REVIEW: Planters Limited Edition Drizzle Roasted Nuts

Planters Limited Edition Drizzle Roasted Nuts come in two varieties — Roasted Almonds with Dark Chocolate and Roasted Cashews with Milk Chocolate.

If you think about it, with this line, Planters is giving us less of the good stuff. I’m not talking about the nuts, which pay for Mr. Peanut’s closet of top hats, monocles, and canes. I’m talking about the chocolate.

Of course, that is not Planters’ expertise. Nor does its parent conglomerate, Kraft Heinz, have a chocolate brand under its umbrella. But the sweet stuff is what makes these appealing, and they’d be a lot more so if they had more than just a drizzle.

Actually, “drizzle” might not be the most accurate description of how much chocolate is on each nut. Yes, it’s drizzled on top, but underneath there’s a solid thin layer of it. So it covers about 60-70 percent of the nut, but I wish it had more.

But I can understand why Planters didn’t thoroughly coat the almonds and cashews. It doesn’t help highlight the nuts, which is Planters’ bread and butter that pays for Mr. Peanut’s other closet of white gloves, wingtips, and Crest Whitening Strips. I understand it, but I don’t agree with it.

Let’s be honest; drizzle is a fancy way of saying less chocolate. Heck, the word “less” can be spelled using “drizzle,” if you take the L, E, and flip the two Zs horizontally.

Planters Limited Edition Drizzle Roasted Almond with Dark Chocolate

As someone who likes dark chocolate covered almonds, I feel I’m getting a little ripped off here. Why would I pay for partially covered almonds when I can get fully covered almond for the same price or less. It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth that you’d think would go well with the bitterness from the dark chocolate and almonds, but doesn’t.

My issue is that sometimes I can taste the drizzle, but most times I can’t. When that happens, what my taste buds are left with are plain, unsalted almonds.

Maybe it’s the quality of the confection, which doesn’t seem very good. Or its bitterness gets lost in the almond’s bitterness. Whatever the reason, these aren’t that satisfying if I’m trying to satiate my sweet tooth.

Purchased Price: $13.14
Size: 14.5 oz. bag
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (about 20 pieces) 160 calories, 13 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 70 milligrams of sodium, 8 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein.

Planters Limited Edition Drizzle Roasted Cashew with Milk Chocolate

FULL DISCLOSURE: I eat a lot more almonds than cashews, but I love the C-shaped nut a teeny bit more. I should mention this because I enjoyed these more than the almond one.

The chocolate isn’t that great when eaten by itself because it’s not that sweet, although noticeably sweeter than the dark stuff on the other one. But when eaten with the cashews, the sweetness and creaminess of both parts complement each other.

The combination makes me want to eat a cashew butter and chocolate sandwich right now, which I would do if cashew butter wasn’t so darn expensive. With the almond one, I could pop a few in my mouth, and I’m good. But with this, I want to eat the entire bag.

I do wish they had better chocolate and more of it, but comparing the two Planters Limited Edition Drizzle Roasted Nut varieties, the cashew version is far and away the better one. Also, chocolate covered cashews aren’t very common, so it was nice eating them.

Purchased Price: $13.14
Size: 12 oz. bag
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (13 pieces) 160 calories, 12 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 120 milligrams of sodium, 10 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein.