REVIEW: Yasso Pecan Pie Frozen Greek Yogurt Bars

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Yasso Pecan Pie Frozen Greek Yogurt Bars

What are Yasso Pecan Pie Frozen Greek Yogurt Bars?

They are brown butter frozen Greek yogurt bars with a cinnamon graham swirl and honey glazed pecan pieces. Pecan Pie is a new seasonal flavor that joins the returning Pumpkin Cheesecake variety.

How are they?

I have to admit this is the first time I’ve had any Yasso product. I’ve been staying away partly because of a review we wrote of the brand’s original product back in 2012. But now I’ve been drawn in partly because Yasso’s recent package designs have been super adorbs!

Yasso Pecan Pie Frozen Greek Yogurt Bars Full Box

Unfortunately, the bars I purchased were not adorbs. They were adeforms. Not Yasso’s fault, though. I imagine something happened to them while being transported to my local Target or while they sat at the bottom of my cart as I casually coasted through EVERY FOOD AISLE and the men’s deodorant section at my local Target.

Warning: The following image may be unsuitable for younger audiences.

Yasso Pecan Pie Frozen Greek Yogurt Bars Smooshed

The horror! It’s like Michael Myers’ face on a stick!

Good thing my taste buds can only taste and hear because seeing what deformed thing they were being smothered by might’ve made them not like it as much as they did. My blind taste buds enjoyed every moment they had with the brown butter frozen Greek yogurt, cinnamon graham swirl, and honey glazed pecan pieces. The swirl gives the bar a nice sweet cinnamon punch and the brown butter froyo has a toffee-like flavor. The pecans, which there were many of, added a nice textural contrast to the creamy frozen Greek yogurt and the sticky swirl. My sweet tooth approves!

I do wish the swirl had a bit more texture. Perhaps, since it’s a cinnamon graham swirl, it could’ve been a little gritty like there were graham cracker bits in it.

Is there anything else you need to know?

With the bars being made of Greek yogurt, they contain live and active cultures, and the nutrition facts won’t make you feel guilty when you eat one.

Conclusion:

I’m writing this review at the beginning of fall, so there’s a lot more new seasonal products coming up. But, so far, Yasso’s Pecan Pie Frozen Greek Yogurt Bars have set a high bar for whatever other new fall products get released.

Purchased Price: $4.44
Size: 4 bars – 3.5 fl. oz. bars
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bar) 130 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 75 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 14 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Golden Grahams S’mores Bites

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Golden Grahams S mores Bites

What are Golden Grahams S’ mores Bites?

It’s a bit of food history irony that graham crackers, the base of so many sugary desserts and after school snacks, were originally created as a health food. Sylvester Graham advocated a vegetarian diet consisting mostly of bread made from coarsely home-ground flour.

He theorized a bland diet was essential to not only physical, but moral health as well, and that flavorful food was too, ahem, “stimulating.” Products made from graham flour proliferated in the late 19th century, and would slowly morph into the myriad of crackers, crusts, and cereals we enjoy today.

General Mills has released its latest assault on poor Sylvester’s theories in the form of Golden Grahams S’ mores Bites. Will the combination of marshmallow and chocolate surrounded by a “Graham” cracker pastry be the last straw, the thing that causes Sylvester Graham, who I assume has lived to 225 years due to his healthful diet, take his vengeance on us all?

How are they?

Golden Grahams S mores Bites Cooked

I was surprised to see there were no conventional oven directions for these bites. 20 to 30 seconds in the microwave are the only cooking instructions listed on the packaging. Even this short time results in the filling bursting through the graham cracker shell.

So as to not burn my mouth, I wait a minute before taking a bite and find the filling to be hot, but not scalding. The primary flavor is chocolate, with the marshmallow not making much of an impact at all. The graham cracker shell doesn’t taste much like Golden Grahams or graham crackers, but is a generically sweet pastry shell. They must be baked at the factory because they have the baked-then-frozen flavor shared by other mass-produced baked goods.

Golden Grahams S mores Bites Inside

The soft and doughy texture isn’t a surprise given the microwave-only directions, but is still disappointing since a crunchy texture is essential to the enjoyment of both Golden Grahams and s’ mores.

Is there anything else you need to know?

Another surprise is that these don’t need any cooking at all. According to the packaging, allowing them to defrost to room temperature is all that’s required.

Here’s a question: would Sylvester approve of this?

On the one hand, it’s the more slothful method. On the other, it eliminates the corrupting influence of microwaves, which are no doubt of infernal origins. After about ten minutes at room temperature, I pop a bite into my mouth and have much the same experience as the heated version. There’s the barest hint of honey graham cracker, but the overall experience is still of chocolate and pre-baked pastry.

Though not explicitly recommended anywhere, I also munch into a completely frozen bite. This “solves” the texture issue by adding some resistance, but doesn’t add the crunch I’m looking for.

Conclusion:

Golden Grahams S’ mores Bites are sweet and inoffensive (assuming you’re not a 19th century minister with very particular dietary opinions), but miss out on the combination of crunchy, melty, ooey-gooey goodness that makes real s’ mores great.

We’re safe from Sylvester Graham for now, not because we’re not a fallen, decadent society, but because these bites aren’t worth getting all worked up over.

Purchased Price: $4.99
Size: 14.7 oz. (30 count)
Purchased at: Woodman’s Market
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (4 bites) 190 calories, 6 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 350 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 13 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Burger King Pretzel Bacon King

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Burger King Pretzel Bacon King

To begin, no, I don’t know why they call it “pretzel bread,” either. The bun doesn’t look like a pretzel, and it certainly doesn’t taste like one, either. But then again, I guess it’s a lot easier to fit the word “pretzel” on an advertising marquee than “try Burger King’s new Toasted Bun With The Letter ‘X’ Carved Into Its Bacon King,” so maybe it’s all just a matter of marketing?

As for the newfangled BK Pretzel Bacon King itself, basically what we’re working with here is the chain’s tried-and-true King burger, albeit with a much snazzier bun. As the name implies, BK has replaced the old sesame-seed-coated bun with a fancier, ritzier, and considerably fluffier pretzel bread base and it definitely distinguishes the product from its flame-broiled brethren.

On the whole, the product still has a fairly familiar Burger King flavor to it, but the texture is certainly something you don’t normally experience out of the fast food staple. Of course, it doesn’t quite taste like a gourmet burger, but it does provide a moderately more refined gustatory experience than most of the stuff you’ll be getting out of a drive-thru window these days.

Burger King Pretzel Bacon King Split

Underneath the bun, however, there’s not a whole lot new to experience here. Basically, it’s one or two 1/4 lb. patties topped with a hearty helping of bacon, shellacked with a blanket of molten American cheese, and then inundated with a barrage of mayonnaise and mustard. This is a product that would have benefited from having a couple of more ingredients in the mix — lettuce, tomato, heck, even a couple of fried onion rings would’ve done a lot to help this one pop a little more on your tastebuds.

Burger King Pretzel Bacon King Bacon

For the most part, every time you bite down you’re just getting a burst of cheese and mustard, which isn’t a bad combination per se, just one that’s, well, kinda’ mundane. A more exotic cheese (gruyere, perhaps?) would’ve given this one a firmer identity, and I’m still not sure why Burger King opted for the plain old yellow mustard when a spicier blend would’ve made for a more delectable limited-time-only product.

From there, the usual complaints and caveats about Burger King products continue to apply. I know it’s old hat, but with almost 2,000 milligrams of sodium in this sucker, you are really getting a high quotient of salt for one meal. And I wouldn’t suggest eating one of these in your finest apparel — even for a sauce-centric Burger King offering, this thing can get wildly sloppy.

On the whole, the Pretzel Bacon King is a solid and filing product, but its Achilles heel is that it’s too predictable. This is a fairly tasty L-T-O that plays things maybe a little too safe and offers consumers hardly anything they haven’t already experienced before. And at such a steep price point, you’d expect a little more than what you’re getting out of the overall package here.

Purchased Price: $5.79
Size: Single patty
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 920 calories, 60 grams of fat, 18 grams of saturated fat, 135 milligrams of cholesterol, 1930 milligrams of sodium, 55 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 39 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Fried Onion Ring Pringles

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Fried Onion Ring Pringles

What are Fried Onion Ring Pringles?

A 7-Eleven exclusive Pringles flavor that was also available in Canada earlier this year, but under the name Crispy Onion Rings.

How are they?

The aroma from the can is slightly oniony, but it’s not strong enough to cover up the underlying potato. The first crisp I put into my mouth reminds me of Funyuns, but more like Funyuns lite or less fun Funyuns. But chomping on a few more or maybe through subliminal influence by staring at the Pringles can for too long, they began to remind me of onion rings, which is basically onion with a little something-something for the breading.

Fried Onion Ring Pringles 2

The crispiness of the potato crisp itself is a good stand-in for the crunch of an onion ring’s breading and the garlic powder in the seasoning helps get across the breading’s flavor. As for the level of onion, you’re not going to need a breath mint after eating these. The onion was mostly mild as if someone waved a Pringles crisp through the tail end of an onion powder cloud. There were times when the flavor was so light that the chip-shaped potato flakes dominated the taste. But, even with their moderate flavor, I did enjoy them.

Is there anything else you need to know?

As I mentioned earlier, it’s currently a 7-Eleven exclusive flavor, but like a lot of relationships, it doesn’t mean it’ll be exclusive to the convenience store chain forever. Another store might come in and sweep Fried Onion Rings Pringles off its feet. That’s how life is. Sometimes it’s forever, but sometimes it’s not. When it’s not, you just move on.

Conclusion:

As a fan of onion rings (more fast food places should offer them), I happily munched my way through the two cans that were sent to me by Pringles. I enjoyed them, but I don’t think they’re a must-buy.

DISCLOSURE: I received free samples of the product. Doing so did not influence my review, although it might seem like it. But I assure you it did not.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 5.5 oz. can
Purchased at: Received from Pringles, but available at 7-Eleven
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (about 15 crisps) 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 210 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Bantam Bagels Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice and Apple Pie

/ / Pumpkinundation, Reviews / 1 Comment

Bantam Bagels Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Bagels

What are Bantam Bagels Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice and Apple Pie?

If you’re not familiar with Bantam Bagels, think donut hole filled with cream cheese, but it’s a bagel instead of sweet fried dough. Their claim to fame is Shark Tank, and you may have had them at Starbucks pre-sous vide egg bites.

Bantam Bagels Limited Edition Apple Pie Bagels

The brand has two new limited edition flavors that are sold exclusively at Target this season. The Pumpkin Spice Bantam is a cinnamon bagel with pumpkin spice cream cheese. The Apple Pie Bantam is a sweet sugar bagel with apple pie cream cheese.

How are they?

Bantam Bagels Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Bagels Inside

I may be a bit biased because I’m admittedly super basic and all about pumpkin. So the pumpkin spice one is a solid addition to the PUMPKINUNDATION! It captures the essence of my favorite fall gourd without being overpowering or tasting like a Bath & Body Works candle. Note that there’s pumpkin puree in this; it’s not all just pumpkin spices.

Bantam Bagels Limited Edition Apple Pie Bagels Inside

As for the apple pie one, I’m not a fan. Cinnamon and I are friends, but this had so much of it that it tasted bitter. There was also this tangy note, reminiscent of a granny smith apple, that did not help the cause.

I didn’t notice the bagel flavor in either one as the cream cheese flavoring dominated.

Is there anything else you need to know?

Bantam Bagels Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice and Apple Pie Oozing

You have to follow the cooking instructions to a T so that you get the crispy, toasty exterior and beautifully molten interior. But be careful, it may ooze out at an unpalatable temperature! Don’t get lazy and microwave it or else you’ll get a grossly chewy bagel.

Conclusion:

Valiant fall effort by the Bantam fam! It was quite ambitious to have two flavors when it could’ve done great with only a pumpkin-flavored one. Also, it would be awesome if Starbucks would carry it so I can be peak Millennial and eat these more often without the hassle of heating them AND pair ‘em with a PSL, of course!

Purchased Price: $4.99 each
Size: 7.8 oz (6 – 1.3 oz. Bantams)
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Pumpkin Spice), 4 out of 10 (Apple Pie)
Nutrition Facts: (1.3 oz.) 100 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 125 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 3 grams of sugar (including 0 grams of added sugar), and 3 grams of protein.

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