REVIEW: Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Chocolate Fudge Brownie Oat Milk Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert

/ / Reviews / 1 Comment

When Ben & Jerry’s first began its foray into non-dairy “ice cream” pints in 2016, it chose one base option to replace its coveted creamy dairy – almond milk. Since then, there have been sunflower butter experiments, but all that is about to hit the wayside. A lot has changed since the B&J’s non-dairy inception, one of which is the widespread popularity of oat milk. The nut-free alternative has taken over in bougie third-wave coffee shops and cereal bowls. By 2024, every Ben & Jerry’s non-dairy pint and scoop shop offering will transition to an oat base, which the company claims creates a creamier texture that allows the flavors to shine as intended.

The reformulation begins with two classics: original launch flavor Chocolate Fudge Brownie, which features chocolate non-dairy frozen dessert with fudge brownies, and fan favorite, more recently vegan-ified, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, which boasts vanilla non-dairy frozen dessert with chocolate chip cookie dough and fudge flakes.

The timing of this changeover is interesting for me, personally. I was visiting family recently, some of whom are vegan, and they brought out a pint of non-dairy The Tonight Dough. I remarked how Ben & Jerry’s almond base seems to have gotten markedly better over the years, and I was impressed with its creaminess and flavor. Not only that, but my favorite new B&J’s pint of 2023 is the non-dairy Oatmeal Dream Pie, which has a sunflower butter base, and I thought the vegan version of Lights! Caramel! Action! was just as good as its dairy counterpart. That said, I was primed to go into these new oat milk pints with a plethora of experience with the older formula as recently as last week.

So, how does the oat milk stack up? It’s pretty good! Both bases have a solid flavor but a slightly thinner, almost watery finish that tends to be the case for most non-dairy bases not made with coconut. There’s no true fatty density to leave a creamy imprint on your tongue, but there also isn’t any almond or coconut aftertaste. There’s a bit of an oat taste that lingers in the finish, but it isn’t as aggressive as its nutty counterparts. The “ice cream” is incredibly smooth and tempers wonderfully. It takes longer to get there than dairy, but once you let it sit for 15 minutes or so, it has a delightfully smooth and pleasant texture that provides a clean background for the cocoa and vanilla, respectively.

From the beginning, Ben & Jerry’s mission statement has been all about the chunks, and they really shine in these pints. Although both flavors are very basic, the brownies and cookie dough taste and feel nearly identical to those submerged in cow’s milk. The brownies are soft, chewy, and have a chocolatey pop, while the cookie dough brings a gritty brown sugar blast accented by crunchy yet melty chocolate chips. For non-dairy pints you can pick up at the grocery store, the mix-ins don’t get much better than this.

These are two very safe flavors for Ben & Jerry’s to launch its new base with, and I don’t think any vegan ice cream lovers will be disappointed in the change, but I don’t find them mind-blowingly better, either. The chocolate base has less of an aftertaste, and the cookie dough has a more dynamic chunk-age, so they’re both equally tasty but fairly standard in my rankings. The real test of this new recipe will be how it performs in the true non-dairy standout exclusives like Oatmeal Dream Pie, Coconut Seven Layer Bar, and Peanut Butter & Cookies.

DISCLOSURE: I received free product samples. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: One Pint
Purchased at: Sent samples for review from Ben & Jerry’s
Rating: 7 out of 10 (for both)
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup) Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough – 340 calories, 13 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 50 milligrams of sodium, 55 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 33 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

Chocolate Fudge Brownie – 260 calories, 9 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 60 milligrams of sodium, 42 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 25 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Chex Mix Remix (Zesty Taco and Cheesy PIzza)

/ / Reviews / 3 Comments

I will, without a shred of embarrassment or apology, declare the following: I will consume, with great zeal and mania, anything flavored like taco or pizza. That’s right. Taco-flavored chicken nuggets? Heck yeah, I would. Pizza-flavored soup? You bet. Taco-flavored pizza? Wait, that’s already a thing. And I LOVE it.

I love Chex Mix, too, but I’m not a huge consumer of the pre-packaged, factory-made variety. Oh sure, I’ll pick up a bag of Bold Party Blend if I see it on sale, but for the most part, I prefer the stuff my dad makes giant tubs of around Christmas.

But are these two new Chex Mix Remix varieties, Zesty Taco and Cheesy Pizza, good enough to make me buy again? Let’s see.

Zesty Taco

In addition to the two types of Chex in this affair — Taco Seasoning and Salsa flavored — Chex is getting wild by adding two previously unused snack pieces, Cheese Puffs and Corn Shell Chips. While I love the idea of breaking new barriers, the execution on both the puffs and the chips (think of a less-salty, less-crunchy Fritos) is a little lackluster. The puffs’ cheese flavor is mild and almost unnoticeable, and the corn chip is the same.

The Chex pieces, though, are BANANAS. The Taco Seasoning pieces perfectly embody that classic taco seasoning flavor profile — onion, garlic, and cumin — and the Salsa pieces… I don’t even know where to begin with these things. While these may be too much for timid consumers, I loved how over-the-top they were.

Cheesy Pizza

Like the ZTR, the CPR had two Chex piece components — Pizza Sauce and Garlic & Herb Chex — and two new inclusions, Pizza Crust Bagel Chips and Cheese Puffs. (Okay, these may’ve been the same Cheese Puffs from the ZTR, but honestly, I couldn’t tell. The Puffs from the Pizza Chex tasted cheesier, but it may have also just been a result of how they interplayed with the rest of the mix; I’m unsure.)

The Pizza Sauce Chex was the most disappointing piece of the eight total components. They weren’t bad, but they just needed a little more oomph. And while I loved the Bagel Chips, there were far too few. Like the Salsa Chex from the ZTR, the real winner here was the Garlic & Herb Chex. Garlicky and herby, these things screamed at my taste buds in the most delightful way possible.

If I have one complaint about these new Chex Mix Remix offerings, a single thing keeping them from each being a point better, it’s the lack of pretzels. Even though I’m not sure they would have fit thematically (particularly with the Taco kind), I found myself missing them from a texture perspective. Even still, I found both of these Remix varieties incredible. Now that you’ve read the review, please go buy several bags of each so that General Mills continues to make them. Thanks!

Purchased Price: $5.29 (Zesty Taco), $4.19 (Cheesy Pizza)
Size: 7 oz bag
Rating: 9 out of 10 (Zesty Taco), 8 out of 10 (Cheesy Pizza)
Purchased at: Hy-Vee
Nutrition Facts: (30g) Zesty Taco – 130 calories, 5 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 270 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 3 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Cheesy Pizza – 130 calories, 4 grams of fat, 1.5 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 260 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 3 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Lunchables Crispy Grilled Cheesies

/ / Reviews / 11 Comments

As a former child and current adult who requires a snack plate to feel truly at peace, I know a thing or two about Lunchables. In fact, most of my culinary preferences revolve around variety, portability, and the ability to arrange different foods in a cute little segmented container.

Now the Lunchables brand has extended its offerings well past cheese and crackers — and, for the first time, into the frozen food aisle. Lunchables Crispy Grilled Cheesies delivers frozen, microwavable grilled cheese sandwiches in two varieties: Original and Pepperoni Pizza.

I tested the Pepperoni Pizza flavor because why wouldn’t I? The package contained two full sandwiches, individually nestled in microwavable crisping sleeves and wrapped in plastic. The preparation was easy: remove the plastic, nuke the sandwich in its crisping sleeve for one minute, and then let it cool for another minute. The hardest part of the process was using the word “cheesie” as a noun.

The result smelled and tasted deliciously buttery, as though the cheesie (no, still weird) had just emerged from a sizzling pan. The crisping sleeve clearly did its job to encourage toasty texture on every surface of the bread, while still retaining some absorbed butter. Although crispy, the bread seemed to get chewier as time elapsed. The crusts were just plain tough.

The filling consisted of a slice of creamy, well-melted processed cheese, one to two tablespoons of marinara sauce, and three slices of pepperoni. Everything together made for a warm and comforting bite, and the pepperoni and marinara were just enough to ensure that the flavor wasn’t boring. The cheese would appeal to kid and adult tastes alike, but another slice — preferably added to the plain slice of bread — would have amped up the cheese flavor and helped the sandwich to adhere together as a whole.

Depending on one’s appetite, Lunchables Crispy Grilled Cheesies would make a fast, convenient (although hard to chew) snack or meal component at a low price point. Older kids could easily prepare a cheesie independently at home, but keep in mind that sending frozen foods to school can be tricky. If your child is prepared to negotiate a lunch box filled with ice packs and locate a kindly lunch-lady or lunch-lord to help them use the school microwave, then they have more fortitude than I do and deserve all the grilled cheesies in the world.

If that is too many cheesies (okay, I’m getting used to it), start with two for the Lunchables fan in your life. Although the product isn’t perfect, it delivers the comfort and convenience that so many have come to love from the brand.

Purchased Price: $4.79
Size: 6.2 oz box (2 pack)
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per sandwich): 300 calories, 18 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 660 milligrams of sodium, 25 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 10 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Red Bull Winter Edition Pear Cinnamon Energy Drink

/ / Reviews / 1 Comment

Winter is here! Oh, wait, I’m typing this in autumn. Fall is here! And that means Red Bull’s new Winter Edition is rolling out to stores to let you know the cold months are upon us. This year’s flavor is Pear Cinnamon, which sounds more fitting for autumn than winter. But this seasonal energy drink is so excellent that I want it to stay for every season from now on.

The pear flavor is the most distinct. It’s sweet, crisp, and slightly tart. A hint of cinnamon eventually makes itself known to your taste buds, but it’s hiding in the drink’s tartness. I was expecting a stronger cinnamon punch to let my mouth know that the season of cinnamon is upon us, but despite that, this is the best tasting Red Bull variety I’ve ever had.

While it initially has a pear flavor, I thought I tasted lychee in the aftertaste after taking a sip from an opened can that sat in my fridge overnight. Since then, I can’t get that out of my mind, and every sip I’ve taken since has a lychee aftertaste. You’ll hear no complaints from me about that because there’s a lychee-flavored Red Bull from Japan that I adore as much as this one and can no longer get my hands on. So if my taste buds get to relive that with this, I’m happy.

But what I’m not happy about, and the worst thing about this, is that once it’s gone, I’ll never be able to taste it again since Red Bull comes up with new flavors every year and rarely brings back old ones. But who knows, maybe there will be a Christmas miracle one year, and Red Bull decides to bring this back. Only the future knows.

Red Bull Winter Edition Pear Cinnamon is my favorite Red Bull flavor ever (that’s not from Japan). Find it, drink it, let its flavor wash over your taste buds, ask your taste buds if they also taste lychee, and then let the 114 milligrams of caffeine ride the red blood cells in your veins.

Purchased Price: More than one should pay on eBay
Size: 12 oz cans
Purchased at: eBay
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 160 calories, 0 grams of fat, 125 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of carbohydrates, 38 grams of sugar (including 38 grams of added sugar), and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Sonic Trick or Treat Blast (2023)

/ / Reviews / 1 Comment

For Halloween 2023, Sonic is offering revamped Trick or Treat Blasts, which include Mini M&M’s, Heath candy pieces, and Oreo cookie pieces, all mixed together in soft-serve ice cream. They are available in vanilla and chocolate.

If you don’t have a lot of time, I’ll sum it up quickly: This is basically an M&M’s shake. There, now you can go to the pumpkin patch (or the haunted house or the apple orchard or whatever else you’re doing this time of year).

Instead of eating it in my car in the stall at Sonic, I opted to get the chocolate version in the drive-through, then took it home and enjoyed it in the autumn afternoon.

The Mini M&M’s were by far the most noticeable element of the Blast. Since cold M&M’s are crunchy, I was crunching my way through the entire treat. There were M&M’s in almost every bite, even when I took a small bit of ice cream in my spoon. I liked them, and I’m glad they were there, but sometimes I just wanted a moment without them. (Is that what it’s like having kids?)

The Oreo pieces were slightly softened from the soft serve. If you’re a reader of this site, you probably know what it’s like to have Oreo cookies in ice cream, so I don’t need to elaborate on what they were like.

The Heath pieces were least noticeable to me. Since the M&M’s were already crunchy, it was hard to notice if I was crunching on toffee instead. I did have one bite where I thought, “Oh yeah, I can definitely taste the toffee here!”

As for the soft serve, it was enjoyable but unremarkable. The abundant M&M’s really overpowered the flavor. My Blast wasn’t very well mixed, and I didn’t notice much difference between the vanilla (before I mixed it) and the chocolate (after I mixed it).

I enjoyed the Trick or Treat Blast, but I just didn’t find it that interesting. It was too similar to other products. And as a sucker for anything holiday related, I wished it had a stronger seasonal connection. I don’t think I ever got a Heath bar or Oreo cookies in my trick-or-treat pillowcase. And if Sonic wasn’t going to add any flavors more interesting than chocolate, it at least could have added some spooky colors somewhere.

The Trick or Treat Blast is, well, not much of a blast. It’s tasty, but I don’t think it’s worth going out of your way for it.

Purchased Price: $5.43
Size: Small
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (small) 670 calories, 26 grams of fat, 16 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 80 milligrams of sodium, 630 milligrams of sodium, 103 grams of carbohydrates, 85 grams of sugar, 2 grams of fiber, and 12 grams of protein.

Scroll to Top