2020 is finally over, and I’m here to say, “Out with the old, and in with the… older?”
Yeah, that’s right, we’re starting 2021 off with an Ecto Cooler-level nostalgia bomb. Doritos 3D’s are back, ushering us into the new and, hopefully, better year.
Who hasn’t yearned for these little puffed up triangle balls? They haven’t been on supermarket shelves in well over a decade, unless you live in Mexico. I loved them so much as a kid that I’ve often thought about buying bags on eBay for the price of a steak dinner.
I had given up hope of a revival until recently when I had an inkling. Call me Nosh-stradamus because as soon as Frito-Lay released Poppables (which rule if you aren’t aware), I had a feeling it was a test run for the inevitable Doritos 3D reboot.
I guess I was right because Doritos 3D’s are back and rebranded as Doritos 3D Crunch.
Gone are the days of Nacho Cheese, Zesty Ranch, and Jalapeno Cheddar. Instead, the new iteration comes in two flavors – Chili Cheese Nacho and Spicy Ranch.
So, I’m just gonna cut to the chase and tell ya these are allllmost as good as I remember.
If you’ve ever had Chili Cheese Fritos, you know what to expect from Doritos 3D Crunch Chili Cheese Nacho. The scent and flavor coating were almost identical to me. I love Chili Cheese Fritos, so that was just fine, although the Nacho kinda gets lost in the shuffle. Not sure how you can release a Doritos product with “Nacho” in the name and not tap into that iconic flavor we all know and love, but these still hit the spot.
Which leads nicely into my review of Spicy Ranch. Have you ever had Spicy Jalapeno Fritos? Well, these taste very similar to those. The heat level is right on par, clocking in right around your typical jalapeno-flavored chip, but below Frito-Lay’s Flamin’ Hot line of excessively red snacks. The Cool Ranch works better here than the Nacho, pairing well with the jalapeno kick, but again, I coulda used more of it. It comes in with a bang, but gets swallowed up quickly. These are Cool Ranch, but in 2021 we’re used to Cooler Ranch!
I really liked both varieties, but still walked away slightly bummed that the two flavors didn’t pop as much as I’d hoped. I kinda wish they just released the old reliable Nacho Cheese and Cooler Ranch first instead of basically making super-hybrids of the original three 3D’s varieties. I’m sure these will sell enough to warrant more flavors, so we may still see the OGs in 3D.
As for the texture, I definitely understand the “Crunch” addition to the name. These are closer to Bugles than I remembered them being. I could be wrong, but I feel like the shape is even closer to a Bugle these days. I thought they were a bit rounder and airier back in the day.
Doritos 3D Crunch are fully enclosed, slightly crunchier versions of Bugles featuring Fritos flavors. I’d sign up for that on paper, wouldn’t you?
I wanna nitpick and say I pretty much hate the bag artwork, but these were still a welcome sight. I missed 3D’s, and I had no problem polishing off the small bags I got. In reality, I’d probably give Spicy Ranch a slight nod, but since these both tasted good and boosted my spirits, it’s a dead heat.
You owe it to yourself to snag both as soon as you see ’em. Best of luck to everyone in the new year!
DISCLOSURE: I received free samples of this product. Doing so did not influence my review.
Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 2 oz. bags
Purchased at: Received from Doritos
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (about 27 pieces) Chili Cheese Nacho – 130 calories, 7 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 210 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, 2 grams of protein. Spicy Ranch – 130 calories, 6 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.
Speak for yourself, dude. I DESPISE nacho cheese Doritos, but I’ll stab someone for the cooler ranch version.
I honestly agree. Before I read your review, I was at the store and spotted them. “I have to have it!” I said. Got into the car, super excited to try and honestly thought I was going to cry.
As I took my first bite, ?????. This taste like bugle!
Super sad
exactly! why did they make them “crunch” just bring back the regular 3d doritos…such a letdown. also frito owns bugle, so there’s that.
I just did the same thing. Then I got online and googled 3d doritos bugles and found this. If it didn’t come in a doritos bag I wouldn’t have thought doritos at all.
Same thing for me.
Nacho Cheese Bugles was the first thing I thought.
Flavor, crunch and mouthfeel was screaming Bugles.
Yes, Ecto Coolers!
Kinda want to try these and I probably will take a pass, neither of those flavours appeal to me.
These are part of the sale at Kroger
for only $1.99 last week and this week. Mine was out of the Ranch which I wanted to try the most and only a few bags of the nacho left. My boyfriend said the same thing I was thinking when we tried them.. not as “airey” and more crunchy. Different texture from how I remember but still so glad they are back. I do hope they bring back the green bag jalapeño cheddar
Opened a bag of the chili cheese nacho ones today (I hate ranch so won’t be trying that), and while they weren’t bad, I couldn’t get “Dorito” into my brain at all. They just taste like Bugels to me! So I’m glad to see I’m not the only one thinking that. I’d rather just stick with plain old nacho Doritos.
Are the nacho chili ones spicy?
I think they are, almost too spicy for me. Almost. But I can’t handle heat at all, so if I can still eat them I’m sure anyone can.
You can’t put these on your fingertips like Bugles! No fun.
They taste just like those…nothing like the 1998 taste, and too crunchy
I remember them having bigger holes, almost like a Chex cereal
These might be good to crush and coat chicken with
Omg, thank you. I thought I was remembering wrong. For some reason, that was one of the things I loved most about them! That weird chex mix texture was great.
I’m glad everyone else had the same reaction.
These are just bugles cosplaying as Doritos 3D.
I remember D3Ds being a lot less flavorful than regular Doritos, so I actually welcomed the more robust chili flavor. It just wasn’t quite as strong as I would have preferred, so I don’t know if I’ll be buying these very often. I got mine at Walmart (near the exit on the grocery side, not in the chips aisle), and then spotted them again at Kroger.
Yes I agree with this review 1000000%. The flavors are good but aren’t quite as good as the standard nacho cheese and cool ranch. They should’ve just stuck with those for this first release. And I had the exact same thought about the shape and texture. They definitely used to be thinner, rounder, and airier. This shape and texture is for sure more reminiscent of bugles.