REVIEW: Marshmallow Butterfinger Bar

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I have to be honest about something up front: I have been waiting and wishing for a white chocolate Butterfinger for over 20 years. From the first glorious taste of a white chocolate Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup sometime in the mid-2000s, my brain chemistry changed. I thought to myself, “Why don’t all candy bars do this?” It is such a simple but effective swap to the whole dynamic of a flavor profile, and one that I thought would be a perfect complement to Butterfinger’s crispety crunchety peanut-buttery toffee flavor.

But I also thought the same thing about Snickers and Twix, which, when their white iterations came out, were fine, but didn’t achieve the same greatness as the Reese’s. Something about the white chocolate paired with Snickers and Twix falls short of their milk and dark counterparts, which, despite its amplified sweetness, is duller than the original.

Regardless of white chocolate’s success rate, when Marshmallow Butterfinger was announced, the second in a run of fun new flavors for the bar after Salted Caramel, I began the hunt immediately. Butterfinger is a candy that historically changes its shape as opposed to its taste, with the most significant change before this year being a dark chocolate version, so the idea of not only a white chocolate but a marshmallow white creme is a pretty big swing for an often complacent brand.

I am hoping for the sake of candy lovers everywhere that Butterfinger will continue to take some swings, because the marshmallow version is a wallop of a success. The new white coating distinctly tastes like marshmallow, extra sweet and vanilla-y, with a flavor that will remind you of Lucky Charms’ dehydrated version without the dry crunch. Sometimes white chocolate can simply be sweet, and this has an abundance of character and sweetness that really tastes unique to any other I’ve had. The texture is velvety smooth and melty to go along with the bold pop of sugariness that complements the salty and nutty core flavor wonderfully.

Where the Snickers and Twix fell short, this new Butterfinger shines brilliantly not only because of the slightly savory peanut toffee in the base, but also because of the little extra marshmallow flavoring in the creme. The addition of a strong, pronounced, sweet vanilla elevates the bar to a delightful crumbly crescendo of sweet and salty that tickles the candied fantasies of my mind 20 years ago.

Purchased Price: $3.19
Size: 2-piece Share Pack, 3.07 Ounces
Purchased at: 7-Eleven
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 piece, 52g) 260 calories, 10 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 140 milligrams of sodium, 28 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 22 grams of total sugars, 4 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Twix Snickerdoodle

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Soft, chewy cinnamon sugar snickerdoodle cookies are a cozy classic associated with winter holidays, but they are delicious in all seasons. Case in point: I associate them with Father’s Day, when I would often bake a large batch for my dad, a renowned cinnamon fiend. One year, I mistakenly baked enough snickerdoodles for a small army of dads. I suggested leaving a tin outside for our mail carrier, who was a family friend. Unwilling to share his treat, my dad protested that “if you leave him snickerdoodles today, he’ll get spoiled and start expecting them every time.”

The mail carrier did end up with his snickerdoodles that day, and this is all to say that the new Twix Snickerdoodle may leave me spoiled and expecting all of the brand’s subsequent novelty flavors to be successful.

The milk chocolate-coated candy is imbued with cinnamon flavor in both the caramel and the biscuit. The cinnamon cookie is subtly spiced, like a scantily coated snickerdoodle. The caramel is more forceful in its flavoring, teetering on too artificial, and generates warmth in the aftertaste that reminds me more of cinnamon hard candy than cookies. This quality of the caramel is subtle unless you strip the caramel from its cookie (which I did, for science). The milk chocolate helps to mellow the intense flavor into a more balanced bite.

Despite this, flavoring two components of the bar was the right choice because the spiced cookie alone would not have been enough flavor. I liked the candy enough to forgive Twix’s cinnamon wizard for his liberal hand.

Together, the sweet milk chocolate, buttery spiced caramel, and crispy cookie represent everything we love about original Twix, but with a warm twist perfect for the upcoming season. While I love milk chocolate and cinnamon together, I wonder if a cream cheese or yogurt-flavored candy coating would mimic the tang that cream of tartar brings to snickerdoodles. No such candy bar exists to my knowledge, but you, the cinnamon wizard, or the cream cheese chancellor may have resources that I do not.

Twix Snickerdoodle’s sugar and spice will pair nicely with your autumn chai or holiday candy dish. Are they good enough to refuse your friends, family, or mail carrier a taste? You decide.

Purchased Price: $1.69
Purchased at: Giant Eagle
Size: 1.41 oz (40 g) bar
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 200 calories, 9 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 80 milligrams of sodium, 27 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 20 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein

REVIEW: Lindt Dubai Style Chocolate Bar

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In the Venn diagram of candy lovers and the chronically online, those in the middle intersection are particularly enamored by viral food trends and their ability to provoke excitement and curiosity. How many kinds of Swedish candy are there? Does a bowl of tiny pancakes make cereal? Why is this chocolate bar so expensive?

I overheard a guy at Walmart ask the last question out loud as he passed the display of Lindt Dubai Style Chocolate bars. At nearly $15 for a 5.3 oz bar, Lindt’s newest product boasts costly ingredients, eye-catching green packaging, and generally stylish vibe. Invented by a Dubai chocolatier and popularized by social media, Dubai chocolate is a milk chocolate shell filled with sweet pistachio cream and kadayif, or shredded cooked phyllo pastry. Lindt’s riff on the sought-after confection consists of Swiss milk chocolate made in Germany, with the addition of almonds, hazelnuts, and sugared pistachios in the filling.

So, is the bar worth the splurge? I guess you could say I’m still dubai-ous.

Look, I like Dubai chocolate, I like Lindt chocolate, and I’ve often wondered if I’m singlehandedly putting my local candy store owner’s children through college. Despite these truths, Lindt’s Dubai Style Chocolate Bar left me unimpressed.

The milk chocolate itself is wonderful—lushly silky, sweet, and creamy, with notes of caramel and vanilla that make its flavor distinctive.

The filling felt like a letdown, especially compared to the viral photos of Dubai chocolate that depict overflowing green goo like something out of a Nickelodeon cartoon. (Did the Rugrats Reptar Bar foretell Dubai chocolate? Discuss.) Lindt’s filling is a modest layer of sweetened pistachio paste rich with texture: gritty bits of nuts and threads of phyllo that remind me of crispy shredded wheat cereal. It tastes nutty, salty, and good, but the flavor is a mixed medley of almond, hazelnut, and pistachio—the latter of which should be the star. In the context of the Dubai trend, the almonds and hazelnuts add more filler than filling.

The milk chocolate outshines the filling. Even with a better chocolate-to-filling ratio, the filling would benefit from a substantial addition of pistachio cream to boost the pistachio flavor, balance creamy and crispy textures, and stand a chance against the chocolate’s unique taste.

The Lindt Dubai Style Chocolate Bar is difficult to rate because, while a nutty bar of Swiss chocolate is always a pleasure, it does not fulfill the creamy, crispy, and pistachio-y promises of Dubai chocolate that—to some—justify the hefty price tag. If you are willing to part with the green in your wallet, look for a brand that provides more green filling in its chocolate.

Purchased Price: $14.97
Purchased at: Walmart
Size: 5.3 oz (150 g) bar
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per 2 pieces, or 1/5 bar) 170 calories, 11 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 35 milligrams of sodium, 15 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Hershey’s Pumpkin Spice Latte Nuggets

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Many of us here at The Impulsive Buy hold strong candy convictions in our hearts (including candy heart convictions, but let’s wait until Valentine’s Day to debate those). Here is a Whitman’s sampler of mine:

  • Hershey’s chocolate is at its absolute best in nugget form.
  • Chocolate and warm spices pair beautifully.
  • July is not too early for pumpkin spice season. After a season of sticky humidity, I’m ready to pre-game fall.

Given the above statements, it’s not a surprise that I really liked Hershey’s Pumpkin Spice Latte Nuggets, Hershey’s limited time ode to autumn’s favorite beverage. Described as “extra creamy milk chocolate with pumpkin spice latte flavored crème,” these nuggets are soft, creamy, and rich inside and out.

If you’ve ever tried the Hershey’s Nuggets Truffles line (and if you haven’t, you absolutely should—add that recommendation to my list of convictions above), know that the Pumpkin Spice Latte Nuggets are a version of that product. Inside the creamy milk chocolate shell is flavored creme, which is thick, supple, and ganache-like. The nuggets melt easily in your mouth, in the summer sun, or if dropped into a steaming hot PSL. As far as luxuriousness goes, they are a worthy opponent to brands like Lindt or Ghirardelli.

The pumpkin spice creme filling is flavored delicately but very well: there is enough warm cinnamon spice to complement the chocolate without overwhelming it or tasting too artificial. The flavor certainly reads as pumpkin spice, but the latte part is missing. I could not taste any coffee flavor whatsoever, even after savoring three nuggets. (Man, these reviews are hard work.) Hershey’s Nuggets have dabbled in coffee flavors before, namely the fantastic Café Espresso and Caramel Macchiato varieties that appeared last holiday season in stocking-stuffer-size assortments and are now available exclusively online. I expected a spiced twist on one of those products, but Hershey’s swapped the coffee for hot chocolate instead.

Although Hershey’s Pumpkin Spice Latte Nuggets has one unnecessary word in its product name, the candy itself is a decadent seasonal delight. The nuggets’ smooth chocolate, luxurious filling, and warm spices are more than enough to forgive the misnomer. Just as I yearn for a chilly autumn breeze in the dog days of summer, I hope that Hershey’s will grant us more seasonal flavors.

Purchased Price: $6.79
Purchased at: CVS
Size: 8 oz (227 g) bag
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per 3 pieces)150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 35 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 17 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Marshmallow Crispy White Chocolate M&M’s

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Like an evolving Pokémon, Marshmallow Crispy White Chocolate M&M’s are the third iteration of similar candy launches following White Chocolate Marshmallow M&M’s in 2019 and White Chocolate Marshmallow Crispy TREAT M&M’s in late 2022. So, in a way these are a seasonal returning item. Kind of. I was curious what the modifications may have been since dropping the “treat” from the name.

The first thing I noticed upon opening the bag was the uniformity of the shape and size of these candies. I also preferred the blue and white colorway to the previous spring time mixes that included a pastel yellow or pink, but that’s just personal preference. True to their name, these M&M’s had a strong sweet aroma like opening a bag of marshmallows.

The inside texture of these M&M’s was similar to any other Crispy M&M’s and the first thing that went through my head was “Oh, like a rice Krispie treat!” so, they were on to something with the 2022 name. The white chocolate coating isn’t too thick or overwhelming, resulting in a substantial crunch with every bite. The only thing I couldn’t put my finger on was the flavor. Did they taste like marshmallow? What does a marshmallow taste like other than vanilla flavor, anyway? After falling into a marshmallow flavor matrix hole of thought for a while I decided it doesn’t matter, these are delicious. They are VERY sweet, but they are delicious. Once I’d had a few, the subtly of any other vanilla or marshmallow flavor gave in to the overpowering sweetness of white chocolate. But the crispy crunch made me keep eating them longer than I thought I would given the intense sweetness.

Overall, I’m impressed with M&M’s fine tuning of this spring time candy. They didn’t need the word “treat” in the name to convey a candy version of a Rice Krispie Treat. And, since they clearly enjoy innovating and iterating upon successful formats, I really hope to see more crispy M&M’s in the future. A cross over with Caramel M&M’s would be amazing; a Chocolate Caramel Crispy M&M! But for now, if you find yourself in a Target (where these are an exclusive) consider picking up a bag of the new Marshmallow Crispy White Chocolate M&M’s.

Purchased Price: $4.99
Size: 7.4oz bag
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 oz/about 30 pieces) 140 calories, 6 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 45 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 17 grams of sugar (including 16 grams of added sugar), and 1 grams of protein.

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