REVIEW: Heinz Dip & Crunch

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Heinz Dip Crunch Containers

What is it?

Inspired by #FoodTok (TikToks about food), Kraft Heinz’s new Dip & Crunch is a combo pack of burger sauce and crushed-up potato chips (crunchers).

Apparently, it’s a social media trend to dip your burger into different sauces and coat them with potato chips for more flavor and texture. Who knew?!

Dip & Crunch launched in two flavors – secret sauce and spicy sauce.

How is it?

I don’t know why, but I felt compelled to purchase McDonald’s to pair with this. My usual homemade burger just didn’t feel right for the occasion!

The sauces were both orange-ish in color. The secret sauce had floating bits of relish, as expected, whereas the spicy one looked a bit smoother.

Heinz Dip Crunch Dips

They both smelled pungent and vinegary with a mayo-like linger. The crunchers smelled stale because oil was the only thing I could discern. They looked like regular ol’ potato chips – a la Lay’s Original as opposed to wavy or kettle style. It tasted stale and was texturally a bit soft, but I wasn’t expecting much from the crunchers because Heinz doesn’t make chips on the regular.

Heinz Dip Crunch Burger

But it does make condiments! So, I was a little disappointed by the secret sauce. It didn’t really do much to enhance my burger’s flavor. There was a smidge of tanginess but overall wasn’t very flavorful. However, I really enjoyed the spicy one. It ate like spicy mayo – spicy, tangy with a bit of sweetness. I was pleasantly surprised that it actually had some heat to it!

Anything else you need to know?

Heinz Dip Crunch McNuggets

I honestly preferred to Dip & Crunch my McNuggets and fries instead. My favorite combination was the McDonald’s Sweet & Sour Sauce with the potato crunchers. The Mickey D fries’ texture compensates for the chip’s staleness, and the fast food sauce provided better stickage.

Heinz Dip Crunch McD Sauce

Conclusion:

I like playing with my food, and this is a fun way to do just that. With free sauces at fast food joints and way fresher potato chips, if self-crushed, I probably won’t buy this again.

Purchased Price: $1.89 each
Size: 2.75 oz
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 5 out of 10 (Secret Sauce), 6 out of 10 (Spicy Sauce)
Nutrition Facts: (1 package) Secret Sauce and Crunchers – 430 calories, 40 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 480 milligrams of sodium, 15 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 2 grams of total sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Spicy Sauce and Crunchers – 440 calories, 41 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 480 milligrams of sodium, 15 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 2 grams of total sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Sweet Carolina Reaper

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Cheetos Flamin Hot Sweet Carolina Reaper Bag

Us Americans have a real need for speed spicy!

Apparently, spicy snacks are growing (in terms of sales) twice as fast as overall snacks. So, Chester Cheetah naturally gets in on the action with another option for us voracious heat seekers.

The latest limited-edition launch is the Flamin’ Hot Sweet Carolina Reaper flavor, and they’re currently only available at Walmart.

As I opened the package and took a deep sniff, I picked up that usual hot “cheeteau” (eau de Hot Cheeto that honestly smells a little bit like feet sometimes), but I detected a slight tickle at the end. I chalked it up to Carolina Reaper reigning supreme as the world’s hottest pepper again.

I also noticed that it has the same color as a regular Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. This meant that the seasoning was super consistent, which is not always the case for salty snacks but is always the case with Cheetos. Kudos for quality!

Cheetos Flamin Hot Sweet Carolina Reaper Back

Since the back of the packaging loudly proclaimed in all caps: “SWEET MEETS HEAT,” I had high hopes that Chester wouldn’t completely blast my taste buds like the Hot Pepper Puffs. Those were really one-note blistering spicy.

Thankfully, I was not disappointed!

The sweetness hit first, followed by the reaper burn. While the sweet notes tempered the capsaicin, it was still pretty spicy. After shoveling a couple of handfuls into my mouth, one tear slowly trickled down my left eye, then my stomach started to feel spicy, and then it was full-blown (happy) tears.

Cheetos Flamin Hot Sweet Carolina Reaper Closeup

The spicy stomach step definitely came way earlier than with my usual Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. It also lingered for a fair bit. I didn’t even want to lick the cheetle off my fingertips because I didn’t need to add fuel to the fire in my mouth.

Did I stop to have milk or a beverage to help my cause? Absolutely not. I just wanted to enjoy that sweet, sweet burn!

Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Sweet Carolina Reaper was an awesome and unique flavor journey. It’s different from the other spicy snacks and Chester’s other Flamin’ Hot offerings.

I love spiciness with depth and dimension, and this delivered that in spades. My only regret is that I didn’t pick up two bags! I gotta stock up the next time I see ’em!

Purchased Price: $3.98
Size: 8.5 oz bag
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 10 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (21 pieces or 28 g) – 160 calories, 10 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 0 mg of cholesterol, 210 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of total carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of total sugars, less than 1 gram of fiber, and 1 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Goldfish Old Bay Seasoned Crackers

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Goldfish Old Bay Seasoned Crackers Bag

What are Goldfish Old Bay Seasoned Crackers?

Goldfish’s latest limited edition drop brings Old Bay seasoning to the cracker aisle! If you’ve never had it, it’s a signature blend of 18 herbs and spices. It was invented in Baltimore, Maryland, for steamed crab, so I still immediately associate it with seafood, crawfish boils, etc. But, it’s truly the bomb on everything — including Goldfish crackers.

How is it?

Goldfish Old Bay Seasoned Crackers Inside the Bag

I expected it to be a bright orange cheddar cracker because of the image on the front. But it was actually pale and oyster cracker-esque. It still worked well, though!

While the seasoning coverage looked sparse and inconsistent, it was super flavorful. It was true to Old Bay’s aromatic start with a generous punch of salt, tempered by a backdrop of slight sweetness. It peaked at a high note of celeriac and ended with a bit of heat on the back of my tongue. This flavor journey also came with Goldfish’s gummy goodness that gets stuck in your molars when you eat ’em by the handful.

Goldfish Old Bay Seasoned Crackers Smiles

However, I noticed that almost none of my fish-shaped crackers smiled back. I truly find delight in the “snack that smiles back,” and I expect it with all Goldfish crackers. So, I dumped out the bag and flipped each one over – only to get a sad dimple or half-smile here and there.

Yes, I’m fully aware that this doesn’t affect the taste, but it does have an outsized impact on my joy of eating these crackers.

Anything else you need to know?

The simplicity of the packaging is stunning. The designers really brought forward the yellow and red colors of the Old Bay tin can. I could spot it easily five feet away from where it was sitting on display.

Conclusion:

Goldfish Old Bay Seasoned Crackers Bag Back

Since this is Goldfish and McCormick’s second collab (the first time was Frank’s RedHot), and I believe good things come in threes, I’m sure we’ll have another one to look forward to. Would French’s Seasoned Goldfish be too polarizing?

Purchased Price: $1.98
Size: 6.6 oz bag
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (55 pieces or 30 grams) 140 calories, 6 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 310 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of sugar, 0 grams of fiber, and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Mocha Caramel Latte Oreo Cookies

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Limited Edition Mocha Caramel Latte Oreo Cookies Package

When Oreo announced its new limited edition flavor, I thought it was Groundhogs’ Day. Haven’t we seen a coffee-flavored one already?!

After scavenging this site’s archives, there have been the following varieties:

Okay, close, but not quite this exact flavor. I see you, Mondelez! There’s basically no additional R&D needed if you just mash up previous cremes, right? After Oreo runs out of existing mash-ups, I wouldn’t be surprised if we started seeing savory flavors like the current state of the ice cream aisle…

Limited Edition Mocha Caramel Latte Oreo Cookies Uneven

Lack of uniqueness aside, it’s still a tasty Oreo. When I opened the package, the smell reminded me of 7-Eleven or Meijer Express, and I mean that in a good way. It’s that very distinct smell of syrupy, artificially aromatic coffee. It’s almost Pavlovian for me as I can just hear the ding of the door opening and the sweet coffee aroma immediately tickling my nostrils. The scent also helped me overlook how messy the creme looked. I was surprised not to see neat rows.

Limited Edition Mocha Caramel Latte Oreo Cookies Layers

This scent comes from the dual creme layers of supposedly mocha latte and caramel. I say supposedly because the tan part carries the team. It has all the flavor, so I thought it was caramel latte filling. I tried the darker brown creme repeatedly, but I couldn’t pick up anything distinct except for a flat, sweet note. So, I concluded that it was there just visual interest. I thought the darker brown filling was gratuitous because the cookie itself did a fine job being the chocolate portion of mocha. It also added a much-needed depth, a counterpoint to the caramel sweetness. Can you tell that I’m #TeamCookie?

But apparently, it’s mocha latte and caramel cremes. I really didn’t get that at all, and I have gingerly peeled apart the layers on many a cookie at this point.

Limited Edition Mocha Caramel Latte Oreo Cookies Peeling

Overall, there have been more exciting limited edition Oreo cookies, but I think this did the job of emulating a caramel mocha latte. I am, however, still left wondering if Oreo’s coffee flavors have caffeine in them.

Limited Edition Mocha Caramel Latte Oreo Cookies Dip

Regardless, I’ve started to dip these cookies into an espresso as my afternoon treat and it’s getting out of hand! Where’s the family-size pack of limited edition flavors when you need ’em?!

Purchased Price: $3.98
Size: 12.2 oz
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 cookies) 140 calories, 7 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 90 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 13 grams of sugar, and less than 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Jeni’s Maple Soaked Pancakes Ice Cream

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Jeni s Maple Soaked Pancakes Ice Cream Pint

What is Jeni’s Maple Soaked Pancakes Ice Cream?

Emulating a breakfast staple, it’s fluffy pancakes in salted butter and Vermont maple syrup ice creams.

The side of the pint shares a heartwarming blurb on her inspiration — Young Jeni enjoyed freshly tapped maple syrup, from her grandparents’ trees, with a triple stack of buttermilk pancakes. She soaked them until they became a syrupy, sweet mush.

How is it?

Buddy the Elf would approve and count this as part of his syrup food group!

Jeni s Maple Soaked Pancakes Ice Cream Top

After pulling back the lid, I could immediately see two swirl colors – a cream one and a light brown sugar-esque one.

From tasting it, the darker part was unmistakably the maple syrup ice cream. It had a light and caramel-like flavor. However, it wasn’t cloying like caramel can get sometimes. Could I tell that it was from Vermont? Nope, but I can appreciate Jeni’s attention to detail. What I can also appreciate is how one manages to freeze real maple syrup without it crystallizing or diminishing the flavor! Food magics.

Jeni s Maple Soaked Pancakes Ice Cream Spoon

By the process of elimination, I anticipated the lighter part to be the salted butter portion. It didn’t really have a pronounced taste, but my taste buds did pick up the saltiness.

Jeni s Maple Soaked Pancakes Ice Cream Panugget

The pancake was swirled throughout. But the adjective fluffy should really be in quotes because it creates unrealistic expectations! They were also more like pancake pieces, or in today’s snack vernacular, they could be considered pancake bites. The texture was fine. They were crumby, so they reminded me a bit of stale pancakes, but at least they weren’t frozen solid. I found myself hunting for them like cookie dough pieces in vanilla ice cream, but it was a lot more difficult because these were practically camouflaged.

Altogether, this was pretty good and unique from what’s in the ice cream aisle today! I also always appreciate creamy ice cream that’s easy to scoop, with a spoon, right out of the freezer.

Anything else you need to know?

Jeni s Maple Soaked Pancakes Ice Cream Lid

Since day one, Jeni’s has been faithful to her philosophy of high-quality ingredients. All her cream comes from grass-fed cows from a local Ohio milk producer. None of her ice creams have stabilizers, emulsifiers, or corn syrup! Even for the color of this specific flavor, she used hibiscus, apple, and carrot to achieve it. We pay a pretty premium for this, but I think it’s worth it!

While Jeni’s is relatively new to grocery store shelves, she’s been rockin’ it since 2002. If you get a chance to visit one of her 40+ locations, there are scoop shop exclusives (shameless plug for the Pear Riesling Sorbet paired with the Darkest Chocolate ice cream)!

Conclusion:

I didn’t need a unique breakfast flavor analog like this to convince me to eat ice cream for breakfast, but I enjoyed the idea AND execution of this.

Purchased Price: $12
Size: 1 pint (473 mL)
Purchased at: Jeni’s Website
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 serving – 2/3 cup or 123g) 300 calories, 18 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 55 milligrams of cholesterol, 320 milligrams of sodium, 35 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 28 grams of sugar, and 6 grams of protein.

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