SPOTTED: Chocolatey Payday Bar

Update: We tried it! Click here to read our review.
While these are being promoted as new, I’m going to drop in this sentence links to Chocolate Payday and Payday Chocolatey Avalanche. (Spotted by Robbie at Circle K.)

Update: We tried it! Click here to read our review.
While these are being promoted as new, I’m going to drop in this sentence links to Chocolate Payday and Payday Chocolatey Avalanche. (Spotted by Robbie at Circle K.)



Update: We tried it! Click here to read our review.
Oooh, mystery flavor. It would be disappointing if the fact under the cap tells us what the flavor is. (Spotted by Peter K.)

When I tore open the share size bag of these new Popcorn M&M’s that have milk chocolate with a crisp rice center, I was immediately transported to a movie theater.
Or, if you look at Blue on the package, it is to the stands of a football game chowing down on a chocolatey popcorn treat. The scent of these is outstanding as they do nail the essence of a creamy, buttery milk chocolate concoction.
However, please don’t get your hopes up too too much as the smell doesn’t fully translate to the taste of them, unfortunately, but it does get pretty gosh darn close.
Now, if you had asked me how these were when I first stumbled upon them at a random gas station in central Pennsylvania, I would have given them a 10 out of 10 and told you to drop everything, seriously drop EVERYTHING, and do whatever you need to do to indulge in these. It’s been a few days, so I have had time to come back down to Earth from the high of finding them unexpectedly and experiencing their intense aroma.

These come in perfectly themed colors of dark brown, neon yellow, and off-white to mimic the product they are trying to emulate. These being M&M’s there is, of course, the glorious hard candy shell to bite into first. The main flavor of these is definitely chocolate, and you can tell it is prevalent throughout the bite. And, technically, if you look at the packaging, these are CHOCOLATE popcorn flavored treats.
There is a definite butter flavor with a hint of salt, at least as far as I can tell, but it is very light. As I ate more, the flavor seemed to diminish, and I could see potentially without the shell colors, bag, or smell someone could mistake these for regular crispy M&M’s, although a very creamy milk heavy version.

One component that is a slam dunk, or field goal, I guess I should say based on the sponsorship is the crisp rice core. It adds another crunchy texture in addition to shell, and this being a lighter one definitely reminds me of the crunch that popcorn would give.
All in all, these are delicious M&M’s with a light popcorn flavor as I have already downed 2.5 share size bags singlehandedly. I also applaud Mars for thinking outside the box with this inventive flavor. I just wish the butter flavor (and maybe the salt) was dialed up a few more notches as it would have truly knocked these out of the park flavor-wise. (Eeek sorry, would have made the flavor make an amazing touchdown flavor-wise, keeping with the theme.)
P.S – I wish Blue would have been chilling in a movie theater auditorium seat instead of with a football and eye black. I get the sponsorship, and that popcorn is a snack at stadiums, but not having a movie theater connection seems wrong.
P.P.S. – Rather than Blue holding a bucket of chocolate popcorn, shouldn’t it be a mixture of M&M’s and popcorn since that is what I originally thought they were drawing inspiration from when hearing about this flavor. Although maybe that is too meta and also means Blue is a cannibal. Eeek.
P.P.P.S. – Let’s not end on thinking about cannibalism, these are milk chocolatey with a hint of butter goodness, try them!
Purchased Price: $1.75 (2 for $3.50)
Size: 2.83 oz. Share Size Bag
Purchased at: Sheetz
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 27 g (1/3 of bag) – 130 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 40 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, 15 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.
Here are some new store brand products found on shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of them, share your thoughts in the comments.


(Spotted by Jennifer T at Stop & Shop.)


(Spotted by Sarah R at Trader Joe’s.)

(Spotted by Rachel C at Trader Joe’s.)

(Spotted by Tommy at Wegmans.)

(Spotted by Tommy at Circle K.)

(Spotted by Robbie at H-E-B.)




(Spotted by Robbie at Buc-ee’s.)

Lemon? Orange? Blueberry? Nah. This year’s quintessential summer flavor, at least according to Hostess, is a dense and creamy strawberry cheesecake. These mini donuts feature strawberry-flavored cake with a cheesecake-flavored glaze.
They are hit or miss.

The cake carries a pleasant and decently authentic strawberry flavor that I enjoy, but the moisture level is as unpredictable as a summer shower. While the sweetness level is solid, every other mini donut I try is offensively dry with a crumbly off-putting texture that kills the vibe.

The cheesecake component is relatively light, with a subtle tang that does just enough to differentiate itself from a standard glaze. While the flavor is decent, the coating lines the roof of my mouth like uncooked fat, and if that were ever served to me as a cheesecake, it would be sent back in a flash. The flavor balance is good, but like with the cake, the texture is off and takes away greatly from the snacking experience.
Cheesecake originated in Greece and was often served as a wedding cake. That’s pretty cool, right?
When the Donettes aren’t dryer than a July night in the desert, they’re okay. But I don’t feel confident putting my hand into the bag and pulling out something that won’t disappoint. If you’re a sucker for all things cheesecake, these may be worth your time, but they miss the mark on delivering a snackable ode to a fine dessert.
Purchased Price: $2.49
Size: 10.5 oz bag
Purchased at: 7-Eleven
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (3 donuts) 210 calories, 10 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 170 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 16 grams of total sugars, 2 grams of protein.