Here are some interesting new 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.
(Spotted by Robbie at Walmart Neighborhood Market.)
(Spotted by Rachel T at Walmart.)
(Spotted by Robbie at Walmart Neighborhood Market.)
(Spotted by Jason S at 7-Eleven.)
(Spotted by Robbie at Sam’s Club.)
(Spotted by Robbie at H-E-B.)
(Spotted by Robbie at H-E-B.)
(Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)
M&M’s has taken a fancy new natural approach by kicking the candy coating to the curb in favor of a crunchy baked shell.
They’re one of the five best M&M flavors I’ve ever had.
Let me walk that back a little…
These are clearly different from the usual M&M, but I don’t care; they destroy most of them, especially the classic brown bag originals.
These are not so much pieces of candy as they’re tiny little chocolate chip cookie balls, and they’re good chocolate chip cookies at that.
They start with a chocolate crispy core, which I was already pumped about as Crispy M&M’s are also in my top five. The core is encased in the standard chocolate, but the real marvel here is the shell, which has a perfectly crispy baked flavor that reminded me of a Famous Amos-type cookie.
Now you’re probably thinking, “So what, plenty of cookies use M&M’s,” and you’re right, but I just found this inverse to be much more exciting. I don’t know why, but I really loved the flavor of this bite-sized “candy.” Usually, if M&M’s releases a flavor with the promise of “cookie,” it would taste like an M&M with a hint of that cookie’s flavor. These taste like cookies without even really promising that.
I’ve never actually had Keebler Gripz, but I recall a similar product from my youth. They were just little tiny chocolate chip cookies in a pouch, and my Googling has brought no help. Anyway, that’s what I ultimately walked away thinking of. These taste like an upscale, more chocolatey version of those with a much nicer crunchy texture.
If you can’t tell, I really dug the shell. I even think the colored “M” on the tan shell looks great.
These could be a reinvention of the M&M wheel. I could also picture these being a truly elite ingredient in a great trail/snack mix.
I hope these expand on shelves and everyone gets to try them. They should really market these. Introduce a “Baked” M&M character to the revamped lineup. Give him little dreads and a goatee. Eh, maybe that’s a literal pipe dream.
Either way, these are legit. They also come in a salted caramel flavor if you’re lucky enough to find them.
UPDATE: By luck, my aunt had the Salted Caramel Munchums at my family’s Easter get-together! It is with great regret that I inform you they taste like a cheap salty café latte absorbed in a piece of cardboard. I cannot believe the stark difference between the two flavors. Don’t even bother with the Salted Caramel, and just get the Milk Chocolate flavor.
Purchased Price: $3.49
Size: 4.94 oz pouch
Purchased at: Wegmans
Rating: 9 out of 10 (Milk Chocolate), 3 out of 10 (Salted Caramel)
Nutrition Facts: (1 oz, 14 pieces) 120 calories, 5 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 95 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of total carbohydrates, 9 grams of total sugars, and 2 grams of protein.
Here are some interesting new 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.
(Spotted by Tommy at Big Y.)
(Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)
(Spotted by Tommy at Big Y.)
(Spotted by Sarah R at Whole Foods.)
(Spotted by Erin K at Cub Foods.)
According to the Cinnamon Toast Crunch Creamy Cinnamon Spread’s jar, it’s a product of Greece. But after touching the jar, pulling back the foil lid, and trying to keep the tan condiment on a butter knife, I began to wonder if it’s also a product of grease.
Before getting a chance to sample the spread, my first experience with the CTC spread was wondering why my fingers felt as if I’d just eaten pizza after touching the unopened glass jar. After inspecting the screw-on plastic lid and foil safety seal, it appears there wasn’t any leakage. But when I tried to remove the foil seal, only the golden top layer peeled away, leaving behind a fragile paper layer that broke into pieces as I attempted to remove it. I suspect this happened because the sample I received from B&G Foods was transported on its side, and the oils in the spread partially penetrated the foil seal.
As for the spread itself, it’s goopy, has an aroma that makes me wonder if I should stick a wick in it, and comes in a color that a paint brand might call “Camel Hump Tan.” Well, I’m used to goopy because the Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter I use slides off the knife as easily as this CTC spread does. Its ingredients include canola and palm oils, which might explain this cinnamon condiment’s viscosity and oiliness.
While it’s goopy and smells a little off, its flavor is surprisingly delicious. Along with being a product of Greece, the jar also says it “delivers the epic taste of Cinnamon Toast Crunch with notes of brown sugar and graham flavor.” However, it doesn’t have me thinking this is a Cinnamon Toast Crunch-flavored slurry. But it does taste like something as tasty as the cereal — cinnamon rolls. Well, more specifically, the sweet stuff within the cinnamon rolls’ rolls. You know, the best part. There’s also a noticeable brown sugar flavor (which makes sense since it’s the spread’s first ingredient), but I didn’t get any graham notes.
I spread it on bread, dipped pears into it, and swirled it in my overnight oats. With every application, I got a bold and wonderful cinnamon roll-like flavor. If I had the inclination and ability to bake up a batch of cinnamon rolls, I’d use this instead of the standard icing. Overall, its taste makes up for it being as slippery as a greasy pig.
DISCLOSURE: I received a free product sample from B&G Foods. Doing so did not influence my review.
Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 10 oz jar
Purchased at: Received from B&G Foods
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 tbsp/30 grams) 160 calories, 9 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 75 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 18 grams of sugar (16 grams of added sugar), and 2 grams of protein.
