REVIEW: Limited Edition Dirt Cake Oreo Cookies

Sigh.

These Limited Edition Dirt Cake Oreo Cookies are good for a chocolate chocolate sandwich cookie. It combines a brownie-flavored creme with a chocolate creme with Oreo crumbs in it, and both are between two chocolate Oreo wafers with gummy worm-inspired sprinkles.

Sigh.

Let’s start with those gummy worm-inspired sprinkles. They’re flavorless rainbow shavings or unicorn eye crust. I get it; they’re “inspired” by gummy worms, but it would’ve been nice if these cookies had something else that brings gummy worms to mind other than color. These sprinkles aren’t gummy, fruity, or very noticeable without the right light angle. Look, I know an added fruitiness might’ve given some taste buds bad Swedish Fish Oreo Cookie flashbacks, but it would’ve also given these cookies some uniqueness. It’s as if the sprinkles were specifically added to look dazzling for social media.

As for the cookie as a whole, again, it’s a perfectly fine chocolate chocolate sandwich cookie, and I’ll enjoy the sugar rush I’ll get from it. I do get a Snack Pack vibe from the creme combination, and the addition of Oreo crumbs in the chocolate creme was a nice touch since those are the “dirt” in Dirt Cake, but it’s all a chocoreorgy that seems like a derivative of a cookie that the brand offered last year — Blackout Cake.

Sigh.

I just want to taste some magic with Oreo flavors again. It’s been a long time since I’ve experienced those OMG moments. I remember the smiles on my face when I tasted Cotton Candy, Fruity Crisp, Fruit Punch, and Blueberry Pie Oreo cookies. I was amazed by how well the Oreologists recreated those foods in cookie form. But there’s no magic coming out of Oreo anymore. I hope the folks working on new varieties put the previous sentence on a bulletin board or something because, after a year or so of uninspired flavors, it appears the magic is gone.

If you want a good Oreo with chocolate cremes, then these Limited Edition Dirt Cake Oreo Cookies will satisfy the chocoholic in you. But if you’re looking for an innovative new Oreo flavor…

Sigh.

Purchased Price: $4.50
Size: 10.68 oz (When did it shrink?)
Purchased at: Times Supermarket
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 cookies) 140 calories, 6 grams of fat, 2 grams 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 fiber, 12 grams of sugar (including 12 grams of added sugar), and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Space Dunk Oreo Cookies

Ground Control to Major Tom.
Ground Control to Major Tom.
Eat Space Dunk Oreos; one has a helmet pattern on.

Oreo’s newest cookie launch seems to combine all its most recent innovation tricks into one cookie — two layers of colorful marshmallow flavored crème filling, popping candy, unique cookie designs, and a partnership sweepstakes that could send you to (near) space with Space Perspective. One thing that was not clarified is whether you are given Space Dunk Oreo to eat on the Space Perspective ship while you gaze out upon the perimeter of space, a trip that, if you chose to purchase it outright, would cost you $125,000 (not including cookies).

Right out of the package, my immediate response was, “Oooooooh, pretty.” The chosen galactic colors are vibrant pink and bright blue. These colors against the dark traditional chocolate cookie fit the galaxy motif on the pack and are a well-rounded design choice.

It doesn’t taste like the pink and blue crème have individual flavors, but both are distinctly different from the traditional Oreo filling. It’s more like marshmallow or even cotton candy. This is especially true as the included popping candy melts and explodes in your mouth. I don’t know why popping and exploding things further convince me of the “design fit” to the galaxy theme because, theoretically, you’d very much NOT want things to explode or pop in space, but it’s undeniably effective.

I’ve tasted the Trolls Oreo and Firework Oreo, which both had chocolate cookies and popping candy, but I find the marshmallow crème flavor to be a better fit with these candies.

The final element at play is the five space-themed designs imprinted on the cookies. I’m not sure if this is the case with everyone’s Oreo packages, but mine seemed to be in a distinct order. Maybe I’m a nerd, but this makes me envision a little rotating wheel of space patterns printing out cookies in a predetermined design order a la Willy Wonka, and that just sparked delight. I like the astronaut helmet one the most.

Overall, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Space Dunk Oreo. They aren’t just gimmicky tricks thrown together, but instead really seem to have been thought out and designed to fit a theme, which they do very well. The flavor, color, and texture offer enough of a different experience from the traditional Oreo that the seasonal option upcharge is nearly negligible.

Purchased Price: $4.00 (on sale)
Size: 10.7 oz. package
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 cookies) 140 Calories, 6 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 90 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 13 grams of sugar, and less than 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Peanut Butter Oreo Cakesters (2024)

What is a Cakester exactly? Is it:

A. a baker of sweets?
B. a name that 90’s bullies would yell at portly children?
C. a soft-baked Oreo cookie?
D. a portmanteau of “cake” and “gangster?”

If you guessed “D,” you are correct. “Cakesters” are lackeys in the cake mafia. You might know them as the “Slob Mob.” Cakesters work under the Don who goes by the name “Cake Boss.” Yeah, I’m on to you, Valastro. That man is NOT our Buddy. When you hear him talking about “icing,” it ain’t about fondant.

Alright, if you guessed “C,” you’re also right, but now you know the clear inspiration for the name.

Oreo Cakesters came back in 2022, and now the peanut butter flavored crème version has returned. These are essentially just snack cakes with an Oreo nametag. They’re built like Oreos but it’s an entirely different experience. I’ve never even really thought they tasted too much like Oreos. Honestly, these could have any snack cake branding, so you’re probably wondering if they stack up to the big dogs in the snack cake arena?

Yeah, I think these are right in line with Hostess, Drake’s, Tastykakes and Little Debbie.

They taste like a slightly worse patty-shaped version of my all-time favorite, the Devil Dog. I’ve always preferred a snack cake that isn’t slathered in a sheet of plasticized chocolate.

The cake is a little denser than the typical, but it’s good because it helps emulate an Oreo a little better that way. Flavor-wise, the chocolate tastes vaguely like Oreo wafers at best, but it’s still quality.

The peanut butter filling is very nice texturally. It’s not Oreo crème, it’s more whipped to better fit the snack cake norm. I guess part of me is always disappointed by that. I’d kinda like to try that gritty Oreo crème between two cakes, but I like this too.

Flavor-wise, I have to say the crème is a little too mild. There are some bites where you don’t even really register the peanut butter. It gets swallowed up by the chocolate cake.

I wanted the peanut butter to punch me in the face like one of Buddy’s Cakesters when you don’t have his flour. (That’s what they call money… and also flour. It gets confusing.)

Here’s the thing though, peanut butter crème snack cakes tend to lean toward a synthetic pb flavor. Think of Funny Bones as an example – I’ve never been a huge fan of that peanut butter, and I feel like that’s the standard. These are better than Funny Bones.

Ultimately, I think original Cakesters are superior to these, but I probably like these a little better than regular overrated Peanut Butter Oreos. They’re satisfying if not a little boring, but still well worth a purchase. Peanut Butter Cakesters basically land smack in the middle of the entire Oreo product scale AND the snack cake scale.

Speaking of scales, I don’t wanna sleep with the fishes, so if you’re reading this, I was just messing around earlier, Mr. Valastro.

Purchased Price: $4.19
Size: 10.1 oz package (5 2.02 oz packs)
Purchased at: Shop Rite
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 Pack) 260 calories, 13 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 260 milligrams of sodium, 34 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 20 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Kirkland Signature Double Chocolate Chunk Cookie

Ah, the Costco food court.

There’s nothing better than spending hundreds of bucks to stock your bomb shelter, then trying to weave your tank of a cart around the guy filling a soda cup next to his parked orange flatbed that has an IMAX-sized TV hanging off it.

I just want a hot dog the size of my arm. Sir, can you scootch over a bit?

Everything’s bigger in Texas? I beg to differ; everything’s bigger in Costco. I don’t even wanna ponder what a Costco in Texas must be like, my megalophobia can’t take it!

Ok, now that I got all that hacky “Costco be big” stuff out of the way, let me tell you about the new Double Chocolate Chunk Cookie they’re baking fresh in the food court. It be big. This edible frisbee measures 7 inches across and 1 inch thick while weighing in at a whopping 5.5 ounces.

The “all butter” cookie features both bittersweet and semisweet chocolate chunks, and I reiterate – I love the Costco food court. This is a quality cookie.

I was a little confused by what “all butter” meant at first. How could it be “all butter?” If it was “all butter,” it would be a stick of butter. What about the chocolate? Is that “all butter?”

Well, after I took a bite, I got it. This sucker is buttery, probably a little too buttery. That, coupled with the massive lakes of gooey chocolate, make this a cookie you’re probably gonna want to share. It’s really good, but a few bites go a long way. I ate mine in shifts.

The first few bites had a delicious “out of the oven” softness because they’re served hot and fresh. When I let it sit for a little while, the edges crisped up while the center remained soft and lukewarm. I ate the last third the next morning for breakfast, and it was firm but still chewy. I can’t think of three better cookie experiences texturally, with the middle shift being my favorite.

If you’ve ever bought a box of chocolate chip cookies in the Costco bakery section, these are pretty much just them on steroids. It’s what I expected, and it’s what I got.

So, if you like Costco baked goods, you’re gonna like this. Try one… half of one at most. Just be aware of the challenge you’re in for. I’m a grown man (questionable), so I don’t use the word “tummy,” but the thought of eating this cookie in one sitting makes my tummy hurt. The mere thought has devolved my stomach back to a “tummy.”

I really should stress again how big this behemoth is. I called it a frisbee earlier, but it could probably be used as a discus in the Ozempics – which is a food-based Olympics I’m workshopping and you’re rolling your eyes at.

As far as the loss leaders at the glorious Costco food court go, I still think the hot dog and pizza are king, but this cookie is superior to the churro it’s replacing nationwide. Just go for it. You already bought enough food to feed an army; what’s another 750 calories?

Allow me to lay down a challenge – buy two cookies and a kiddie pool-sized vanilla ice cream, then make the world’s thickest Chipwich. You won’t do it. … Coward.

(Please do it and report back… Coward.)

Purchased Price: $2.49
Size: ~5.5 oz
Purchased at: Costco
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 750 calories. No other nutritional info is available.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Black & White Cookie Oreo Cookies

While the phrase “black and white” often connotes unchallenged simplicity, Oreo has instead presented us with the gustatory puzzle of a cookie flavored like a cookie that is technically a cake. Could any dessert be as delicious as the irony?

Whether you know them as black and whites or half moon cookies, the iconic deli staple sweet is the brand’s newest inspiration. Traditional black and white cookies are soft, cakey cookies sleekly coated with vanilla icing on one half and chocolate icing on the other. Limited Edition Black & White Cookie Oreo Cookies consist of golden vanilla wafer cookies and overlapping circles of vanilla and chocolate cremes.

It sounds like a fancy name for a lazy concept — a pet peeve of mine when it comes to product naming. (Unless it has sprinkles and a cherry, it isn’t hot fudge sundae flavored — it’s just chocolate and vanilla!)

Happily, the duo of cremes in this Oreo avoided that naming trap and pleasantly surprised me. The white creme has a distinct vanilla flavor, just like royal icing enhanced by a touch of vanilla extract. I expected to taste Oreo’s traditional white filling, but this creme is very vanilla-forward and less sugary-sweet. The complementary black creme has a deep, almost bittersweet cocoa taste. It is similar to the dark chocolate fillings of Oreo’s past, but not as rich. They are delicious apart, but both cremes together remind me of a black and white cookie in a way that makes “chocolate and vanilla” feel like an inadequate description.

Like the colors black and white, Oreo fans may also be separated into dichotomous categories: those who eat Oreo cookies by twisting the wafers apart to savor the creme first and those who just take a big bite out of the sandwich. Because of the well-flavored filling, B&WC Oreos were made for the first category of tasters. With one bite, the buttery cookies take over, and it is hard to taste the cremes. As a result, the entire cookie becomes just okay instead of special. The golden vanilla wafers were a good choice to represent the cookie’s inspiration dessert, but, like an overcast sky, they hide the understated beauty of the (half) moon.

The enduring success of the original Oreo proves that there is perfection in simplicity. The Limited Edition Black & White Cookie Oreo approaches, but doesn’t quite live up to, that truth. The cookie may have been more successful in the Double Stuf variety, where the filling could really shine. I hope Oreo revisits these cremes before it rushes to develop something more wacky or luxurious because they are too good to be written off as basic.

Purchased Price: $4.69
Size: 10.68 oz (303 g) package
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per 2 cookies) 140 calories, 7 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 95 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 11 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.