There are two types of people in this world: people who love artificially flavored banana foodstuffs, and people who are just wrong. Over time, however, I learned to align myself with these banana haters. Their distaste, in the simplest sense, means more for me. More Banana Laffy Taffy. More Banana Runts. If it’s banana-flavored and you don’t want it, I’ll take it.

Therefore, I was very excited to see Little Debbie’s new Banana Puddin’ Creme Pies. Though Debbie doesn’t generally stray much from her usual lineup of tried-and-true offerings, she has been known—on a rare occasion—to get a little frisky in the kitchen. And while I’ve never found these dalliances to be very good, they’re always worth a couple of bucks.

I should have stifled my enthusiasm and saved my money.

Opening the package, I had hope. The artificial banana aroma is strong, but that’s where the magic begins and ends. The outer sandwich layer—meant to mimic the classic banana pudding inclusion of ‘Nilla Wafers—had sufficient vanilla taste, but the cake itself was dry and lifeless, like a slightly mushy rice cake or a moistened piece of cheap toast. It’s been a while since I had Debbie’s Oatmeal Creme Pies, but those cakes—in my mind, at least—are moist and maybe even pleasantly greasy, true little discs of sugared beauty. These spongy cakes, on the other hand, were only slightly better than the thin layer of banana-flavored grit paste in the middle. The artificial banana flavor was present in the paste—I’ll die before I call this a “creme” or “cream” or anything remotely close—but it was beaten into submission by the bland tastes and textures around it.

The idea of a handheld banana pudding creme pie is a good one, and I encourage restaurateurs to try their hands at the Southern-inspired sweet. Debbie, however, should stick to what she does best—Fudge Rounds, Oatmeal Creme Pies, and the other things that’ve been around for oh, half a century or more. She’s never been much of an innovator, and sometimes, there’s no shame in giving up.

Purchased Price: $3.18
Size: 9.57 oz box/8 sandwiches
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cake) 150 calories, 6 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 100 milligrams of sodium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 14 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

What is it?

Little Debbie’s Snickerdoodle Crème Pie is the newest addition to the product line that includes the classic Oatmeal Crème Pie, beloved by kids and former kids alike. Will these Crème Pies earn a place next to the adored oatmeal variety?

How is it?

The Snickerdoodle Crème Pie is made of two cookies with vanilla crème sandwiched in between. It’s a simple snack, but sometimes the simplest things can be the best.

In this case, it’s just kind of boring. The cookies are soft, cakey, and moderately sweet with cinnamon flavor but lack anything to make them stand out. They’re not rolled in cinnamon sugar like a normal snickerdoodle but have cinnamon bits that add textural interest. They’re unevenly distributed, though, being completely absent from some cookies. The vanilla crème is inoffensive when eaten with the cookies but also doesn’t bring much excitement. When eaten alone, it leaves a waxy residue, like bad cake frosting.

Anything else you need to know?

I was shocked at how tiny these are. The Oatmeal Crème Pies I eat are much larger, and it sent me down Google hole to find out what was going on. It turns out there are actually two Oatmeal Crème Pie sizes commonly available. The large is often marked for individual sale and seen in convenience stores, and the smaller can be seen in multipacks at grocery stores. The Snickerdoodle Crème Pies seem even smaller than those. What I’m saying is that if your preferred size is the Triple Decker Oatmeal Crème Pie, you should plan on eating several of these.

Conclusion:

These are serviceable yet unremarkable cookies. Those who love snickerdoodle cookies might love them, but others will probably find them unexciting.

Purchased Price: $2.29
Size: 9.57 oz/8 pack
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cookie) 150 calories, 5 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 mg milligrams of cholesterol, 95 milligrams of sodium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 14 grams of sugar (including 14 grams of added sugars), and 1 gram of protein.