of weeks and they've gone a bit soggy so I can't actually remember if they were crunchy to begin with (I seem to think they were) but the soft, crumbly texture is lovely. The tiny size makes them appealing to toddlers and they're the perfect lunchbox treat. They're mess-free for eating on the go too, firstly because there are no chocolatey or sticky fingers and secondly because they're small enough to pop in your mouth in one go so there are no crumbs.

The packaging explains that as well as being naturally rich in complex carbohydrates, the cookies have the added benefit of psyllium for extra dietary fibre and calcium carbonate as a source of beneficial non-dairy calcium. They are wheat free, dairy free, egg free, gluten free, soy free, yeast free and nut free, as well as vegan. Certainly not taste free though - they're lovely !

A box contains 175g, which is apparently 10 servings of approximately 6 cookies - we just grab a handful whenever we feel like it and the box has lasted ages - and each serving contains 57 calories, 6.4g of sugar, 0.7g of fat and 1.8g of fibre. The packaging says that there is no added cane sugar though, so I would guess that much of that sugar comes from the fruit.

Whether or not you need a free-from product, these are well worth a try. The only thing that would put me off is the price.

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : £2.75 for 175g

for more information : http://www.ocado.com/webshop/product/Orgran-Dinosaur-Wholefruit-Cookies--Wildberry/70390011

Disclosure : I received a "free from" Taster Box from Ocado in order to review their new Free-from shop.

Other reviews you may be interested in :

"Free From" snacks from Ocado review

Hipp Organic Little Nibbles Organic Apple & Blueberry Rice Cakes review

Hale & Hearty Wheat / Gluten-Free Cassava Crisps