New Slurpee Flavor!

Mountain Dew Blue Shock Slurpee

Pros: This quite literally tastes like the original Mountain Dew—but blue. You know what I mean. There’s a sort of generalized “blue” flavor that folks think of when they think of a generic blue raspberry flavored Icee or treat. This tastes like a perfect blend of that blue flavor mixed with original Mountain Dew. And I mean that in the best way possible. It is fantastic. I think it does a great job at differentiating itself from Voltage, because you don’t get notes of classic Dew from Voltage like you do here.

Cons: Mountain Dew is known for their wacky and crazy innovative flavors, but if you’re looking for one of those, you won’t find it here. My only other critique is the same complaint that I have regarding all frozen drinks, which is that it melts too fast and the taste diminishes significantly when it starts to melt. But I am fully willing to accept that as a user error.

Credit: Liv Averett / 7-Eleven

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

The post We Tried the Mountain Dew Blue Shock Slurpee appeared first on Sporked.

TJ’s cheesy greens are an experience from start to finish. A good experience? Definitely not. They come out of the bag looking like little frozen green turds. And honeslty, it doesn’t get any better when it cooks up. It’s like the Erewhon version of slop; just a textureless amalgamation of all the ingredients. You can taste something different in each bite but you can never really tell what it is. I get that they were going for creamy, but there is such a thing as too creamy. Even the mixture of cheeses—provolone and mozzarella—doesn’t really improve things.

New Product!

Trader Joe’s Cheesy Creamy Greens & Veggies

Trader Joe’s

Pros: I could maybe see myself using this as a holiday side dish in a real pinch. It might get some salvation if it’s paired with something else to give it any amount of texture. But realistically, I would rather just roast up a sheet tray of Brussels sprouts and then melt some cheddar cheese over them. Yum.

Cons: This is yassified gruel. There is no nuance to it. There is nothing hidden to be found. Just a sad pile of gloop that belongs on a certain subreddit rather than on your dinner plate. Its comical that Trader Joe’s had the gall to say there was texture to be found in this dish. As a matter of fact, I’m still not over any part of Trader Joe’s description of the product. That alone should amount to a loss of at least five Sporks.

Rating:

2/10

Sporks

The post This Cheesy New Trader Joe’s Frozen Side Dish Is a Big Miss appeared first on Sporked.

What I found to be interesting about these Gummi Pops is that you can lick them or bite them. I prefer licking them. Biting into them is, understandably, like biting into a frozen gummy worm. And, yes, they are just as wiggly and wobbly as the box suggests. The question is: Do these live up to the hype? Or are they all talk? Read on to find out.

Cherry Lemon

Trolli Gummi Pop Cherry Lemon

Trolli

Walmart

Pros: I am incredibly intrigued by the texture. Trolli was not playing around when they said this was a “Gummi Pop.” This is unlike anything I’ve ever had before; it does not remind me of a popsicle at all. It is very gummy worm-like—but cold. And I quite enjoy it! Even though this is my least favorite Trolli flavor, I do really enjoy this Trolli Gummi Pop. 

Cons: If you’re a person who is thrown off by unexpected textures, you may not enjoy these popsicles. It is very different from any other frozen treat on the market. I will also acknowledge that cherry is often a polarizing flavor. It’s still much better than I expected, though! One other thing I will note here (which is not necessarily a con for me, but I know will be for some), is that it’s very sweet and not very sour. Certainly not the sour I would expect from a Trolli product!

Credit: Liv Averett / Trolli

Rating:

7/10

Sporks

Grape Strawberry

Trolli Gummy Pop Grape Strawberry

Trolli

H-E-B

Pros: Two of my favorite flavors, strawberry and grape, combined together on this to make an incredible Gummi Pop experience. Grape Strawberry is very potentially my favorite Trolli flavor and I think this is very accurate to the Trollis themselves. I am definitely a little bit biased towards anything strawberry, but I think Trolli really nails the strawberry flavor on this one.

Cons: Since I tried this one second and it sat out of the freezer a little bit longer, the texture was a little bit less desirable as it sort of started half “melting.” I can’t count that against this flavor specifically, but it’s a con for the Gummi Pops as a whole. Once again, it’s not very sour, so if you are a sour flavor seeker, you may be disappointed. All in all, though, this pop is phenomenal.

Credit: Liv Averett / Trolli

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

The post The New Trolli Gummi Pops Are Some of the Strangest Things We’ve Ever Eaten appeared first on Sporked.

I wanted to consume this as intended, so I simply drank it right out of the fridge. When I opened the bottle, the aroma that hit my nose can only be described as “grandma’s closet.” It’s like years of perfume spritzes and mothballs conspired to create this scent. Unfortunately, the flavor wasn’t much better.

New Product!

Trader Joe’s Vanilla Cardamom Cold Brew Coffee

Affiliate

Pros: Trader Joe’s has shown themselves to be fairly proficient in brewing cold brew coffee (we really like their original unflavored arabica cold brew). And that does translate into this version. The coffee itself is more mild than a traditionally brewed cup. That, combined with the money you’d save from getting your caffeine fix from a coffee shop, gives me hope that this could be the right fix for someone who enjoys this flavor profile more than I do.

Cons: If you’re not familiar, cardamom is an aromatic seed that’s peppery, piney, and a little bit citrusy, too. It’s great in certain dishes and drinks, but I fear that someone overdid it here. You’re much better off just getting Trader Joe’s plain cold brew and adding in your own cardamom and vanilla. I think you could play around and create a blend with a much more enjoyable ratio. It sucks to have to go the extra mile, but at least you’re still saving some time and money.

Rating:

3/10

Sporks

The post The Cold, Hard Truth About the New Trader Joe’s Cold Brew appeared first on Sporked.

But how do these new soups taste? Does pizza or cheeseburger work as a liquid? Let’s find out.

Pepperoni Pizza Soup

Proper Good Pepperoni Pizza Soup

Walmart

Pros: Right away I’m hit with Italian seasoning and spices that take me to pizza. The flavors of oregano, paprika, and pepper are really strong—unexpectedly strong for a grocery store soup. It’s also got chunks of pepperoni in it and they taste really, really great. My fear was that this would just taste like your average tomato soup but it most certainly does not. You definitely get the pepperoni pizza experience from this soup.

Cons: There’s added sugar in this soup, and it was noticeable for the first few bites. And I do think that the spices are a little bit overblown. While I found myself really enjoying them initially, the spices lingered a bit too long on the aftertaste. I found myself wishing that the soup was a bit thicker, too—maybe it just needs more pepperoni chunks.

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

7/10

Sporks

Cheeseburger Soup

Proper Good Cheeseburger Soup

Walmart

Pros: This soup takes virtually all of my “cons” from the pizza soup and does away with them. It is nice and thick, featuring big chunks of potato and beef, and while I still get hints of oregano and other spices, the seasoning level is much more muted with this soup. It’s hearty and pleasant. 

Cons: While this a very good tasting soup that I’d definitely consider picking up again, I don’t necessarily get cheeseburger vibes from it. Since it’s labeled as cheeseburger soup, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little bit disappointed. I don’t really get any cheese and the meat is not seasoned or prepared in a way that would remind you of eating a burger. Although it’s good and I would still recommend it, it is not cheeseburger soup.

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

6/10

Sporks

The post We Tried Walmart’s Pepperoni Pizza Soup and Cheeseburger Soup appeared first on Sporked.

New Ocean Spray Juice!

Ocean Spray Mulled Blackberry Pear

Walmart

Pros: This new Ocean Spray is a pleasant and unique mix of fruits. There is definitely a blackberry sweetness followed by a soft pear aftertaste—the most “flavor” you can really hope for from pear flavoring, let’s be honest. In a first for Ocean Spray, this is being promoted as a drink you can enjoy cold or hot. I did my due diligence and heated up a cup for you good people. I got more of the advertised mulled spice flavor after warming it up, so they might be onto something. This definitely feels like a holiday drink, and I’m not surprised it’s being promoted as a mixer.

Cons: It feels like this new juice doesn’t quite know what it wants to be. Silly me, I saw two specific fruits on the front of this bottle and thought at least one of them would be the most significant flavor on my tongue. Unfortunately, I forgot a key factor in all Ocean Spray drinks: cranberries. This is primarily a cranberry juice blend—and it tastes like it. Looking at the ingredients, this contains juice from cranberries, pears, blackberries, and grapes(?) in that order. The mulled spices aren’t listed individually either, just “Natural Flavor.” I like this drink, but it’s leagues behind many other Ocean Spray juice blends I’ve had before. (If you’re going to try one this season, go for the recently rereleased Cran x Dragon Fruit. Spectacular stuff.)

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

5.5/10

Sporks

Where can I try this confusing juice for myself?

This is available at grocers far and wide, including Meijer and Walmart. It’s also available on Amazon, if that’s how you live your life. Wherever you find it, you’ll be getting a significant quantity; like most Ocean Spray drinks, this is only available in a 60oz jug.

The post We Tried New Ocean Spray Mulled Blackberry Pear (Cold AND Hot) appeared first on Sporked.

Yep, one of the new products at Trader Joe’s is a bottled Espresso Martini, made with real vodka, real espresso, and, per the brand, a “touch of vanilla.” It’s 20% ABV (40 proof), and each bottle contains about four servings. And, at just $10, it’s cheaper than almost any Espresso Martini you’d order off a cocktail menu. 

But is it any good? I’ve tasted a lot of Espresso Martinis (homemade, bartender-made, and canned), so I put it to the test. Read on to find out if you should snag a bottle before it disappears. 

New Trader Joe’s Cocktail!

Trader Joe’s Espresso Martini

Trader Joe’s

Pros: It smells like a Caramel Macchiato—super sweet with a tinge of coffee. But the flavor veers away from a classic coffee drink into something totally different. It’s sweet and desserty and it has a bit of a fruity, dark chocolate flavor. While Espresso Martini purists probably won’t be satisfied by this incarnation, I think folks looking for a boozy sweet treat will enjoy it. Serve it chilled, shake it with ice, or follow this person’s recommendation and pour it over vanilla ice cream. 

Cons: It doesn’t really taste like an Espresso Martini. I’m not sure how that’s possible if it’s really only made with espresso, vodka, and vanilla. But it’s fruity in that chocolaty way I mentioned above, with a twang that steers it away from a traditional Espresso Martini flavor profile. It’s also very, very sweet. I think Trader Joe’s Espresso Martini has a place as an after dinner digestif. But it’s really very much its own thing. If you really want the best Espresso Martini in a can or bottle, we’ve got better recommendations.

Credit: Liv Averett / Trader Joe’s

Rating:

7/10

Sporks

The post We Tried the New Trader Joe’s Espresso Martini appeared first on Sporked.

As a Gardetto’s fan and the taste tester who led our cheddar cheese taste test, I feel highly qualified to tell you whether Aged Cheddar Gardetto’s are worth your hard-earned snack cash. If I promise not to tell any more boring stories, will you read my review? 

New Product!

Gardetto’s Aged Cheddar

Amazon

This snack mix contains rye chips, pretzels, breadsticks that look like little loaves of bread, and little square crackers that look like Cheez-Its (maybe they are Cheez-Its—the packaging doesn’t mention the components). The breadsticks and the Cheez-Its appear to have cheese baked in, but all of the morsels are coated in a cheesy flavor dust. 

Pros: I swear the rye chips in this new Gardetto’s snack mix taste more like rye than the rye chips in the original Gardetto’s mix. Or like pumpernickel bread, maybe. Either way I can taste the actual chip here, which I guess you could count as a plus even though it mostly means this mix is very unevenly seasoned. Some bites are super cheesy, some are super bland. I do like these breadsticks, though. Typically, breadsticks are my least favorite snack mix element because they taste like almost nothing, but these seem to actually have some cheese baked in, so they have a little more flavor. The Cheez-It crackers are good, too—anecdotally, those were the most seasoned elements in the bag I got. 

Cons: This mix just can’t hang with regular Gardetto’s. That savory, Worcestershire sauce sort of flavor is irresistible. Aged Cheddar doesn’t make enough of an impression.

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

The post A New Gardetto’s Snack Mix Just Dropped and We Tried It appeared first on Sporked.

New Instant Oatmeal!

Quaker Maple Bacon Instant Oatmeal

Walmart

Pros: It’s edible. It’s funny to put that in the “pro” section, but when I opened the packaging up, I was immediately hit with a wave of artificial bacon that had me questioning my purchase. Luckily, it didn’t taste the way it smelled. I did finish the bowl. And the maple flavor is very pleasant and not too sweet.

Cons: I’ve never been one to take the pictures on food packaging too literally, but this box shows pictures of bacon on the oatmeal. So, I was hoping there would at least be bacon bits mixed into the oatmeal or something. Alas, the only bacon is the artificial flavoring and I’ve got to be completely honest with you; you can barely taste it. This is Maple Bacon Oatmeal. I can’t help but feel disappointed that they skimped on the bacon. 

All and all, it’s an interesting concept, but Quaker unfortunately just doesn’t really deliver on the bacon. It’s similar enough to Quaker Maple & Brown Sugar Oatmeal that I can’t see myself seeking out Maple Bacon again.

Rating:

3.5/10

Sporks

The post We Tried the Quaker Maple Bacon Oatmeal So You Don’t Have To appeared first on Sporked.

They’re out just in time for Thanksgiving and all the Trader Joe’s appreciation accounts (and even Simply Recipes) have totally fallen for these frozen biscuits. They’re flavored with rosemary and thyme, and include both parmesan and cheddar shreds. And you don’t even have to preheat your oven to make them. They go in cold, then cook as the oven warms up. 

But do they pass the Sporked test? We baked up a whole box-full (they come six to a package and cost $4.99) to find out. 

New Trader Joe’s Product!

Trader Joe’s Cheesy Herby Biscuits

Trader Joe’s

Pros: I really hate preheating the oven. It always takes ages longer than I feel like it should. So, I really dig that you can put these right from the freezer into the oven and then just turn it on and walk away for 30 minutes. Great. But beyond how easy these are to make, they also taste good. They’re tender and flaky and the dough has a bit of the twangy buttermilk finish. I really enjoy the pockets of cheese you hit every so often. And they manage to be herby without being overwhelmingly herby. They’re not so flavor-packed that they’re going to clash with anything on a Thanksgiving table. If you’re looking for a fun bready side for a fall feast, these Trader Joe’s biscuits are a must-buy. 

Cons: They don’t look great. While they rise and they do get some good, crispy crunchy bits around the outside, they have an overall gray hue. (I think it’s the herbs?) And I think some folks would appreciate a little bit more cheese. A sprinkling on top could really push them over the edge. But for just $5 and 30 minutes in an oven, I really think these are a steal. Even if they are greige. 

Credit: Liv Averett / Trader Joe’s

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

The post These $4.99 Trader Joe’s Biscuits Are What Your Thanksgiving’s Missing appeared first on Sporked.

New Holiday Alani Nu!

Winter Wonderland Alani Nu Energy

Target

Pros: The coconut flavor is much stronger than the berry flavor, that’s for sure. I really like this flavor, but I’m a sucker for coconut. I had a few of my Alani Nu-loving test subjects try this flavor, to mixed results. Most people liked it, but the folks that didn’t like it really didn’t like it. Someone in that latter group described it as “sunscreen flavored” and I see where they’re coming from. This doesn’t strike me as wintery in any way, but maybe they’re going for some kind of wistful “remember how summer feels” thing.

Cons: In my initial coverage of Alani Nu Winter Wonderland, I wrote the following sentence: “I don’t imagine Alani Nu would transparently rip a flavor profile from another company.” This was referring to the idea that Winter Wonderland might try to duplicate a previous Red Bull Winter Edition. Folks? I’ve never been more wrong. Because this isn’t a one-to-one replication of a previous Red Bull Winter Edition—it’s a dupe of a normal Red Bull flavor. Specifically, my favorite year-round Red Bull, the one that comes in a white can: Coconut Berry. No wonder Alani Nu isn’t revealing that the flavor is Coco Berry Bliss, because that’s practically already taken by another energy drink. I’m truly at a crossroads. I like this seasonal Alani Nu flavor quite a bit, but it’s not as good as the energy drink it’s trying to replicate and it’s super off-brand for the season. Would it have been so hard to just do cranberry?

Credit: Liv Averett / Target

Rating:

6.5/10

Sporks

The post We Tried Alani Nu’s New Holiday Flavor: Winter Wonderland appeared first on Sporked.

Could these new Pepperidge Farm cookies achieve a Thin Mints-esque flavor with the texture of a Tate’s? Read on to find out.

The following article contains affiliate links that may generate a small commission to us when you make a purchase through the link. Learn more about how we work with affiliates here.

New Product!

Pepperidge Farm Thin & Crispy Peppermint Cocoa Cookies

Walmart

Pros: These smell like Thin Mints and mint ice cream sandwiches, with a hint of butter. And while they aren’t quite as melt-in-your mouth buttery as Tate’s cookies (iykyk), they have a similar pleasantly crumbly texture. They are fairly salty which is a nice contrast to the sweetness of the chocolate and peppermint chips. The cookie itself isn’t mint flavored other than what it picks up from the light green peppermint chips embedded in it, which remind me of just the green part of an Andes mint. These would be amazing dipped in a mocha or even just a latte, crumbled on vanilla ice cream, or broken up into some form of holiday bark. If you like subtly cocoa-y cookies with mint chips and a crispy, crumbly texture, you will like these.

Cons: For those of you who are peppermint fiends, I should warn you that the peppermint is only in the peppermint chips, not in the cookie itself. All in all, the flavors are pretty subtle, so if you were hoping these would be some double-chocolate-fudge-drizzled-brownie-splosion or that they would be pepperminty on a Peppermint Oreo level, you might be disappointed. Personally, I want to be punched in the taste buds with chocolate and peppermint, but I still enjoyed these. If you are curious, give ‘em a shot before they go away.

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Pepperidge Farm Holiday Exclusive Thin and Crispy Peppermint Cocoa Cookies

Pros: These smell like somewhere between thin mints and mint ice cream sandwiches, with a hint of butter. They have a very crumbly and buttery texture (they do in fact melt in your mouth if you hold it in there for more than 5 seconds), and they taste like mint, cocoa, and have a lovely browned butter note in there as well.  They are fairly salty which is a nice contrast to the sweet. The cookie itself isn’t mint flavored other than what it picks up from the light green peppermint chips embedded in it, which remind me of just the green part of an Andes Candies. These would be amazing dipped in a mocha or even just a latte, crumbled on ice cream, or broken up into some form of holiday bark. If you like subtly cocoa-y cookies with mint chips and a crumbly buttery flavor and texture, you will like these.

Cons: For those of you who are peppermint fiends – the peppermint is just in the chunks. The chocolate flavor on these is very subtly cocoa-y as opposed to capital C Chocolatey, so if you love things to be double chocolate fudge drizzled brownie-splosion, or pepperminty on a Thin Mint/Peppermint Oreo level, these may be too subtle for you in both the chocolate and peppermint departments respectively. But I am one such person who loves high chocolate and peppermint levels and I still enjoyed these, so I say if you are curious, give ‘em a shot.

7.5/10 Sporks

The post We Tried the New Pepperidge Farm Peppermint Cocoa Cookies appeared first on Sporked.