![Unboxed: 14 innovative new natural coffee, bars, desserts and more Unboxed: 14 innovative new natural coffee, bars, desserts and more](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt09e5e63517a16184/blt89d6b12b4b5a6dfb/64f1d5a7bf61d47e20bdfcf4/unboxed_promo_1.jpg?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
Most canned, ready-to-use frostings on the market are laden with artificial flavors, colors or hydrogenated oils (a.k.a. trans fats). And while you can make your own, delicious frosting at home with butter and lots of powdered sugar, those who eschew dairy are out of luck. With Miss Jones Chocolate Frosting, not only are you getting a vegan product, but also a USDA Organic one, made with organic powdered sugar, Rainforest Alliance-certified palm oil, agave, cocoa powder and more. Not that we really needed another excuse to eat frosting from the can, but Miss Jones’ fills a marketplace gap with this awesome product. Also check out the brand’s organic baking mixes. Learn more about Miss Jones
There's true innovation coming out of this small, San Francisco brand. ReGrained uses spent malted barley from local breweries that would either be thrown away or turned into animal feed. The Honey Almond IPA is a chewy, textural bar; the Chocolate Coffee Stout is an awesome semi-sweet treat. "I see ReGrained as a hybrid between a sustainable food and resource management company," explains co-founder Dan Kurzrock. Oh, and these bars are alcohol free! Learn more about ReGrained
Makers of granola and cold cereal offer us a new hot cereal product, simply made with gluten-free oats, brown sugar, chia seeds, quinoa, amaranth, cinnamon, and either blueberries or apples. Add hot water and give it a stir for a filling, 160-calorie breakfast. Learn more about Love Grown Foods
We dig Home Free's mini lemony cookies, which are free from top allergens like peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, dairy and gluten. Sweetened with evaporated cane sugar and pear juice concentrate and flavored with lemon juice concentrate, each 8-cookie serving delivers just 150 calories. Bonus: Home Free is a Certified B Corp company. Learn more about Home Free
Forged in Austin, Texas, these icy treats are carefully crafted with excellent ingredients. The Watermelon Agave flavor, for example, contains watermelon juice, Fair Trade and organic cane sugar and blue agave nectar, organic guar gum and xanthan gum. A 40-calorie, vegan and fat-free treat for sweltering days. We’re also enamored with the Coldbrew Coffee flavor, which contains rBST-free skim milk and cream, Fair Trade organic coffee and more. Learn more about GoodPop
Marshmallows are not a health food. But when we hanker for s’mores or hot cocoa with mini ‘mallows, Dandies is an excellent choice. These vegan, pumpkin-flavored marshmallows are made with tapioca syrup, cane sugar, tapioca starch, carrageenan, soy protein, vanilla and pumpkin flavor, and colored with annatto. Plus, I love Dandies’ recipe for Pumpkin Crispy Treats on the back of the package, which are sweetened with maple syrup. Learn more about Dandies
Check out Kuli Kuli’s take-along packet of Pure Moringa powder, a high-nutrient superfood vegetable consciously sourced from West African cooperatives (the company sources only part of each harvest for Western consumption so farmers can benefit from it, too). Perfectly portioned to whirl into smoothies. Learn more about Kuli Kuli
This fledgling brand based out of Boulder, Colorado wants people to eat more sustainable fish but recognizes that it can be intimidating to buy, let alone cook. Each box contains two hefty fillets, perfectly sized baking parchment and heart-shaped flash-frozen cooking sauces that infuse flavor into the seafood. This flavor contains rockfish and a tasty, olive-tomato tapenade. Learn more about LoveWild Fish Co.
From Happy Family comes a soon-to-launch line of handy pouches for adults that are filled with organic fruits, veggies and chia seeds. We love the tangy, 100-calorie Elevate flavor, which contains banana, carrot, mango, orange juice, chia seeds, lemon juice, wheatgrass and turmeric; and Calm, a banana-pumpkin-coconut-blackberry-vanilla-passion flower-chia concoction that promotes relaxation. The texture may be a tad baby food-esque to some, but the excellent nutrition and flavor combinations make up for it. Learn more about Happy Family
I was pleasantly surprised with Hummusphere, whose Non-GMO Project verified creamy dips are infused with applewood smoke for a subtly woodsy flavor and aroma. I’m particularly impressed with the Jalapeno Black Bean flavor, which contains black beans, sesame tahini, jalapenos, lemon and lime juice, garlic, cilantro cumin and more. Smear it into a soft corn tortilla for a quick snack. Learn more about Hummusphere
Made just with Modena grapes in Boulder, Colorado, Balsamic Nectar is a sweet and viscous condiment perfect for drizzling over pizza, salmon, fruit salad and more. I love that the brand developed a new aging technique that gives traditional Italian-balsamic vinegar a run for its money. Learn more about Balsamic Nectar
THRIVE Farmers is a coffee brand that empowers producers in Central America and Africa by maintaining direct relationships and a unique revenue-sharing platform. We love THRIVE Farmers especially because the company operates on the principle that if farmers can’t provide for their families, they can’t think about environmental practices. Secure predictable wages and pricing for coffee, and sustainability becomes easier to attain. I also love the personal packaging design, with quotes from featured farmers included. Learn more about THRIVE Farmers
We’re ridiculously excited about Juniper Ridge’s new wild-harvested teas. Known for their forest-infused fragrances and home care products like sage sticks, incense and colognes, this intrepid brand recently launched its inaugural teas in White Sage and Wild Mint—a bright, sinus-clearing blend, and Douglas Fir Spring Tips—which smells floral and sweet. Each sip of these inspiring blends will place you in either the Pacific Northwest or the Mojave Desert, where the ingredients were hand-harvested. Learn more about Juniper Ridge
Pixán is a small brand that recently entered the crowded and challenging beverage market. But it’s primed to succeed with a relatively unused ingredient: coffee fruit, the crimson antioxidant-rich fruit that surrounds coffee beans that is currently wasted in coffee production. By blending coffee fruit with spices and ingredients like ginger, hibiscus, mint, and lemon juice, the company produces a uniquely flavored drink with a compelling story. Plus, the packaging rocks. Learn more about Pixan
Each week on Unboxed, we review new natural foods and beverages that are just reaching store shelves. This week, we review a nutrition bar that features spent grain from local breweries, a coffee fruit-infused beverage, allergen-free cookies and more. Want your natural product reviewed on Unboxed? Tweet to food editor @JennaBlumenfeld
Each week on Unboxed, we review new natural foods and beverages that are just reaching store shelves. This week, we review a nutrition bar that features spent grain from local breweries, a coffee fruit-infused beverage, allergen-free cookies and more. Want your natural product reviewed on Unboxed? Tweet to food editor @JennaBlumenfeld
Unboxed: 14 innovative new natural coffee, bars, desserts and more
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