REVIEW: Nabisco Roasted Sweet Onion Brown Rice Baked With Sweet Potato Triscuit

Nabisco Roasted Sweet Onion Brown Rice Baked With Sweet Potato Triscuit

If I was required to guess at which snack product would abandon the usual attempt to capture the taste of a nutritionally poor fast food product or even an offbeat American classic in favor of something that sounds like it came from a Giada De Laurentiis cookbook, then I would pick Triscuit.

More upscale than a lowly potato chip and much more inclusive than the crunchy, sometimes divisive malt flavor of the Wheat Thin, Triscuits are the kind of crackers you put out when you’ve invited your next door neighbors over. You know…the nicely dressed couple in their late 30s with 2.4 kids and a dog named Champ. Average. Moderate. Broad. Unassuming. They’re kind of just there. Except when Champ poops on your front yard.

I know it sounds counterintuitive, but I can admire a safe snack like that. It serves a purpose, and is something I don’t feel too bad about when going for seconds at holiday socials. This is important, because like most people, I hate talking to my annoying relatives, who tend to flock to such gatherings. But while I can admire Triscuit because they provide me a distraction when I want to be anti-social, I usually don’t go out of my way to buy them. Hard as I try, I just cannot leap for joy at cravings spawned by the taste of soft winter wheat. 

However, combining brown rice, sweet potato and roasted sweet onion in and on a Triscuit? Don’t expect me to make it and upload a photo on Instagram, but even my inner fat kid can get behind a composed flavor combination of wholesome grains and vegetables like that.

Nabisco Roasted Sweet Onion Brown Rice Baked With Sweet Potato Triscuit Closeup2

Triscuit’s marketing people did a really nice job talking up how these crackers were baked with “real food,” but from the slightly orangyish hue, an almost fried-like wheat and rice structure, and a liberally coated seasoning that looked like Doritos Cooler Ranch powder, each square resembled someone’s misplaced attempt to fry a cracker rather than an actual sweet potato or red onion. Undeterred by this bastardized cracker, my initial bite was greeted by an unmistakable shattering sensation that borders somewhere between crispy and crunchy. Wherever it is on the crunch spectrum, it’s strikingly addictive, and a textural bite I’ve really only encountered at Korean fried chicken restaurants like the chain Bon Chon. Far from the usual sturdy, if not boring, crunch of a Triscuit, I was instantly hooked.

Nabisco Roasted Sweet Onion Brown Rice Baked With Sweet Potato Triscuit Closeup

The flavoring powder is strong and slightly sweet and definitely has the red onion vibe going for it. It’s thankfully not as sharp or intense as a raw red onion, although the flavor doesn’t quite reach the mellowed, smoky-sweetness of an actual roasted red onion. Basically, someone like Scott Conant might not be “kinda angry” from eating it, but would rather be just be mildly confused. Personally, I loved it. For while the sweet onion flavor wakes up your tastebuds, a mellow, smokier and wholesome sweet potato taste permeates the backend. Think a whole grain sweet potato chip, if you’ve ever had one of those. If you haven’t, just think yummy and smile.

Through it all, there’s an almost Doritos Cooler Ranch quality to the seasoning. I can’t place my finger on it (probably because I was licking them), but there’s a slight tang that just melds everything together. Or maybe it’s just the natural reaction to licking little green herb seasoning off my fingers.

Nabisco Roasted Sweet Onion Brown Rice Baked With Sweet Potato Triscuit Side Box

The box came with a nice little recipe idea for topping my crackers with Gouda and figs, but because I chose a career in writing and editing and don’t have that kind of straight cash money, I settled for some Walmart mozzarella and a few raisins. The cracker did just what it needed to do, contributing the sharp sweet onion flavor and meaty sweet potato back notes to the earthy sweetness of the raisins and milky taste of the cheese. Not overwhelming the topping but still holding its own, my little creation was probably the closest thing I got to an actual meal all week.

Nabisco Roasted Sweet Onion Brown Rice Baked With Sweet Potato Triscuit Topped

Clearly, I’m impressed. So impressed, as a matter of fact, that I’m ready to proclaim this my favorite Triscuit and right up there with some of the best crackers I’ve ever had. What Triscuit has managed to do is create a cracker with one of the greatest textural elements of chips but also the robust flavors of, well, actual food. And they’ve done it with something that’s actually pretty good for me and combines none of that actual cooking stuff. While I can foresee those with a strong aversion to onions taking a pass on these, I think most people will be pleasantly surprised by the entire Brown Rice Triscuit line.

As for pleasing your neighbors at those awkward pre-dinner conversations? Well, you’re completely on your own there.

(Nutrition Facts – 6 crackers – 130 calories, 40 calories from fat, 4.5 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 85milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 1 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.)

Other Roasted Sweet Onion Brown Rice Triscuit reviews:
Junk Food Guy

Item: Nabisco Roasted Sweet Onion Brown Rice Baked With Sweet Potato Triscuit
Purchased Price: $2.50
Size: 9 oz. box
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 9 out of 10
Pros: Wonderful and slightly sharp sweet onion flavor balanced by subtle molasses sweetness of earthy whole grains and sweet potato backnotes. Crispy-crunchy-shattery texture like Korean fried chicken. Real food. Whole grains. Doesn’t overpower toppings but can hold its own. Has a Cooler Ranch Doritos vibe for some odd reason.
Cons: Confusing Scott Conant and the anti-onion crowd. Might be a little intense for those who like plain crackers. Not as much fiber or protein as regular Triscuit. Assistant Editors’ salaries. Divisive cracker tastes make for awkward pre-dinner conversation with the neighbors.

11 thoughts to “REVIEW: Nabisco Roasted Sweet Onion Brown Rice Baked With Sweet Potato Triscuit”

  1. I LOVE these crackers! Lately when I’ve bought flavored crackers, I felt like the powdered flavor lasted for just a moment on my tongue before I was overwhelmed by the the boring taste of plain old cracker. These, however, maintain a good, strong flavor. I’m curious about the red bean flavor, but not brave enough to try that one.

    1. I actually liked them more than the sweet potato ones even though I love sweet potatoes. The brown rice with Red Bean, Roasted Red Pepper flavor ended up being my favorite out of all of them. These are great crackers all around though. I’ve liked all of them.

  2. Well, it looks like we may just have to venture our way into the cracker field after all…

    Great review! Really superb writing! We feel like we’ve already tried these, and fallen in love with them as well.

    **written from our smart phone while swerving through traffic on our way to the store to purchase these immediately!!

  3. Nice review!! We just bought them on an impulse while shopping today. Just tried a few, no toppings, and have to admit I kind of heart them! They score a 10 on the crunch scale as well. We’ve got some fig jam and goat cheese in house, we’ll try them with that next.. Thanks for posting, have a great weekend 🙂

  4. Awesome review of an awesome cracker. Adam, you’ve gotta track down Oishi Ribbed Cracklings in Old Fashionied Salt & Vinegar. Yes, they ARE fried pork rinds, but not the usual ones you find in any convenience store in America. These are crunchy, not puffy. They could be the best snack food ever!

  5. These actually remind me a lot of those sweet onion Hawaiian potato chips that were out for a while. So addicting!

  6. Love these. Sort of reminds me of the chex from Doo Dad’s which was discontinued in the early 90’s. If you miss doo dads then this might be a 80% replacement. PLEASE BRING BACK DOODADS!!!

  7. Guess I’m a bit late to the party, but these are my new faves! Thanks for the review. I agree completely on the crispety goodness. Not sure where you got red onion, though; these are sweet onion, more like a Vidalia or a Texas yellow. 😉

  8. Oh my, I love these! They make me think of what a grown-up version of Frito Lay’s Funyuns would taste like if catering to a more sophisticated crowd. Love that they are vegan and MSG free as well. Yum!

  9. I’d give them a try. But there’s no way regular Triscuits aren’t fried, despite whatever semantic games allow them to ge called baked.

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