REVIEW: Pringles Smoky Mesquite BBQ and Smoky Bacon

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Pringles Smoky Mesquite BBQ and Smoky Bacon Cans

When I look at these new Pringles Smoky flavors, I can’t help but think the Pringleneers (Pringles engineers) are running out of steam. Or should I say smoke? Available in three varieties — Smoky Mesquite BBQ, Smoky Bacon, and Smoky Cheddar — they appear to be previous flavors with additional smokiness or flavors that Pringles has offered before. For this review, I found only the barbecue and bacon flavors. I’ll smoke out the cheddar one later.

I don’t know about you, but I can tell when I love a Pringles flavor when I end up eating more than half the can without realizing it, at a pace that makes it seem like my hand is a car’s piston and the Pringles can is an engine’s cylinder. However, my gluttony and repetitive arm motions remained in check with both Pringles Smoky varieties I tried.

Pringles Smoky Mesquite BBQ up close
Pringles Smoky Mesquite BBQ

Barbecue didn’t come to mind when I tried the Smoky Mesquite BBQ Pringles. Its aroma somewhat reminded me of ketchup or All-Dressed chips, and its flavor evoked Asian flavors similar to those found in Lay’s chips I’ve had from China. There’s a bit of lime flavor that’s really noticeable among the onion and garlic powders. But all of that flavor doesn’t draw my taste buds or my hands to the Pringles can.

Pringles Smoky Bacon close up

The Smoky Bacon seems to taste slightly different than the previous bacon-flavored Pringles. I suppose that difference could be considered a “smokiness,” but I feel as though it has a meatier flavor than what I remember the original Bacon Pringles had. However, despite their bolder flavor, I couldn’t say I thoroughly enjoyed the potato crisps. While I feel they taste fine, that greasy flavor that comes with bacon-flavored products is something I can only enjoy in doses.

Because I’m snacking on these slower than a sloth on a sidewalk, I decided to stack the two flavors, and what I tasted was something that made me think of SPAM for some reason. And now that I have that in my head, I’d really like to taste a Hormel SPAM and Pringles collaboration. That would be more exciting than these Smoky flavors.

Purchased Price: $2.59 each
Size: 5.5 oz cans
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 5 out of 10 (Smoky Mesquite BBQ), 5 out of 10 (Smoky Bacon)
Nutrition Facts: (1 oz/about 14 crisps) Smoky Mesquite BBQ – 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 210 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 1 gram of protein. Smoky Bacon – 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Reese’s Dipped Graham Bears

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Reese’s Dipped Graham Bears Bag

In honor of the conclusion of Alaska’s annual Fat Bear Week, I too am preparing for hibernation—with Reese’s Dipped Graham Bears. Rather than scoop up salmon or forage for lush greenery, I ordered a 1.5-pound bag of the new dipped treats online. (So far, they’ve been spotted in this quantity only at Costco and Sam’s Club, but both stores are too far from my forest.)

I’m a huge fan of Reese’s Dipped Animal Crackers, so I was thrilled to see Reese’s add to its confectionery menagerie. Reese’s Dipped Graham Bears are a similar species, but they swap the animal cracker for a crunchy graham cookie. Like the crackers, these Bears are covered in a thick layer of peanut butter candy confection with a chocolate-dipped base.

Reese’s Dipped Graham Bears in the bag

Speaking of fat bears, Reese’s Dipped Graham Bears are not your toddler’s Teddy Grahams. These cookies vary in appearance—some are on the slim side, while others have honey jar tummies—but overall, they are comparable to the animal crackers in size. I am sure dipping a smaller cookie in peanut butter coating would have lost the distinctive bear shape, despite making it easier to toss them into one’s gaping maw.

Reese’s Dipped Graham Bears family

Reese’s Dipped Graham Bears two sides

Reese’s Dipped Graham Bears size

As the bag promises, the bears boast a strong crunch. In this respect, they are more like a crunchy cookie than a crumbly Honey Maid cracker. The cookie’s honey graham flavor is noticeable, but it doesn’t overwhelm the peanut butter flavor, which remains the star of the show. The peanut butter candy crème coating is smooth and sweet, pairing well with the hint of chocolate. The flavor is similar to enjoying a graham cracker spread thickly with sweet peanut butter and a sprinkle of chocolate chips. As a sweet snack or casual dessert, they are absolutely delicious.

Reese’s Dipped Graham Bears bite

The main differences between Reese’s Dipped Animal Crackers and Reese’s Dipped Graham Bears are that the bears are a little crunchier, and you can taste their flavor more than the animal crackers, which are pretty mild to begin with. The subtle difference detracts from the novelty of the new bears, but they are so tasty that it doesn’t matter.

Reese’s Dipped Graham Bears bag back

While I initially balked at the size of this bag, I may need to order another one before hibernation season kicks off. If you are a fan of Reese’s Dipped products, you will bear-ly be able to resist these.

Purchased Price: More than one should pay on eBay
Size: 24 oz package
Purchased at: ebay
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (3 pieces) 130 calories, 6 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 60 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 9 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Starbucks Iced Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Latte with Vanilla Protein Cold Foam

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Starbucks Iced Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Latte Cup

Do you know those math problems where you try to figure out how many combinations or possibilities something has? I feel like the new Starbucks protein options are the real-life version. Between the protein-boosted milk or protein cold foam that you can add to any beverage, the combos are endless. There’s also a protein menu already created if the thought of that gives you drink paralysis.

I opted to choose from the protein menu, going for the Iced Sugar Free Vanilla Protein Latte with the vanilla protein cold foam added. (Note that adding the cold foam is an additional $2, and if you want the protein-boosted milk, it’ll cost you $1 extra.) I oftentimes order an iced non-fat vanilla latte, so I thought this would be a great comparison.

Starbucks Iced Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Latte close up

Let’s start with my most important takeaway. I really didn’t notice too much difference between this drink and a non-protein version. The protein is really a behind-the-scenes effect. The protein-boosted milk can give you up to 36 grams in a grande, and the cold foam can provide 15 grams.

Starbucks Iced Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Latte cold foam

The one thing I did observe is that the protein powder did make the drink a little thicker and creamier – in a good way. The cold foam stayed intact much longer than it usually would, which I think is a win. The cold foam also had a nice, strong vanilla flavor. For those wondering if you can taste the protein powder, I did not. No noticeable taste difference (and I have tried protein powders before that DO make something taste strongly like it!).

All in all, if added protein is necessary for your diet or workout goals, this is a nice option. But otherwise, for me, it was kind of “meh.” I liked the drink itself, but it wasn’t life-changing. I can see myself getting one of these to help recover after a long run, but it won’t be a common occurrence.

Purchased Price: $6.75
Size: Grande
Purchased at: Starbucks
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (iced latte only): 200 calories, 4 grams of total fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 125 milligrams of sodium, 12 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 gram of dietary fiber, 9 grams of total sugars, 29 grams of protein and 150 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Caramel Corn Chex Cereal

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I could make the argument, based on absolutely zero research, that Chex is the most versatile cereal of all time. Seriously, no brand has ever put out more flavors, based on no research, and Chex pieces are unequivocally the world’s favorite snack mix ingredient… and I am, of course, basing this on zero research. Not even a simple Google.

Corn Chex, Rice Chex, Wheat Chex. Who can beat Chex? Cheerios?!

Yeah, maybe Cheerios actually. They do a lot. Ah man, are Cheerios better than Chex?

No! Wait, this is about Chex. Cheerios Shmeerios. They’re not better, they just have better PR.

Has Cheerios ever released a Caramel Corn flavor like Chex just did?! I’m not gonna research it, but I don’t think so. Checkmate, Cheerios.

I know what you’re thinking, surely Chex has done similar flavors to Caramel Corn before, but that was Caramel *beat* Corn Chex, and this is Caramel Corn *beat* Chex. It’s like “Under Pressure” and “Ice Ice Baby,” totally different, but both absolute bangers.

I’mma need you to stop, collaborate, and listen, because this is a great cereal.

Limited Edition Caramel Corn Chex Cereal in a bowl

When I tore the bag open, I was instantly hit with a nostalgic whiff of my favorite cereal of all time, the brand that dropped the “Cheeri,” because it was cleaner – Oh’s.

Where are my Oh’s fans at? Good news, Caramel Corn Chex smells and tastes pretty similar to Honey Oh’s, except not in that show-offy Cheerio ring shape, but the classic Chex weave.

While I can’t sit here and tell you these taste exactly like legitimate caramel corn, the sweetness does subside, and it manages to take on a cornier character. A valiant effort, and also how people describe me to a T – “the sweetness subsides to reveal a cornier character.”

Limited Edition Caramel Corn Chex Cereal in milk

I am a little bummed these don’t get closer to actual caramel corn flavor though. They hit the Fiddle, but don’t quite get there on the Faddle.

If you’ve ever had Honey Nut Chex Mix, this isn’t too far off from that, if at all. These are pretty sweet, and maybe even a bit too hard because of the sugary glaze coating, but they work well as a dry snack. I’m not usually one to eat cereal without milk, but I’ve been popping handfuls all week. Whereas something like dry Cap’n Crunch will leave me feeling Crap’y, these hit the spot.

Limited Edition Caramel Corn Chex Cereal on spoon

I keep mentioning “honey” because I guess I don’t taste much of a difference between honey-based cereals and the “caramel” represented here. Honey’s good though, right? We like honey.

Limited Edition Caramel Corn Chex Cereal in another bowl

So, with that said, I feel some are gonna think this cereal’s name is a bit of a stretch, but I still believe it’s a crowd pleaser. It has the sweetness of a kid’s cereal, but Chex just feels more acceptable as an adult, so it should be fun for the whole family – hence the Family Sized box.

Limited Edition Caramel Corn Chex Cereal recipes on back of box

This is an easy recommendation. I’m actually gonna grab another box because it has some fun Chex Mix recipes I wanna try. Why spend $4 on a pre-made bag when you can customize your own and buy each individual ingredient for a grand total of $38?

Purchased Price: $4.93
Size: 19.6 oz Family Size
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 Cup) 160 calories, 1 gram of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 250 milligrams of sodium, 38 grams of total carbohydrates, 12 grams of total sugars, 2 grams of dietary fiber, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Baskin-Robbins Galactic Brownie Ice Cream

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Baskin-Robbins Galactic Brownie Ice Cream scoop

Was Baskin-Robbins’ Galactic Brownie Ice Cream supposed to be a collaboration with Little Debbie, but one company pulled out at the last minute? So instead of Baskin-Robbins Little Debbie Cosmic Brownie Ice Cream, we have an ice cream that sounds like it was influenced by a store brand version of Cosmic Brownies.

Or did this happen because the folks at Baskin-Robbins were inspired by Little Debbie’s Cosmic Brownies Ice Cream?

I guess the universe will never know.

October 2025’s Flavor of the Month features brownie batter-flavored ice cream, brownie pieces, rainbow chips, and chocolate icing swirls. The colorful chips stand out in the vast darkness of chocolatey ingredients and are much easier to spot than planets in the sky with the naked eye, without any help from a stargazing app on your phone.

The brownie batter base was tasty, and it did a great job of replicating its intended flavor. The included chewy brownie pieces, which were roughly the size of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, made the brownie flavor stand out more. However, I wished there were more baked good chunks because I counted only three in my scoop. The swirls added a chocolate taste that differed from the ice cream base and brownies.

Baskin-Robbins Galactic Brownie Ice Cream brownie piece

While there weren’t many brownie pieces, like stars in the evening sky, there were A LOT of rainbow chips. There were so many that every spoonful I took had at least one. They added a slight sugary kick that cut through all the chocolate, but they mostly brought big bangs of crunch that contrasted the soft, chewy, and gooey ingredients in the scoop. Actually, they were probably the crunchiest mix-in I’ve ever had in ice cream. With that said, as a texture person, I do love their addition, but I wish there were fewer of them and more of the brownie chunks.

Baskin-Robbins Galactic Brownie Ice Cream was a treat for my brownie-loving taste buds, but because of the highly uneven brownie-to-rainbow chip ratio, I can’t say it’s out of this world.

Purchased Price: $4.39*
Size: 4 oz scoop
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 310 calories, 18 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 105 milligrams of sodium, 39 grams of carbohydrates, 2 gram of fiber, 31 grams of sugar (including 26 grams of added sugar), and 5 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

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