REVIEW: Cheetos Crunchy Flamin’ Hot Dill Pickle

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There are pickle-flavored things EVERYWHERE.

In the same way that the early 2000s brought us bacon-flavored everything, it seems we’re in the middle of a pickle-flavored time period. Perhaps capitalizing on the TikTok trend of dipping a pickle into cream cheese and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, Frito Lay has recently launched Cheetos Crunchy Flamin’ Hot Dill Pickle.

Like its original Flamin’ Hot brethren, this snack is an enticing fire engine red color courtesy of Red 40 Lake and Yellow 6 Lake. I was half expecting to see little dill flakes here and there but my eyes didn’t pick up on any.

Although the bag provided a hefty waft of undeniable pickle scent upon opening, I couldn’t tell from the ingredient list if vinegar or dill were actually added or if they were swept up under the “Natural Flavors” or “Spices” ingredient declarations.

But WHOA, these do taste like pickles. The overwhelming flavor is brine-y vinegar with a lingering dill aftertaste. The heat from the Flamin’ Hot “cheetle” is absolutely in the mix as well. In fact, the vinegar flavor’s acidity and the heat compound on each other, which give these Flamin’ Hot Cheetos another sensory experience from the O.G. Flamin’ Hot. For many minutes after I was done eating, the tingling sensation of the spice hung on to my pallet, along with an intense dill and garlic flavor.

If I could make any critique at all, it would be that the brine and acidic flavors overpower any cheese flavor or dairy notes from getting through at all. This is a hot, zingy snack. There’s almost no detectable cheese. I’m saying this as someone who prefers the undeniably cheesy Flamin’ Hot Queso Ruffles. But that’s a personal preference.

Overall, I’d say Cheetos Crunchy Flamin’ Hot Dill Pickle really nailed a cultural moment on the nose. It successfully combined the expectations of Flamin’ Hot with the tang of a dill pickle brine.

Purchased Price: 2 for $7 (on sale)
Size: 8.5 oz bag
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (About 21 pieces) 150 Calories, 10 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 140 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Kellogg’s Blueberry Bran Crunch Cereal

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I like Kellogg’s Raisin Bran. However, I suppose by the time you reach your 30s, that isn’t an entirely taboo thing to admit, but when I was younger, it felt like admitting math class was fun.

In pulling together my thoughts for this Kellogg’s Blueberry Bran Crunch Cereal review, I found myself trying to nail down what it is about the classic Raisin Bran that’s so enjoyable. I think it boils down to texture and flavor. The big, chewy, and sweet raisins offer an occasional texture change from the crunchy, slightly bitter bran flakes.

While this new cereal is an extension of the Raisin Bran Crunch line, the thought of a blueberry version of Raisin Bran was intriguing. It seems like blueberry or blueberry lemon-flavored items are popping up all around grocery shelves these days.

I prepped myself a bowl of the listed serving size, one cup of cereal with 3/4 cup of milk. There were visible oat clusters with little dehydrated blueberries, which definitely stood out more once the milk was added. There was also a very strong blueberry aroma.

The sweet bran flakes were just like those in classic Raisin Bran Crunch. They didn’t absorb the milk too quickly. The oat clusters were fairly underwhelming and offered almost no crunch. They had a very similar texture to the bran flakes and not much unique flavor, so they were sort of lost in the bite.

The stand-out flavor was the added natural blueberry. It was present in every single bite and made the milk taste like the aftertaste of a blueberry donut. It wasn’t a bad flavor by any means, but it was very one-note. I couldn’t discern the texture of a blueberry piece when I got them in a spoonful either. So, in the end, these could have been blueberry-flavored bran flakes, and the experience would have been the same. Just okay.

I’ll also note that the bag had a decent percentage of crumbs.

Overall, I appreciate the attempt to create a new spin on an existing cereal. But in the end, this is an example of heavy-handed flavor addition and freeze-dried fruit pieces that are likely super expensive and don’t add much to the experience. I’ll always root for blueberry-flavored items, but this one is a miss.

Purchased Price: $6.49
Size: 15.8 oz. box
Purchased at: Jewel Osco
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup cereal) 210 Calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, 49 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 17 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Sour Skittles Pop’d Freeze Dried Candy

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Freeze-dried candy seems to have been gaining popularity in the past few years. What was once only seen at craft fairs, TJ Maxx checkout aisles, and farmer’s markets have now gained proliferation in gas stations and grocery stores. The most popular seem to be variations of freeze-dried Skittles. I don’t fully understand the legality of an independent candy company buying branded candy, sucking the water out of it, and then re-selling the confection under a new name and brand, but hey, that’s capitalism for ya! So, when I saw Skittles was launching its own freeze-dried candy, my immediate thoughts ranged from “Of course!” to “DUH.”

Skittles Pop’d has launched in both Original and Sour varieties. I opted for the latter for a bit more intrigue and interest. The flavor variety differs from the original Sour Skittles mix. The Sour Skittles Pop’d comes in Strawberry, Lemonade, Blue Raspberry, Cherry, and Watermelon. The combination lands closer to the Mixed Berry mix, which some people will adore! Sour Mixed Berry? Yes, please!

Watermelon is the least perceivably sour and much closer to the true watermelon candy flavor. The blue raspberry and strawberry are similar to their original Skittles flavors, but the concentrated flavor from the freeze-dried process makes them way more intense. Lemonade is BY FAR the most sour, and Cherry just sort of tastes like generic sour/sweetness, with the cherry flavor getting lost in the overwhelming hit of sugar.

The freeze-drying process removes all moisture from the food or candy and inherently changes the texture and flavor delivery. Moisture and how it is chemically bound to other molecules in a food play a large role in how our taste buds perceive flavors. So, it wasn’t necessarily surprising that these Sour Skittles Pop’d were INTENSELY sweet the second they started to dissolve on the tongue. What was a little less expected was which part of the candy was sour. I’m used to Original Sour Skittles being sour on the outside, where the citric acid and sugar coating is applied. If you let that coating dissolve, the inside of an original Sour Skittle is sweet, just like Original Skittles. These are sour on the inside, making the entire eating experience sour from start to finish, something I really enjoyed.

The texture of Skittles Pop’d is the largest difference from the original. The freeze-drying process made these extremely crunchy and not at all chewy. Like most freeze-dried foods, they sort of take on that chalky, crunchy, pull-all-the-moisture-out-of-your-mouth type of experience I’d otherwise only associate with science museum gift shop astronaut ice cream (also freeze-dried). The texture is fun but not something I can tolerate as long as the original chewy candy.

Overall, I think there’s a reason the original Skittles has stood the test of time. Whether Original, Sour, or one of the many flavor varieties, the sweet, chewy Skittle delivers an enjoyable and expected candy experience. But I think it’s strategic for the brand to carve out its own space in the growing freeze-dried candy market. I mean, hell, if competitors are going to re-sell Skittles anyway, it might as well get in on that branded action.

Purchased Price: $5.99
Size: 5.5 oz Resealable bag (individual smaller bags also sold)
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (30 pieces) 120 Calories, 1 gram of fat, 5 milligrams of sodium, 28 grams of carbohydrates, 21 grams of sugar (21 grams of added sugar), 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Toasty Holiday Peanut M&M’s

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As we approach the holiday season once more, Mars has created a new Peanut M&M’s flavor to get everyone into the holiday spirit: Toasty Holiday Peanut M&M’s. The brand describes the new flavor as a winter treat made with roasted peanuts infused with cinnamon, vanilla, spiced sugar, and caramel.

While M&M’s has kept a fairly steady stream of new flavors and textures coming in their other varieties, it’s been a minute since the Peanut M&M has seen some innovative love! The holiday-focused flavor comes in just red, green, and yellow colors. There isn’t much else distinctive about these in appearance; they look just like standard Peanut M&M’s.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from cinnamon, vanilla, spiced sugar, and caramel (that’s a lot of flavors), but the first impression I had of these Toasty Holiday Peanut M&M’s was that they didn’t overdo it with the flavor. It’s definitely present, but it’s not too heavy. I also wasn’t really able to discern any one of their specifically listed flavors. They all sort of melded together and tasted like brown butter, or maybe toffee, or even maple? For something so difficult to nail down, one thing I was sure of is that they’re delicious!

I decided to taste them against regular Peanut M&M’s to see if the flavor would stand out more. The Toasty Holiday Peanut M&M’s maintain a really pleasant warm spiced note compared to their OG counterparts. I will also say that my coworker tried these and said they tasted like a TJMaxx candle, so I guess to each their own.

Overall, I’m trusting my gut here and saying these are great. The flavor isn’t over the top and is just ambiguous enough to fit the broad description of “toasty holiday.” I enjoyed them more than original Peanut M&M’s and sincerely hope Mars keeps innovating with them!

Purchased Price: $2.28
Size: 3.27 oz bag
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1oz/12 pieces) 140 Calories, 8 grams fat, 3 grams saturated fat, 15 milligrams sodium, 17 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 15 grams sugar, and 3 grams protein.

REVIEW: Cheez-It Hidden Valley Ranch Crackers

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I grew up in the Midwest, where ranch is synonymous with ketchup and mustard in most quick-service restaurants. It’s almost everywhere and used on almost any food. I know this isn’t specific to the Midwest, but I think there are certain parts of the country where this is NOT common, and people abhor ranch with as much passion as most folks in my neck of the woods adore it. If you fall into the former category, perhaps skip this new product mash-up. If you fall into the latter, Rejoice! Cheez-It and Hidden Valley Ranch (HVR) have launched a limited-release collab, Cheez-It Hidden Valley Ranch Crackers!

This particular mash-up feels like a no-brainer. In fact, several Pinterest-style recipes out there show you how to douse Cheez-Its, oyster crackers, or whatever little crunchies in powdered HVR seasoning as a DIY seasoned snack. But this officially licensed version got me excited because it meant the real Original Ranch seasoning would be used on my oh-so-beloved Cheez-Its.

I could smell the ranch immediately upon opening the box. The seasoning is visible and distinctly speckled in a way you’d expect from Hidden Valley Ranch. The Cheez-It base cracker is the white cheddar cheese flavor. This differs from their inverted collab, the Cheez-It Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing, which is orange and, therefore, strangely off-putting. Yes, they made the Cheez-It white and the dressing orange.

Anyway, back to these crackers, the ranch seasoning is not too overwhelming on the white cheddar base, and they’re very snackable. Some crackers have a heavier coating, so as I went through my taste test, I would occasionally be delighted with a little extra kick of flavor.

What I realized pretty quickly, however, is that ranch powdered seasoning and powdered Cheez-It seasoning are not incredibly different. The main powdered dairy components are either powdered buttermilk or powdered cheddar, and these just really aren’t THAT different when you’re downing snack crackers with salt and other flavors. If I were tasting these blind, I’m not certain I would pick them up as distinctly ranch or just an onion and garlic-flavored Cheez-It. Still delicious.

To summarize it directly, these Hidden Valley Ranch Cheez-Its are subtle but great. I think the power of this collaboration is the ubiquitous success of onion and garlic flavors mingled with white cheddar and the powerhouse brand mash-up of Cheez-It and Hidden Valley. Available for a limited time, I’ll likely buy them again and again until that time runs out.

Purchased Price: $4.99 (sale)
Size: 12.4 oz box
Purchased at: Jewel Osco (Albertson’s)
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (30g or 25 Crackers) 150 calories, 7 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 240 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.