Reviews

REVIEW: Blue Bunny Bunny Snacks (2018)

Marvo / June 30, 2018 / Reviews / 3 Comments

In 2017, Blue Bunny introduced the Bunny Snacks line that features reduced fat ice cream bars with candy coatings and sandwiches. It debuted with four varieties — Chocolate Chip Cookie, Chocolate Vanilla Twist, Cookies ’n Cream, Salted Caramel Pretzel — all of which are still around.

In 2018, the ice cream brand rolled out four new Bunny Snacks varieties — Strawberry Cheesecake, Chocolate Hazelnut, Vanilla Fudge Brownie, and Mint Chocolate Twist.

Strawberry Cheesecake Bunny Snacks

The snack features cheesecake-flavored reduced fat ice cream topped with strawberry sauce and graham cracker crunch bits covered with cream cheese-flavored coating and drizzled with strawberry flavored ribbon.

I reviewed a Pop-Tart that has half-strawberry filling and half-cheesecake-flavored filling. Combined they didn’t taste like strawberry cheesecake because they lack the tanginess the dessert has. I bring up that Pop-Tart for two reasons:

The strawberry sauce on this Bunny Snack reminds me of the strawberry Pop-Tarts filling.
This has the tang I wish the Pop-Tart had.

Some of you might think the tanginess comes from the cheesecake-flavored ice cream, and some of it does. But most of it is from the white cream cheese-flavored candy shell. That combined with the strawberry filling and drizzle creates a recognizable strawberry cheesecake-like flavor. The graham flavor isn’t noticeable, but the pieces add some crunchiness. However, most of the texture contrasting the ice cream come from our tangy friend, the candy shell.

Even though there’s reduced fat ice cream and it doesn’t have a strong flavor, everything around it hides those facts. Overall, Strawberry Cheesecake Bunny Snacks are sweet little treats.

Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bar) 170 calories, 80 calories from fat, 9 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 40 milligrams of sodium, 90 milligrams of potassium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 15 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

Chocolate Hazelnut Bunny Snacks

This bar has chocolate hazelnut-flavored reduced fat ice cream with a hazelnut fudge ribbon dipped in a chocolaty coating and hazelnut pieces drizzled with a chocolatey coating.

If someone slapped a Ferrero Rocher sticker on this bag’s Blue Bunny logo, gave it to me, and I tried one of the treats, I wouldn’t question the label and think these are from Ferrero Rocher. The questioning would begin after wondering why they’re not wrapped in gold foil.

Even the texture of the bottom is as light and easily crumbly as a Ferrero Rocher’s chocolate coating. Yes, it has reduced fat ice cream, but as I found with the other two candy-coated varieties, the layer and toppings do an excellent job at hiding the fact it has less fat. This one was my favorite of the bunch.

Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bar) 170 calories, 80 calories from fat, 9 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 40 milligrams of sodium, 90 milligrams of potassium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 15 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

Vanilla Fudge Brownie Bunny Snacks

This bunny snack features vanilla-flavored reduced fat ice cream topped with a layer of brownie batter and brownie brittle pieces covered in a milk chocolatey coating and candy drizzle.

The viscous brownie batter and crunchy brownie brittle pieces give the treat a flavor that’s richer than milk chocolate. But the fudgy brownie and vanilla ice cream combo, while darn good, didn’t get my taste buds jumping with excitement as much as the other two candy-coated Bunny Snacks.

If the other two didn’t exist, I probably would’ve liked this a bit more. But since Blue Bunny is giving us a number of Bunny Treat options and not everyone will buy all of them, I’d recommend the other two before this one.

Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bar) 170 calories, 90 calories from fat, 11 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 50 milligrams of sodium, 95 milligrams of potassium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 15 grams of sugar, and 2 gram of protein.

Mint Chocolate Twist Bunny Snacks

This one isn’t candy-coated like the others. Instead, it’s an ice cream sandwich that features mint reduced fat ice cream with a fudge swirl inside that’s between two chocolate chocolate chip cookies with a green candy drizzle. I have to admit after all the candy-coated goodness of the other three this one is less exciting.

Much like I don’t read instructions before putting together anything, I didn’t read the front of the packaging before eating this, so I didn’t realize the two chocolate wafers are two chocolate chocolate chip cookies. But they sure didn’t feel like cookies. They have the same soft texture as what slapped on an ice cream sandwich.

But because they’re chocolate chip cookies, every so often my molars will mash tiny chocolate chips. However, there’s another texture level in the ~~wafers~~ cookies. There’s a grittiness that feels as if there are sugar granules in them that provide micro crunches with every chew. I guess they make up for the cookies’ lack of crunch.

The ice cream has the right amount of mint flavoring. It’s not going to make you think you brushed your teeth, but it’s also not light enough that the cookies overpower it. There’s a delicate balance between the two parts that make for a pleasant treat. But without the candy coating, it’s a bit basic compared with the others in the line. However, that does help make it a bit more waist-friendly than the others.

Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 sandwich) 150 calories, 45 calories from fat, 5 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 95 milligrams of sodium, 95 milligrams of potassium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 15 grams of sugar, and 2 gram of protein.

DISCLOSURE: I received free samples from Blue Bunny months ago. And only now I’ve gotten around to writing this review. Sorry, Blue Bunny. Receiving free samples or feeling sorry that it took so long to write this review did not influence my review in any way.

REVIEW: Ben & Jerry’s Special Stash Phish’s It’s Ice…Cream Ice Cream

Marvo / June 28, 2018 / Reviews / 1 Comment

Ben & Jerry’s Special Stash Phish’s It’s Ice…Cream and caramel malt ice cream, a caramel swirl, fish-shaped fudge pieces, and almond toffee bits, which I’ve mentally filed away as a mix-in I’d use if I ever become a late night talk show host and Ben & Jerry’s asks me to develop a flavor.

Like the previous Special Stash variety, Marshmallow Moon, this was a finalist to become a pint sold in stores but got beat out by another candidate. In It’s Ice…Cream’s case, it was in the running to become the band Phish’s flavor back in the mid-90’s, Phish Food. While the it finally ended up seeing the light of day, it’s only available at Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shops and online store in limited quantities.

How limited?

Well, to give you an idea, here on this rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, there are ONLY 50 pints available for the entire island. So is it worth hunting down at a price that’s more than what you’d pay for a regular pint of Ben & Jerry’s at your local grocery store?

Short answer. YES!

Long answer. READ ON!

The caramel combo of the ice cream and swirl might seem like caramel excess, but I don’t find that to be the case because the ice cream base isn’t berating my taste buds with flavor. The gooey caramel provides all the buttery goodness and I’m fine with that.

As I mentioned at the beginning of the review, I very much enjoyed the almond toffee bits and there were a lot of them in my pint. They add a thunderous crunch that contrasts the creamy ice cream and the sticky caramel swirl. But the thing about them is that I don’t think of almond toffee when I chew on them. Instead, it’s like eating a crunchy sugar cone.

And this leads to why I’m so fond of this ice cream. When I get all the ingredients into one spoonful, which happens a lot, it’s as if I’m eating the perfect Drumstick ice cream cone bite — creamy ice cream, caramel topping, the fudge fish are like the nugget of chocolate at the bottom of the cone, and the almond toffee’s flavor and crunch is like fresh cone.

I not only love this ice cream, but I also love the artwork on the container, which was drawn by Phish’s legendary illustrator Jim Pollock. Sure, I’m 100 percent positive a future dream of mine will involve an anthropomorphic fish, but the art gives it a small brand look to it, making it stand out among Ben & Jerry’s other pints.

On paper, It’s Ice…Cream seems so simple, but, I can’t stress this enough, the almond toffee takes it to another level. This flavor is special and worth seeking out.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free sample from Ben & Jerry’s. This did not influence my review in any way. I know. I know. It totally reads like I’m in Ben & Jerry’s pocket, but I really did enjoy this pint.

(Nutrition Facts – 1/2 cup – 290 calories, 140 calories from fat, 15 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 65 milligrams of cholesterol, 120 milligrams of sodium, 35 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 28 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 1 pint
Purchased at: Received from Ben & Jerry’s
Rating: 9 out of 10
Pros: Almond toffee pieces are awesome; for some reason, they remind me of a sugar cone. Eating all of the ingredients in a spoonful tastes like the best Drumstick bite, and there are a lot of spoonfuls like that.
Cons: Caramel malt ice cream flavor isn’t that noticeable. The pint’s artwork may end up in your dreams. Limited supply. Only available at Scoop Shops and the online store. Costs more than other Ben & Jerry’s pints at the grocery store.

Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream

QUICK REVIEW: Kellogg’s Wild Berry Froot Loops Cereal

Marvo / June 27, 2018 / Reviews / 9 Comments

What is it?

Froot-flavored loops and froot-flavored staars that mostly don’t look like regular Froot Loops. There are red pieces, which I assume represent strawberries, purple pieces, which may stand for blackberries, teal pieces for blue raspberries, and green pieces that don’t symbolize any berry and are there just to throw us for a Froot Loop.

How is it?

As expected, it doesn’t have a generic amalgamation of a wide spectrum of fruity flavors like original Froot Loops. Instead, it’s like a generic amalgamation of a wide spectrum of berry flavors.

It’s not bad. Sometimes it reminds me of berry smoothies I’ve made for myself and other times it tastes like snack bars with dried berries. Can I pinpoint particular berries by eating individual pieces? No, but who, besides birds and infants, eat cereal pieces one by one. Okay, maybe a few of you, but not spoon-wielding me.

Is there anything else I need to know?

Froot Loops’ mascot, Toucan Sam, has said to follow your nose to the fruity taste of the cereal he represents. But if I did that with his new Wild Berry Froot Loops, I’m sure my nose would lead me away from it because it smells weird. Inside the bag or right after pouring it into a bowl, my beak noticed a plasticky and berry smell. It reminds me of those scented play dolls my sister had in the 80s whose eyes would follow me around the room. The aroma subsides once I pour the milk, but it’s odd and a little unappetizing.

Conclusion:

Kellogg’s Wild Berry Froot Loops Cereal is a decent cereal, but I have to say it doesn’t compete with the original. It’s different and a nice change of pace, but I’m not wild about it.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free sample from Kellogg’s, but this didn’t influence my review in any way.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 10 oz. box
Purchased at: Received from Kellogg’s
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup) 110 calories, 5 calories from fat, 0.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 26 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 10 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

Cereal Kellogg's

REVIEW: General Mills Dippin’ Dots Cereal (Cookies ‘n Cream and Banana Split)

Meghan / June 27, 2018 / Reviews / 1 Comment

Are actual Dippin’ Dots still a thing anymore?

I used to beg my mom to buy it for me all the time when I was a kid, but I can’t even remember the last time I saw a Dippin’ Dots kiosk. For something that used to tout itself as being the “Ice Cream of the Future,” it sure seems like it hasn’t aged well. Perhaps a reason for its lack of success was that the ice cream had to be stored in ultra-cold super-freezers, which prevented people from buying and eating them at home.

Thankfully for those of us who don’t have freezers that can hold ice cream at -40° F, the kind people over at General Mills lent their breakfast-making prowess to Dippin’ Dots to recreate two of its most popular flavors into a much more easily distributable cereal form.

The Cookies ‘n Cream flavor features tan and brown cereal puffs mixed with clusters of milk chocolate-coated cookie bits. Opening the bag, there was an aroma that reminded me more of Corn Pops mixed with a few crushed Oreo wafers than it did of ice cream.

The corn-heavy smell of the cereal foreshadowed its flavor, which didn’t taste like Cookies ‘n Cream at all. I had hoped the brown and tan puffs would emulate both flavors respectively, but they instead had that generic “corn-y” taste shared by most cereal puffs.

The chocolate cookie clusters were the only element that actually tasted like how they were supposed to, but there weren’t nearly enough of them to go around, and I found they had a tendency to sink to the bottom of my bowl once I added milk.

Banana Split is constructed like the Cookies ‘n Cream version, but the quality here is a different story. I was hesitant to try it at first since banana is a flavor that often oversteps into the territory of being overly artificial. But it turns out it was what this cereal needed to overcome the flavor coming from the corn flour in the puffs.

Every bite I took tasted like authentic, sweet bananas and the banana-flavored white chocolate crunchies brought that creamy element of vanilla that really let this cereal hone in on being an ice cream-inspired flavor.

While I’m on the topic of those crunchies, they’re the best part of the cereal. Dippin’ Dots should consider boxing them up and selling them as candy. But there seemed to be way more of them in my box of Banana Split than in my box of Cookies ‘n Cream.

Both flavors got soggy quickly in milk, but the Banana Split flavor was able to use this to its advantage by getting the dairy to work alongside the white chocolate crunchies to produce a flavor reminiscent of a melting banana split. Cookies ‘n Cream didn’t fare as well. It sopped up the milk and tasted like mushy Corn Pops that had jarring chunks of chocolate coated sandwich cookies in it.

So, has Dippin’ Dots created the Cereal of the Future? Probably not, but it sure is fun to be able to say that you’ve just had a bowl of Dippin’ Dots for breakfast.

(Nutrition Facts – 1 cup – Cookies ‘n Cream – 120 calories, 15 calories from fat, 1.5 grams of total fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 125 milligrams of sodium, 65 milligrams of potassium, 27 grams of total carbohydrates, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 10 grams of sugars, 15 grams of other carbohydrates, and 2 grams of protein. Banana Split – 130 calories, 20 calories from fat, 2.5 grams of total fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 115 milligrams of sodium, 55 milligrams of potassium, 27 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 11 grams of sugars, 15 grams of other carbohydrates, and 2 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: $3.64 each
Size: 18 oz. box
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 3 out of 10 (Cookies ‘n Cream)
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Banana Split)
Pros: Not needing a super-freezer. Great flavor in the Banana Split version. Awesome crunchies in both flavors! Getting to tell people that you’ve just had Dippin’ Dots for breakfast.
Cons: Not enough flavor in the Cookies ‘n Cream variety. Neither one holds up well in milk. Crunchy bits are not available in stand-alone candy form.

Cereal General Mills