The new Snickers Shakers Seasoning Blend has taught me that my eating habits are quite dull outside of what I taste for the site. Because after trying the sweet seasoning on a variety of foods, I later realized those foods also ended up being what I shook the Twix Shakers Seasoning Blend on when I reviewed it —- overnight oats, vanilla ice cream, popcorn, smoothies, etc.

I hate to say this, especially because the fine folks at B&G Foods sent me a bottle of its Snickers Shakers Seasoning Blend, but my diet of the same foods over and over again made me realize that the two sweet seasonings could easily be confused for each other.

Let’s break it down. As we ALL know, Snickers is made with peanuts, caramel, and nougat in milk chocolate and is a vastly superior candy bar to Milky Way (Nah, just messin’ with you, Milky Way-ers). But after trying it with all the things I tried it with, my taste buds could only notice the chocolate and caramel, which was also the case with the Twix version. And much like the Twix Shakers, it has a weird flavor that’s nothing like the iconic candy bar when tasted on its own.

I can understand the lack of nougat flavor because, let’s face it, it might be the fourth most crucial component in a Snickers. But I’m surprised the peanuts aren’t noticeable even though it’s listed high up in the ingredients list.

Also, much like the Twix version, while the serving size is a teaspoon, I had to add a lot more to my popcorn and Cheerios to get a noticeable flavor. So I recommend, if possible, getting the 9.5-ounce bottle currently available at Sam’s Club instead of the 6.8-ounce one at Walmart.

As you can probably tell, I’m a bit disillusioned with this Snickers Shakers Seasoning Blend, although I did enjoy it with vanilla ice cream. If I could’ve tasted the peanuts, I probably would’ve liked it more. But with mostly chocolate and caramel flavors, it bothers me that it doesn’t differ much from the previous Twix version.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary product sample from B&G Foods. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 9.5 oz bottle
Purchased at: Received from B&G Foods
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 tsp) 15 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 4 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of sugar (including 3 grams of added sugar), and 0 grams of protein.

Cinnamon rolls are not cinnamon buns and I am ashamed of you for even thinking so.

Sure, they are both pinwheels of dough slathered in butter, cinnamon and sugar. And they both masquerade as breakfast in places where nutrition doesn’t matter. But there, the roads diverge.

Cinnamon rolls get baked, slathered with sugar or cream cheese, and stop trying. Cinnamon buns get flipped back into their own glaze like heroes, and are pummeled mercilessly with caramel and pecans. They are what baby cinnamon rolls hope they will one day become. They are breakfast for people who don’t eat lunch and dinner. And, on the day Snickers executives were supposed to debate whether to make a Cinnamon Roll Snickers or a Cinnamon Bun Snickers, I bet they all went home early. I bet they thought that Snickers, the candy bar that markets itself for hungry people, had cinnamon bun DNA in its peanuts.

So I had big hopes, hopes as big as the trucks that pulled into the Colorado truck stop where I once had my first cinnamon bun. The light aqua packaging was sleek and encouraged these hopes, although in the glare of the turquoise neon, I overlooked some troubling details. First, the picture depicted not a cinnamon bun, but a pedestrian cinnamon roll, hinting that the Snickers executives were taking some sloppy liberties. And then there was the label’s marque, which listed, in bold letters and in explicit disappointing detail, Peanuts, Cinnamon Bun Flavored Nougat, Caramel, Milk Chocolate.

I could have, I should have, stopped there and gotten a hold of myself. This was a Snickers bar, a typically busy conglomeration of textures and flavors, in which only one player in a diverse cast would be taking on that Cinnamon Bun challenge. Yes, that colossal cinnamon bun flavor was all going to be on nougat’s shoulders. Peanuts, caramel and milk chocolate would be stepping back, letting him do all the work. And replicating a cinnamon bun is a lot of work. Poor nougat. Poor sad, sweet nougat.

You see, Snickers nougat, like some rare orchid, is a fragile and delicate thing. In your everyday Snickers bar, it is the glue that marries the dominant peanut and caramel sensations, adding a fluffy chewiness but content to not muck up the flavor profile. Discerning palates might detect a touch of molasses or a dark honey in it, but it’s strictly back seat. Cinnamon Bun Snickers hands nougat the keys.

And it’s safe to say nougat is an overly cautious driver. The same bland molasses flavor is present, but with the slightest wisp of cinnamon, resulting in a bar that has echoes of cinnamon and is even slightly sweeter than ordinary Snickers. It resembles the button down nougat we know in every other respect, but the touch of cinnamon may be enough to transform the bar into something else, but there will be a few uneducated rubes out there who buy Cinnamon Bun Snickers thinking it is a regular Snickers, and never realizing the error of their ways.

Ironically, the caramel and the peanuts, which by all appearances are no different at all from the other Snickers bars in the Snickers universe, come to the rescue, primarily because cinnamon buns also have nuts and caramel and the combination evokes them. They keep the bar from being too dramatic a disappointment.

But a slight disappointment, nonetheless. Then again, if it was as good as a regular cinnamon bun, I’d never have to go back to that truck stop in Colorado. That actually sounds like a good idea right now. OK, nougat, get back in the back seat.

Purchased Price: 88 cents
Size: 1.5 oz bar
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 200 calories, 10 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 100 milligrams of sodium, 26 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 22 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

What are Snickers Almond Brownie Squares?

Following last year’s Peanut Brownie Squares, this Snickers bar features brownie filling, almonds, and a layer of caramel enrobed in a dark chocolate coating.

How are they?

Snickers Almond Brownie Squares are the brand’s second candy bar/brownie mash-up. Although I had tried the Peanut variety, I couldn’t remember much about it, which isn’t an indictment of the product’s quality as much as a wake-up call that I eat so much chocolate I can’t keep it all straight.

Once I tried the Almond Brownie Squares, the memories came flooding back: neat little chocolate squares! Luscious caramel! A soft, rich brownie filling! Together, the ingredients form a tasty treat that reminds me of eyeing a pan of freshly baked brownies, agonizing over whether I want a corner or an edge piece.

The two variables of this bar are the dark chocolate coating and the almonds. Compared to the milk chocolate in the Peanut variety, this bar’s dark chocolate is a better complement to the rich brownie center. It adds just a bit of bitterness that rounds out the very sweet caramel and super chocolate-y brownie.

(Side note: Although the brownie filling looks like a baked dessert, don’t be fooled: it is actually confectionary, somewhat nougat-like. Although the brownie flavor is spot-on, the composition and texture of this bar are not pastry-like.)

Almond pieces are embedded within the brownie filling, but I wish there were more. They are small and scant, adding little texture and flavor. I recognize that nuts are rarely the star of baked brownies, where they are often reserved for topping anyway. But here, they get too lost in the luxury of the chocolate candy.

Anything else you need to know?

I could only find the share size, but Snickers Almond Brownie Squares will also be available in singles and stand-up pouches.

Conclusion:

Dark chocolate and soft brownie filling are a chocolate match made in Snickers heaven, but the almond component is lackluster. Dark chocolate fans or lovers of the Peanut Brownie Squares will enjoy this latest creation, but those who believe a brownie isn’t a brownie without nuts may be happier at a bake sale.

Purchased Price: $1.48
Size: 2.52 oz (4 squares)
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per 1/2 package – 2 squares) 180 calories, 9 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 90 milligrams of sodium, 23 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 18 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.