REVIEW: Limited Edition Ultimate Chocolate Oreo Cookies

Limited Edition Ultimate Chocolate Oreo Cookies Pouch

While we may be many years removed from the peak experimentation that delivered divisive flavors like Swedish Fish and Cotton Candy, Nabisco has yet to miss releasing a new Limited Edition Oreo during the first week of January for as long as I can remember. This year’s theme seems to be, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, with the introduction of the Ultimate Chocolate Oreo.

Following in the tradition of last January’s Brookie-O Oreo, Ultimate Chocolate ups the ante of Oreo’s iconic creme filling via a triple stack that pushes it beyond the density of Double Stuf. The layers have three distinct colors, although the actual cookie has much less separation between the tones than the packaging implies. The stack goes from light-ish brown to brown to black.

Limited Edition Ultimate Chocolate Oreo Cookies Colors

When thinking of chocolate types, my brain goes to milk, dark, and white, which Nabisco claims these flavors to be, despite the clear absence of a white creme. I also don’t really get a directly sweet white chocolate taste, but rather chocolate with varying bitterness levels. The package proudly boasts a massive chocolate cake slice, and as someone who just had a birthday and ate four cupcakes for breakfast, I think that’s spot on. The layers remind me of a cake with three types of chocolate – a standard chocolate sponge, a lighter chocolate buttercream, and a richer darker chocolate ganache topping.

There’s not nearly as much nuance in an Oreo cookie as there is in an actual slice of layer cake, but the beefed up creme filling sandwiched between two bittersweet wafers draws a fairly accurate comparison for a five-dollar bag of cookies. All the cremes become one concentrated flavor, and if I had to guess, I would say the stack is Oreo’s regular chocolate creme paired with the excellent dark chocolate creme and one we haven’t had before.

Limited Edition Ultimate Chocolate Oreo Cookies Side

The squishy filling oozing out against the firm and crumbly cookie conjures memories of diving my fork into the end of a cake slice with the perfect concentration of rich frosting. It’s delicious. Even better yet, take the top wafter off and you’re talking a legit 2-1 creme-to-cookie ratio, heading into double dark chocolate Dunkaroo territory (Betty Crocker…let’s work!)

Limited Edition Ultimate Chocolate Oreo Cookies Open

What these cookies lack in originality or newness, they make up for with their decadent satisfaction. No matter how hard companies try to experiment with new flavors, and don’t get me wrong, I LOVE creativity, there’s nothing quite like chocolate, and this cookie proves sometimes it pays off to simply play the hits.

Purchased Price: $4.49
Size: 13.2 oz
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 cookies) 180 calories, 9 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 95 milligrams of sodium, 25 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 17 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Chewy Chips Ahoy Hershey’s Fudge Filled Cookies

Chips Ahoy Hershey s Fudge Filled Cookies Package

What are Chewy Chips Ahoy Hershey’s Fudge Filled Cookies?

Love Chewy Chips Ahoy but wish they were like 7% better? Well, have I got a cookie for you!

How are they?

I guess the main problem – if you wanna call it a problem – is that these are essentially just Chewy Chips Ahoy with a bit more chocolate.

Chips Ahoy Hershey s Fudge Filled Cookies Filling

As the name suggests, there’s a thin layer of Hershey’s chocolate fudge in the center of each cookie. While it tastes distinctly Hershey in isolation, the cookie really wasn’t much different than normal.

I think my main hang-up is that I still have no clue if the chips were also Hershey’s or the same chocolate Nabisco has always used.

Chips Ahoy Hershey s Fudge Filled Cookies Sleeves

While I definitely tasted Hershey, there wasn’t much variance from the fudge center to the chips. Either they were also Hershey without the bag mentioning it, or my brain was playing tricks on me. Or maybe its regular chocolate just isn’t that far off from Hershey, making this release kinda pointless?

Either way, I like Chewy Chips Ahoy, and I like Hershey’s chocolate, so I can’t really complain.

Anything else you need to know?

Ok, just a little…

Chips Ahoy Hershey s Fudge Filled Cookies Gooey

I don’t necessarily know what I expected from that word “fudge” here, but it’s just a gritty, chocolate layer of mush. I suppose that passes as “fudge” in a mass-produced cookie. It just felt like they took five or six more chips and smushed them in the middle of the cookie. The package gave me the impression it would be gooier.

The package also recommended eating these with ice cream, but I went the other way and popped a few in the microwave. It “gooed” up the center a bit, but unfortunately didn’t change the experience too much.

Conclusion:

Chips Ahoy Hershey s Fudge Filled Cookies Split

Look, I like Chewy Chips Ahoy, so I liked these. I also like saying, “Chewy Chips Ahoy,” and think it should replace “cellar door” as the most beautiful combination of words.

In the end, the Hershey of it all didn’t make these unique. By the time I was five cookies in, I just thought I was eating “Extra Chocolatey” Chewy Chips Ahoy, but I guess the keywords there are “five cookies in.” These went down ridiculously fast. They’re two biters at most. I ate the entire package in a single night. Take that how you will.

Chips Ahoy Hershey s Fudge Filled Cookies Empty

Purchased Price: $2.69
Size: 9.6 oz.
Purchased at: Shop Rite
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 Cookies) 150 calories, 7 grams of fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 mg of cholesterol, 105 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of total carbohydrates, 11 grams of total sugars, less than 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Apple Cider Donut Oreo Cookies

Limited Edition Apple Cider Donut Oreo Package

I think the junk food gods wanted me to have a good experience sampling the new Apple Cider Donut Oreo Cookies, which are a standard Golden Oreo cookie with a tan-colored creme that tastes like apple cider donuts.

I had been actively (obsessively) searching for several days, and finally found them the fourth day in a random local grocery store, when it just happened to be twenty-five degrees cooler than average. So even though it’s August, it totally felt like fall, making a perfect atmosphere to review these new cookies that totally taste like fall.

Limited Edition Apple Cider Donut Oreo Fall

When I first heard about these, I was intrigued and excited but also skeptical. I hoped for three elements from cookies with “Apple Cider Donut” in the name: apple, donut, and spices (specifically cinnamon). Would they deliver? Let’s find out!

Apple: Check!

Donut: Check!

Spices: Check?

OK, so I don’t really taste the spices, even though the ingredients list says “spices (includes cinnamon).” But the rest of it is so good that I don’t mind!

I don’t know how Nabisco’s food scientists did it, but these cookies really taste like donuts, like there’s been dough fried in oil.

The most prominent flavor, though, is apple. It’s not an authentic flavor, but it’s also not like an artificial candy flavor. It’s somewhere in the middle. And even though I don’t always like apple flavors, I don’t mind it at all here!

Limited Edition Apple Cider Donut Oreo Milk

The Oreo is known as a dunking cookie. So I dunked these in milk, and the result surprised me: the milk neither enhanced nor detracted from the experience. It brought the apple flavor forward, but not overwhelmingly so.

Limited Edition Apple Cider Donut Oreo Cider

And since it’s apple cider donut, I dunked these in apple cider as well. I worried the authentic cider would make the creme taste too artificial, but nope, it was still enjoyable. Neither better nor worse.

No matter how I tried them (eating normally, separating the creme, dunking in milk, dunking in cider), I liked them equally. You know those people who are friends with everyone? These Oreo cookies are the junk food equivalent.

For more than a decade, we have had lots of candies and treats flavored like candy corn, caramel apple, and of course, pumpkin spice. I love them all, but I’m so glad to see another iconic fall food get some recognition.

There are other Oreo flavors that I like more, but these just make me happy. Like any good Oreo should do.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 12.2 oz. package
Purchased at: Dan’s Fresh Market
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 cookies) 150 calories, 7 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 75 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar (including 12 grams of added sugars), and less than 1 percent protein. (Neither the website nor the label gives an actual protein gram amount.)

REVIEW: Salted Caramel Brownie Oreo Cookies

Limited Edition Salted Caramel Brownie Oreo Cookies Packaging

Someone at Oreo has a weakness for chocolate, and we are reaping the benefits. Earlier this year, we saw the releases of Brookie-O, Chocolate Hazelnut, and Java Chip Oreo, and when the news of Limited Edition Salted Caramel Brownie Oreos broke earlier this month, another chocolate offering from the brand still felt like a welcome surprise.

Although Oreo is no stranger to caramel and brownie flavors (see: Salted Caramel Oreo Thins, Brownie Batter Oreo, and the aforementioned Brookie-O variety), this is Oreo’s first attempt at a salt-dusted chocolate wafer cookie. Two kinds of creme (brownie and caramel-flavored layers) complete the sandwich.

Limited Edition Salted Caramel Brownie Oreo Cookies Salt

Mere days after the product announcement spread over social media, Limited Edition Salted Caramel Brownie Oreo Cookies graced my shopping cart. Why was I thrilled to give these a try?

A. Despite accusations of overstaying its welcome as a fad flavor, salted caramel remains among my favorites.

B. I enjoyed the Brookie-Os and need some brownie creme back in my life.

C. The promise of a new Oreo flavor hitting store shelves periodically halts my desire to escape society and live in the woods as an urban legend slash bog witch.

D. I’ll take any possible opportunity to reinforce that “caramel” has three syllables.

E. All of the above

(If you guessed E, you are correct. Have an Oreo!)

With these reasons in mind, the Salted Caramel Brownie Oreo mostly satisfies.

Limited Edition Salted Caramel Brownie Oreo Cookies Layers

First, adding salt to the outside of the cookie is truly an inspired choice. Biting into the sandwich yields a pleasant experience, much like eating a sea salt caramel or any other salt-topped sweet: a strong saltiness hits the mouth first, but quickly melts into and enhances the sweetness of the other flavors.

Limited Edition Salted Caramel Brownie Oreo Cookies Brownie Side

Unfortunately, the Oreo’s caramel creme layer needs more help than the salt can give. Besides a delicate brown sugar vibe, it doesn’t offer a ton of flavor. A hint of browned butter flavor would have gone a long way to recreate the taste of salt’s tri-syllabic life partner. Swapping the caramel creme entirely for a dot of sticky caramel sauce would have been an interesting choice too. (Maybe two novelties — real caramel and a salted cookie — would have been too much excitement for one launch?)

Limited Edition Salted Caramel Brownie Oreo Cookies Caramel Side

Happily, each Double Stuf-size cookie contains proportionally more brownie creme. It definitely overshadows the caramel layer — but that’s for the best. The brownie creme is rich and fudgy, just like the batter I make sure to salvage from the bottom of my mixing bowl, and works well with the salt.

Overall, these Limited Edition Salted Caramel Brownies feature a successful salty hit, but it is hard to overlook the imperfect caramel creme. If you purchase them, take a bite of the entire sandwich for a sweet-and-salty chocolate experience that includes — if you pay attention — a whisper of caramel. If you insist on twisting open your Oreo cookies to indulge in the creme first, you might become salty yourself.

Purchased Price: $3.79
Size: 12.2 oz (345 g) package
Purchased at: Wegmans
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per 2 cookies) 140 calories, 6 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 13 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Chocolate Dunkaroos (2021)

Chocolate Dunkaroos 2021 Tray

Going to the grocery store has become a brightly colored nostalgia minefield. I don’t know if it’s always been this way, or I just notice stuff more now that I am in that marketing age range for nostalgic foods. It feels like every trip, I find something that makes me stare off into the distance, dramatically remembering my youth. This go around, I had my mini existential crisis at the checkout lane in my local Walmart. Tucked into the shelf amongst the other snacks sat a box of Chocolate Dunkaroos.

In a time when Healthy Choice diet foods seemed to reign supreme, Dunkaroos were the opposite. For those unfamiliar, they are individual packs of mini cookies that you dip into frosting. Yes, this was somehow an accepted snack for kids in the 90s. They first hit the shelves in 1990, but were discontinued in 2012 in the United States. They made their reappearance on shelves in May of 2020 with the original vanilla cookie and rainbow sprinkle vanilla frosting variety.

Chocolate Dunkaroos 2021 Top

Since then, a slew of Dunkaroos branded products (including cereal and cookie dough) have come on the market. It only makes sense that they’d follow up the vanilla cookie/rainbow sprinkle vanilla frosting item with a vanilla cookie/chocolate frosting version. I was honestly disappointed to see they weren’t going to produce the chocolate frosting variety with graham cracker cookies. I’m sure it’s easier to stick with one cookie variety across the different frosting flavors, but I knew this would mean that the taste I remember from childhood wouldn’t be quite the same.

Chocolate Dunkaroos 2021 Dunk

Chocolate Dunkaroos are simplicity at its finest. The little “D” branded cookies have a mild vanilla flavor that becomes immediately lost under the chocolate frosting. They do walk a fine line between soft enough to not crumble, but hard enough to stand up to being dipped in frosting. The frosting was actually better than I expected. I had assumed it would be a cloyingly sweet chocolate flavor, but it turned out to be a rich, fudgy chocolate.

Chocolate Dunkaroos 2021 Sandwich

While the flavors didn’t strike that “nostalgia” chord, the act of eating them did. I still eat my Lunchables (yes, I still eat Lunchables) the same way I did as a kid, and I fell back into my routine with Dunkaroos. I’m usually a little sparing with the frosting in the beginning. But by the end, I am glopping it all over. I even made a little cookie sandwich. It was just a fun little moment to pause and enjoy.

I think, more than anything, that’s all I want from these throwback/rereleased/nostalgic treats: a moment to pause and enjoy. Even though it won’t send you back to the 90s, the Chocolate Dunkaroos are still a fun treat. How can you go wrong with dipping cookies into frosting and calling it a snack?

Purchased Price: $1.84
Size: 1.5 oz
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 tray with frosting) 180 calories, 7 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 115 milligrams of sodium, 27 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 16 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.