REVIEW: Pillsbury Chocolate Fudge Brownies and Birthday Cake Bars

What are Pillsbury Chocolate Fudge Brownies and Birthday Cake Bars?

While I definitely appreciate the taste of home-baked goods, I seldomly do my own baking. I prefer to seek quick and low-effort ways to consume my desserts, so I was excited to try these new products.

Pillsbury Chocolate Fudge Brownies and Birthday Cake Bars are ready-to-eat, individually wrapped snack cakes that come in a box of six brownies/bars. Each wrapper comes with a cutesy saying like “Giggle Time!” which seems kind of silly. But desserts generally do make me Smile (another wrapper saying).

How are they?

They both taste as one would expect store-bought, pre-packaged desserts should. This means they are generically decent and provide a quick sweet fix. The frosting on top of both products adds a little texture and sugar, but is not substantial enough to significantly contribute to or offset the overall taste of the product. (The frosting on top of my chocolate brownie melted a little bit in-transit.)

The chocolate fudge brownie lives up to its name with no surprises. It is soft, chewy, slightly fudgy, and actually has chocolate chips inside as depicted on the box.

The birthday cake bar does not have the same softness as the brownie (or as one would expect from a cake). It might pass as a very small serving of boxed birthday cake with limited frosting that has been left out for a few days. It has a drier texture, but still retains the sugary taste of sprinkles and other Funfetti-themed products.

Anything else you need to know?

These are small (about 2-inch squares) and not very thick. They are also only 100 calories per brownie/bar. Due to their size, you might need to consume several to feel satisfied.

I occasionally snack on Fiber One bars (also made by General Mills) and found these similar, although slightly more satisfying. Based on taste alone and ignoring the nutritional differences, I would opt for these snack cakes vs. Fiber One bars.

Conclusion:

If you do not feel like turning on the oven and can appreciate pre-packaged desserts for what they are, these suffice. They are convenient and enticing enough to serve as a quick treat. If you need to appease a strong dessert craving, you will likely want more than one or go for an actual brownie or slice of cake.

DISCLOSURE: I received free samples of the products. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 5.34 oz (6 brownies/bars)
Purchased at: Received from Pillsbury
Rating: 6 out of 10 (Chocolate Fudge Brownies), 5 out of 10 (Birthday Cake Bars)
Nutrition Facts: Chocolate Fudge Brownie (1 brownie) – 100 calories, 4 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 65 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of total carbohydrates, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 9 grams of sugar, 9 grams of added sugars, and less than 1 gram of protein. Birthday Cake Bars (1 bar) – 100 calories, 4 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 75 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 9 grams of sugar, 9 grams of added sugars, and less than 1 gram of protein.