REVIEW: Nabisco Crispers (US)

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Nabisco Crispers pouches

If Tim Hortons and All Dressed chips are any indication, our neighbors to the north have great taste in snacks. When I learned that Nabisco Crispers, a fan-favorite Canadian snack, was headed to the States, I was eager to try all flavors featured in the rollout: Ranch, Dill Pickle, and BBQ.

Crispers’ Canadian origin is only part of its heritage. Baked and not fried, Crispers uses the tagline: “Not a chip. Not a cracker. They’re Crispers.” A hybrid snack, Crispers are made with a combination of wheat flour and potato flour. Thus, to the uninitiated, much of the fun of trying Crispers is playing Maury Povich, tracing which two familiar snacks reproduced to create this new light and crispy snack cracker.

Nabisco Crispers comes in 3 flavors: BBQ, Dill Pickle, and Ranch

My vote? Wheat Thins and Pringles. Crispers are thin, wavy crackers with a subtle wheat flavor. They are hearty enough to provide a nice crunch but light enough to snap easily, making the serving size very easy to devour. We’ll await the test results on the product’s tasty parentage, then go on to the next judgement: which flavor is best?

Nabisco Crispers Ranch

It may boil down to your personal preference, because each flavor is enjoyable but not aggressive enough to dominate your palate long after your last bite. The Ranch one has a light herby flavor with a hint of garlic powder and creamy buttermilk quality. Of the three varieties, Ranch tastes the mildest, but showcases the wheat flavor of the base the most.

Nabisco Crispers Dill Pickle

The Dill Pickle variety is my favorite of the three. Its flavor is the boldest, balancing refreshing dill flavor with a sharp, tangy brininess. Each crisp in the bag packs a pickle-y punch.

Nabisco Crispers BBQ

The BBQ flavor is typical of what you’d find on a barbeque potato chip: sweet, savory, and smoky. In my taste test, it was the least consistently seasoned. Some crisps are only dusted, while others are coated generously. The more seasoned crisps promise an additional surprise: a little kick of heat in the back of the throat.

Nabisco Crispers graphics

If you keep baked snacks in your pantry, make some extra room for Nabisco Crispers. Fans of Baked Lay’s or Goldfish crackers will love the light, non-greasy texture and variety of flavors. I hope the line expands to include some of the more unique flavors offered in Canada (like Gochujang or Szechuan), but until then, who is up for a trip across the border?

Purchased Price: $2.64 each
Purchased at: Walmart
Size: 5.11 oz (145 g)
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Ranch), 9 out of 10 (Dill Pickle), 8 out of 10 (BBQ)
Nutrition Facts: Ranch (per 22 pieces) – 140 calories, 6 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 210 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Dill Pickle (per 23 pieces) – 150 calories, 7 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 230 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. BBQ (per 23 pieces) – 150 calories, 7 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

Triscuit White Cheddar Snack Mix Review

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Triscuit White Cheddar Snack Mix pouch

Triscuit crackers are not adorable.

I mean, if I’m being honest, most crackers other than Goldfish look like what a yawn would be in cracker form. They’re mostly so square, both boringly conventional and literal squares. Perhaps I should be more specific. Regular Triscuit crackers are not adorbs. However, the tiny Triscuit in the Triscuit Snack Mix are so adorable that I want to hug them with my mouth. No, wait. They’re Tris-cute.

Along with the Triscuit minis, the mix also contains mini breadsticks, mini pretzels, and mini corn and rice crisps, but none out-cute the tiny crackers, which look like a minuscule quilt for a baby sea horse. All of them are sprinkled with cheddar cheese seasoning. There’s also an Original variety I considered purchasing, but after looking at the ingredients list, I wasn’t sure whether there was any seasoning, so I left it on the shelf.

Triscuit White Cheddar Snack Mix different pieces

After trying this white cheddar variety, however, I somewhat regret letting the cuteness of the tiny Triscuit crackers appeal to my inner microphile, because if you’re looking for a white cheddar flavor blast, these crunchy mini pieces won’t deliver.

Upon opening the bag, my nose detected a mild cheddar scent, but that cheesy smell translated into an even milder taste that never built to anything significant, even after eating a fourth of the bag. The flavor was also inconsistent with every mouthful. Some were mildly cheesy, while others had no cheesiness at all. And when it was there, it dissipated quickly.

To figure out what was going on, I tried each piece individually. It turns out one piece is much better at delivering cheesiness than the others — you guessed it, those mini Tris-cute crackers. Fingerfuls of non-Triscuit pieces will yield an insignificant or nonexistent level of cheesiness, while those with the tiny Triscuit deliver at least some, depending on how many your fingers pick up. But even then, I wished the flavor were stronger.

Size of the mini Triscuit next to a regular Triscuit. See, adorable!

But maybe that’s on me and not on Triscuit. Maybe my expectations for how bold flavors should be have been tainted by decades of eating snacks engineered to hit a bliss point that maximizes taste without being overpowering, and I’m being prejudiced towards this snack mix for failing to reach it. Or maybe it’s not me, and this Triscuit Snack Mix really does need to be cheesier.

Either way, while the mini Triscuit crackers are adorable, I found the mild, fleeting flavor of Triscuit Snack Mix to be just tolerable.

Purchased Price: $5.99
Size: 6.5 oz pouch
Purchased at: Times Supermarket
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/3 cup/26 grams) 110 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Goldfish Zesty Ranch Crackers

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Goldfish Zesty Ranch Crackers bag

You’ve tried the best, you’ve probably tried the rest, now it’s time to try the zest.

How do you like your Ranch? Homestyle maybe? Cool perhaps? Me? I like it zesty!

Some of my favorite things are zesty – oranges, sizzling fajitas, Knicks big-man Karl Anthony Towns – and just like a KAT I love me some fishes. Gold-fishes to be exact.

That’s why I was so intrigued by these new Zesty Ranch Goldfish. I’ve never had Ranch-flavored Goldfish. I assumed this was a completely new flavor profile, but then the untrustworthy Google told me Pepperidge Farm also sells “Flavor Blasted Racing Ranch,” so maybe not?

*shrug* Either way, a Ranch-flavored Goldfish is new to me. Gotta be good, right?

Can they possibly be, “Zesty. Creamy. Yee-Haw!” as the bag boasts?

Goldfish Zesty Ranch Crackers back of bag

Yee-naw! I’m just gonna cut to the chase, no chumming the waters, no baiting the hook, no idea how to fish, so no clue what I’m talking about, these are simply ok.

The initial taste leans a little too sour for me. I’d check the “best by” date if this was a bottle of Ranch dressing, but to be fair, it mellows out pretty quickly.

They’re very salty for a non-Flavor Blasted Goldfish, but it’s tolerable because it works well to counter the aforementioned strong sour ranch. That said, that overall flavor is fleeting. The bland cracker takes over mid-chew, and they just kinda taste like saltines.

Goldfish Zesty Ranch Crackers close up

I don’t know if that bums me out or not, because while I want more flavor, I don’t particularly think the Ranch is all that appetizing here. It doesn’t stack up to other Ranch snacks, with Cool Ranch Doritos obviously being the gold standard.

The flavor is almost great, but never quite gets to where I wanted it to go. They remind me of a few of my favorite crackers of all time – Chicken in a Biscuit and the, as far as I know, long-discontinued Nabisco Vegetable Thins. If those still exist, please let me know, because I used to crush them as a kid.

The flavor is slightly reminiscent of Lipton Chicken Noodle Soup powder once you get beyond the quick sour Ranch kick. That would be fine, but as I said, the cracker is very dry and salty, so the flavor evolves three times per munch. These are like the Gobstopper of Goldfish.

I’ve had worse, but I still wish I had the memory of a Goldfish so I could forget about these.

Goldfish Zesty Ranch Crackers mixed with other Goldfish flavors

Zesty Ranch ranks in the lower to mid-tier of the Goldfish scale (pun!), but there is a way to gussy them up, or guppy them up if you will. You won’t. I mixed these into a bowl of Xtra Cheddar and Pretzel Mix Goldfish, and I liked those fishes because they were so delicious.

That’s my recommendation. Wait until your supermarket has a 3-for-Whatever sale on Goldfish (probably $15 these days, am I right?!) and mix Zesty Ranch with other flavors, because I think they work better as a school. I also think these would probably be an excellent cracker to drop into some soup. Keep that in mind when you’re snowed in this winter.

Let’s go Knicks!

Fin.

Purchased Price: $3.69
Size: 6.6 oz.
Purchased at: Stop and Shop
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (52 pieces) 140 calories, 6 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 320 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of total sugars, less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Reese’s Dipped Graham Bears

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Reese’s Dipped Graham Bears Bag

In honor of the conclusion of Alaska’s annual Fat Bear Week, I too am preparing for hibernation—with Reese’s Dipped Graham Bears. Rather than scoop up salmon or forage for lush greenery, I ordered a 1.5-pound bag of the new dipped treats online. (So far, they’ve been spotted in this quantity only at Costco and Sam’s Club, but both stores are too far from my forest.)

I’m a huge fan of Reese’s Dipped Animal Crackers, so I was thrilled to see Reese’s add to its confectionery menagerie. Reese’s Dipped Graham Bears are a similar species, but they swap the animal cracker for a crunchy graham cookie. Like the crackers, these Bears are covered in a thick layer of peanut butter candy confection with a chocolate-dipped base.

Reese’s Dipped Graham Bears in the bag

Speaking of fat bears, Reese’s Dipped Graham Bears are not your toddler’s Teddy Grahams. These cookies vary in appearance—some are on the slim side, while others have honey jar tummies—but overall, they are comparable to the animal crackers in size. I am sure dipping a smaller cookie in peanut butter coating would have lost the distinctive bear shape, despite making it easier to toss them into one’s gaping maw.

Reese’s Dipped Graham Bears family

Reese’s Dipped Graham Bears two sides

Reese’s Dipped Graham Bears size

As the bag promises, the bears boast a strong crunch. In this respect, they are more like a crunchy cookie than a crumbly Honey Maid cracker. The cookie’s honey graham flavor is noticeable, but it doesn’t overwhelm the peanut butter flavor, which remains the star of the show. The peanut butter candy crème coating is smooth and sweet, pairing well with the hint of chocolate. The flavor is similar to enjoying a graham cracker spread thickly with sweet peanut butter and a sprinkle of chocolate chips. As a sweet snack or casual dessert, they are absolutely delicious.

Reese’s Dipped Graham Bears bite

The main differences between Reese’s Dipped Animal Crackers and Reese’s Dipped Graham Bears are that the bears are a little crunchier, and you can taste their flavor more than the animal crackers, which are pretty mild to begin with. The subtle difference detracts from the novelty of the new bears, but they are so tasty that it doesn’t matter.

Reese’s Dipped Graham Bears bag back

While I initially balked at the size of this bag, I may need to order another one before hibernation season kicks off. If you are a fan of Reese’s Dipped products, you will bear-ly be able to resist these.

Purchased Price: More than one should pay on eBay
Size: 24 oz package
Purchased at: ebay
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (3 pieces) 130 calories, 6 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 60 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 9 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Cheez-It Hot Honey Crackers

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Swicy is everywhere these days. Sweet plus spicy makes the ultimate flavor hack. Heat tames the sweet, sweet rounds out the spice, and your taste buds ride the flavor rollercoaster.

Now Cheez-It joins the swicy chat with its new limited-time Hot Honey Cheez-It Crackers.

I’ll admit, I felt skeptical for two reasons:

First, Cheez-It cheese is distinct, and I didn’t know if hot honey could hold its own without being overtaken. On my charcuterie boards, hot honey usually pairs well with mellow cheeses like Gruyère – not cheddar.

Second, outside of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos or Takis, I rarely trust a snack’s “heat” claims. Spice levels usually disappoint.

Still, I stan Cheez-It. So of course I copped.

First impression: no real smell. Like most Cheez-It boxes, opening the liner just hits your nose with… cardboard. For a second, my brain swore it caught Italian seasoning (probably because I stared at those specks of seasoning), but nope – just cardboard.

Digging in, the crackers looked inconsistent. Some carried a heavy dusting, others barely any. The cracker itself also looked lighter, which made me wonder if this was a white cheddar base – or maybe lighter meant “honey” and darker meant “heat.” The plot thickened.

Then I popped one in my mouth. Skepticism: shattered. These deliver.

Sweetness lands first, heat follows, and it all layers over that familiar Cheez-It cheese that wedges itself in your molars (it’s glorious, don’t come at me). The balance works, and together they hit eat-a-whole-box-in-a-sitting level of snackable.

Using white cheddar as the base? Boss move. The person who made that call knew precisely what they were doing. The heat doesn’t reach Flamin’ Hot Cheetos or Takis territory, but it’s real and builds into a warm, satisfying kick.

It doesn’t matter if the cracker looks lightly seasoned, pale, or the usual Cheez-It orange. If every piece carried maximum seasoning, the flavor might overwhelm, but the mix keeps you reaching back. This limited time flavor smashes.

Final verdict: Run, don’t walk! Hot Honey Cheez-It earns a spot, at least a trial run, in your snack rotation.

Purchased Price: $3.77
Size: 12.4 oz
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (27 crackers – 30g) 150 calories, 7 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 210 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

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