REVIEW: Little Caesars Detroit-Style Slices-N-Stix

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Little Caesars Detroit-Style Slices-N-Stix two slices four breadsticks

Little Caesars created Slices-N-Stix for anyone unable to choose between pizza and cheesy breadsticks, and now they’ve brought out a new variant for anyone who thought, “Okay, I love the concept, but could you make it a little more rectangular?” That’s right: Slices-N-Stix have officially gone Detroit-Style.

That means one big, chewy rectangular “pie,” except half is prepared as pizza slices and the other half is prepared as breadsticks, creating a pleasingly quirky visual. The breadstick side is cut into four thin, cheese-topped pieces, while the pizza side is cut into two wider slices. The meal is also served with a side of Crazy Sauce—a seasoned marinara—presumably for dipping the otherwise sauceless breadsticks.

When I explained to my husband what I had ordered for our dinner, he was slightly underwhelmed. “So it’s just… normal Detroit-style pizza and normal breadsticks, except you get less of each?” And sure, that’s not inaccurate, but I thought this offering exceeded the sum of its parts. Plus, even for a chain known for its affordability, the price is a steal! Just know that that low cost means a more diminutive size—Little Caesars’ regular Detroit-Style pizza consists of eight slices, but the Slices-N-Stix is only the equivalent of four. I wouldn’t have minded doubling the portion (though I guess that’s my mistake for not ordering two).

Little Caesars Detroit-Style Slices-N-Stix thickness

I arbitrarily decided to start by sampling a breadstick, and the note that I made about my first impression: “Very salty, like so salty.” It wasn’t just a sodium bomb, though—there was a wonderful garlickiness, the crust was rich and buttery, and the cheese tied everything together well. Plus, the Crazy Sauce added a nice zing to keep things from being too plain. While I enjoyed it all, after a few bites I found myself eying the slices covetously.

Little Caesars Detroit-Style Slices-N-Stix share it with your significant other!

Upon switching over to a slice, I was indeed satisfied; mine was extra zesty because of the pepperoni I opted for, though you can also order the Detroit-Style Slices-N-Stix meatless. The edges were crispy with burnt cheese that gave a nice crunch and savory flavor, and I appreciated that the sauce was present without me needing to dip. But then something funny happened—as I enjoyed my pizza, I began to miss the simplicity (and dippability) of the breadsticks, and couldn’t wait to jump back…

Little Caesars Detroit-Style Slices-N-Stix Crazy Sauce

I greatly appreciated the texture of both the pizza and the breadsticks, which I would describe as “compact.” In both, the dense, bready crust gave way seamlessly to the thick, solid layer of cheese; part of this may have just been that my pizza cooled down slightly and thus congealed on its way from the store to my home, but regardless, I appreciated the cohesiveness. (Runny cheese is my pizza pet peeve!)

Little Caesars’ Detroit-Style Slices-N-Stix were a fun little magic trick, making me appreciate each of the unique halves more through their contrast with each other. They offer familiar food in a novel (and cheap) format, and if that’s enough for you, I suggest picking this limited-time offering up before it’s gone.

Purchased Price: $4.99
Size: 2 slices of pizza and 4 breadsticks
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (Pizza breadsticks) 1410 calories, other nutritional information unavailable.

REVIEW: Little Debbie Ice Cream Sandwiches

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Little Debbie Ice Cream Sandwiches boxes

Guess who’s back, back again? Debbie’s back, tell a friend.

The talented folks at Hudsonville Creamery, who have previously brought us the Little Debbie Snack Cake-inspired pints of ice cream, are at it again with their latest frozen offering: Little Debbie Oatmeal Crème Pie and Cosmic Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches.

I’d like to begin this review by establishing that I authentically like Little Debbie Snack Cakes—specifically, Oatmeal Crème Pies and Cosmic Brownies. I enjoy the ubiquitously soft chewy texture, the sweetness so intense it almost hurts your teeth, and the artificial colors in the candy sprinkles. I love it all, in moderation. You might think that because this is a junk food blog, enjoying classic Little Debbie is a cost-of-entry detail. But I find it important to mention because I’ve seen internet hatred spewed toward Little Debbie Ice Creams by people who, admittedly, don’t even LIKE the snack cakes themselves. Their reviews felt negatively skewed until they revealed that detail, so I wanted to make it clear where I stood in case you hadn’t figured it out from my 2022 review. Now, onward.

Little Debbie Cosmic Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches in wrapper

Only four Little Debbie Cosmic Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches per $10 box

I started with the Cosmic Brownie ice cream sandwich, and my first emotion was extreme disappointment. These bad boys cost almost $10 for a pack of FOUR, and they look terrible straight out of the box. The chocolate ice cream filling had smooshed out of a couple of sides, and there was a sad view of visible rainbow candies.

Little Debbie Cosmic Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches with a bite and more sprinkles

Tasting the Cosmic Brownie ice cream sandwich was a different experience. The brownie’s texture was soft and chewy, and the ice cream held its integrity through the bite, not squishing out the sides at all. The brownie-flavored ice cream itself was light in texture and not so fudgy as to take away from the fudgy brownie surrounding it. Together, it was an enjoyable and well-balanced bite. I also noticed many more rainbow candies throughout the brownie as I ate.

Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pie Ice Cream Sandwich

I tasted the Oatmeal Crème Pie ice cream sandwich next. Without looking up the Nielsen data, I’d still guess the Oatmeal Crème Pie is Little Debbie’s top-selling snack cake. My 90’s nostalgia will never forget that scene from Honey, I Shrunk the Kids where they encounter a larger-than-life snack cake while shrunken in their backyard. Anyway, the appearance of this ice cream sandwich was much more promising straight out of the box, and the box came with six rather than four. Off to a better start already.

Similar to the Cosmic Brownie version, this one absolutely nailed the texture. The cookies were so incredibly reminiscent of the snack cake. In fact, I’d even go as far as to say I like these substantially more. They had cinnamon and molasses notes and were soft but substantial.

Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pie Ice Cream Sandwich side view

The ice cream had almost a marshmallow flavor, although the box described it as “Vanilla Crème,” so I can only imagine they were aiming to replicate the snack cake flavor there, too. These are very good. If you’re only going to buy one of the two, buy these. My husband and I fought over the last one; they were so delicious.

Look, you might have reached this point and rolled your eyes six different times at the earnestness of a woman who told you she liked Little Debbie and then waxed poetically about these ice cream sandwiches for several paragraphs, and to that I say LET ME LIVE.

My ONLY issues with these are that they are expensive and the Cosmic Brownies are kind of messily packaged, which seems like a rip-off given the price. The Cosmic Brownie sandwich is a little bigger, but I only noticed that when filling out the pricing details below. Otherwise, I think Hudsonville has done an excellent job paying homage, yet again, to our friend Deborah.

Purchased Price: $9.50 (each)
Size: 6 – 3 oz sandwiches (Oatmeal Crème), 4 – 4 oz sandwiches (Cosmic Brownie)
Purchased at: Mariano’s
Rating: 10 out of 10 (Oatmeal Crème Pie), 7 out of 10 (Cosmic Brownie)
Nutrition Facts: (1 sandwich) Oatmeal Crème Pie – 210 calories, 8 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of carbohydrates, 17 grams of sugar (including 16 grams of added sugar), and 2 grams of protein. Cosmic Brownie – 250 calories, 9 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 190 milligrams of sodium, 38 grams of carbohydrates, 22 grams of sugar (including 20 grams of added sugar), and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Starbucks Truffle, Mushroom & Brie Egg Bites

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Starbucks Truffle, Mushroom & Brie Egg Bites

I love Starbucks’ Egg Bites—every single flavor. Even though a chef friend once told me they’re mostly cottage cheese (rude, but not wrong).

After trying the new Truffle, Mushroom & Brie Egg Bites, what I really want next is an egg bite flight. One of each, please.

Starbucks has flirted with “bougie” before, but that always felt like a condiment-level commitment (hello, Truff hot sauce). This is different. Starbucks goes full truffle here.

And truffles are bougie indeedy. People typically hand-forage them during a short season, sometimes with dogs or pigs, and some have sold for eye-watering prices. A white truffle has gone for as much as $330,000 for 3.3 pounds!

Important clarification: truffles are not the chocolate kind. They are intensely pungent and aggressively mushroom-forward. If you don’t like mushrooms, do not eat this. Stay far away. Leave it for us shroom lovers.

Before I even took a bite, the aroma was unmistakable. Yep, that’s black truffle. I had a brief moment of hope that it wouldn’t tip into truffle-oil territory.

Starbucks Truffle, Mushroom & Brie Egg Bites bite

Flavor-wise, it was clearly black truffle to me, not white truffle. Black truffle tastes bolder and earthier, and the flavor came through strongly here. When I checked the ingredient list after, I saw that Starbucks uses an actual truffle base rather than just truffle oil, which checks out.

While “Brie” appears third in the name, it barely played a role. The egg bites did not taste particularly cheesy; the truffle completely dominated. If you expect creamy, mild Brie vibes, this is not that. Truffle leads first, second, and third.

Texture-wise, this felt fluffier than some of the other egg bites. It avoided the puck-like density you sometimes get with the egg white versions and landed softer and lighter overall. The diced mushrooms didn’t compete with the truffle flavor, but seeing and feeling them helped the texture line up with what my nose was picking up.

One unexpected miss was the coffee pairing. I ordered a Pistachio Cortado, and together the flavors went full earthy mode. While I love mushrooms, I do not love savory mushrooms colliding with sweet pistachio sauce. That one’s on me, but it’s worth warning.

As with all egg bites, eat them warm unless you want a silicone-adjacent puck.

Purchased Price: $5.45
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 200 calories, 10 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 240 milligrams of cholesterol, 620 milligrams of sodium, 12 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 14 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Confetti Cheerios Cereal

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Confetti Cheerios Cereal single serve cups

Happy 85th birthday, Cheerios! Confetti is the perfect flavor to help us celebrate. I like that Cheerios approaches its Confetti flavor in the same manner as I approach a new year: with a celebratory spirit but realistic expectations.

Confetti Cheerios Cereal cup close up

Brands often use “confetti” to describe flavor in the context of other desserts, like confetti cake or confetti cookies. Because delivering dessert for breakfast isn’t really the brand’s style, Cheerios avoids alluding to extravagant sweets in its name. Yet, Confetti Cheerios aren’t just your standard O’s dressed up for a party. Available in Family Size and Standard Size boxes, as well as single-serve cups, Confetti Cheerios is sweetened and vanilla-flavored.

Confetti Cheerios Cereal in the cup

Confetti Cheerios lives up to its product description; it tastes lightly sweet with a tinge of vanilla. Although the vanilla flavor is subtle, the cereal delivers a nice balance of sweetness with wholesome oaty goodness. Imagine a less-sweet Lucky Charms or a vanilla-forward Frosted Cheerios.

Confetti Cheerios Cereal single piece with sprinkles

The “confetti” element adds pretty flecks of color, but no extra flavor and very little texture. The confetti is not the same nonpareil (or sprinkle or jimmy—pick your preferred flourish) that you would find in a baked good or candy bar. It appears to be made of the same stuff as the cereal’s base. Consider this bonus: these Cheerios contain no artificial colors or flavors.

Confetti Cheerios Cereal in milk

While the dry cereal is pleasant, the flavor tastes more vibrant in milk. I would never confuse the contents of my single-serve cereal cup with a slice of confetti cake, but the wonderful vanilla aroma may have given me pause. My opinion shifted from “I’m glad they didn’t try to name this cereal after cake” to “Eh, they could have gotten away with it.” All it took was a splash of milk.

If you’re looking for a blowout bash of flavor that will leave you sweeping up confetti for weeks, Confetti Cheerios may not be your style. As an enjoyable gathering of pleasant, well-acquainted flavors, this new addition brings some fresh fun to the breakfast table. Whether you’re turning 85 or simply getting to work on time, Confetti Cheerios make it easy to sustain the celebration.

Purchased Price: $1.00
Purchased at: Walmart
Size: 1.4 oz (39 g) single serving cup
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 150 calories, 2 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Magic Spoon Cinnamon Brown Sugar Protein Pastries

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Magic Spoon Cinnamon Brown Sugar Protein Pastries box

I’m all for pumping protein into products because it allows my alliteration-loving fingers to type “pumping protein into products.” But the products also need to be palatable, which is a pretty low bar that these Magic Spoon Cinnamon Brown Sugar Protein Pastries didn’t pass.

If you’re expecting Pop-Tart-sized pastries, you’re in for a surprise. I’d say they’re about three-fourths the size of a Pop-Tart, but have a thickness that’s more like a Pillsbury Toaster Strudel. What makes their size even more underwhelming is that there are only four individually wrapped pastries in the box. Maybe there will be a Costco-sized box someday that’ll have eight, but don’t get your hopes up because these are not good.

Magic Spoon Cinnamon Brown Sugar Protein Pastries filling

My major issue with these is that they have too much dough, which is fitting since Magic Spoon products also cost too much dough. The cinnamon brown sugar layer isn’t evenly spread across most of the pastry’s width. While the middle of the pastry looks like it has a decent amount, it tapers on both sides, leaving air pockets at the ends. So the crust’s flavor is what mostly comes through with most bites. When taking bites in the middle with a decent amount of filling, the cinnamon and brown sugar comes through, but it’s not tasty enough to make me forget getting to it involves a lot of heavy crust-flavored bites. Also, that crust dries out my mouth. It has a texture that reminded me of Fig Newtons, but its flavor is not a good start to the morning. Not even the squiggly icing could help sweeten things up and improve the pastry’s dough-dominant flavor.

Magic Spoon Cinnamon Brown Sugar Protein Pastries icing

The box has four preparation methods: straight out of the wrapper, microwave, toaster oven, and frozen, but no home appliance improves things. Do you have a pop-up toaster? Well, this product is not for you unless you want the icing to melt off and pool at the bottom of your toaster. However, ants and roaches will love you for that. Well, actually, they will love your pop-up toaster.

The only redeeming qualities these have that didn’t make me feel like I completely wasted my money are the 11 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber each pastry has, which I imagine are in the crust that makes these so bland.

If the Magic Spoon has any inkling of magic, it needs to be pointed at these protein pastries to make them magically taste better.

Purchased Price: $8.49 (sale price)
Size: 7.88 oz box/4 pastries
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 pastry) 170 calories, 7 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium, 26 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar (including 2 grams of added sugar), 10 grams of sugar alcohol, and 11 grams of protein.

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