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.

REVIEW: Favorite Day Peelable Tropical Banana and Sweet Mango

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Peelable candy has been around for a few years, and it went viral a couple of years ago in the US when Walgreens’ Nice brand peelable mango candy was trending on TikTok. If you’re not familiar, the candy features a chewy edible exterior that peels off to reveal a super soft interior. Despite it being as popular as it was and knowing of its existence all this time, Favorite Day’s Peelable Tropical Banana and Sweet Mango are the first ones I’ve ever tried.

Why now? I’d have to say this was an impulsive buy as I passed the Easter/Spring section at Target on my way to checkout. I’m a sucker for artificial banana flavor (see my love for banana Runts), so the bright yellow banana on the bag beckoned me to buy it. After grabbing the bag, I decided it wouldn’t hurt if I also picked up the mango one.

After peeling, I was underwhelmed with what seems to make them so appealing. (Nope, I will not swap the second A with an E in “appealing.” My conscious will not let me do it.)

These are harder to peel than actual bananas and mangos. I used my fingernail to dig into the skin or bit an end off to be able to start to peel the exterior off. I’m not sure if other brands are easier, but I was surprised I had to use a little brute force to rip off the peel. But once you get past one side, the rest becomes easier. After, you’re left with a payoff that might make you think you’re a contestant on Survivor and participating in a bug eating contest. The banana one looks like a tropical worm larva, while the mango one looks like poisonous tropical worm larva. Mmm…larva?

The skins are edible, with the flavors of their respective fruits, and they seem to have almost the same fruity intensity as the worm larva looking things inside of them. While they look bug-ish, the interior candy has a delightful softness that puts Albanese gummy bears to shame. Both flavors are splendid, and I liked them equally. Although, if you find banana Runts repulsive, you’ll think the same about the banana one. As for the mango one, it has a delicious flavor that tastes more natural than the banana.

While I do love their flavors, I’m not a fan of the peeling. But there’s no rule that I have to do it. So as I’ve been going through each bag, I’ve just been popping them into my mouth, skin and all, like I’m a hippo being fed watermelons at the zoo.

Purchased Price: $3.00 each
Size: 7 oz pouch (Mango), 4.5 oz pouch (Banana)
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 7 out of 10 (both)
Nutrition Facts: Mango (4 pieces) – 90 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 10 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 15 grams of sugar (including 15 grams of added sugar), and 1 gram of protein. Banana (5 pieces) – 100 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 10 milligrams of sodium, 23 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 16 grams of sugar (including 16 grams of added sugar), and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Burger King Frozen Strawberry & Nerds Candy

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If I were the King, Queen, or Royal Advisor of Burger King, I would’ve sprinkled Nerds candy on top of a vanilla soft serve cone and put it on the menu before a Nerds-topped strawberry slush. But, despite the ill-fitting BK Crown on my head as I type this, I’m not in charge, so we have Burger King’s Frozen Strawberry & Nerds Candy.

The simple concept puts Rainbow Nerds on top of a Frozen Strawberry Fanta. Honestly, I’m a little surprised BK chose the Rainbow version instead of the classic and best Nerds flavor — strawberry. But I guess using the Rainbow one is more visually appealing because it looks like my cup collected hail made from unicorn tears.

Actually, now that I’ve had time to think about it. Maybe Nerds sprinkled on a vanilla cone isn’t a good idea. Perhaps it should be Nerds Gummy Clusters topping the ice cream. Creamy ice cream. Crunchy candy pieces. Chewy gummy candy. Sigh. I NEED to be The King of Burger King.

And this dessert NEEDS to come with a spoon.

The candy-topped slush came with a regular straw. At first, I didn’t want to destroy the colorful layer by mixing everything, so I just poked my straw into it. That forced enough Nerds into the long cylinder so that I could get a bit of flavor and crunch with a straw sip. I did this a few times, but decided to finish the rest with a spoon to get different candy-to-slush ratios. It was a more satisfying way to consume this.

The Nerds enhanced the slush’s strawberry flavor with a nondescript fruitiness and tanginess. But the red slush stood out no matter what candy-to-slush ratio I dug out. Its tanginess also amped up the strawberry-flavored slush’s tang. I also liked how the candy’s crunch gave this a texture that was reminiscent of ice crystals.

Burger King’s Frozen Strawberry & Nerds is a fine sweet summery treat, but it’s not as mind-blowing as Nerds Candy was to me in the 1980s. Adding it on top of a slush is unique, but it’s not exciting enough to consider this a must buy.

Purchased Price: $2.29
Size: Small
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 160 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 45 milligrams of sodium, 43 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 42 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Butterfinger Salted Caramel

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I’ve always liked the “crispety, crunchety, peanut-buttery” vibe of Butterfinger bars. But despite their incomparable texture and delicious flavor, I often forget that they exist.

I’m sorry, Butterfinger bars. You’re always a solid option. I enjoyed your underrated peanut butter cups. When a social media account I follow teased the return of Butterfinger BB’s—only to reveal the announcement as a cruel April Fool’s Day prank—my heart shattered like your flaky candy filling. I’m just too easily lured by the new and exciting, and I take for granted your steadfast presence in the candy aisle.

Butterfinger Salted Caramel, the brand’s first new flavor in ten years, proves that the brand may be steady, but it’s anything but stagnant. When it comes to limited edition novelty flavors, I’ve tried a lot of varieties from more prolific brands, including M&M’s, Kit Kat, and Reese’s. Butterfinger Salted Caramel ranks among the best in recent memory.

The Butterfinger Salted Caramel bar consists of its original crispy, laminated peanut buttery core enrobed in salted caramel-flavored crème coating. The coating smells and tastes like the caramel coating of kettle corn, but mellowed by creaminess.

The salt is the unsung hero of the bar. It makes each bite a sweet and salty lover’s dream: it gives a nice salty zing, it prevents the crème from tasting too sweet, and it enhances the flavor of the core, which I swear tastes even more peanut buttery than the original Butterfinger. The salt in this bar has accomplished more in one bite than I have all week. While the flavor of the caramel itself gets a little lost in all this excitement, the bar maintains a unique sweetness that avoids tasting simply like salty peanut butter.

So, is the Salted Caramel variety better than the original Butterfinger? While it’s hard to beat peanut butter and chocolate as a combination, I’d argue the two bars are close rivals.

Butterfinger Salted Caramel is available for a limited time, now through June. At my local Walmart, the bars were relegated to a far corner of the self-checkout area, almost impossible to see until the last leg of the shopping journey. Maybe, like me, the store failed to fully appreciate Butterfinger, but at least one of us has already learned a lesson.

Purchased Price: $1.34
Size: 1.9 oz (54 g) bar
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 260 calories, 11 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 39 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 23 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

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