REVIEW: Jack in the Box Pink Pineapple Express Shake

Jack in the Box’s Pineapple Express Shake was one of my favorite products of 2022, and it’s come back annually since then. This year, instead of just bringing it back for the umpteenth time, the fast food chain decided also to offer a slight variation with some alliteration in its name. The Pink Pineapple Express Shake combines a thick and creamy vanilla shake base with pink pineapple flavoring that’s finished with whipped topping and a cherry.

Pomologists might be intrigued by the idea of a pink pineapple-flavored shake, but this doesn’t taste like THAT pink pineapple. What I’m talking about is the pink pineapple developed by Del Monte that uses lycopene and beta carotene to give it its Barbie-like hue. But it’s just a sweeter, less sour pineapple. However, the Pink Pineapple Express Shake does not taste like a sweeter, less tart version of the original Pineapple Express Shake.

I’ll give you one guess as to what flavor the pink represents. Go ahead, take a guess.

Don’t just peek ahead!

If you said “strawberry” without peeking, congratulations, my honest friend!

The dessert has an intense strawberry flavor that pretty much makes me forget that there’s also supposed to be pineapple. While sipping it through a straw, all I could think of was how it was giving me kids strawberry yogurt vibes. Am I sucking up a strawberry-flavored shake or strawberry Go-Gurt?

Sadly, that delightful citrusy flavor from the original Pineapple Express Shake is absent. Well, it hasn’t completely disappeared; if I focus more than anyone should on the creamy shake rolling over my tongue and savor it like a fine wine or a Diet Coke from McDonald’s, I can detect a hint of pineapple. But when I consume this, like a normal person, with reckless sucking abandon, all I detect is a tart strawberry flavor.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Jack in the Box’s Pink Pineapple Express Shake tasting like a So Strawberry Express Shake. It’s a tasty, sweet treat that is a pleasant departure from Jack’s usual shake lineup. However, I don’t find it as delightful as the Pineapple Express Shake.

Purchased Price: $6.29*
Size: Regular
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 660 calories. No other nutritional information is available on the Jack in the Box website.

*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.

SPOTTED: Garden Veggie Puffs Crispy Taco

I’d like to put these in a crispy taco or soft burrito. (Spotted by Robbie at Sam’s Club.)

If you’re out shopping and see new products, snap a picture of them, and send them in via an email ([email protected]) with where you found them and “Spotted” in the subject line. Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something or if they’re new, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

SPOTTED: Rana Supreme Pizza Lasagna

Rana Supreme Pizza Lasagna.

I imagine Pizza Hut could and would do something like this. (Spotted by Robbie at Sam’s Club.)

If you’re out shopping and see new products, snap a picture of them, and send them in via an email ([email protected]) with where you found them and “Spotted” in the subject line. Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something or if they’re new, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

REVIEW: Girl Scouts Thin Mints and Coconut Caramel Pop-Tarts

If you can’t get enough of Girl Scout cookies or perhaps are looking to find new ways to incorporate them into your diet, Kellanova is here to bring a pair of those iconic cookie flavors to your breakfast table. Here for a limited time, much like their cookie counterparts, are Frosted Thin Mints and Frosted Coconut Caramel Pop-Tarts. The Thin Mints variety features a chocolate crust, sweet mint chocolate filling, and a chocolate frosted top. The Coconut Caramel flavor mimics Samoas/Caramel DeLites with a standard crust, toasted coconut and caramel filling, and a caramel frosting with chocolate accents. Let’s find out if we should put ourselves down for twenty boxes of each.

Straight from the package, both flavors are enjoyable (provided you don’t dislike mint or coconut). They both imitate their respective cookies admirably, with Thin Mints doing the best job of this because it’s not a super difficult task to combine mint and chocolate. The Coconut Caramel variety has plenty of coconut flavor in the way that a sweet coconut candy bar would, but it lacks the coconut texture that’s present in the cookies, and the chocolate is also less pronounced in the Pop-Tart version. I found that both flavors could be snacked on untoasted without really sacrificing anything. Some Pop-Tarts need heat to sing, and these don’t have that issue.

Once toasted, the Thin Mints variety gives off a pleasant cocoa brownie-like scent from its crust. I’m always cautious of mint invading my chocolate; it’ll never be my first pick for a sweet treat. That being said, Thin Mints are incredibly popular, and I can’t argue that they strike a near perfect balance of refreshing mint and chocolate. Thankfully, the Pop-Tart succeeds here as well with the filling being just minty enough to know you’re in Thin Mint territory and not making you think you’re tasting toothpaste while eating your breakfast. The Pop-Tarts box always claims you can enjoy them frozen, and this is one of the rare times that actually makes sense because freezing Thin Mints is definitely a thing people do. I gave this a try, and there’s nothing wrong with the frozen tarts, but I don’t think they give the same satisfaction one gets from the cold cookie. For me, these were best at room temperature or toasted.

Coconut Caramel also fares well with a heat treatment. This is a perfectly tasty and (thanks to the coconut) unique Pop-Tart. My only problem with this one is that I really enjoy Samoas cookies, and while the toaster pastry is nice, it just can’t capture the varied textures and tastes that make the cookie so good. If given the choice, I would much rather just eat a handful of the cookies.

I’d award both of these merit badges for their effort in bringing classic cookie flavors to a different format. I wouldn’t be compelled to choose either over my own personal favorite Pop-Tart varieties for regular eating, but they’re a fun tie-in for scout season. Can we do Tagalongs next year?

Purchased Price: $4.79
Size: 8 count box
Purchased at: Jewel-Osco
Rating: 8 out of 10 (both)
Nutrition Facts: (2 pastries) Thin Mints – 370 calories, 9 grams of total fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 410 milligrams of sodium, 69 grams of total carbohydrates, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 28 grams of total sugars, and 5 grams of protein. Coconut Caramel – 380 calories, 11 grams of total fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 350 milligrams of sodium, 67 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 31 grams of total sugars, and 4 grams of protein.

SPOTTED: 4/10/2025

Here are some interesting new products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of them, share your thoughts in the comments.

Morningstar Farms Thick Cut Bacon Strips Applewood Black Pepper
Morningstar Farms Pepperoni Pizza Bites
(Spotted by Amanda Y at Kroger.)
Impossible Breakfast Sandwich
(Spotted by Amanda Y at Kroger.)
Lucas Spicy Watermelon Gummies
Lucas Spicy Mango Gummies
(Spotted by Robbie at Target.)
Kroger Macaroni Salad Homestyle
(Spotted by Amanda Y at Kroger.)
Dress It Up Peach Vinaigrette
Dress It Up Green Goddess Dressing
(Spotted by Sarah R at Whole Foods.)
H-E-B Sushiya Original Tuna Poke
H-E-B Sushiya Tuna Poke Cup
H-E-B Sushiya Hawaiian Style Poke Cup
H-E-B Simply Wrapped Firecracker Jalapeño Poppers
(Spotted by Robbie at H-E-B.)

If you’re out shopping and see new products, snap a picture of them, and send them in via an email ([email protected]) with where you found them and “Spotted” in the subject line. Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something or if they’re new, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

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