QUICK REVIEW: Ben & Jerry’s Cinnamon Buns Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert

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Ben Jerry s Cinnamon Buns Non Dairy Frozen Dessert

What is it?

At first, I thought the idea of using almond milk to make a non-dairy version of Ben & Jerry’s fantastic Cinnamon Buns Ice Cream sounded like using gluten-free ingredients to make Cinnabon’s classic roll. But, while gluten-free Cinnabon doesn’t seem too appetizing, that’s not the case with this pint.

While the dairy version has caramel ice cream, this one features a cinnamon-flavored non-dairy frozen dessert base. But, like the original, cinnamon bun dough pieces and a cinnamon streusel swirl are included.

How is it?

If you love cinnamon, you will enjoy this flavor immensely. There’s so much of it that it’s as if someone used the spice as talcum powder on their hands and then punched me in the face with them. It does an outstanding job at hiding the fact it’s a non-dairy dessert.

Ben Jerry s Cinnamon Buns Non Dairy Frozen Dessert 2

Most of the cinnamon flavor comes from the gooey swirl. It has that sugary grittiness one would feel in a cinnamon bun and the same explosive flavor. Surprisingly, the non-dairy base doesn’t taste as if it has much of the spice. I do get a little bit of the almond milk, which my brain seems to registers as a bit of doughiness.

The cinnamon dough balls have the same texture as the chocolate chip cookie dough balls in Ben & Jerry’s classic variety. The spice is in every bite, but they don’t have as much of a punch as the swirl. There’s also an equal amount of brown sugar that adds a sweetness that cuts through all the spice. This is welcomed because it makes the dessert not so one note.

Is there anything else I need to know?

The flavor does linger and makes your mouth feel as if you’re chewing on a well-worn piece of Big Red Gum.

Conclusion:

As I mentioned at the beginning of the review, I find the original Cinnamon Buns Ice Cream to be superb, and this non-dairy version, while not as creamy, is just as hard-to-put-down tasty.

(Click here to read our other Ben & Jerry’s Non-Dairy reviews.)

DISCLOSURE: Ben & Jerry’s sent me coupons for free pints to celebrate National Ice Cream Month, which was last month. I used one of the coupons to purchase this. Receiving the coupon didn’t influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 1 pint
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/2 cup) 260 calories, 120 calories from fat, 13 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 60 milligrams of sodium, 35 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 25 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Nestle Toll House Simply Delicious Snack Bar Dough

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When first looked at Nestle Toll House’s Simply Delicious Snack Bar Dough and saw it’s made with a “5-Grain and Seed Blend,” my first thought was, “So, um, Nestle is making bird treats now?”

But after scanning the packaging like a hawk, I learned the snack bar dough is not for birds.

The instructions for them are as simple as they are for the brand’s cookies — preheat oven, break up the dough, place on baking sheet, put in oven, wait several minutes, enjoy the aroma of baked goods radiating from your oven, pull out sheet after time is up, lift oven door with foot, close oven door shut by hip-checking it, let the goods cool a little, and then enjoy. But unlike the cookies, the bars look the same going into the oven as they do coming out of the oven.

There are two varieties available Chocolate Chip with Toasted Oats and Cranberry Walnut with Dark Chocolate.

Chocolate Chip with Toasted Oats

Nestle Toll House Simply Delicious Chocolate Chip with Toasted Oats Snack Bar Dough

If you like chocolate, this is the one you should get. Yes, the other one has dark chocolate, but with this one, the semi-sweet morsels stand out in every bite. To be honest, this tastes and feels exactly like a chocolate chip oatmeal cookie. The 5-Grain & Seed Blend (which by the way is made up of barley, wheat, brown flax seed, quinoa seed, and sunflower seeds) doesn’t seem to enhance or diminish the bars’ flavor.

The instructions say to let them cool completely before consuming, but the smell of chocolate chips in the air is an aroma that tests my patience. Because I have don’t have strong willpower, I tried one after about 5 minutes of cooling down. The underside of the bar has a slight crispiness, and so do the rolled oats on top.

Nestle Toll House Simply Delicious Chocolate Chip with Toasted Oats Snack Bar Dough 2

But the bar in this warmed up state is super soft. So much so that I wondered if they were fully baked. I’m sure they were, but the bar’s thickness and seeing the “Do not eat raw snack bar dough” gets me a little paranoid. Letting them cool down completely made them chewier, so I guess I should learn patience. I also noticed eating them made my mouth dry. Maybe the oats are soaking up my saliva?

But, again, they taste and feel like chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. So if you’re a fan of those, you’ll like these, but might I recommend eating them with milk.

Purchased Price: $5.99
Size: 14 oz. package (makes 10 bars)
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bar) 170 calories, 7 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 120 milligrams of sodium, 23 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 9 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

Cranberry Walnut with Dark Chocolate

Nestle Toll House Simply Delicious Cranberry Walnut with Dark Chocolate Snack Bar Dough

If you like chopped walnuts on your floor, then this is the one you should get. Unlike the oats with the other variety, the nuts fell off the bars anytime I moved them. To make the photos in this review look less balding, I had to transplant a lot of walnut bits back onto the bars.

When I opened the oven door to pull them out, a sweet cinnamon aroma came wafting out. Oddly, the spice is not an ingredient. Much like the other variety, they do taste cookie-like, but it’s also less exciting because no flavors stand out.

Nestle Toll House Simply Delicious Snack Bar Dough Cranberry Walnut with Dark Chocolate 2

The walnuts, if they don’t fall off, give a nutty flavor that’s hard to detect most of the time and a nice crunch. The sweetened dried cranberries are bland. As for the dark chocolate morsels, I don’t taste chocolate in every bite as I do with the other variety. But when I do taste them, they don’t have enough of a punch to satisfy my sweet tooth.

But, this one didn’t make my mouth dry. So that’s a plus. But if you care more about flavor than oral dryness, go with the Chocolate Chip with Toasted Oats one instead.

Purchased Price: $5.99
Size: 14 oz. package (makes 10 bars)
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bar) 170 calories, 8 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 115 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 9 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Arby’s Smokehouse Beef Short Rib Sandwich and Loaded Curly Fries

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Arby s Smokehouse Beef Short Rib Sandwich

America’s favorite fast food punching bag, Arby’s, should stick to the one thing they do best: roast beef sandwiches.

Think about it: have you ever, in your life, stopped what you’re doing and made a beeline for the joint because you simply had to nosh on its gyro or down a fish sandwich pronto? Has a day ever been made better by one of its ice coffee drinks? Ever sat at work daydreaming about a big bowl of those curly fries, well, okay, I’ll give you the curly fries. But, still, Arby’s meandering attempt to enter the barbeque game — one of many, I’m sure — by putting a beef short rib sandwich on the menu is mediocre at best.

Utilizing the mainly fatty beef parts of the aforementioned short rib, an admittedly nice big handful of that cheap cut is packed between two thick slices of mostly toasted Texas toast and topped with soggy fried onions, misplaced melted cheddar cheese and a little slight drizzle of barbeque sauce to give it more of that down-home back-country feel. It doesn’t work, but kudos for trying, Arby’s.

As I took as large a bite as my medium mouth could allow, I tasted more of the sauce than the meat which is never a good sign, especially when it Arby’s barbeque sauce. However, pulling a few pieces of the short rib out to taste by its lonesome, I can see why; the meat was a bit dry, and a good dollop of that sickly sauce gave it its much needed (but still pretty unwanted) flavor.

Additionally, that fraudulent smoky sauce seeped deep into the bread as well, so there’s that if you’re big into sticky, damp bread.

Arby s Smokehouse Beef Short Rib Loaded Curly Fries

Alongside the Short Rib Sandwich, Arby’s has a quasi-companion piece taking the form of Short Rib Loaded Fries which are exactly how they sound: a decent pile of their quintessential curly fries, bastardized with short rib meat, even more melted cheddar cheese, and a whole mess of that barbeque sauce to give them a sense of purpose and meaning.

It’s an unapologetically mishmash of flavors, none of which seemingly belong together in the slightest. The corporate entity barbeque sauce sweetens, almost to a fault, the mildly limp fries. Meanwhile, the short rib meat makes a pretty garnish but not a very useful tater topping, big clumps falling everywhere, just looking for that Texas toast.

For a nice size bowl of these loaded fries—loaded fries being my favorite of all fries, honestly, it’s kind of a wasted effort. Give me some plain curlies and few packs of Horsey Sauce and I’m gold, kid.

Arby’s, your bold experimentalism let me down again, but don’t worry: come Christmastime I promise I’ll be back in line for your five roast beef sandwiches for five bucks. You all still do that, right? Please tell me you do.

(Nutrition Facts – Sandwich – 590 calories, 28 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 75 milligrams of cholesterol, 1510 milligrams of sodium, 59 grams of carbohydrates, 14 grams of sugar, 4 grams of fiber, and 26 grams of protein. Loaded Curly Fries – 730 calories, 41 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 2300 milligrams of sodium, 75 grams of carbohydrates, 13 grams of sugar, 6 grams of fiber, and 15 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: $5.99 (sandwich)
Size: N/A
Rating: 3 out of 10 (Sandwich)
Rating: 2 out of 10 (Loaded Curly Fries)
Pros: Lots of meat. Good to see Texas toast on the menu. Chance to visit your local Arby’s.
Cons: Barbeque sauce too “fake sweet.” Soggy onions and bread. Cheese sauce not like I remember.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES – 8/9/2018

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

H E B Thin Special Recipe Flavor No 5 Smoked Brisket Potato Chips

H-E-B Thin Special Recipe Flavor No. 5 Smoked Brisket Potato Chips

H E B Thin Special Recipe Flavor No 6 Smoked Gouda Potato Chips

H-E-B Thin Special Recipe Flavor No. 6 Smoked Gouda Potato Chips

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

Quaker Simple Wholesome Organic Multigrain Hot Cereal with Red Quinoa

Quaker Simple & Wholesome Organic Multigrain Hot Cereal with Red Quinoa

Quaker Simple Wholesome Organic Multigrain Hot Cereal with Buckwheat Flaxseed

Quaker Simple & Wholesome Organic Multigrain Hot Cereal with Buckwheat & Flaxseed

(Spotted by Amanda Y at Target.)

Quaker Simple Wholesome Organic Multi Grain Hot Cereal Date Almond

Quaker Simple & Wholesome Organic Multi Grain Hot Cereal Date & Almond

(Spotted by Amanda Y at Market Street.)

New Recipe Swiss Miss Marshmallow Lovers Hot Cocoa Mix

New Recipe Swiss Miss Marshmallow Lovers Hot Cocoa Mix

New Recipe Swiss Miss Marshmallow Hot Cocoa Mix

New Recipe Swiss Miss Marshmallow Hot Cocoa Mix

New Recipe Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate No Sugar Added Hot Cocoa Mix

New Recipe Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate No Sugar Added Hot Cocoa Mix

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

Charms Fluffy Stuff Birthday Cake Cotton Candy

Charms Fluffy Stuff Birthday Cake Cotton Candy

(Spotted by Keith at Dollar Tree.)

Kraft KD Shaker

Kraft KD Shaker

(Spotted by Trevor B at Costco in Canada.)

Kalypso Unsalted and Salted European Style Butter

Kalypso Unsalted and Salted European Style Butter

(Spotted by Laurie at Central Market.)

Finlandia Cheese Dip Cheddar and Original

Finlandia Cheese Dip (Cheddar and Original)

(Spotted by Blaire at Giant.)

Hidden Valley Ranch Jalapeno Bacon Dressing

Hidden Valley Ranch Jalapeno Bacon Dressing

(Spotted by Deborah S 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.

Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES: New Godiva Instant Pudding Varieties

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Godiva Chocolate Pudding with Real Raspberry

Godiva Chocolate Pudding with Real Raspberry

Godiva White Chocolate Vanilla Bean Pudding with Chocolate Chips

Godiva White Chocolate Vanilla Bean Pudding with Chocolate Chips

Godiva Dark Chocolate Pudding with Coconut

$3.49 for instant pudding? Dang! Godiva Tax. (Spotted by Amanda Y at Kroger and Bob K at Giant Eagle.)

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.

Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

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