This time of year is my favorite, as it signals the start to the season of festivity that lasts through the new year.


With Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the winter holidays coming up, cooler weather and a celebratory air brings a new-found appreciation for the simple pleasure of a fresh from the oven cookies. 


After falling in love with Among Friends’ chocolate chip cookie mix at Expo East last month, I knew without a doubt that I wanted to check out some of their other offerings. Luckily, I came home with three mixes to put to the test in my dorm kitchen, and each had it’s own unique taste that set it apart from the myriad of mixes I have encountered before.


Before detailing each mix in full, here’s an overview of Among Friends’ full line of mixes. All are certified gluten-free, vegan, soy-free and dairy-free, and easily work well with non-dairy, non-egg substitutes. All but the crisp mix (featured), chocolate cake, and oatmeal raisin cookies are nut free.


What really caught my eye on each bag is the story behind the mix’s name. I loved reading about Trish, Shane, and Suzie Q., the real people who inspired each of the mixes, and these vignettes really give each mix character. Another cool feature on the bags occurs at the bottom of the pouches, where a stretch of the day is printed. It’s touches like these that show the founders’ commitment to making gluten-free mixes that are made with good vibes and quality ingredients.

Trish the Dish Crisp Mix

Shane’s Molasses Ginger Cookie Mix

Suzie Q’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix

After having such great success with the other two mixes, I decided to once again turn to Among Friends’ website for recipe ideas to bake up the mix in a creative way. I decided to make Suzie Q. bars out of the mix, in which I make the cookies in a baking pan to make bars instead of making individual-sized cookies. The mix came together well, but I fear I baked it a bit too long, as when I pulled it out and it cooled, the bars were pretty crumbly. Nevertheless, I really liked how the mix put a unique spin on a chocolate chip cookie with added heartiness from oats. I will definitely be buying another pouch in the future and giving them a second test to make up for my error in baking. Allergen note: contains soy (soy lecithin) and made on shared equipment with tree nuts.

Overall, I really liked the mixes I tried. I will definitely be on the lookout for the other Among Friends mixes I have not tried, and look forward to testing those in the future. I love Among Friends’ cheerful attitude towards allergen-friendly baking, wholesome ingredients, and the fact that the mixes are gluten-free and vegan friendly. Among Friends is the real deal, and they’ve definitely earned a place in my dorm pantry as a trusted brand.


As a special bonus, I am giving away a pouch of Among Friend’s old fashioned chocolate chip cookie mix. This is the mix that made a big impression on me at Expo East this year, with a rich molasses taste that gives the cookies an incredible flavor. The only catch is that this giveaway is a flash giveaway, which means that I will only be accepting entries on Sunday, October 18th. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: This review is current to the original publication date. Updates will be noted. Ingredients and manufacturing processes can change without notice. Each product should be reviewed for individual nutritional needs. Feel free to to contact me with any questions or comments. Among Friends gave me samples free of charge for review purposes, but the review is a reflection of my personal opinion.