REVIEW: Burger King Franken-Candy Sundae

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Burger King Franken-Candy Sundae with Halloween crown

Burger King has had fun with its Halloween-themed menus in recent years, and this year is no different.

From least interesting to most interesting (in my opinion), the 2025 menu includes the following: Mummy Mozzarella Fries, mozzarella sticks in a mummy box; Vampire Nuggets, chicken nuggets shaped like bats and fangs; the Jack-O-Lantern Whopper, with bacon, American cheese, and an orange bun with black sesame seeds; and the Franken-Candy Sundae, vanilla soft serve with “franken-candy” purple syrup, Oreo crumbles, and green and purple popping candy. It is this last item that I’m reviewing here.

Burger King Franken-Candy Sundae with Oreo crumbs and popping candy

The vanilla soft serve is soft and liquid-y enough that I was able to consume it with a thick metal straw. It’s just what you expect: sweet and satisfying, if uninteresting. And Oreo crumbles need no introduction. They add both flavor and textural contrast.

Burger King Franken-Candy Sundae with purple Franken-Candy syrup

The interesting parts of the sundae come from the “franken-candy syrup” and the popping candy. The syrup mostly sticks to the side of the cup, and I can’t really tell what it’s supposed to taste like: It’s just sweet, and the name “franken-candy” doesn’t offer me any clues. It does taste like candy, but I don’t know what kind. Texturally, it’s something like melted white chocolate.

The popping candy is coated in a confection to keep it from popping prematurely, and I felt a need to let some of the pieces melt in my mouth so I could savor the popping qualities. If I just bite down on them, they’re mildly crunchy. I can only guess that the popping is supposed to mimic the electricity Dr. Frankenstein used to bring his creature to life.

Burger King Franken-Candy Sundae soft serve

Like Dr. Frankenstein, Burger King has simply stitched together preexisting ingredients to create something new. But unlike Frankenstein’s monster, this sundae is visually appealing and tasty. All the elements work together for a fun, tasty, and slightly spooky treat.

I associate popping candy with Fourth of July fireworks, so I would love to see BK bring this back in a red, white, and blue version for the summer.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 360 calories, 13 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 25 milligrams of cholesterol, 55 grams of carbohydrates, 270 milligrams of sodium, 0 grams of fiber, 42 grams of sugar, and 6 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Starbucks Iced Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Latte with Vanilla Protein Cold Foam

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Starbucks Iced Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Latte Cup

Do you know those math problems where you try to figure out how many combinations or possibilities something has? I feel like the new Starbucks protein options are the real-life version. Between the protein-boosted milk or protein cold foam that you can add to any beverage, the combos are endless. There’s also a protein menu already created if the thought of that gives you drink paralysis.

I opted to choose from the protein menu, going for the Iced Sugar Free Vanilla Protein Latte with the vanilla protein cold foam added. (Note that adding the cold foam is an additional $2, and if you want the protein-boosted milk, it’ll cost you $1 extra.) I oftentimes order an iced non-fat vanilla latte, so I thought this would be a great comparison.

Starbucks Iced Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Latte close up

Let’s start with my most important takeaway. I really didn’t notice too much difference between this drink and a non-protein version. The protein is really a behind-the-scenes effect. The protein-boosted milk can give you up to 36 grams in a grande, and the cold foam can provide 15 grams.

Starbucks Iced Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Latte cold foam

The one thing I did observe is that the protein powder did make the drink a little thicker and creamier – in a good way. The cold foam stayed intact much longer than it usually would, which I think is a win. The cold foam also had a nice, strong vanilla flavor. For those wondering if you can taste the protein powder, I did not. No noticeable taste difference (and I have tried protein powders before that DO make something taste strongly like it!).

All in all, if added protein is necessary for your diet or workout goals, this is a nice option. But otherwise, for me, it was kind of “meh.” I liked the drink itself, but it wasn’t life-changing. I can see myself getting one of these to help recover after a long run, but it won’t be a common occurrence.

Purchased Price: $6.75
Size: Grande
Purchased at: Starbucks
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (iced latte only): 200 calories, 4 grams of total fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 125 milligrams of sodium, 12 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 gram of dietary fiber, 9 grams of total sugars, 29 grams of protein and 150 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Baskin-Robbins Galactic Brownie Ice Cream

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Baskin-Robbins Galactic Brownie Ice Cream scoop

Was Baskin-Robbins’ Galactic Brownie Ice Cream supposed to be a collaboration with Little Debbie, but one company pulled out at the last minute? So instead of Baskin-Robbins Little Debbie Cosmic Brownie Ice Cream, we have an ice cream that sounds like it was influenced by a store brand version of Cosmic Brownies.

Or did this happen because the folks at Baskin-Robbins were inspired by Little Debbie’s Cosmic Brownies Ice Cream?

I guess the universe will never know.

October 2025’s Flavor of the Month features brownie batter-flavored ice cream, brownie pieces, rainbow chips, and chocolate icing swirls. The colorful chips stand out in the vast darkness of chocolatey ingredients and are much easier to spot than planets in the sky with the naked eye, without any help from a stargazing app on your phone.

The brownie batter base was tasty, and it did a great job of replicating its intended flavor. The included chewy brownie pieces, which were roughly the size of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, made the brownie flavor stand out more. However, I wished there were more baked good chunks because I counted only three in my scoop. The swirls added a chocolate taste that differed from the ice cream base and brownies.

Baskin-Robbins Galactic Brownie Ice Cream brownie piece

While there weren’t many brownie pieces, like stars in the evening sky, there were A LOT of rainbow chips. There were so many that every spoonful I took had at least one. They added a slight sugary kick that cut through all the chocolate, but they mostly brought big bangs of crunch that contrasted the soft, chewy, and gooey ingredients in the scoop. Actually, they were probably the crunchiest mix-in I’ve ever had in ice cream. With that said, as a texture person, I do love their addition, but I wish there were fewer of them and more of the brownie chunks.

Baskin-Robbins Galactic Brownie Ice Cream was a treat for my brownie-loving taste buds, but because of the highly uneven brownie-to-rainbow chip ratio, I can’t say it’s out of this world.

Purchased Price: $4.39*
Size: 4 oz scoop
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 310 calories, 18 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 105 milligrams of sodium, 39 grams of carbohydrates, 2 gram of fiber, 31 grams of sugar (including 26 grams of added sugar), and 5 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: Popeyes x Hot Ones Smokin’ Rojo Chicken Sandwich

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I haven’t been into all these Hot Ones food products because, well, I’m scared.

I watch these Hot Ones clips on YouTube, and I see celebrities sweating and crying, and I wonder, do I want to subject myself to that because I don’t have a movie or TV show to promote? But a wise person once said, “Pain is a fleeting feeling. Oh, hey, that rhymes.”

So here I am with the Popeyes x Hot Ones Smokin’ Rojo Chicken Sandwich, featuring a crispy chicken fillet with a Los Calientes Rojo spread and pickles on a toasted brioche bun. Of the three menu items advertised, the sandwich falls within the middle range of spiciness. However, spiciness can be perceived differently by each person, so what Popeyes and Hot Ones consider spicy might be popping eyes out caliente to me. Fortunately, it was not that intense.

Before I get into how hot this sandwich was, I must say that the Los Calientes Rojo spread was indeed tasty. It’s smoky, tangy, and peppery with a hint of sweetness. That flavor pairs well with the Cajun spices in the chicken and tangy pickles. But while taking my first bite, all that flavor kind of took a back seat to the sauce’s spiciness. Actually, the bun, chicken, and pickles help soften the blow from the spicy sauce because when I tried the orange sauce on its own, it was noticeably spicier.

After taking a couple more bites, the heat was not relenting. It was also at this time that I could feel my head’s bodily fluids wanting to excrete from where they excrete from. My nose started running, and my scalp began sweating. While I was enjoying the sandwich’s flavor, it was at this point that I really felt the need for something to help combat the heat.

BONUS REVIEW!

REVIEW: Jack in the Box Monster Cookie Shake

A wise person once said, “With milk from mammals that go moo, spiciness can be soothed. Oh, hey, that rhymes.”

The limited time only shake features Chips Ahoy-flavored syrup and Oreo cookie crumbs blended with ice cream, finished with whipped topping and more Oreo cookie crumbs. My order didn’t appear to have Oreo cookies blended into it, but I didn’t really care at the moment because I needed to give my mouth some cooling relief. However, to make up for that, I pushed down whatever crumbs sprinkled on the whipped topping.

The Chips Ahoy-flavored syrup doesn’t remind me of the Nabisco-branded chocolate chip cookie, but it has an artificial brown sugar cookie dough taste that’s not bad. Whatever Oreo bits my straw sucked up, they added chocolatey hits to my tongue. It’s a fine-tasting shake, that’s a nice change of pace from a Jack’s Oreo shake, but it doesn’t shake up the shake world.

One last thing. I hate to nitpick about the shake that helped me weather the spicy storm known as the Popeyes x Hot Ones Smokin’ Rojo Chicken Sandwich, but if it’s a “Monster Cookie” shake, shouldn’t it have M&M’s? That is one of the definitive ingredients in a Monster Cookie recipe. Maybe the chocolate Oreo crumbs are the stand-in for the chocolate candy?

Thanks, Jack in the Box Monster Cookie Shake, for putting out the fire in my mouth.

Purchased Price: $7.99 (Sandwich), $6.29 (Shake)
Size: Regular (Shake)
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Sandwich), 6 out of 10 (Shake)
Nutrition Facts: (Sandwich) 620 calories, 33 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat (that can’t be right, but that’s what the website says), 80 milligrams of cholesterol, 1450 milligrams of sodium, 53 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar, and 29 grams of protein. (Shake) 800 calories. No other nutrition information is available on the Jack in the Box website.

REVIEW: Papa Johns Papa Dippa with a 4 Sauce Flight

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I am not great at naming things, but I think I can come up with a better name than the new Papa Johns Papa Dippa with a 4 Sauce Flight. Using “flight” is probably too fancy a word for a fast food pizza chain. So my suggestion is Papa Johns’ Papa Dippa GaGarlicfiesta.

Noppa? Gotcha.

The Papa Dippa is a three-cheese pepperoni pizza cut into 16 dippable strips and comes with four sauces, three of which are new: Roasted Garlic Parmesan, Creamy Garlic Pesto, and Garlic Hot Honey. The fourth one is the standard Special Garlic Sauce, which I’m not going to cover in this review.

Before I get to the sauces, which this review will focus on, I have to talk about the cutting of the pizza into strippas. I understand it’s necessary to make dipping easier, but it leads to four non-optimal pieces that are 60-70 percent crust. Yes, those pieces will be dipped into sauces, but, much like me when playing pickup basketball or dodgeball, they will be picked last. I feel sorry for me, I mean, them.

Now let’s get to the three new sauces.

Roasted Garlic Parmesan

With its appearance, smell, and taste, there’s a strong Caesar dressing vibe to this. The garlic doesn’t go as hard as Papa Johns’ standard garlic sauce, despite containing a good amount of minced garlic in it, and it definitely doesn’t take away the helm of this flavor train from the parmesan. Of the three new dips, it is noticeably the thickest and sticks to the pizza sticks well. It works as well as ranch dressing does with pizza, and it’s my favorite sauce of the bunch.

Creamy Garlic Pesto

This dip is similar to the Roasted Garlic Parmesan in that the garlic doesn’t stand out much, even though there’s minced garlic floating in it. It’s pretty much a pesto party, which I don’t mind since it adds another tasty level on top of the pizza’s pepperoni and cheese. However, the pesto doesn’t pop as much as the cheesiness in the Roasted Garlic Parmesan. Also, it has a surprisingly watery texture that doesn’t seem to cling to the pizza as well as the previous sauce.

Garlic Hot Honey

Finally, we have my least favorite of the bunch, and I feel like it’s going to be the least favorite for a lot of eaters. It’s sweet with a spicy kick, which is what you’d expect from hot honey, but there’s also a sour twist to it that may cause your face to grimace like it would if you had to pick me last for a pickup basketball game. With that said, yes, the sourness is weird, but at the same time, I don’t completely hate it, and kept dipping pizza sticks into it. One last thing, this is the most watery sauce of the bunch. So don’t use this dip while wearing your finest band tour t-shirt.

While the name Papa Johns’ Papa Dippa GaGarlicfiesta is not a good idea, Papa Johns Papa Dippa with its four sauces is. I really enjoyed two of them, liking them more than the standard garlic dip, which I find too rich. In fact, I liked them so much that they made me go gaga…rlic.

Sorry.

Purchased Price: $19.99*
Size: Large pizza with four sauces
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Roasted Garlic Parmesan), 7 out of 10 (Creamy Garlic Pesto), 5 out of 10 (Garlic Hot Honey)
Nutrition Facts: Creamy Garlic Pesto – 60 calories, 6 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 95 milligrams of sodium, 0 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein. Roasted Garlic Parmesan – 60 calories, 6 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 110 milligrams of sodium, 1 gram of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein. Garlic Hot Honey – 25 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 50 milligrams of sodium, 6 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, and 0 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.

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