Tag: Kit Kat

Whenever Kit Kat releases a new flavor, I think of someone who once asked me why consumers get so excited about “stuff that tastes like other stuff.”

Obviously, this person is not our friend, but I explained there are several reasons:

• Candy is fun. The more varieties, the better.
• Novelty breaks up the drudgery of everyday existence.
• There is an artful and glorious alchemy involved in combining two perfect substances into one.
• I don’t need a reason. Mind your business.

In the case of the Blueberry Muffin Kit Kat, all of the above apply. However, reason #3 is particularly apt because Blueberry Muffin Kit Kats are a beautiful representation of the bakery staple in candy bar form.

This limited edition bar is an earthy lavender-colored confection. (In real life, it looks a lot less sludgy gray than my best efforts at photography produced.) The wrapper describes the bar as “naturally and artificially flavored crisp wafers in blueberry muffin flavored creme.”

What makes a “blueberry muffin flavored creme?” This Kit Kat’s creme combines the flavors of blueberry and buttery cake batter, with strong undertones of brown sugar and warm cinnamon like you’d find in a crumble topping. I wasn’t expecting a touch of cinnamon, but that detail was exactly what my soul and taste buds wanted. The creme tastes delicious and complex, even if the sweetness is more reminiscent of cake than muffin. Because muffins let us brazenly blur the line between bread and cake at breakfast, this feels like a minor complaint.

What’s really cool is that the distribution of the realistic blueberry flavor is a little uneven, resulting in occasional strong pops of blueberry goodness. In one or two morsels alone, the Kit Kat recreated the experience of finding those especially juicy blueberries in a bite of the baked good. As I ate, I felt like Violet Beauregarde in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory — before the severe physical and emotional damage.

Flecks of graham embedded in the creme support the wafers’ crisp texture. It is difficult to isolate their flavor, but they may contribute some of that crumble-like toastiness.

As fans of “stuff that tastes like other stuff” know, products can sometimes promise big flavors and deliver ho-hum results. (Public service announcement: lemon flavoring alone does not make something like lemon meringue pie, and it never will.) Happily, the Blueberry Muffin Kit Kat is not just blueberry flavoring dressed in a muffin’s wrapper. While Kit Kat reliably concocts delicious limited editions, the Blueberry Muffin variety is special for its inventiveness and complexity of flavor.

Because I would rank it within my top three Kit Kat flavors and because I can’t think of a reason not to, I am rating the Blueberry Muffin Kit Kat a rare 10 out of 10.

Purchased Price: 98 cents
Size: 1.5 oz bar (42 g)
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 10 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 220 calories, 12 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 35 milligrams of sodium, 27 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 20 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

Having previously released Mint + Dark Chocolate and Mocha + Chocolate varieties, Kit Kat Duos now introduces a third dynamic Duo of the candy bar aisle: Strawberry + Dark Chocolate. This addition to the line is described as “crisp wafers in strawberry-flavored crème and dark chocolate.” While the bar will be available in standard size wherever Kit Kats are sold, I recently found a King Size version at my local GetGo.

“Oooooh, this looks GOOD!” exclaimed the cashier who rang up my purchase.

And she was right! The bar’s appearance is striking. The top of the Kit Kat consists of strawberry-flavored crème, colored a rich pink rose. The bottom base offers the stark contrast of dark chocolate’s nearly black hue. The color combination is bright, gorgeous, and made for dessert charcuterie boards, if that’s your jam.

In junk food and in life, however, appearances aren’t everything. Luckily, this Kit Kat delivers a pretty bite beneath the aesthetically-pleasing crème coating. Opening the package, I caught a strong whiff of strawberry that was definitely more appetizing than artificial, giving me a hint of the taste to come.

The strawberry-flavored crème successfully combines realistic fresh strawberry taste with confectionary sweetness. The flavor reminds me of the strawberry cream-filled chocolates found in Valentine’s Day assortment boxes, except less sugary-sweet. While Kit Kat has issued berry flavors (Raspberry Crème, Flavor of California Strawberry) before, this strawberry crème seems comparatively less sweet on its own, making it an interesting partner for a second flavored coating.

Of course, the dark chocolate complements the strawberry wonderfully by providing a bitter edge. My only qualm: even though the pink crème covers more of the bar’s surface area, the dark chocolate at times overshadows the more delicate strawberry flavor. Despite these moments, the flavors still make a strong team. If no one has yet identified a metaphorical representation of Batman and Robin rendered in chocolate, this Kit Kat could be it.

At first, I thought the wrapper art depicted reddish shading between the wafers, potentially indicating another (jam? chocolate?) layer. But my eyes were deceiving me; the wafers here are the usual delicious Kit Kat fare. A third flavor integration would be stuff for Kit Kat Trios, which exists only in my dreams.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, a strawberry and dark chocolate pairing may seem either apropos or glaringly obvious, depending on your attitude toward novel flavors. But unlike those Valentine’s chocolate-covered strawberries that will grow soggy in your refrigerator after two days, dampening the chocolate and possibly your spirits, Kit Kat Duos Strawberry + Dark Chocolate is here to stay as a permanent addition to the Duos line. Because I love a classic flavor combination executed well, I plan to revisit this product to satisfy my next fruit-and-chocolate fix.

Purchased Price: $2.49
Size: 3 oz (85 g) – King Size
Purchased at: GetGo
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per package) 420 calories, 24 grams of fat, 14 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 40 milligrams of sodium, 54 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 40 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

Have you ever designed an overly-ambitious gingerbread house, complete with stained glass sugar windows and a peppermint cobblestone walkway? Or maybe you’ve sipped a hot gingerbread latte during a break from a long day of errands? At least once you must have exclaimed “Not the gumdrop buttons!” as you plucked the candy accents from a gingerbread man!

If any of the above statements ring true to you, Kit Kat’s limited edition holiday flavor may reinforce gingerbread’s status as the season’s most beloved and nostalgic flavor. Available in miniature size to suit your candy dish, Gingerbread Cookie Kit Kats feature a gingerbread-flavored crème coating its classic crispy wafer.

To achieve their characteristic taste, gingerbread cookies usually require molasses and a mixture of ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves—among other spices, depending on the recipe. That might sound like pumpkin spice warmed over, but it’s all about the different ratios. I trust my measuring spoons and my memory of elementary school math to distinguish my pie and chai spices from my gingerbread spice, but I was curious if Kit Kat could achieve a successful flavor balance in such a small confection.

Opening the bag, I caught a soft whiff of maple. The Kit Kat itself, covered in a caramel-colored crème coating, smelled like brown sugar. At this point, my spicy sense was not tingling.

The flavor, however, is fully gingerbread. The coating has white crème sweetness at its base, which reminded me of a gingerbread house’s royal icing spackle or the wee details on a gingerbread man. The crème combines a mellow mixture of warm spices with notes of brown sugar in the background. At the very end of the bite, I tasted a slight kick of ginger that lingered for a few moments in the aftertaste.

Checking the ingredients list, I saw no hint of specific spices, just “natural and artificial flavors.” The candy’s realistic flavor — ginger hint especially — can mean only one thing: Kit Kat’s food scientists are becoming too powerful.

Kit Kat nails its limited edition flavors more often than not, but Gingerbread Cookie Kit Kats are especially hard to find fault with. The spice flavor is realistic without being overwhelming. The sweetness is multidimensional, and the crispy wafer completes the simple, delightful bite. It may be my favorite seasonal Kit Kat flavor yet.

In fact, I enjoyed this so much that its flavor actually evoked a Proustian moment, an involuntary memory triggered by a sensory experience. After my second or third, a particular iced gingerbread cookie that was once a staple of my childhood resurfaced in my memory. Even though I haven’t thought of that cookie in years, the memory inspires me to break out the recipe for the holidays this year. In case my measuring spoons or math skills fail, I’ll keep a stash of Gingerbread Cookie Kit Kats nearby.

DISCLAIMER: I received a free sample from Hershey’s, which did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 8.4 oz (238 g) bag
Purchase at: Provided by Hershey’s
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per 4 pieces) 170 calories, 9 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 30 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 16 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

What is Key Lime Pie Kit Kat?

Kit Kat’s latest limited edition bar features Key lime-flavored white crème.

How is it?

Kit Kat’s seasonal flavors always seem to hit the mark, so I’ve come to look forward to them. I especially appreciate Kit Kat’s dedication to a sensory and aesthetic experience, using creative colors and details to pay homage to its flavor inspiration. This year’s Key Lime Pie Kit Kat is no exception: its vibrant wrapper and pastel bar are as green as Kermit the Frog counting dollar bills in a grassy field.

Kermit should exchange one of those bills for a Key Lime Pie Kit Kat because the candy is all-around delightful.

Peeling off the wrapper yields a strong, divine aroma of vanilla and lime as a hint of what’s to come. The green white crème coating delivers on its promised flavor. A creamy vanilla taste is present in the coating, which is not too sweet, and adds flavor reminiscent of whipped topping.

However, the Key lime is still the most prominent flavor. It provides just enough zesty citrus bite, especially in the aftertaste. The standard Kit Kat wafer offers a crispy crunch that mimics pie crust texture, completing the experience of what it is like to enjoy Florida’s official state dessert.

As this flavor grows in popularity, will Key lime replace lemon foods in my citrus-loving heart? Possibly. I loved Key Lime Pie M&M’s, and these Kit Kats are even better due to that hint of sharp citrus. With more product testing, I might yet achieve my life’s dream of appearing on a Food Network show, identified by an oddly-specific job title like “Key Lime Pie Expert” or “Kit Kit Historian.”

Anything else you need to know?

It is hard to tell in photos, but embedded in the Kit Kat’s chocolate coating are flecks of what look like graham cracker crust crumbs. The crumbs don’t really carry a taste or texture. Although the bar’s ingredients list includes graham flour.

Conclusion:

Key Lime Pie Kit Kats are a subLIME experience, combining creamy and crunchy elements with a Key lime zing.

Purchased Price: 88 cents
Size: 1.5 oz (42 g)
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 220 calories, 12 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 40 milligrams of sodium, 27 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 20 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.