FAST FOOD NEWS: Carl’s Jr. French Toast Dips

Carl s Jr French Toast Dips

Carl’s Jr.’s French Toast Dips are back!

And if you Google “Carl’s Jr. French toast sticks gone WTF” you’ll see that a lot of people will be happy it has returned. If you’re one of those people, I’m going to bring your joy down by telling you the sweet breakfast menu item is available for a limited time.

The returning breakfast item, which was taken off the menu in 2014, features five French toast sticks sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with syrup. It’s available at participating locations and can be ordered as an entree for $2.29, or as a combo meal with hash rounds and a drink for $3.99 (prices may vary by location).

If you’ve tried it, let us know what you think of it in the comments. If you’re happy it’s back, show your elation in the comments.

(Image via Carl’s Jr.)

REVIEW: Vanilla Milkshake Whoppers

Vanilla Milkshake Whoppers

Every year, post-Halloween, I see lists of peoples’ least favorite candies.

For some reason Whoppers always crack the list. I don’t get it. Even if you aren’t a huge fan of these “malted milk balls,” don’t you like a little variety? What’s wrong with a couple malt(ed milk) balls mixed in with the rest of your haul? (Don’t you dare simply refer to them as “Malt balls!”)

I’m actually surprised Whoppers are even still around. They feel like a candy of yesteryear. We as a culture just don’t seem to appreciate malt anymore. When was the last time anyone under the age of ancient ordered a malted milkshake?

Speaking of, the fine folks at Hershey seem to think people still have a hankering for them with their release of Vanilla Milkshake Whoppers. I’ve always been a fan of the originals, and dug the Strawberry Milkshake Whoppers a good deal, so I snatched two of these cartons as soon as I saw them.

Upon ripping open said carton I was met with a vanilla scent that got masked quickly by the smell of cardboard. Once I poured the contents into a glass, they regained their pleasant vanilla smell. 

The waxy outer coating had a “white chocolatey” flavor. I know it’s vanilla but it tasted like white chocolate to me. Let’s be real, there’s not THAT big a difference between the two anyway. Whether you taste vanilla or white chocolate, the flavor really doesn’t last long enough to make a major impact. This is a common theme among malt(ed milk) balls in my opinion. 

Vanilla Milkshake Whoppers 2

After talking them up, allow me to knock Whoppers down a peg.

I don’t really like to chew on Whoppers. I feel like I immediately lose the outer flavor once I bite into the malt center. Malt is an overpowering taste. I much prefer to suck on Whoppers instead of biting them. I absolutely hate that previous sentence and didn’t want to write it, but hey, that’s how I like my Whoppers.

That being said, if you allow about ten Whoppers to melt in your mouth, the gritty texture of the ball itself starts to do a number on your tongue. This has always been my knock on them. Either you chew them and get that rock hard sugar stuck in your molars, or you suck them and get Cap’n Crunch mouth.

Vanilla Milkshake Whoppers 3

Still, letting them melt was the best way to really enjoy that outer “vanilla” flavor. The thing about Whoppers is that no matter the coating, the strongest taste will always be the malt itself. Just to test my theory I had a few chocolate Whoppers left over from Halloween, and it checked out. Once I chomped down it was just a maltfest.

And while I prefer not to chew them, I absolutely LOVE those weird chewy runt Whoppers that inevitably sneak into each batch. You guys know what I’m talking about? There are always one or two pieces that are smaller than the rest. Sometimes half the ball is caved in on itself. To me they’re like the bonus onion ring in an order of fries. I had three of those that had the texture of a Tootsie Roll and they were the MVPs of the carton.

I may have actually liked Vanilla Milkshake more than the chocolate originals. The jury is still out. They’re certainly better than those Easter Whoppers Robin’s Eggs. 

Hershey should team with Burger King on these somehow, because I subliminally wanted a Whopper and a vanilla shake by the time I was done.

(Nutrition Facts – 18 pieces – 200 calories, 70 calories from fat, 7 grams of fat, 7 grams of sat fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 65 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of carbohydrates, 27 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein..)

Purchased Price: $2.22
Size: 10 oz. carton
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 7 out of 10
Pros: Solid white chocolatey/vanilla flavor while it lasts. Super fresh malted milk ball centers. Milk carton packaging. Might be better than the original. The chewy runts of the Whopper litter.
Cons: Malt overpowers outer flavor. Scratches up tongue/roof of mouth if sucked on. Gets plastered in teeth if chewed. Gateway to wanting Burger King. Where have all the malts gone?

SPOTTED ON SHELVES (TRADER JOE’S EDITION) – 11/17/2016

Here are some new Trader Joe’s products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of them, share your thoughts about them in the comments.

Trader Joe's Cinnamon Roll Wreath

Trader Joe’s Cinnamon Roll Wreath

Trader Joe's Gelato Filled Panettone

Trader Joe’s Gelato Filled Panettone

Trader Joe's Chocolate Chip Waffles

Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chip Waffles

Trader Joe's Pear & Persimmon Tarte

Trader Joe’s Pear & Persimmon Tarte

Trader Joe's Nantucket Style Cranberry Pie

Trader Joe’s Nantucket Style Cranberry Pie

Trader Joe's Mini Brie En Croute

Trader Joe’s Mini Brie En Croute

Trader Joe's Truffle Mac & Cheese

Trader Joe’s Truffle Mac & Cheese

Trader Joe's Rosencrunch & Guildenpop

Trader Joe’s Rosencrunch & Guildenpop

Lots of new products/desserts you can take to a party in the frozen aisle at Trader Joe’s. Also, Rosencrunch & Guildenpop is back! (Spotted by Rachel C at Trader Joe’s.)

Thank you to all the photo contributors! If you’re out shopping and see an interesting new product on the shelf, snap a picture of it, and send us an email ([email protected]) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. Or reply to us (@theimpulsivebuy) on Twitter with the photo, where you spotted it, and the hashtag #spotted. If you do so, you might see your picture in our next Spotted on Shelves post.

COMING SOON: Sprite Cherry and Sprite Cherry Zero

Sprite Cherry

7UP has one.

Mist Twst has one.

And soon Sprite will be offering a cherry version of their lemon-lime soda. Welcome to the cherry party, Sprite, where everyone is dressed in red and the only trick the clowns are able to do is tie cherry stems into knots with their tongues.

The new flavor was announced at this year’s NACS Show and it’ll launch nationwide in the first quarter of 2017. There will also be a Sprite Cherry Zero and both beverages will be available in 20-ounce bottles. The flavor was inspired by the popular Sprite flavor combination on Coca-Cola Freestyle machines.

COMING SOON: Ben & Jerry’s Limited Batch Chocolate Cherry Garcia Ice Cream

Ben  Jerry s Chocolate Cherry Garcia

Over the summer, Ben & Jerry’s released new flavors that were flipped versions of some of their popular options. These Flavor Flips were only available at their Scoop Shops. The first one was Totally Baked, a twist on their Half Baked flavor. That was followed by Tubby Hubby, a flipped version of Chubby Hubby. The third one of the year is Chocolate Cherry Garcia.

Instead of the cherry ice cream that the original Cherry Garcia has, this version features chocolate ice cream with cherries and fudge flakes. The flavor is available now at Scoop Shops nationwide and pints will be available for a limited time at grocery stores at a later date.

A 1/2 cup serving has 260 calories, 14 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 35 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 27 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

If you’ve tried it, let us know what you think of it in the comments.

(Image via Ben & Jerry’s)