REVIEW: Starbucks Iced Apple Crisp Nondairy Cream Chai

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Feel free to take these horrible t-shirt ideas for chai lovers:

  1. I’m the CHAIrperson of the Board.
  2. Chai all the CHAIme.

I do not love chai so much that I’d wear one of these shirts, but if offered a chai tea, I usually won’t refuse. Although I will admit, I prefer mine to be CHAIlled. I mean, chilled. I’m sorry.

But this new Starbucks Iced Apple Crisp Nondairy Cream Chai is so wonderful that I’d slip on a t-shirt that boldly says, “Starbucks Iced Apple Crisp Nondairy Cream Chai all the CHAIme.” Unfortunately, it seems to be a seasonal beverage, so I’ll only be able to drink it part of the CHAIme.

The coffee chain says this beverage was influenced by a popular customer customization and features the warming spice flavors of chai combined with creamy oatmilk and topped with nondairy apple crisp cold foam, which produces a sip that tries to replicate homemade apple pie. With Starbucks saying it tastes like the dessert, I wonder why it didn’t call this the Iced Apple Pie Nondairy Cream Chai. It rhymes, for goodness sake!

First off, it smells wonderful. If I could get that scent combination of apple and spices in an essential oil, I’d use it in my diffuser while I fall asleep. Oh, wait. Will pouring this beverage in my diffuser also work?

As I mentioned earlier, Starbucks says this is supposed to taste like apple pie, and it eventually tastes like a baked good, but my first sip (and a few others) had me thinking egg nog, which makes sense since chai has some of the same spices. Although I should admit that by the time I got my first sip, which was delayed due to a car ride and followed by a quick photoshoot, much of the foam had seeped into the rest of the drink. So the flavors might’ve been blended better than if I drank it straight from the barista’s hands.

The apple in the cold foam is noticeable, but that’s not the only flavor that gives this pastry vibes. Some of the chai’s spices and the cinnamon and brown sugar notes in the foam create a crust-like taste, which was a delightful surprise. On top of those flavors, the oatmilk and the nondairy cold foam give the drink a pleasant creaminess, which helps this sweet beverage feel more like a dessert than a drink. Despite all that’s going on with the cold foam, the chai spices don’t get lost at all. You still know you’re drinking a chai, but one that tastes like an apple pastry was blended in.

If you like chai and apple pie, I won’t lie. You should try this Starbucks Iced Apple Crisp Nondairy Cream Chai.

Purchased Price: $6.75
Size: Grande (16 fl oz)
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 370 calories, 12 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 140 milligrams of sodium, 64 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 46 grams of sugar, 4 grams of protein, and 95 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Starbucks Iced Caramel Apple Cream Latte

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My favorite time of the year is here: Fall-flavored goodies time. I’m firmly on the “I don’t care how early in August you bring back the pumpkin drinks” train because, for me, it’s never too early. And now that this time of year is here, Starbucks has introduced several new beverages, including an app-exclusive drink, the Iced Caramel Apple Cream Latte. This latte features the Apple Brown Sugar Syrup along with Salted Caramel Cream Cold Foam.

The first thing I noticed when my drink came out was how milky it looked – much more so than the normal latte I get from Starbucks (one of my non-seasonal go-tos is an iced vanilla latte). Either the barista was heavy-handed on the milk, or the cold foam had already begun its descent to the bottom… it was hard to tell. It did have a creamy flavor that I didn’t mind, but it definitely masked the espresso. Granted, a tall only has one shot, but to me, there was no coffee flavor at all. It could be a good drink to ease a non-coffee drinker in! Or consider adding an extra shot if you want that espresso to shine.

As I sipped, the biggest thing I noted was that despite the salted caramel in the cold foam, the apple flavor steals the show here. There were small notes of caramel, but otherwise, it was apple all the way. If you’ve never had a drink with the Starbucks Apple Brown Sugar Syrup before, it has a nice spice to it, and that came through here.

I’m not used to cold foam on a latte – historically, it’s the cold brew beverages that tout it. So, adding the Salted Caramel Cream Cold Foam was an interesting touch. Again, I would have liked to taste more caramel, which is the main reason for my rating below. I wonder if toning down the pumps of Apple Brown Sugar Syrup would make a difference or if it’s just too strong of a flavor profile. Either way, I do enjoy the apple, and it’s fun to have a latter option that’s a little jazzier than the norm.

My last note here is that this is very much a dessert-like drink. At 320 calories for a tall and 36 grams of sugar, they’re not messing around. I don’t envision this as a “morning coffee to get my day going” drink but more of an afternoon treat. If you’re like me and fall flavors always win, I’d say give it a try.

Purchased Price: $5.95
Size: Tall
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 320 calories, 15 grams of total fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 50 milligrams of cholesterol, 470 milligrams of sodium, 38 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 gram of dietary fiber, 36 grams of total sugars, 7 grams of protein and 75 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Burger King Fiery Bacon Whopper

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Remember Burger King’s Angry Whopper? I want to call the new Fiery Bacon Whopper the Annoyed Whopper. Not quite angry and not quite calm. Although, if I remember correctly, the Angry Whopper wasn’t that angry. Angrywho, this comes with 1/4 lb flame-grilled beef with crispy fiery-seasoned bacon, pepper jack cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, and a creamy fiery sauce n a toasted sesame seed bun.

It’s part of BK’s Fiery Menu that lets you have it your way if that way is with a bit of heat. We’ve already covered two of the five menu items with various heat ratings, with this Whopper in the middle. But using my personal five-point heat index, I’d rate it a two. Its mild heat isn’t anything that would make me put my mouth under any ICEE spigot behind the Burger King counter, and it might’ve been spicier without the vegetables.

Because most of the accoutrements are standard Whopper fare (patty, bun, lettuce, and tomato), I won’t go too deep into them. The two special additions—the Fiery sauce and fiery-seasoned bacon—do make themselves known, not only with their spiciness but also with their flavor.

The creamy sauce had a great smoky and peppery taste that also brought a little heat. Being creamy probably prevented it from getting too spicy, but I appreciate that because it allowed the sauce’s flavors to come through. Surprisingly, the seasoned bacon seemed to be spicier and more peppery than the condiment, but it’s a heat that doesn’t take away from the bacon’s smokiness. Unfortunately, while BK claims the bacon to be “crispy,” the strips I got were chewy. But I’ll forgive them for that because I enjoyed their taste.

As for the pepper jack cheese, I didn’t notice any heat from it, but it added a pleasant mild cheesiness. But I imagine its creaminess also prevented this from getting too mouth burn-y.

While I enjoyed Burger King’s Fiery Bacon Whopper, my favorite bites were the ones towards the end without the lettuce and tomato. With those last bites, I could really taste the seasoning and sauce, and it made me wish there was a BK Fiery Stacker with just the beef patties, fiery bacon, fiery sauce, and bun. Maybe for next year’s Fiery Menu, Burger King?

Overall, the Fiery Bacon Whopper was a pretty tasty burger. However, how much I paid for it took some of the taste out of my mouth. Yes, as I will mention at the end of this review, I live in a part of the country where things can get expensive, but even at eight dollars, it would’ve been pricey.

Purchased Price: $10.29* (sandwich only)
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 800 calories, 47 grams of fat, 18 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 130 milligrams of cholesterol, 1690 milligrams of sodium, 58 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fiber, 16 grams of sugar, and 43 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.

REVIEW: Popeyes Caramel Apple Cheesecake Cup

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As I type this, fall is almost in the air, and leaves are getting ready to let gravity guide them to the ground to be raked. Popeyes is welcoming the season with its new Caramel Apple Cheesecake Cup. Although, Popeyes, who uses orange everywhere, looks like it’s always welcoming autumn.

According to the chicken chain, the new dessert features rich cheesecake swirled with a sweet, tangy caramel apple filling over a buttery graham cracker crust. This isn’t Popeyes’ first foray into pre-made cheesecakes in cups, having also offered Oreo and Strawberry flavors over the years.

Popeyes’ description didn’t specifically mention the apple bits throughout the dessert. They’re larger than rice grains and had a crunch you’d expect from the actual fruit, but they didn’t provide much flavor. To be honest, they were kind of unnecessary because the caramel apple filling did all the heavy lifting with its artificial tart fruit flavor.

However, the level of apple varied from bite to bite. Sometimes, I got a noticeable apple and caramel flavor. Other times, I tasted more caramel than apple. And there were moments when I didn’t taste any apple, just the caramel and cheesecake. As for the caramel, it looked like it could be gooey from the top, but it was not. Instead, it blended in with the cheesecake’s texture. The cheesecake itself had a pleasant tang to it beyond what the filling provided, and it had a dense texture one would expect from the dessert.

While the cheesecake part of the dessert was great, the crust made this dessert for me. It was buttery, mildly sweet, and gritty, contrasting texturally and flavor-wise with the sweet and tart filling. I loved it enough in this dessert that those sporkfuls I scooped out sans crust made me slightly sad.

Four bucks might seem a little pricey for Popeyes’ Caramel Apple Cheesecake Cup, but it was a tasty way to celebrate autumn’s coming. Although I admit, the 18 grams of saturated fat makes me hesitant to eat this at the end of a Popeyes meal.

Purchased Price: $3.99*
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 480 calories, 29 grams of fat, 18 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 115 milligrams of cholesterol, 390 milligrams of sodium, 43 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 30 grams of 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.

REVIEW: Hershey’s Ice Cream Shoppe Bars

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When I learned that Hershey’s Ice Cream Shoppe bars would be available in stores for the first time, I felt an anticipatory thrill as though I’d heard the ice cream truck’s song growing ever closer. Rather than search manically for cash and sprint down the block lest those punk neighbor kid snag the last SpongeBob Squarepants-shaped Popsicle, I just had to stalk Walgreens for a few weeks.

Previously available only at Hershey’s Chocolate World or the online Hershey’s store, the available flavors—Strawberries ‘N’ Creme, Cookies ‘N’ Mint, and Salted Caramel—can be found at Walgreens’ front registers through summer’s end. Since they will be available for a very limited time, I’ll cut to the chase: my stalking efforts were worth it.

Each bar consists of a white creme base, flavored like its respective ice cream inspiration, with a crunchy mix-in. They are sectioned into triangles, each imprinted with an ice cream cone shape, which adds a much-appreciated touch of thematic whimsy. Each bar has a certain creamy, rich, vanilla-tinged essence that characterizes ice cream while delivering a full flavor that isn’t too sweet.

First, I tried Strawberries ‘N’ Creme, which consists of strawberry-flavored creme and strawberry-flavored flakes. I don’t always love berry-flavored creme, which can sometimes have an artificial flavor or off-putting tang, but this pretty pink bar gets it just right. The balance of strawberry and vanilla flavors replicates the taste of strawberry ice cream almost perfectly. The “flakes” are tiny, crispy, and dense with realistic strawberry flavor. Their texture is something like a wee sugar sprinkle, but the flavor ensures that they are more than just decoration.

Cookies ‘N’ Mint is mint-flavored white creme with crunchy chocolate cookie pieces. (It is also not to be confused with the identically-named, now-discontinued milk chocolate variety, for which I would commit unspeakable crimes to have back on shelves.) I love chocolate and mint in any form, so this bar was a delicious homage to one of my favorite ice cream flavors. The mint is strong (a few notches below Peppermint Patty filling), but there is still a hint of vanilla. Sometimes, the mint hides the chocolate flavor of the cookie pieces. The crunchy pieces are so plentiful, though, that it is hard to notice.

Last, the Salted Caramel variety includes salted caramel-flavored creme with toffee pieces. The creme here is just as delicious as the others, but it has a buttery, nutty quality that reminds me more of butter pecan ice cream than salted caramel. Paired with the creaminess of the confection, there aren’t enough sweet-and-salty punches to make the bar taste true to its intended flavor. The toffee pieces add the heartiest crunch of all varieties but don’t offer a contrast in flavor. I’d classify Salted Caramel as the least successful of the bunch, but I still enjoyed it enough to buy another bar.

The Hershey’s Ice Cream Shoppe bars are a delicious limited offering, deserving of a trip to Walgreens with a “The cone is melting!” kind of urgency. If you can’t find them in person, at least two will remain available online. While the Salted Caramel bar is not available through the Hershey’s store as of this writing, you can find three additional varieties there: Birthday Cake, Cotton Candy, and Chocolate Hazelnut.

Hershey, if you’re reading, there is enough room at the Walgreens’ register for a few more flavors. I’ll take a scoop of each!

Purchased Price: $1.50 each
Size: 1.38 oz (39 g) bar
Purchased at: Walgreens
Rating: 9 out of 10 (Strawberries ‘N’ Creme), 9 out of 10 (Cookies ‘N’ Mint), 8 out of 10 (Salted Caramel)
Nutrition Facts: (1 bar) Strawberries ‘N’ Creme – 210 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 35 milligrams of sodium, 25 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 21 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Cookies ‘N’ Mint – 200 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 45 milligrams of sodium, 25 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 20 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Salted Caramel – 200 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 40 milligrams of sodium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 21 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

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