A few days after Easter last year, I had a dream that I was walking through Walmart, buying bunny-shaped treats and Little Debbie Carrot Cakes. (Most people dream about flying or being naked. Junk food reviewers dream about grocery stores.) I was disappointed when I woke up and realized that Little Debbie Carrot Cakes did not exist.
So when I learned that Little Debbie Easter Carrot Cake Rolls were a new product this year, it was literally a dream come true.
While I was delighted that these carrot cake treats existed, I didn’t have high hopes for them. Over the past year, I have had Little Debbie’s minty St. Patrick’s Day Creme Rolls; Red, White and Blueberry Creme Rolls; and Pumpkin Spice Rolls. I was disappointed, in one way or another, with all three of those flavors.
Additionally, carrot cake is my all-time favorite dessert, but since there are no carrots in the ingredient list, I was skeptical they could pull it off.
Maybe it’s because my expectations were so low, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Though carrots are nowhere on the ingredient label, there are real spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. (Aww, why don’t they ever invite clove to the party?) These spices are welcome guests: these rolls do indeed taste like a spice cake.
It’s an unwritten rule that carrot cake has to have cream cheese icing. Cream cheese is not on the ingredient list, yet somehow, there is a cream cheese flavor to it! The white drizzle on top and the oily, fluffy filling complement the spice cake very well.
I can’t say it tastes exactly like a carrot cake, but it’s a close enough approximation from an un-gourmet brand like Little Debbie.
I know it’s a joke to pretend you’re being healthy by eating carrot cake, but there’s no way to pretend here since there aren’t any veggies. But I did wonder if I could use the creme filling as a carrot dip, instead of ranch.
I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it because the oiliness of the creme was weird on the crunchy carrot texture. However, it’s still better than eating carrots plain, IMO.
This was not the only time I dreamed about a nonexistent seasonal dessert, and if they all could be executed this well, I hope more make it to the real world. Next, I’m hoping for conversation heart ice cream.
(Don’t worry. I dream about flying and being naked, too.)
(Nutrition Facts – 1 roll – 270 calories, 110 calories from fat, 12 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 2 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 3 grams of monounsaturated fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 115 milligrams of sodium, 30 milligrams of potassium, 39 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 27 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.)
Purchased Price: $2.19
Size: 13.13 oz. box/6 cake rolls
Purchased at: Dick’s Market
Rating: 7 out of 10
Pros: Uses real spices. Tastes like cream cheese frosting. Better than other Little Debbie rolls. Dreams do come true!
Cons: Doesn’t exactly taste like carrot cake. Little Debbie has never been gourmet. You can’t pretend it’s healthy, because it doesn’t have any carrots.