REVIEW: Sonic Unicorn Dreams Slush

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Have you ever wondered what it might be like to get brain freeze from a mythical creature? No, that’s just me? Well then, you’re going to find out anyway because Sonic’s magical new slush is definitely worth getting an ice cream headache for!

Sonic describes their newest slushtastic creation as: “A vibrant pink slush filled with magical flavor bubbles, crowned with a fluffy cloud of whipped topping, and finished with a sprinkle of shimmering sugar crystals.” While that is true, it doesn’t do enough to describe the truly ???: *???:* ??magical *:???*:? nature of this pink and blue drink.

If you like cotton candy-flavored things, you’ll love this. The flavor is very solidly cotton candy in all its sticky-sweet glory. The blue raspberry “flavor bubbles” (aka popping boba) are a nice change of pace, serving to highlight the cotton candy while adding a nuanced blueness all their own. The whipped topping is a lovely creamy addition, especially if you swirl it all together a la the Taco Bell Baja Blast Dream Freeze I reviewed recently (I wonder if that nomenclature is solely because “dream” and “cream” rhyme…”

If I have some constructive criticism, it’s that I wish the shimmering sugar crystals on this drink were more like the chunkier, more textured versions from the same chain’s LTO Strawberry Shortcake Snowball Slush Float. Hah, try saying that three times fast! In all seriousness, though, the crunchier sugar crystals that drink used would have made the Unicorn Dreams slush a 10 out of 10! So if anyone from Sonic happens to be reading this review, consider switching up the sugar crystals! As much as I enjoyed the aesthetics of the sprinkle of pink and blue fairy dust on top of the whipped topping, they brought nothing else to the party and pretty much just dissolved on contact.

As an UNEXPECTED BONUS, this drink also comes with A UNICORN HORN SHAPED STRAW!!! OMG WHAT!? I literally giggled when it was handed to me. It’s a great little perk of ordering the drink and definitely made the drinking experience a bit more fantastical. Unfortunately, the smaller side of the straw is too narrow to accommodate the blue raspberry flavor beads. So, unless you want to use the straw like a peashooter and spit the blue things across the car, you’ll need to ask for a separate boba-sized straw.

Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: Medium (only size available)
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 430 calories, 5 grams of total fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 102 grams of total carbs, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 101 grams of total sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Iced Strawberry Lemon Loaf Cake

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With desserts and coffee on the same menu, Dunkin’ always compels me to eat cake for breakfast. That undeniable urge brought me back to the drive-thru for its new summer menu. The Iced Strawberry Lemon Loaf Cake cried out to my sweets-for-breakfast-loving heart, and it ultimately further encouraged my habit. How?

This loaf cake tastes a lot like Trix cereal. Thanks, Dunkin’. In my mind, cake that tastes like cereal = cereal = breakfast = a sensible morning meal. Right?

Ignore my flimsy rationalization for several moments, and let’s return to the cake. In smell and taste, the loaf’s fruity flavor is very similar to Trix, Fruity Pebbles, and any candy, snack, or sweet inspired by such sugary cereal icons. It’s definitely an enjoyable and nostalgic, although nondescript, flavor that pairs well with the cake’s rich, buttery taste. While I could discern lemon flavor (but very little strawberry) primarily in the aftertaste, I wish that the loaf tasted more specifically fruity as opposed to generically fruity.

The loaf lists lemon juice, strawberry puree, and natural flavors among its ingredients, so it’s funny that the resulting taste is so similar to products that lean on cocktails of artificial fruit flavorings. I wonder if sticking to one flavor would have yielded a result similar to the lemon loaf from Starbucks, which I haven’t had in years but still remember as tasting like lemon zest.

Despite the unexpected flavor, the Iced Strawberry Lemon Loaf Cake is not a bad bite. The slice is thick, moist, and dense in crumb—a perfect, filling pound cake consistency. The layer of strawberry-flavored icing coating the top is semisoft powdered sugar icing, neither crusty nor runny. It adds an extra touch of moisture and sweetness without being cloying, although the purported strawberry flavor is pretty mild. Bonus points for the cool marble swirl effect that paints the cake yellow and pink. In these respects, the loaf satisfies, rivaling similar products you’d find at other coffee or grocery store chains.

Pre-packaged for on-the-go convenience, Dunkin’s seasonal Iced Strawberry Lemon Loaf Cake is here for a limited time. For breakfast, snack, or dessert, it won’t serve up a slice of summer flavor, but fruity cereal fans won’t leave any crumbs.

Purchased Price: $3.29
Size: 4 oz (113 g) slice
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 450 calories, 21 grams of total fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 75 milligrams of cholesterol, 310 milligrams of sodium, 58 grams of total carbs, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 40 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Baskin-Robbins Strawberry Tres Leches Ice Cream

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Pardon my mixing of languages, but Baskin-Robbins Strawberry Tres Leches Ice Cream is très bien. The sweet treat combines tres leches-flavored ice cream with strawberry pieces, white cake pieces, and strawberry swirls.

Although vanilla-looking, the tres leches base tasted nothing like any vanilla variety or sweet cream ice cream. Instead, there was a unique milkiness that did enough to convince me it was supposed to be three milk cake-flavored. While I believe it tasted pleasant, I wish its flavor had a bit more punch.

The same can be said about the strawberry swirls and pieces. While they had a noticeable berry flavor, they weren’t as sweet or flavorful as what I remember getting from a McDonald’s strawberry sundae. Fortunately, with the ice cream base and strawberry ingredients not being bold, neither overpowers the other, making it possible to taste both in every bite.

Much like the cake pieces in previous Baskin-Robbins offerings, the ones in this scoop were dense and chewy, which was what I expected. Because there is no way light and airy tres leches cake pieces could survive being mixed into an ice cream. As for their flavor, I think the base does a better job than the actual cake pieces at getting across the baked goods flavor.

Baskin-Robbins’ Strawberry Tres Leches Ice Cream is worth a try. However, it is not out of this world like TrES, the Trans-Atlantic Exoplanet Survey. Nor does it hit my taste buds as hard as Green Day drummer Tré Cool.

Purchased Price: $3.79
Size: 2.5 oz scoop
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 160 calories, 7 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 25 milligrams of cholesterol, 65 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 18 grams of sugar (including 14 grams of added sugar), and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: McDonald’s McCrispy Strips with Creamy Chili Sauce

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Like Spider-Man movies, McDonald’s has rebooted its chicken strips multiple times. First, there were the Chicken Selects (Tobey Maguire). Then, there were the Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Tenders (Andrew Garfield). And now, the fast food chain has once again dipped its toes into the extended dippable poultry universe with its McCrispy Strips (Tom Holland).

McDonald’s uses 100% white meat chicken coated with a crispy golden brown breading that features a new black pepper flavor for the new menu item. Along for the ride is the new Creamy Chili Dip, a savory, sweet, and tangy sauce that McDonald’s says “unlocks the full Strips experience.” The chicken is available in 3- and 4-piece orders, and both options come with two sauces of your choice. But, spoiler alert, I REALLY recommend getting the Creamy Chili Dip, which I’ll get to in a moment.

The first thing that caught my eye about the McCrispy Strips was how McLong they were. They seemed more impressive than the previous McDonald’s offerings. Also impressive was how tender and juicy the meat was. However, I wish the “crispy golden brown breading” was crispier. There’s some texture, especially on the edges, but for the most part, I find the Chicken McNuggets to have a crispier exterior. That’s disappointing for something that seems more premium than chicken nuggets. As for its flavor, it has a light pepperiness that makes these okay enough to eat sans sauce, but you NEED to eat them with the Creamy Chili Dip.

I’ve had Raising Cane’s once, and all I remember is how much I liked the Cane’s Sauce more than the chicken fingers. And I can say the same thing about these McCrispy Strips. While the chicken doesn’t blow away my taste buds, the Creamy Chili Dip does, and I hope it never leaves. Its tangy and peppery flavor brings to mind what I remember Cane’s Sauce tasting like, and it perfectly complements the McCrispy Strips’ flavor. However, there were times when I thought the chicken strip with the sauce got a bit too salty. But overall (I can’t believe I’m about to type this), I might love this Creamy Chili Dip as much as my beloved Hot Mustard Sauce. And I look forward to trying it with Chicken McNuggets.

McDonald’s says the McCrispy Strips are a permanent item, but it’s hard to tell if it will cement them into the menu like the Big Mac or Chicken McNuggets. History shows that McDonald’s has an on-and-off relationship with chicken strips. Only time will tell if they stay. If they end up disappearing, I won’t be too sad. But if the Creamy Chili Dip goes, I may McCry.

Purchased Price: $5.99*
Size: 3-piece order
Rating: 8 out of 10 (with Creamy Chili Dip)
Nutrition Facts: (w/o sauce) 350 calories, 17 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 95 milligrams of cholesterol, 1100 milligrams of sodium, 50 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 30 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: Wendy’s Frosty Swirls

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Wendy’s Classic Chocolate Frosty is a top-tier fast-food dessert. Its chocolate malt flavor and icy texture are great on a spoon or on French fries. So the addition of Wendy’s Frosty Swirls that include brownie batter, caramel, or strawberry sauce twirled into the dessert must make them God-tier, right?

Well, read on, my fellow sweet tooths.

This new line follows the Girl Scout Thin Mints Frosty that came out earlier this year that featured a Thin Mints-flavored swirl. Much like that limited time offering, you can get these any way you want as long as it’s the Chocolate or Vanilla base. I got all chocolate ones with the brownie batter, caramel, and strawberry because I find the classic flavor to be the superior Frosty variety. I also was most intrigued by how well the strawberry sauce would go with the chocolate Frosty base, which I assume would create a lovely chocolate-covered strawberry flavor that would’ve been great for Valentine’s Day weeks ago.

My least favorite of the bunch was the caramel one because, for the most part, it tasted like a regular Chocolate Frosty. Despite the amount of sauce that clung to the sides of my cup, I couldn’t taste the caramel’s sweet butteriness as I ate my way down the cup. The only time I could really taste it was when I got to the bottom of the cup, where a pool of it awaited me. I imagine its flavor might’ve been more noticeable with a Vanilla Frosty.

Much like the caramel one, I believe the Brownie Batter swirl would’ve stood out more with the Vanilla Frosty. While it added some oomph to the treat’s chocolatiness in every spoonful, it didn’t make the dessert lean towards being brownie-flavored. Instead, it gave everything more of a darker chocolate flavor. What stood out more than the flavor was the swirl’s grittiness. It was similar to what was in the Thin Mints Frosty, and it added a pleasing texture to the creamy and icy Frosty base. Speaking of the Thin Mints Frosty, now that I think about it, this sauce seems to have the same chocolate flavor but without the mintiness.

If I had to pick a favorite, it would be the strawberry one. Although slightly artificial, the sweet strawberry sauce went well with the Chocolate Frosty and was noticeable in almost every spoonful. As I had hoped, it gave off a chocolate-covered strawberry vibe, which I loved. Even though the sauce had a gloopy texture, it was not noticeable among the Frosty’s iciness until I reached the bottom of the cup, where it pooled, much like the other sauces. I hope this returns next Valentine’s season.

While I liked all three, the sauces didn’t make Wendy’s Frosty Swirls a step up from a regular Classic Chocolate Frosty, but it was also not a step down. They just make things different, but not something that’ll make me want every Frosty from now on to come with swirls.

Purchased Price: $4.49 each
Size: Small
Rating: 6 out of 10 (Caramel), 7 out of 10 (Brownie Batter), 8 out of 10 (Strawberry)
Nutrition Facts: Caramel – 380 calories, 10 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 310 milligrams of sodium, 65 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 52 grams of sugar, and 10 grams of protein. Brownie Batter – 500 calories, 24 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 370 milligrams of sodium, 61 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 50 grams of sugar, and 10 grams of protein. Strawberry – 330 calories, 8 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 59 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 50 grams of sugar, and 8 grams of protein.

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