Remember those Looney Tunes episodes where an old lady would put a pie on a window sill, and an offscreen character would literally be lifted off the ground by the heavenly aroma and summoned to it?
That’s me with kettle corn.
I pretty much only attend Street Fairs with one objective in mind – acquire kettle corn.
I love it. It’s God’s perfect food. Ambrosia. The only snack I eat by the duffel bag.
So, now that Nabisco has decided to dedicate one of its 436 Oreo flavors (unofficial count) to this amazing confection, you know damn well I had to try them.
I wouldn’t call these the most eye-popping Oreo cookies. It’s a Golden Oreo with off-white kettle corn flavored cream sprinkled with little tan morsels of millet – beige and boring, but in fairness, true to popcorn.
Again, kettle corn stands have a distinct aroma that I can pinpoint within a two-block radius. These cookies attempted to get there, but I got more of a pancake/waffle vibe from the smell. That’s cool though. Who doesn’t love the smell of pancakes?
The first step to eating any Oreo is to remove the top wafer and scrape out half the crème with your teeth. We all eat em that way, right? Not like the weirdos in the commercials who open it, lick it once then inexplicably put it back together?
The crème tastes buttery at first, but there is an underlying sweetness. I wouldn’t necessarily say they hit on the “salty” aspect of kettle corn, but that’s probably a good thing. I couldn’t shake the pancake thoughts while eating these. I never tried the waffle-flavored Oreo but could’ve been convinced these were them if blindfolded, because of the butter. The sweetness bordered on maple, also.
If I had one word to describe the kettle corn flavor, I’d say “inconsistent.” Every few bites I’d get a brief but perfect combo of cookie, crème, and millet that had a texture similar to kettle corn, and also that burnt sugary amazing flavor only a kettle could create.
I won’t lie, I wasn’t 100 percent positive what millet even was. I’ve never had straight millet cereal, but the little puffed additions were a smart decision. They’re not quite Rice Krispies, but the spongey, stale texture mimicked popcorn nicely. Oreo adding little pieces to the crème is a trend that I hope continues.
These are pretty tough to nail down. I like ’em, but I don’t know if they met the expectations of the flavor, although I was able to convince myself the aftertaste was “popcorny.”
To wrap it up, I’m going with this as my description – buttery pancakes, with a hint of syrupy sweetness, that tastes like weak kettle corn but only when you get that perfect bite. That make sense?
Try ’em out, then vote for your favorite #MyOreoCreation. I still need to try the other two before I submit mine, but something tells me these won’t prevail over Cherry Cola or Pina Colada.
(Nutrition Facts – 2 cookies – 150 calories, 7 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 80 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 12 grams of sugars, and less than 1 gram of protein..)
Purchased Price: $2.98
Size: 10.7 oz.
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: It’s kettle corn, kinda. If not, it still tastes and smells like freezer brand pancakes. Definitely goes well with the Golden Oreo. Adding the millet pieces was a great idea. No kernels!
Cons: Didn’t quite nail all the aspects of kettle corn. Millet pieces might be a tad spongy and stale for some. There are so many Oreo flavors I probably haven’t had a standard Oreo in three years.
