REVIEW: Duncan Hines Perfect Size for 1 Cups

Duncan Hines Perfect Size for 1 Cups

Not content with occupying half an aisle with its 150 flavors (slightly exaggerated, obviously, but have you seen how many there are?), Duncan Hines expands its Perfect Size for 1 cake mix line to include other established brands and fun toppings.

There are four flavors at the moment – Chocolate Chip Cake Mix with Chips Ahoy Cookie Pieces, Chocolate Cake Mix with Chocolate Candy Pieces, Cookies and Cream Cake Mix with Oreo Cookie Pieces, and S’mores Cake Mix with Honey Maid Graham Cracker Pieces.

They all have straightforward instructions like the previous mug mixes – it’s pretty much add water, stir, and microwave! One interesting thing is that while the official instructions tell you to sprinkle the toppings on after baking there is also a suggestion to try them blended in before nuking. I decided to do both and put some of the toppings in before and then sprinkled some afterward so that I could have the full experience.

Chips Ahoy

Duncan Hines Perfect Size for 1 Cup Chips Ahoy

This one had a nice and fluffy texture with good chocolate flavor throughout. Considering it’s a microwaveable powdered cake mix it’s not entirely fair to compare to a regular cake. It’s all about being economical and convenient, and this suffices in that regard. Sure, it could be a little more moist and flavorful, but it gets the job done.

I had a hunch the reason the toppings are added later is that the cooking process would affect them and that was the case with this one especially. The pieces added before blending in too well by turning into different colored elements of the cake. Those added later maintained their consistency and added a nice crunch. The chocolate pieces added a decadent touch and seemed evenly dispersed. In essence, this is like a very simplistic version of a dessert at a fancy restaurant in which it would be called Chocolate Chip Cookie – TWO WAYS.

Purchased Price: $3.19*
Size: 2.4 oz. cup
Purchased at: ShopFoodEx.com
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 Container) 300 calories, 9 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 350 milligrams of sodium, 51 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 29 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

Candy Coated Chocolates

Duncan Hines Perfect Size for 1 Cup Not M Ms

This one is heavy on the chocolate, like really, really heavy and almost to the point of being too rich. It’s a one-note chocolate cake with more chocolate. I’m sensing a theme here as the toppings seem to be the stars here.

The cake part, like the previous one, was serviceable as it was nice and fluffy, but a little dry. The bootleg M&M’s though are amazing in this one and make up for the mediocre cake. Whether you add them before baking or after, the heat melts them so that the insides are like molten chocolate. It’s like you’re digging for treasure and when you find one of the candies, it’s oh so satisfying. Again, the crunch adds another satisfying element when eating this. This one is a joyous textural adventure through chocolate.

Purchased Price: $3.19*
Size: 2.4 oz. cup
Purchased at: ShopFoodEx.com
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 Container) 290 calories, 8 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 350 milligrams of sodium, 53 grams of carbohydrates, 2 gram of fiber, 32 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

Oreo

Duncan Hines Perfect Size for 1 Cup Oreo

Not breaking with the trend with the others, this was also fluffy, but a bit dry. It has Oreo cookie crumbles as part of the batter with what seemed like white chocolate chips.

With the topping, there’s a little bit of a cookies and cream flavor, but this whole endeavor ended up tasting mostly like sugar to me even though it has about the same amount as the other three. The white chips weren’t large enough to stay molten, so they blended in and faded away, while the Oreo topping pieces weren’t as crunchy as I was expecting them to be. In a nutshell, this was a lightly chocolatey and creamy, but way too sweet cake.

Purchased Price: $3.19*
Size: 2.4 oz. cup
Purchased at: ShopFoodEx.com
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 1 Container – 300 calories, 9 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 380 milligrams of sodium, 52 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 29 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

Honey Maid

Duncan Hines Perfect Size for 1 Cup Honey Maid

This one perplexed me. I prepared it in the same way as the others, but the cake here turned out to be a little gummy, which was very odd. It’s supposed to be a s’mores base, but I didn’t get any of that except for the little bits of chocolate.

There’s no graham flavor even though I added a few of the pieces and there’s certainly no marshmallow even if I did see a few white chips buried in there. The graham pieces were a nice addition that added a bit of extra flavor, but they were not as crunchy as the other toppings. Unfortunately, though, nothing could save this one as I couldn’t get past the weird texture.

Purchased Price: $3.19*
Size: 2.5 oz. cup
Purchased at: ShopFoodEx.com
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 1 Container – 310 calories, 9 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 25 milligrams of cholesterol, 370 milligrams of sodium, 55 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 30 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

Other Things:

  • You’ll notice that three of four are all well-known brands. This is because Duncan Hines partnered up with Mondelez to gain access to their snacking portfolio that includes those three. M&M’s, though? It’s another company entirely, so I’m assuming it wasn’t worth the effort, hence why the generic candy-coated chocolates make an appearance.
  • Duncan Hines Perfect Size for 1 Cups Before Baking

  • I tried the toppings both as an add-in with the cake batter and afterward on top. Here are my suggestions for you: Chips Ahoy – Add them later as they pretty much vanish once cooked. Candy Coated Chocolates – Do what I did and put half before and half after. You will get a range of molten chocolate that’s glorious. Cookies and Cream – The batter already contains small bits of the Oreo wafer so save them all to add as toppings. Honey Maid – I would skip this one entirely but if you do partake, add the graham as a topping.
  • Regardless of the actual food product, one thing that’s a total upgrade with these is the single serve cup. With the boxed versions, you had to take the plunge on four servings and with so many different flavors to try one may end up with too many extras. Also, all you have to dirty up to indulge is a spoon whereas previously it was a spoon, mug, and measuring utensil.

*Editor’s Note: The cups were purchased from an online grocer, so the prices are slightly higher than they are at stores.

REVIEW: Chips Ahoy Fudge Dipped Thins Bites

Chips Ahoy Fudge Dipped Thins Bites

What are Chips Ahoy Fudge Dipped Thins Bites?

They’re basically Mini Chips Ahoy coated in fudge and shoved into a resealable bag that makes it easy to store the cookies, but also makes it easy to get to the cookies.

How are they?

I’m fine with Chips Ahoy and the fudge used, but these are not so wonderful that I’ll eat them all up, making the resealable bag unnecessary.

Chips Ahoy Fudge Dipped Thins Bites Coating

The coating tastes like whatever Nabisco uses for its other fudge-dipped snacks, like the seasonal, I-don’t-know-why-these-keep-coming-back-every-year Limited Edition Fudge Covered Ritz Crackers. The chocolatey exterior is what makes these a little more appealing than regular Chips Ahoy, and I did enjoy the snack as a whole. But, the familiar cookie flavor doesn’t come through until most of the chocolate melts away. Also, with the fudge, it’s hard to distinguish between the chocolate chips in the cookies and the coating.

Chips Ahoy Fudge Dipped Thins Bites Cookies

But, the coating is also why I don’t want to eat a whole lot of them. It’s not the best tasting stuff because it’s a little waxy and cheap tasting. For the first several pieces, I don’t mind it, but the waxiness and lower middle tier flavor build up on my tongue to the point where it gets to me and I don’t have the urge to shovel more into my mouth. I need to give my taste buds a break before I can eat more. Thank goodness it comes in a resealable bag.

Is there anything else I need to know?

Saying “Thins Bites” is weird. Also, the Oreo version works better because the Oreo is instantly recognizable, while the Chips Ahoy-ness doesn’t come around until most of the fudge melts away. Did I mention it comes in a resealable bag?

Conclusion:

Chips Ahoy Fudge Dipped Thins Bites are okay. Unless you have some issue with Chips Ahoy cookies or the fudge used, I’m sure you’ll enjoy them.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 6 oz. pouch
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (10 cookies) 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 70 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 11 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Post Chips Ahoy Cereal

Post Chips Ahoy Cereal

“I’m eating chocolate chip cookies for breakfast! Life is awesome! Yo Joe!”

That’s what I imagine I yelled decades ago when I had my first taste of Cookie Crisp Cereal. And this is what I’d like to yell now after having my first taste of Post’s Original Chips Ahoy Cereal.

“I’m eating a poor facsimile of chocolate chip cookies for breakfast/lunch/dinner/midnight snack/whenever I feel like it! Adult life is scary! Wubba lubba dub dub!”

Look, let’s be honest and crush the hopes and dream of children everywhere who somehow end up at this review by pointing out that Cookie Crisp/Chips Ahoy Cereal is to cookies as Velveeta is to cheese. They may look the part, but dig deeper and you’ll find the truth. Sorry, kids.

Speaking of digging, I wouldn’t be surprised if Post Chips Ahoy Cereal is a rebranded version of Malt-o-Meal’s Chocolatey Chip Cookie Bites, which is also produced by Post. The two have the exact same ingredients, in the same order, and the exact nutrition facts.

Post Chips Ahoy Cereal 2

The cereal looks like mini Chips Ahoy Cookies, if you look at it from three feet away. Anywhere within three feet, it looks like Cookie Crisp. Unfortunately, looking like Chips Ahoy from a distance is the only similarity it has with the popular packaged cookie.

The cereal has a sweet, oat-y aroma that lacks any chocolate. The chocolatey dots don’t stick to the corn and whole grain oat pieces well, so expect a pool of dark dots to settle at the bottom of the bag it came in.

It tastes similar to Cookie Crisp. There’s a nondescript sugariness to it, but only a whisper of chocolate, even with pieces loaded with chocolatey specks. There’s cocoa in the dark dots and in the cereal itself, but it’s hard to detect. Once the sugariness dissolves, the underlying corn and whole grain flavors start to come out. In milk, the dairy enhances the sugary flavors a little, but I wish the chocolate flavor stood out more.

Post Chips Ahoy Cereal doesn’t taste like Chips Ahoy, but that’s what I expected since Post Oreo O’s Cereal doesn’t exactly taste like Oreo cookies. But, it’s disappointing because there’s nothing about it that makes it stand out.

If you enjoy Cookie Crisp, then this will be fine to eat while watching Saturday morning cartoons as part of a complete breakfast or when you throw your spoons in the air and wave ‘em like you just don’t care about what you’re eating for dinner.

Disclosure: I was provided a free sample by Walmart. The fact that I got it for free did not influence my review.

(Nutrition Facts – 1 cup – 120 calories, 20 calories from fat, 2 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 120 milligrams of sodium, 35 milligrams of potassium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 11 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.)

Purchased Price: Received for free
Size: 19 oz. box
Purchased at: Available as a Walmart exclusive until 4/1/18
Rating: 5 out of 10
Pros: Adequate flavor. Tastes similar to Cookie Crisp. Stays crunchy in milk for a while. Comes in big box.
Cons: Doesn’t taste like Chips Ahoy. Doesn’t taste anything like chocolate chip cookies. Possibly a repackaged version of Malt-o-Meal’s Chocolatey Chip Cookie Bites. Doesn’t have a strong chocolate flavor.

REVIEW: Double Chocolate and Oatmeal Chips Ahoy Thins

Nabisco Double Chocolate Chips Ahoy Thins

If you find yourself standing in the cookie aisle because someone broke your heart, you’re stressed out, or “me want cookie” is thumping in your head with an EDM beat, you’re going to be faced with a wall of cookie choices.

Let me help you by figuring out if Double Chocolate or Oatmeal Chips Ahoy Thins will temporarily fill that hole in your heart, bring you down from pulling out your hair, or get the Cookie Monster voice loop out of your head.

As you probably know Nabisco offers Oatmeal Chewy Chips Ahoy and Choco Chunky Chips Ahoy, which appear to be the inspiration for these new thin cookies. To be honest, I haven’t had the oatmeal ones in years. In fact, it’s been such a long time that I forgot they have chocolate chips and not raisins (I know it’s CHIPS Ahoy and not RAISINS Ahoy).

Nabisco Oatmeal Chips Ahoy Thins

As I mentioned in my Chips Ahoy Thins review, I love their texture, and both new varieties have that distinctive crispiness. But while the Original Chips Ahoy Thins are uniform in shape and size, these new flavors aren’t. I don’t know if it’s a production error, but in the packages I purchased half are circular and the other half are oval.

Oatmeal and Double Chocolate Chips Ahoy Thins

The Double Chocolate had a pleasing deep chocolate flavor because of the one-two chocolatey punch of the chips and cookie. While I loved the original Chips Ahoy Thins, I have to say the amped up flavor of these made my taste buds prefer them slightly more. They’re so tasty that it’s been hard trying to limit myself to a single serving size of four cookies in one sitting. Actually, I’ve failed almost every time.

As for the Oatmeal flavor, they’re good, but not as enjoyable as the Double Chocolate (or any of the other Chips Ahoy Thins varieties). But you probably knew that because I’m going to say 95-98 percent of you will agree with the following: Chocolate chip cookies > oatmeal cookies.

Sure, they have rolled oats in them and there’s raisin paste. Who doesn’t love raisin paste? But the ground up oats kind of get in the way of the chocolate and the raisin paste doesn’t raise the flavor of the cookie. So, basically, if you’re dealing with crap, these are not the cookies to help you cope.

So after reading this review, if you still find yourself in front of a wall of cookies at the store, pull out the Double Chocolate Chips Ahoy Thins, take a deep breath, and say to yourself either, “you deserve someone better,” “everything is going to be all right,” or “STFU, Cookie Monster!”

(Nutrition Facts – 4 cookies – Double Chocolate – 140 calories, 60 calories from fat, 6 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 55 milligrams of sodium, 60 milligrams of potassium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 13 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein. Oatmeal – 140 calories, 60 calories from fat, 7 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 65 milligrams of sodium, 45 milligrams of potassium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.)

Purchased Price: $3.00 each
Size: 7 oz. package
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Double Chocolate)
Rating: 6 out of 10 (Oatmeal)
Pros: Double Chocolate is wonderful and I’m having a hard time stuffing my mouth with them! Love the crispiness of them. Double Chocolate ones might help you if you dealing with crap. Hearing Cookie Monster say “me want cookie” a few times.
Cons: Just thinner versions of regular Chips Ahoy varieties. Oats get in the way of the chocolate. Raisin paste doesn’t raise the flavor of the cookie. Stress. Breaking up. Hearing Cookie Monster say “me want cookie” over and over for several minutes.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Cinnamon Donut Chewy Chips Ahoy Cookies

Limited Edition Cinnamon Donut Chewy Chips Ahoy Cookies

The judge pounds his gavel: “I hereby call this court to order. Today we’ll handle the case of Dan vs. Nabisco. The prosecutor may present his case.”

I’ve decided to represent myself. No lawyer would understand: “Your honor, I’m suing Nabisco’s new Chewy Cinnamon Donut Chips Ahoy! cookies for their misleading packaging design.”

The judge looks at me, as I rustle through my bag and spew crumbs onto the courtroom floor: “If you’re suing them, why are you still eating the accused cookies?”

I roar to life, passionately spraying another projectile sandstorm of sugary cinnamon crumbs across the room: “Because I expected so much more!

“Ladies, gentlemen, and anthropomorphized snack food mascots of the court, I love these Cinnamon Donut Chips Ahoy! cookies. In fact, I love them so much that they’re probably the best limited edition cookies I’ve tasted in years. But it’s the ones we love the most that end up hurting us.

“I present Exhibit A: a package of these backstabbing cookies. Aside from the massive cinnamon donut on the front — which doesn’t actually appear inside — the primary offenders here are the ‘Limited Edition’ leaves. You see, my mind has been conditioned by Mrs. Buttersworth to equate orange and yellow leaves with maple syrup flavoring.

“So imagine my shock and disgust when these Cinnamon Donut cookies contained no maple flavoring whatsoever. All they had was a whole lot of deliciously doughy, buttery, and bakery-fresh donut flavor!

Limited Edition Cinnamon Donut Chewy Chips Ahoy Cookies 2

“But the lies don’t stop there. These disks roped me in with an authentically decadent cider mill aroma, but they don’t even look like real cider donuts! Where are the buxom, golden fried curves? Where’s the coyly puckered hole in the middle?

“They’re both gone and replaced by a granular, hyper-chewy texture that melts in my mouth like half-baked pastry dough. And don’t get me wrong, your honor, these cookies taste like cider donut dough, too. The buttered and browned base is both sugary and eggy, with sweet bursts of cake flour.

“But the apple and cinnamon donut-flavored chips suckered me in for the long con, trying to distract me from Nabisco’s shamelessly maple-free fraud. See, these creamy chips are like coagulated cones of cream cheese glaze. They explode with flavor like a Cinnabon center stuffed with applesauce!

“Their inconsistency betrays them, though. These cookie con men will sometimes lose their subtle apple taste, and sometimes they’ll taste like waxy, floral ‘Fall Harvest’ scented candles from Bath & Body Works. Heck, a couple times I even swore they tasted like pumpkin cheesecake.

Limited Edition Cinnamon Donut Chewy Chips Ahoy Cookies 3

“So yes, your honor, Cinnamon Donut Chips Ahoy! are great limited edition snack cookies. They have all the goodness of raw sugar cookie dough without the salmonella, and all the goodness of a cider mill without the handsy haunted house workers.

“However, it’s tough to justify buying them over real apple cider donuts, unless you’re a maple-loving masochist or the type of person who can’t finish a dozen donuts without them going stale. Because at the end of the day, these Cinnamon Donut Chips Ahoy! aren’t donuts. They’re merely cookies wearing donut Halloween costumes.

“And that, your honor, is both their gift and their true crime.”

The judge, clearly affected by my plight, wipes away a single tear: “I declare Cinnamon Donut Chips Ahoy! cookies guilty, for covering up their felony of syrup deception behind a thick alibi of deliciousness. How would the defendant like to see them executed?”

I pull out my thermos and pour a hot cup of coffee. I’ve already known the answer to that question for days.

(Nutrition Facts – 2 cookies – 130 calories, 50 calories from fat, 5 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 85 milligrams of sodium, 15 milligrams of potassium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and less than 1 gram of protein..)

Purchased Price: $2.49
Size: 9.5 oz package
Purchased at: Meijer
Rating: 8 out of 10
Pros: Authentic cinnamon donut pantomime. An edible trip to the cider mill in late summer. The first ever complimentary use of the word “coagulated.” Coming soon from The Impulsive Buy: 12 Angry Kool-Aid Men!
Cons: Not maple-flavored. Playing for second place against real donuts.. Unexpected Yankee Candle flavor outbursts. Sobbing and bobbing for more apple flavor. A criminal lack of corrugated, scrunched-up donut holes.