REVIEW: Chips Ahoy Chewy Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme Cookies

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Chips Ahoy Chewy Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme Cookies Packaging

OMG!

What is up with all the puss…I mean, cookiefooting?

First off, there’s the Oreo Cookie Dough Cookies that came out very last year (and are still on shelves as I type this) that could’ve been an Oreo x Chips Ahoy collaboration. And now we have these Chips Ahoy Chewy Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme Cookies that could’ve been a Chips Ahoy x Oreo collaboration. Could you imagine if the chocolate cookie pieces in these were actual Oreo wafer pieces, and the morsels were Oreo creme flavored? The ridiculous clickbait headlines of food publications larger than this one would be like:

“Chips Ahoy and Oreo Sitting in a Tree C-O-L-L-A-B-O-R-A-T-I-N-G”

“You Won’t Believe What Oreo and Chips Ahoy Did and Why It’ll Make You Drool Like a Pavlovian Dog”

“When You See What Oreo and Chips Ahoy Have Done, Your Taste Buds Will Hate Nabisco For Not Doing It Sooner”

Instead of some mashup between two iconic products owned by the same company, we get a mashup between two iconic products owned by different companies.

(NOTE: Yes, I remember the Oreo Creme Filled Chewy Chips Ahoy Cookies. But that’s not what I want.)

Full disclosure: If someone put a random assortment of Hershey’s candies in a bowl, there’s a 110 percent chance I’m digging out all the Hershey’s Cookies ’n’ Creme ones, and shrugging if someone asks me if there are any in the bowl because I’m not able to talk since my mouth is full of them.

Chips Ahoy Chewy Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme Cookies top of cookie

Chips Ahoy Chewy Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme Cookies split cookie side shot with two-tone

These Chips Ahoy cookies feature white chips, chocolate cookie chunks, and a cookie base that looks like it’s two-toned, with one being a standard Chips Ahoy and the other being noticeably lighter, like it’s slightly undercooked, which it is definitely not. However, what might’ve been undercooked is the idea of this product, because while they’re okay, they don’t come close to being as satisfying as a Hershey’s Cookies ’n’ Creme bar or my preferred form, Hershey’s Nuggets.

Chips Ahoy Chewy Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme Cookies back of cookie

The white chips have a marshmallowy flavor that blends into the rest of the cookie, making them taste like part of the two-toned base rather than something that makes me think white creme. The chocolate cookie chunks did their job, bringing a pleasant chocolatiness and a crunch that contrasts the base’s soft chewiness. However, that crunch isn’t as robust as Oreo wafers or standard Chips Ahoy fresh out of the package, or the cookies in a Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme bar.

My love for Hershey’s white creme candy with chocolate cookie bits doesn’t extend to these Chips Ahoy cookies with white creme morsels and chocolate cookie chunks. I understand how the candy inspired these Chips Ahoy, but the cookies aren’t delicious enough to inspire me to buy another package.

Purchased Price: $7.19* (yikes)
Size: 9.58 oz
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 cookies) 140 calories, 6 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 75 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 11 grams of sugar (including 11 grams of added sugar), and 1 gram 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: Hershey’s Snickerdoodle Cookie Kisses

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Hershey's Snickerdoodle Cookie Kisses bag design

Halloween has come and gone, and while the Pumpkin Spice Period isn’t totally over (you usually see some straggling items until at least Thanksgiving), we are now firmly entrenched in Christmas Food Season.

Everything is sugar-cookied or gingerbreaded, with the occasional item even getting nogged. The best Christmasization, arguably, is when things get snickerdoodle’d. I don’t remember “snickerdoodle” being so ubiquitously Christmas when I was young. But I also have a working theory that pumpkin spice wasn’t even a thing until about 15 years ago, so who really knows.

Hershey's Snickerdoodle Cookie Kisses foil wrappers

Well, I do love a snickerdoodle— regardless of the season, quite frankly— but I truly wasn’t expecting to enjoy these new Hershey’s Snickerdoodle Cookie Kisses as much as I did.

Part of my trepidation was likely due to the “white creme” base of these Kisses. Oftentimes, any cheap confection labeled “white creme” or “white chocolate” is waxy and prone to leaving a weird film in your mouth. These delightful little nuggets did nothing of the sort. Instead, there was a genuine bit of creaminess, which was surprising.

Hershey's Snickerdoodle Cookie Kisses cookie bits

The contrasting texture of the cookie pieces worked well, too, adding a light, sweet crunch. Speaking of, each Kiss had plenty of little cookie bits. They lent a subtle hint of cinnamon and sugar, and dare I say… butteriness? I didn’t expect as much nuanced flavor as these little Kisses provided.

In the end, I was left with a surprising amount of fondness for these Snickerdoodle Kisses. Will I eat this whole bag well before Christmas? Yes. And will I buy another bag to use for thumbprint snickerdoodle cookies? That actually sounds like a great idea.

Purchased Price: $4.97
Size: 9 oz bag
Rating: 8 out of 10
Purchased at: Walmart
Nutrition Facts: (7 pieces) 160 calories, 8 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 35 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 16 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Kit Kat Peppermint Stick

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Kit Kat Peppermint Stick wrapper

In the shift from spooky season to holiday cheer that happens overnight, the junk food subculture marks the equally important transition from pumpkin spice season to the winter of merri-mint. While I stock my candy cupboard with mint chocolate like Andes or York Peppermint Patties year-round, the white chocolate (or, more often, white crème) and peppermint concoctions of the winter season represent a flavor pairing as timeless as milk and holiday cookies.

Kit Kat Peppermint Stick makes me wish these flavors were more accessible throughout the year, but if wishes were horses, we’d all enjoy free sleigh rides.

Kit Kat Peppermint Stick coating

The Kit Kat’s white crème base is a sweet combination of creamy vanilla and peppermint flavors. The peppermint is refreshing and noticeable, but not overwhelming. On the scale of pastel dessert mints to Life Savers Pep-O-Mint (which I cannot taste for more than three seconds without spitting them out and re-pledging my allegiance to Wint-O-Green), the minty strength lies slightly above an Andes mint. Anyone who likes mint but is wary of a toothpaste quality will welcome these Kit Kats to their holiday candy dish.

Kit Kat Peppermint Stick center

The Kit Kat’s pleasant creaminess does temper what could be a sharp peppermint flavor. The combination reminds me of peppermint ice cream, a milder version of the seasonal Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses, or Russell Stover’s long-gone Rosebud Mints. If you still remember the latter, you may need to ask Santa for an anti-wrinkle cream this year.

Like many peppermint candies, Kit Kat Peppermint Stick contains an extra flourish in the form of “crunchy candy bits,” which are essentially crunchy red and green nonpareils. They add a light crunch and visual interest, but no additional flavor. I like them as an alternative to candy cane pieces; they don’t detract from the light crunch of the wafers.

In addition to the single-size bar, Kit Kat Peppermint Stick is available in a bag of individually wrapped snack-size pieces. Whether you are adding a festive flair to your holiday celebrations or hoarding candy under the justification that it contains peppermint oil and is therefore a useful digestive (Who would do that? Not me!), add Kit Kat to the top of your Nice List.

Purchased Price: $1.24
Size: 1.5 oz (42 g) bar
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 220 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 30 milligrams of sodium, 28 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 21 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Reese’s Oreo Cups

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Snack food all-stars Reese’s and Oreo have collaborated to grant fans not one, but two best-of-both-worlds mash-ups: Reese’s Oreo Cups and Oreo Reese’s Cookies. A cookies and creme peanut butter cup AND a peanut butter and chocolate sandwich cookie? Whichever product speaks to your preference, we can all agree that both brands have been reading our diaries.

I tried the candy half of this collaboration. Available in Standard Size, King Size, and Mini varieties, Reese’s Oreo cups consist of a milk chocolate and white crème shell filled with peanut butter confection and Oreo cookie crumbs.

Reese’s connoisseurs may also think of this cup as a collaboration between two past varieties: Reese’s Crunchy Cookie Cups and the seasonal Werewolf Tracks Cups. Like the former product, Reese’s Oreo cups contain delightfully crunchy chocolate cookie crumbs. Like the latter, they use half milk chocolate and half white creme to achieve a unique taste and cool colorblock look. With all this mixing and matching of parts, maybe Dr. Frankenstein was in charge of engineering this collaboration.

If Frankenstein did channel his unchecked scientific ambition into candy, I would argue that he played it safe with the Reese’s Oreo cup. The white creme doesn’t taste much like an Oreo’s center, but it adds extra sweetness to the cup. The Oreo cookie crumbs add fantastic texture to the peanut butter filling, but I wish I could taste more of the wafer’s characteristic dark cocoa flavor. The crumbs are concentrated at the bottom of the cup, which creates a cool layering effect, but a whole wafer would have been a more exciting way to achieve Oreo flavor.

Despite the Oreo’s subtle flavor, the cookie crunch—in satisfying contrast to Reese’s perfect, smooth peanut butter—is the best part of the candy. I wish I had found the Mini variety at my local store rather than the King Size pack. I suspect the cookie’s texture and flavor might be more pronounced in a smaller cup. Readers, confirm my hunch?

Although the cookie flavor is generally lacking, Reese’s Oreo cups are crunchy, sweet, peanut buttery, and very easy to eat. It’s hard to achieve snack food perfection, but this flavor pays respectable homage to two brands that already have.

Purchased Price: $1.97
Purchased at: Walmart
Size: 2.8 oz (79 g) King Size package
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per 2 cups) 200 calories, 11 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 125 milligrams of sodium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 20 grams of sugar, and 4 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.

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