Top-9-Free M&M’s Copycats: Yum Earth Vs No Whey!

The holidays are a challenging time to manage food allergies because so many events are focused around food and baking special treats. Our holidays can be more inclusive and extra special with allergy-friendly candies for our family members with food allergies. Two brands that can help with this are Yum Earth and No Whey! Both companies make top-9-free (on their ingredient lists) and dye-free copycats of M&M’s. Both are spectacular but distinctly different!

I have been purchasing Yum Earth products when they are available seasonally at my Target stores for the last few years. We have always loved them and my kiddo has been thrilled to have Choco Yums as a special treat.

I had never purchased No Whey! chocolates for my family before December 2024, mainly due to availability in my area. Since I could usually find Yum Earth at Target each Valentine’s Day or Halloween, I never had a reason to purchase any products online from No Whey. I hadn’t been able to find Choco Yums in the stores this year, so that opened me up to to the prospect of ordering online anyway, so I decided to expand my choices.

Here is an article by Go Dairy Free on other brands of dairy-free M&M’s copycat candy that might interest you. There are WAY more dairy-free M&M’s copy cats than I ever knew! https://godairyfree.org/food-and-grocery/vegan-dairy-free-mandms

I volunteered to be in charge of the snack for my kiddo’s winter party this last December and I found this adorable little reindeer snack that I really wanted to make. I knew I could use red skittles for the Rudolph nose, but as a chocolate lover, I really wanted to find a delicious chocolate candy for the nose instead. I decided to make my first ever order from No Whey! and I am glad I did! They had seasonal red and white NoNo’s that were perfect for the snack, and I got to try out a few different No Whey! products as well.

Since both the Yum Earth Choco Yums and No Whey! NoNo’s fall under the category of specialty candy items that many have to order online, I thought I would do a direct comparison of them so you’ll know which you might want to purchase. Please note that the allergy information for each online is slightly different, so make sure to read to the end of this post for more information.

NoNo’s (by No Whey!)

The NoNo’s by No Whey! are delicious! They are definitely an item I will buy again, especially before the holidays. NoNo’s have a very thick candy coating, but are definitely distinct from a “real” M&M, with a larger size and irregular shapes. In terms of texture, I would compare them to peanut M&M’s since there is a LOT of crunch. If your family is expecting the exact same texture as an M&M, this might not be the candy for you.

NoNo’s do however, come in fun color combinations released seasonally, perfect for the holidays, and are available in a mint flavor as well. We loved having flavor choices! I really enjoyed the No Whey NoNo’s, and I will keep them in mind whenever I need to order specialty chocolate. I will most likely place an order every fall when their seasonal Christmas candy items are released. No Whey! also offers items like a dairy-free chocolate advent calendar, which seem to sell out each year before Christmas. If you are interested in those, make sure to join their mailing list so you can order them early! If other varieties of chocolate candies are something you enjoy, No Whey! also has an allergy-friendly version of Hershey Kisses called Smooches and a Twix bar dupe called No Tricks, plus chocolate truffles for Valentine’s Day (or anytime!). Make sure to checkout their website for a listing of all their amazing chocolates! 

Choco Yums (by Yum Earth)

Choco Yums, sold by Yum Earth, were one of the first dairy-free chocolates I ever bought. The flavor and texture make them a very close copycat to M&M’s. I have always been grateful to find them at Target near Valentine’s Day, and usually buy a box for my kiddo to enjoy throughout the year, as his classmates are not dairy-free. My one criticism is that the natural food coloring comes off of them easily. If you have a child that holds on to candy clenched in their hands, keep an eye on them or you may end up with food dye on random objects around your home! I imagine that mixing them into a cookie dough prior to baking may also cause the color to fade as well. I generally press them into the top of my cookies after they are done baking to prevent this. Regardless, Yum Earth Choco Yums are definitely tasty, and are enjoyed by my whole family. 

“Shared” vs “Dedicated” Facility

Both companies’ allergy-friendly M&M’s copycats are free of top allergens on their ingredient list, however if you compare that to their website allergy information, only No Whey! has a dedicated facility free of ALL top allergens.

Yum Earth states on their packaging that they’re a “…facility free of peanuts and tree nuts…” and our family has never had a problem with their products, but make sure to do your own research also so you are comfortable with the choice you make. This information was gathered from each company’s website and is accurate to the best of my knowledge at the time of this writing (January 2025). The safest option is to always verify the facility and shared line information yourself before purchasing a product.

Let’s further discuss the allergy-friendliness of Yum Earth. I LOVE that companies like Yum Earth exist and all of their products are safe for my son and his allergy situation, as we choose not to avoid shared lines or facilities with any of his allergens. However, the problem I have is with the use of the unregulated marketing phrase “Top 9 Free” on the front of Yum Earth’s product packaging which leads an uniformed consumer to believe that their entire factory is free of Top 9 Allergens. Upon closer inspection on the back of an individual package of Choco Yums, under the “free from” section, their labeling clearing states that the products are “made in a facility free of peanuts and tree nuts.” While that is fantastic for people with nut allergies, those of us whose children have many other food allergies as well, are left with more questions. I used to be able to find a chart and drop-down menu on Yum Earth’s website in 2024 about which allergens are sharing their packaging line, but it appears to have been removed or password-protected now. It seems that the only option in early 2025 would be to contact Yum Earth directly to get shared line information for other allergens besides peanuts and tree nuts.

Some people might ask “If YumEarth has good allergy-focused protocols, why do shared lines even matter?” For many families like mine who don’t avoid shared lines and facilities with allergens, it doesn’t really matter. However, for families who have different personal boundaries set for their family, this information would help them protect their loved ones and give them peace of mind, so for them it matters greatly! Some of us are also willing to pay a higher price for “allergy-friendly” candy because we know we’re supporting a company that is safe for people with food allergies. My family falls into that category. My child has MANY safe chewy and colorful candy options, buy very few when it comes to dairy-free chocolate candy. Choco Yums are one of the only easily-accessible chocolate candies that are safe for his allergies.

I vividly remember the feelings I had about two years ago when I realized that Yum Earth products share packaging lines with at least one of my child’s allergens. I had known for a few years that precautionary labeling is not regulated in the United States, but I thought I had been spending extra money on products that were manufactured in a facility free of all top allergens (top 8 at the time), plus sesame, which my child is allergic to as well. When I suddenly realized they were not, I had feelings of betrayal. It wasn’t that their manufacturing procedures were unsafe for my child, and I do believe they are safe for most people with food allergies, but I felt mislead by marketing jargon like “Top 9 Free,” and that really upset me. It continues to feel like a “lie of omission.” This sentiment is shared by many allergy parents in some Facebook groups as well, where upset parents notify others of the “shared line” status of Yum Earth products – especially those with milk allergies.

So will I continue to buy Yum Earth products? Yes. They have been safe for my child and he doesn’t deserve to have fewer products available to him than he already does. But I do wish that Yum Earth would list more clear and complete shared line information on their products for all top allergens. If they would do that, it would demonstrate to all of us allergy parents how important ingredient transparency is to the Yum Earth brand.