REVIEW: Tastykake Pumpkin Spice Mini Donuts

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Tastykake Pumpkin Spice Mini Donuts

I imagine these Tastykake Pumpkin Spice Mini Donuts would be great to dunk into a pumpkin spice-flavored coffee, hot cocoa, melted ice cream, egg nog, yogurt, or whatever random pumpkin spice product I’d hit if I threw a rock at a Target grocery section.

Dunking it would up the pumpkin spiciness, which is something I feel these donuts need. Eaten sans dunking sauce, the pumpkin spice flavor isn’t where I’d want it to be. It’s as if someone did a pumpkin spice seasoning challenge, failed, coughed out all that pumpkin spice, forming a cloud, and then these donuts were seasoned by throwing them through that cloud.

Look, I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. We don’t experience fall like a lot of you. It’s like spring/summer all the time. If I can’t experience fall with my eyes or with my shoulder muscles from raking all the orange leaves in my yard, I want to experience fall with my mouth and I don’t think these donuts have that level of flavor.

With that said, they aren’t so bad that they make me want to fly across the Pacific Ocean, go to the Tastykake headquarters, and drop the bag above on their welcome mat with a Post-It Note attached that has the word “NOPE” scrawled on it.

Tastykake Pumpkin Spice Mini Donuts 2

They’re okay, but they don’t make me want to turn my arm into a donut dunking robot that helps me eat through an entire bag within 10 minutes. There’s an acceptable amount of cinnamon flavor in the powdered coating and I could taste other spices. But, again, I wish it was amped up a little. They’re also dense donuts and almost as chewy as brownies or original PowerBars that have been in a car’s glove compartment. I’m not sure that’s a good thing.

I’ll definitely finish off the bag, although not quickly. And I’ll dunk them into pumpkin spice hummus if the rock I throw at a Target grocery section hits it.

Disclosure: I received a free sample of these donuts from Tastykake. Receiving them for free did not affect this review in any way.

(Nutrition Facts – 4 donuts – 230 calories, 100 calories from fat, 11 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 1.5 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 3.5 grams of monounsaturated fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 260 milligrams of sodium, 31 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 14 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: Free
Size: 10 oz bag
Purchased at: Received from Tastykake
Rating: 5 out of 10
Pros: Not horrible. Cinnamon-y. So many pumpkin spice products.
Cons: Too light pumpkin spice flavor. Chewier than most donuts I’ve had. Throwing rocks in a Target. So many pumpkin spice products.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES: Red Vines Made Simple

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Red Vines Made Simple

Made with real sugar, no artificial colors, no preservatives, always fat free, and always easily turned into a drinking straw. (Spotted by Carla at Fred Meyer.)

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’ve tried the product, share your thoughts about it in the comments.

BACK ON SHELVES: Reese’s Pieces Peanut (2016)

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Reese's Pieces Peanut

I’d like to see Reese’s put Reese’s Pieces Peanut inside a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. (Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

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’ve tried the product, share your thoughts about it in the comments.

REVIEW: Nestle Nesquik Protein Plus Vanilla Milk

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Nestle Nesquik Protein Plus Vanilla Milk

Protein. We need it for body stuff.

Yeah, I don’t know what body stuff exactly. I have an English degree and got C’s in every class that ends with -ology or -ience.

What I do know is that protein is big. A big money maker. Everywhere you look in the grocery store, companies are putting the stuff into everything they possibly can. And I guess Nesquik Protein Plus Milk, is Nestle’s way to get a little bit of that sweet, sweet protein drink money.

Some of you might be thinking, regular Nesquik is milk so it already has protein. That’s true, but it just has more. According to the bottle, Nesquik Protein Plus has “10% more of the daily value for protein per 8 fl oz than regular Nesquik.” A cup of it has 13 grams of protein, while regular Nesquik has 8 grams.

Wait.

I got C’s in every class that ends with -athematics, but I’m pretty sure the difference between 13 grams and 8 grams is more than 10 percent.

Anyway, this protein enhanced milk gets its protein from the milk and an ingredient called milk protein concentrate. What’s milk protein concentrate? Again, C’s in every class that ends with -ology or -ience.

Nesquik has always been a brand that targets kids. But Nesquik Protein Plus is for adults, or as the bottle says, “For Adults Young At Heart.” But from afar, it looks like any Nesquik bottle. So other adults are going to look at you and think to themselves, “Oh my God, how can you drink that? You’re not lactose intolerant?”

As for its flavor, well, if you’ve had regular vanilla Nesquik milk, you will know what this tastes like. It’s sweet, creamy, it’s better tasting than a vanilla protein powder shake, and I enjoyed drinking it. The added protein doesn’t affect its flavor.

Yes, it does have a good amount of sugar in it (22 grams per serving). But the bottle does say it has “28% less sugar than the leading Protein Enhanced Flavored Milk.” So, there’s that. Although, as we’ve learned earlier, this bottle isn’t good at stating accurate percentages.

But if you want to consume a lot of protein, be young at heart, and satisfy your sweet tooth, this milk is a tasty way to do it.

Purchased Price: $2.49
Size: 14 fl oz
Purchased at: 7-Eleven
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (8 ounces) 170 calories, 25 calories from fat, 2.5 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 230 milligrams of sodium, 450 milligrams of potassium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 22 grams of sugar, and 13 grams of protein.

FAST FOOD NEWS: Dunkin’ Donuts Oreo Hot Chocolate

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Dunkin Donuts OREO Flavored Hot Chocolate

Dunkin’ Donuts is teaming up with Mondel?z International to offer an Oreo-flavored hot chocolate. If you’re having deja vu right now, it’s understandable because 7-Eleven offered an Oreo hot chocolate late last year.

The Dunkin’ Donuts Oreo Hot Chocolate features the flavors of cookies and crème and will be available throughout the fall and winter months at participating locations.

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

(Image via Dunkin’ Donuts)