REVIEW: Reese’s Spring Sprinkles Peanut Butter Cups

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I meet many people who absolutely adore Reese’s Eggs, claiming they are the best shape for the chocolate and peanut butter classic. If you have ever eaten a Reese’s Egg on Easter morning and thought, “This is nice, but I wish it were crunchy,” well, Reese’s Spring Sprinkles Peanut Butter Cups are for you!

Reese’s with spring-kles is available as a Big Cup or as Miniatures. I tried both. Since Miniatures have been around as long as I can remember, and the Big Cups have been around a few years, I don’t need to go into the particulars about those Reese’s sizes because you’re here for the sprinkles.

And these things are crunchy. Really crunchy. And not a simple, crisp crunch like a pretzel or crisp rice. These are a sugary crunch, like when someone puts candy cane pieces or Red Hots on a sugar cookie.

I shared the Miniatures with my family while everyone was together for the Christmas holidays (!), and the reaction was mixed. My brother disliked the crunch, while my mom liked it. My dad didn’t feel comfortable biting on the sprinkles, but he appreciated that it forced him to slow down.

For me, I’m glad these aren’t the default flavor of Reese’s. But as a limited-time offering, they’re unique enough. I worried the sprinkles would be soft and undetectable. But nope, they are impossible to miss.

Like sprinkles in literally every setting, these spring sprinkles are there for two reasons: color and texture. You will get pops of color when you bite in the Big Cup, but you will miss it if you eat the Miniature in one bite. (You will also miss the color if you eat the Big Cup in one bite, but you will win my respect!)

Sprinkles are not generally known for their flavor, and that’s the case here. The peanut butter cups taste the same as they usually do. I let one of the Miniatures dissolve in my mouth until it was just sprinkles, and they were just sugar, no flavor I could discern.

One more thing: Easter in 2025 is on April 20, and I bought these candies on the winter solstice. That’s the equivalent of Valentine’s candy on October 15, Halloween candy on July 1, and Christmas candy on August 26.

These won’t go down as my favorite Reese’s candy, but I appreciate that they are different enough from the standard version. With all the various shapes and sizes, it’s hard to feel like Reese’s is actually branching out, but in this case, there is no way you would mistake Spring Sprinkles for the original.

Purchased Price: $4.99 (bag of Miniatures), $1.25 (Big Cup)
Size: Cup is 1.3 oz, bag of Miniatures is 9.3 oz
Purchased at: Dick’s Market
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: Big Cup – 180 calories, 10 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 115 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 19 grams of sugar including 18 grams of added sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

Miniatures (3 pieces) – 130 calories, 7 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 55 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 15 grams of sugar including 14 grams of added sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Lava Cake Signature Latte

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What’s the best way to get your New Year’s resolutions off to a rip-roaring start?

Cake for breakfast.

As if their doughnuts weren’t enough to help live this dream, Dunkin’ has released a Lava Cake Signature Latte as part of its new winter menu. Available in hot or iced varieties, the latte is inspired by molten chocolate cakes, which release a hot and gooey chocolate center when you cut into them. (Warning: This moment usually elicits an “ooh and aah!” from bystanders as the chocolate flows freely on your plate, but attempting to recreate this effect with a beverage will result in an “Argh!” as hot liquid spills all over your jeans.)

I ordered a hot latte, which consists of espresso, whole milk, and chocolatey Lava Cake Swirl flavoring. The beverage is topped with whipped cream, mocha drizzle, and hot chocolate powder, all of which create an inviting presentation and reinforce the dessert-like nature of the beverage. Like a lava cake itself, this drink oozes chocolatey flavor. A sweet, syrupy chocolate undercurrent runs through the smooth, creamy base. Dunkin’ Flavor Swirls are known for their indulgent creaminess, and this new Lava Cake Swirl delivers a similar creamy texture without sacrificing the strength of the flavors. The Swirl pairs sweet chocolate and mocha flavors that complement the beverage’s espresso taste well.

In my drink, the intended balance of chocolate, coffee, and cream was interrupted only by an unexpected aftertaste, a lightly cooling peppermint taste. I’m not sure if this effect was due to the preparation, sweeteners, and artificial flavoring, or just a holiday candy cane hangover. The aftertaste wasn’t strong enough to ruin the drink, but it was noticeable enough to make the drink seem like a Peppermint Mocha’s distant cousin who thinks he’s too good to attend family reunions.

The Dunkin’ Lava Cake Signature Latte exists somewhere in the overlapping sections of a Venn Diagram of a mocha, latte, and hot chocolate. It’s like a milky mocha that stole its toppings from a hot cocoa bar. It represents a lava cake well, although, like many of Dunkin’s Signature items, it may be too sweet for some. For me, someone who often sees meals as obstacles to dessert, the Dunkin’ Lava Cake Signature Latte is too sweet for the everyday but perfect for days when chocolate and caffeine cravings converge.

Purchased Price: $3.49
Size: Small
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 290 calories, 11 grams of total fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 120 milligrams of sodium, 42 grams of total carbs, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 36 grams of total sugar, and 7 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Frosted Apple Turnover Pop-Tarts (Walmart Exclusive)

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I never thought I’d say this, but I may have Pop-Tarts nightmares now – specifically from the new Pop-Tarts Frosted Apple Turnover flavor.

There have been various iterations of apple-flavored Pop-Tarts, including the Frosted Crisp Apple Pop-Tarts back in 2019 – which were also a Walmart exclusive.

But, this new exclusive iteration is different because:

  1. It’s an apple turnover – so now there’s a specific pastry called out
  2. Most notably, they’re printed with the Pop-Tarts football mascot.

I got a serious jump scare the moment I opened the foil package. I saw the mascot’s eyes and immediately recoiled with an audible “Eughhhhh!”

The print job of the mascot was… not great. It was off-center and just not as high-fidelity as the graphics on the outside of the box. I shuddered thinking that there were five more designs to discover—seven total. No, thank you.

On the bright side, once I toasted it, the dreaded mascot didn’t become the dripping horror show I was imagining. It stayed intact, though it did form a little bubble right between its eyes. Spooky. It felt like Halloween all over again—-Pop-Tarts edition.

While my eyeballs did not enjoy the visual unhingedness, my tastebuds enjoyed the flavor of these. It was very classic tasting – balanced, not too tart and not overly sweet. There was a distinct and good contrast between the icing and the slightly gooey interior of the apple filling. Would I have liked more apple goo? Apple-solutely. But at $3 a box, I get it—they had to cut costs somewhere, and it was in the goo department.

Honestly, Pop-Tarts could’ve called these Frosted Apple [Insert Any Pastry Name Here]—strudel, hand pie, whatever—and I still would’ve been just as happy.

All in all, if you spot them at your local Walmart, they’re worth a try. But be prepared to be startled… and maybe have a few nightmares.

Purchased Price: $2.62
Size: 13.5 oz/8 count
Purchased at: Walmart (Exclusive)
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 pastries – 96g) – 370 calories, 9 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 3.5g of polyunsaturated fat, 2g of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 330 milligrams of sodium, 70 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 28 grams of sugar (includes 27 grams of added sugar), and 4 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Reese’s Red Velvet Peanut Butter Cups

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Reese’s, one of the most beloved candies ever, has been expanding its seasonal offerings in recent years. Not content with the special shapes of hearts, eggs, pumpkins, and trees, it has been tweaking flavors, either by changing the coating or putting things in the peanut butter. And I fully support this trend.

Well, at least in theory.

For the Valentine’s season, Reese’s has gifted us with Red Velvet Peanut Butter Cups, each with a red velvet-flavored creme on top. I bought a bag of Miniatures to sample (I bought them before Christmas, and that’s all they had on the shelf in the seasonal aisle, but there are standard cups as well).

Red velvet cake is a vanilla cake with a little bit of cocoa and buttermilk. That’s a very nuanced flavor profile to convert into a creme coating, especially when paired with peanut’s strong, distinctive flavor.

I’ve nibbled on the tops of these cups, and while the flavor is unique, I just can’t tell you that I taste red velvet. I certainly don’t taste cream cheese frosting. When I eat the cup as a complete whole (i.e., the way they’re meant to be eaten), the unique flavor is mostly overwhelmed by the peanut butter. And I feel like texture is one of the best parts of red velvet cake, but the texture of the cups is nothing like cake, not that I expected it to be. (The back of the bag says, “Reese’s takes the cake,” so I feel justified in comparing it to cake.)

I reviewed last fall’s Reese’s Werewolf Tracks, and I am going to quote from my own review because I feel the same way about these:

“Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are a top-tier confection, and if this were a brand-new treat, I would give it 10/10 based on taste alone. But this is simply a variation on a classic, and it’s just not that interesting or special.”

The difference here, though, is that red velvet is a more seasonally appropriate flavor than vanilla, and the pinkish topping is lovely. I do like that. So, I will give the Red Velvet version one more point than I gave the Werewolf version.

If Reese’s opted for another Valentine’s flavor, like strawberry, cherry, cinnamon, or rose, it would be easier to detect. But with red velvet, it feels like no one will notice if they mess up. It’s safe for Reese’s, but just a little boring for the consumer.

Purchased Price: $4.99
Size: 9.3 oz bag (Miniatures)
Purchased at: Dick’s Market
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (3 pieces) 130 calories, 8 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 75 milligrams of sodium, 15 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, 13 grams of sugar including 12 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Cheerios Protein Cereal

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We’re fast approaching the start of a new year, a demarcation of time in which many people across the globe resolve to change something about their habits or behaviors in an effort to improve themselves. They make a resolution, as it were, in the New Year. And while a lot of these resolutions involve giving something up— junk food, smoking, illegal cockfighting— others are about adopting something new— exercising, speaking out against illegal cockfighting, a healthier diet.

And as health aficionados the world over will tell you, protein, for most people in most situations, is pretty healthy. General Mills knows this and is adding protein to its already “heart-healthy” Cheerios to capture some of that sweet Resolution Cash. The new protein-packed cereals come in two versions— Cinnamon and Strawberry. I tried both.

Strawberry

Opening the Strawberry bag, I was hit with an overwhelming aroma of, well, strawberry. Visually, they’re also a little pink, but not blindingly so. One thing that threw me for a loop with my first bite was just how crunchy these are. While I’m not a regular Cheerios consumer, I have been known to eat a bowl of Honey Nut when the mood strikes, and they’re definitely not as crunchy as these new heavily protein-ed versions. The strawberry taste is very subtle, which seems to suit Cheerios — given that they’re not known for being cloyingly sweet in the first place.

Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (37g) 150 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 210 milligrams of sodium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar (11 grams of added sugar), and 8 grams of protein.

Cinnamon

The Cinnamon kind doesn’t have as strong of a cinnamon scent, but the actual cinnamon TASTE is a bit stronger, so if you like cinnamon-flavored things, you’re in luck. Texturally, they’re about the same — incredibly crunchy. But as an avowed cinnamon lover, these ended up a point higher than their fruity brethren.

Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (37g) 150 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 210 milligrams of sodium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar (12 grams of added sugar), and 8 grams of protein.

Overall, these taste great. But the selling point, really, is the protein, right? A cup of these (the standard cereal serving that seems impossibly tiny when accurately measured out) is good for eight grams. What else gets you eight grams of protein in the morning? A single large egg is around 6-7 grams, so a couple of those would put you over. A cup of Greek yogurt will get you well beyond eight grams. A couple of spoons of peanut butter will do the trick. Regular oatmeal is a tick under, but close.

The point is that plenty of typical breakfast foods are good protein sources. But if you don’t have time to whip up some eggs — and you don’t wanna drink them Rocky-style raw — new Protein Cheerios are a reasonably decent (and tasty!) solution. That said, most of the foods I listed above have significantly less added sugar. Despite the decent amount of protein, these things are sugary-sweet, on par with the sugariest things the Cap’n, the Rabbit, or the uh, Cinnamon Toaster (?) have to offer.

Purchased Price: $5.49
Purchased at: Hy-Vee

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