These Sun-Maid Peppermint Yogurt Raisins sound odd and gross, although not as odd as grape-flavored yogurt raisins or hot yoga studio gross. The combination of peppermint and raisins just doesn’t sit well with me.
They even look weird and resemble items I wouldn’t put into my mouth, like dinosaur eggs, uncooked Rocky Mountain oysters, unicorn droppings, magicless magic beans, and the head of Garbage Pail Kid Acne Annie.
When I first learned about the Sun-Maid Peppermint Yogurt Raisins, I pooh-poohed it as a gimmick that finally allowed Sun-Maid to dive into the deluge of peppermint products this time of year, and I had no intention of reviewing them.
However, after coming face-to-face with them at Target, my curiosity nudged me toward purchasing a bag. It wasn’t an easy decision, like trying to decide whether to ride a horse or a unicorn, but, as you can see, I ended up buying a bag, mostly on the hopes that these peppermint-flavored yogurt raisins would taste horrible.
Fortunately for my tongue, they didn’t. Unfortunately for your desire to imagine me gagging and your reading enjoyment, they didn’t.
“Candy cane” AND “peppermint flavor” are listed among the ingredients which make it sound like these peppermint yogurt raisins have a strong winterfresh flavor that’ll help freshen your breath before swapping spit with someone. However, it’s a mild mint that’s at a level somewhere between a Mint Mentos and peppermint gum that’s been chewed on for 15 minutes. The “candy cane” ingredient also makes it seem like there are crunchy candy bits in the soft yogurt coating, but my teeth’s enamel assure you there aren’t any.
I’m not going to say they’re good because I don’t want to give the person who handles the Sun-Maid Twitter account the satisfaction of being smug and replying at me, “@theimpulsivebuy I told you so.” What I will say is that they’re not awful; finishing all ten mini boxes in the bag won’t be difficult; and the partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil used in the yogurt coating bothers me more than the peppermint and raisin combo, but they’re still odd.
So are these Sun-Maid Peppermint Yogurt Raisins the sign that companies have taken peppermint-flavored products too far? No, because I believe that moment happened last year when Pringles decided to produce a white chocolate peppermint potato crisp. So congratulations, Sun-Maid, for not being the company that caused peppermint to jump the shark.
(Nutrition Facts – 1 box – 60 calories, 20 calories from fat, 2 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat*, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 10 milligrams of sodium, 75 milligrams of potassium, 10 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 10 grams of sugar, 0 grams of protein, and 2% calcium.)
*made with partially hydrogenated oils
Item: Sun-Maid Peppermint Yogurt Raisins
Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: 10 mini boxes
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 5 out of 10
Pros: Not awful. Edible. Pleasant mild mint flavor. Riding a unicorn.
Cons: Peppermint and raisin combination is still odd. They look like things I wouldn’t put into my mouth. Use of partially hydrogenated oil bothers me. Yogurt coating negates any health benefit from the raisins. Riding a boring horse.