REVIEW: Nabisco Oreo Thins Cookies

Oreo Thins

It was tenth grade.

Math.

Permutations and combinations, a late afternoon with a blood sugar dip, and time ticking down to come up with an semi-believable excuse for another day without my homework.

Sometime during the teacher’s explanation of how Jimmy has five pairs of pants and twelve pairs of shirts and blah blah blah blah blah, I think, in an act of defined desperation, I may have blurted out, “Who the fudgemuffin cares?”

Oreo cookies, for lack of a better analogy, have become like that. It’s not that the endless amount of flavors and limited time only combinations aren’t great, but at some point, yea, they aren’t great. It’s all just too much, and not only do I have a waistline to prove it, but I find myself wondering if, like Jimmy donning a classic polo and khakis every day, the standard chocolate wafer and creme filling aren’t the end all be all of Oreo experiences.

Oreo Thins 3

The new Oreo Thins go back to the basics with that premise, with the caveat that each cookie is about 18 calories less than your standard Oreo.

Like anything that’s lower calorie, there’s a catch (more on this later). Fortunately the cookies’ texture and flavor aren’t part of that catch, because you’re actually getting a cookie that tastes nearly identical to the standard Oreo.

The cookies are crisp and not crumbly, sweet but not cloying, and taste like a good old fashioned Oreo. Do you love this taste? The answer, if you’re a human being, is probably yes. Interestingly enough, the difference in the amount of creme is negligible.

Oreo Thins 4

When I weighed the creme from both the Oreos and the Thins, there was only about a half a gram difference. And even though the marketing buzz has played up the idea that the cookies should be eaten “as is,” I found the center to hold its form much better than the standard Oreo, which peeled off worse than a temporary Pac-Man tattoo on a hot day.

Oh yes, and that “sophisticated” routine of eating the cookies as-is? Don’t let it stop you from enjoying the Thins with a nice, cold glass of whole milk. You’re not missing out on the proverbial pleasures of the dunking experience, although you may want to use a smaller glass.

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Now, the catch. Each package is just 10.1 ounces, less than both original Oreos (14.3 ounces) and the standard (not LTO) Double Stuff varieties, which clock in at 15.4 ounces. So basically, you’re getting a lot less bang for your buck. You’re also getting a less substantial cookie in terms of the chocolate flavor. There’s a definite muffin top effect going on with the thin ones. They can replicate the taste and texture pretty well, but there’s a harder to describe element of “heft” that gives you a more pronounced chocolate taste with the thicker wafers from the original Oreos.

The differences between Oreo Thins and the original Oreos are about as pronounced as the differences between college football in the ACC and in the Pac-12. Are there differences? Well, I mean yeah. North Carolina is never going to run as up-tempo as Oregon. But really, it’s college football at the end of the day. And above all, Oreo Thins are Oreo cookies at the end of the day, and a welcomed reminder that sometime the best combination takes a page from the original.

(Nutrition Facts – 4 Thins – 140 calories, 50 calories from fat, 5 grams of fat, 2.0 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 95 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.)

Item: Nabisco Oreo Thins Cookies
Purchased Price: $3.49
Size: 10.1 oz.
Purchased at: Giant
Rating: 7 out of 10
Pros: Classic Oreo taste and texture with 18 less calories per cookie. Actual amount of creme filling is close to the standard Oreo. Wafers twist off easily.
Cons: Creme ratio can’t come close to Double Stuff. Wafer lacks substantial chocolate heft of original Oreo. Horrible price per ounce compared with other Oreo varieties.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES: Trader Joe’s Uncured Bacon Ganache Bar

Trader Joe's Uncured Bacon Ganache Bar

I wonder how good this will be if it’s dipped in Speculoos Cookie Butter. (Spotted by Anne at Trader Joe’s.)

If you’re out shopping and see an interesting new or limited edition 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’re wondering if we’ve already covered something, search our Flickr photos or use the Google Search box on the right (or below if you’re on a mobile device) to find out.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES – 7/15/2015

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

Limited Edition We Are Blood Code Red Mountain Dew

Limited Edition We Are Blood Code Red Mountain Dew

These limited edition Code Red cans are promoting Mountain Dew’s skateboarding film We Are Blood. Yes, Mountain Dew makes movies. (Spotted by Hayden at 7-Eleven.)

Pepperidge Farm Salted Caramel and Brown Butter Rum Sweet & Simple Cookies

Pepperidge Farm Salted Caramel and Brown Butter Rum Sweet & Simple Cookies

I have to be honest. Whenever I think of Pepperidge Farm cookies, the first and only cookie I think of are Milano cookies. If sometime in the future you were to ask me to name a Pepperidge Farm cookie other than a Milano or else I’d get punched in the face, you’d definitely end up punching me in the face. Junk Food Guy reviewed both flavors. (Spotted by Debbie at Target.)

Entenmann's Limited Edition Cherry Crumb Loaf Cake

Entenmann’s Limited Edition Cherry Crumb Loaf Cake

Oh, Entenmann’s! Forever coming up with new baked goods. (Spotted by Maria at Stop & Shop.)

Fleischmann's Simply Homemade Muffin & Bread Mix Specially for Greek Yogurt (Lemon Poppyseed, Banana, and Raspberry)

Fleischmann’s Simply Homemade Muffin & Bread Mix Specially for Greek Yogurt

Oh, Fleischmann’s! Forever coming up with new baked good mixes. (Spotted by Carla at Walmart.)

Kool-Aid (Trop. Punch, Grape, and Cherry Limeade)

Kool-Aid (Trop. Punch, Grape, and Cherry Limeade)

Having Kool-Aid available at convenience stores would’ve been cooler if they came in classic flavors, like Sharkleberry Fin and Purplesaurus Rex. (Spotted by Joshua at Citgo.)

Thank you to all the photo contributors! If you’re out shopping and see an interesting new or limited edition 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’re wondering if we’ve already covered something, search our Flickr photos or use the Google Search box on the right (or below if you’re on a mobile device) to find out.

COMING SOON: Lay’s Do Us a Flavor Finalists (West Coast Truffle Fries, New York Reuben, and Southern Biscuits and Gravy)

Lay s Do Us a Flavor Finalists  West Coast Truffle Fries New York Reuben and Southern Biscuits and Gravy

Update: We reviewed them! Click here to read our New York Reuben Potato Chips review. And Click here to read our Southern Biscuits and Gravy Potato Chips review

We covered the Greektown Gyro flavor earlier today. Here are the other three flavors. Thank goodness no cappuccino-like flavor this year! (Image via Impulsive Buy reader John)

COMING SOON: Lay’s Do Us a Flavor Greektown Gyro Potato Chips

Lay s Do Us a Flavor Greektown Gyro Potato Chips

Update: We reviewed it! Click here to read our review.

I’m just going to leave this here and let you folks discuss whether this makes a good chip flavor. Also, Lay’s came out with Greek tzatziki chips. If tzatziki is the sauce that’s usually associated with gyros, will these gyro-flavored chips taste like those? (Image via Impulsive Buy reader John.)