For a company with “hidden” in its name, Hidden Valley sure is all up in our faces with new products and collabs. In the past couple of years alone they’ve partnered with other packaged food brands to release Hidden Valley Ranch ice cream, Hidden Valley Ranch chili crunch, Hidden Valley Ranch Bugles, and, most recently, a Hidden Valley Ranch dressing flavored to taste like Cheez-Its. Some of these products were good, others were so-so. Personally, I wouldn’t go out of my way for Hidden Valley Ranch ice cream again (ever). And the Cheez-It ranch? Pretty mediocre, unfortunately. But a new product is here to give HVR a chance to redeem itself: Hidden Valley Ranch Cheez-Its. That’s right. Instead of cracker-flavored ranch dressing, they have flipped the script and given us ranch dressing-flavored Cheez-Its. They’re headed to stores now for a limited time, and we got our hands on a box. Are they ranchy? Yes. Very. With a strong buttermilk tang. Do they taste good? That’s another matter. Here’s our full review.
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- Hidden Valley Ranch Cheez-Its
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Right off the bat, Hidden Valley Ranch Cheez-Its might not be what you were expecting them to be. They weren’t what I was expecting, i.e. classic, orange, cheddar-flavored Cheez-Its coated in Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning dust. That seems like the most obvious route, but Cheez-It instead coated their white cheddar crackers in ranch dust. Controversial decision, if you ask me.
Pros: These crackers are very ranchy. I don’t know if I would instantly identify it as Hidden Valley Ranch, but it’s a bold, tangy ranch seasoning and the crackers are very coated in it. I know I already said it, but I can’t stress this enough: This ranch is tangy. If you love that HVR buttermilk tang, you will like these.
Cons: White Cheddar Cheez-Its are tangy in their own right, and in my (professional) opinion, the combo of the White Cheddar Cheez-It tang and the Hidden Valley Ranch tang is borderline unpleasant. The flavor evolves as you chew—it goes from powerfully ranchy and garlicky (delicious!) to tangy in a way that tastes almost sour or spoiled (not good!) and then settles into that pleasant crackery Cheez-It flavor that keeps you eating. While some people on the team really liked how ranchy they are, others agreed that there’s something weird about them. Frankly, I think Zesty Cheddar Ranch Grooves are tastier than these.
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!