Cheese pizza-flavored Cheetos Puffs? Why not? I like Cheetos. I like pizza. Two great tastes that taste great together?

Kind of.

As soon as I opened the bag, I was walloped with the familiar scent of Cheetos, layered beneath a hint of tomato and a punch of basil.

Basil, you ask? Yep, I was equally as confused. Unless I’m ordering a margherita pizza, I don’t typically expect basil to be among the predominant flavors in my pizza, especially not a cheese pizza, which by its very nature is assumed to be pretty basic, right? And yet, its presence was undeniable. Basil just feels a bit too “fancy” for lack of a better term.

Appearance wise, these are puffy Cheetos, the same ones you’ve come to know and love… just a hint redder in their orange-ness. Never fear, though! They will leave your fingers equally cheese dusted.

And now for the part you’ve all been waiting for… how did they taste?

Exactly like they smell: Cheetos, with a hint of tomato and a heavy pinch of basil for some reason. The basil flavor really does steal the show, edging out the tomatoes and even the cheese to take center stage. Now, I don’t have anything against basil, but it really feels out of place here. Maybe if they’d been called Margherita Pizza Cheetos Puffs, or even just Pizza Cheetos Puffs, it wouldn’t seem so… wrong. I feel like calling them specifically “Cheese Pizza Cheetos Puffs” and featuring a slice of pizza on the bag with not a hint of green in sight misaligned my expectations.

I was hoping for a fond callback to my beloved Keebler Pizzarias Cheese Pizza flavored chips (RIP), instead I got some cheese, some tomato sauce, and a whole lotta basil to drown them out.

Purchased Price: $5.39
Size: 8 oz bag
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 150 calories, 10 grams of total fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of total carbs, less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, 1 gram of total sugar, and 2 grams of protein.