Oreo Thins

Oreo's have forever been one of my all time favorite packaged cookies - more specifically the classic original chocolate cookie, vanilla cream Oreo's have been my number one stunner. So, needless to say when I saw Oreo's came out with a thinner version of their cookies I was on board. Deciding to give it a whirl, I picked up a package of the classic Oreo Thins.

The cookies themselves are truly your classic Oreo ... just thinner. The cookie itself is crispy, chocolatey and just perfect. It's paired along the classic vanilla cream providing a thinner, delicious Oreo exploration. Truthfully ... these are hands down one of my all time new favorite Oreo's. I think I really like these more than the classic Oreo's which have forever had a piece of my heart. Even my mother, who isn't the biggest Oreo fan, prefers the Thins over the original any day of the week.

The crispiness of the cookie, and the fact that you can have 4 (compared to the normal 2) even though these are smaller is a win-win. I've only heard great things about the other two varieties that are available: golden and mint ... so I'll probably dabble in those sooner than later to see what all the fuss is about.

A serving, 4 cookies, is 140 calories or 4 points plus values.

Fruit Dips - Just Ripe Banana

I have seen the Fruit Dips - Just Ripe Banana over and over again at my local grocery store but had yet to pick them up until I was in the mood for something along the lines of ice cream. I'm a banana dessert junkie so I decided I just had to give these a shot. Particularly after my coworker turned me onto frozen banana slices topped with nutella (sorry for that tidbit).

The box describes the frozen dessert as a "premium frozen fruit bars dipped in rich chocolate coating." They're smaller in size, but big enough to be satisfying and satisfy that sweet tooth. The bar itself is made of mashed up frozen bananas which are frozen to a stick. It's then coated in a thin layer of chocolate which help bring fourth the banana flavor and natural sweetness of the fruit. It's the right amount of sweetness to be a suitable dessert and satisfying enough when you want something cold to cool you down. I found it to be quite enjoyable - more so than the chocolate covered frozen bananas they sell in the grocery store and at local fairs.

These are sold in a number of different flavors. Just to name a few: strawberry, coconut, and they're also sold with a Greek yogurt topping instead of the chocolate.

A serving, 1 pop, is 92 calories or 2 points plus values.

Pillsbury Strawberry Banana Muffins

Being the coffee lover I am, I tend to order more of the "adventurous" flavored coffees at my local coffee spot. One of my absolute favorites is the strawberry banana coffee - which is a mixture of strawberry flavored coffee and banana coffee (flavored beans, not syrups). Chatting with my boyfriend one afternoon, he had mentioned that he'd love to try a strawberry banana muffin ... and that's when the light bulb over my head lit up.

I have made banana breads with roasted strawberries in them, so I imagined it wouldn't be too difficult to make some. It just happened that I was buying ripe bananas to make a banana bread to give to my dad for his birthday. Since I had extra bananas I looked for a muffin recipe online and stumbled upon one from Pillsbury ... and that's when the Strawberry Banana Muffins came to life (and a double batch at that!).

Whipping the batter up was a breeze, baking was a breeze and consuming was a breeze. I made enough to send some home with my boyfriend, to share with family and to bring some in to share with my coworkers. They had the classic chewiness that comes with muffins, but it had that banana bread flare. The fresh strawberries running throughout the batter was a nice twist. Overall these muffins were a total hit and everyone that had one (or two, or three) enjoyed them immensely.

Each muffin is 210 calories or 6 points plus values.

You can find the recipe here on the Pillsbury website.

Lemon Twist Oreo's

One evening at a local grocery store, I stumbled across Lemon Twist Oreo's. I was on the fence as to if I wanted to try them because I had tried the Lemon Golden Oreo's and completely loved them ... but I was more concerned about the chocolate cookies hell mixing with a lemon cream center.

Let me say this ... don't let contemplating mixing lemon and chocolate together stop you because this isn't a horrendous experience!

Fortunately any concern I had was short lived because these are quite good. I'd coin these as the chocolate daddy to the lemon Oreo. There is certainly a lemon flavor to these, but it's very light and rather refreshing. The chocolate cookie itself helps cut back at the lemony zip making it a unique and refreshing flavor category. The lemon pop isn't as in-your-face as it is with the Golden Lemon Oreo's, but these certainly stand on their own.

Overall, I'd say these are pretty fabulous and worth the shot.

A serving, 2 cookies, is 140 calories or 4 points plus values.

Trader Joe's Speculoos Cookie Butter Cheesecake

I purchased this Trader Joe's Speculoos Cookie Butter Cheesecake in December and popped it into the freezer. The idea was to have it around the holidays ... but with all the craziness that comes with the holiday hustle and bustle the cheesecake sat in the freezer untouched. For Easter I decided to opt out of making a dessert and serving this up to my family. 

 

The cheesecake is sold frozen and the directions state to defrost in the refrigerator or defrost at room temperature. The defrost times vary depending on the method you choose. This is your classic cheesecake, with a unique twist - added cookie butter on top. The crust if a crumbly, yet firm graham cracker crust, the cheesecake layer is smooth and creamy and the cookie butter smeared on top gives the whole dish a sweet, ginger snap flavor. It is sweet, but not as sweet as say a turtle cheesecake.  A single serving of cheesecake is definitely enough to satisfy ones sweet tooth.

 

Overall it was a smash hit for our holiday dessert - everyone that had a piece was equally pleased with how scrumptious is was.

 

Just in case you are a little bummed this isn't sold in stores at the present time, have no fear, Trader Joe's has mini bite versions of this available in the freezer section. They're basically the same thing, just cut into square miniature bites instead of served as a whole cheesecake.

 

A serving, 1/6th of the cheesecake, is 410 calories or 11 points plus values.

Trader Joe's OH Danish Kringle - Pecan Kringle

On one of my last trips through Trader Joe's I saw they had kringles available and I nearly clicked my heels together with delight. Wondering what flavor it was ... I was awed when I saw it was the Trader Joe's OH Danish Kringle - Pecan Kringle. This was the third kringle I've tried (pumpkin caramel and almond being the other two) so I knew this one could swing either way ... either straight out of the park or it'd be third strike you're out.

The kringle is your classic Danish dessert which is a large round ring of flaky pastry crust which has a filling in the middle. The top layer of pasty crust is then covered in a moderately thick layer of icing - giving it the "icing on the cake" vibe. This particular kringles filling is a thick brown sugar cinnamon filling, which isn't very sweet, which is then riddled with pieces of pecans all throughout the filling. It definitely isn't shy of pecans, which is appreciated.

Flavor wise, this reminds me of homemade pecan danish rings. There used to be a bakery in my area that made them fresh every morning and the flavor of this brought me back in time for a moment. Ideally they're two different desserts, but they're similar and the flavor is there. This in a way throws a nod towards pecan pie, but only if you cut the sweetness of pecan pie by two-thirds. The kringle is sweet, but certainly not sickeningly so ... but I do find the 1 serving is more than enough to satisfy my sweet tooth.

A serving, 1/12th of the danish, is 230 calories or 5 points plus values.

Oreo's Candy Cane (Mini)

I stumbled upon this photo in my archive and realized I never shared this review ... so better late than never!

 

For the winter months, Oreo released a peppermint flavored cookie. Initially, in my area, the Oreo Candy Cane cookies were only available in the miniature family size serving boxes ... but I have now seen them for sale at my local grocery store in your normal packaging.

 

The Oreo's are your classic chocolate cookie, which is filled with a red colored candy cane (or peppermint) flavored cream. The candy cane flavoring is not overwhelming, it adds a bit of pizzazz in each bite, but I find the chocolate cookie helps keep the flavor categories in control. The cookies are sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. Overall, they are quite enjoyable, although I do find the candy cane/ peppermint flavor does keep one from overeating a serving. They're enjoyable enough that a picky toddler even enjoyed them ... so two thumbs up, especially for a "festive" seasonale cookie.

 

A serving, 9 mini cookies (or if you have the regular packaged cookies, a serving is 2 cookies), is 140 calories or 4 points plus values.

Trader Joe's Milk Chocolate Jumbles

When I spotted the Trader Joe's Milk Chocolate Jumbles I was intrigued. They reminded me of pecan turtles ... and since I'm a big fan of Trader Joe's chocolate I decided to give them a whirl.

According to the packaging the candy is a a concoction of "crunchy pecans & toasted quinoa with soft & buttery caramel enrobed in chocolate and topped with Himalayan pink sea salt."  The candy has that classic pecan turtle crunch and softness to it, but this caramel is a lot softer and chewier. The mixture of both chocolate and caramel is a lovely combination, that doesn't cross the bridge into overwhelmingly sweet. The pecan and toasted quinoa create a lovely texture with the caramel. It gives a bit of a chewy crunch to it ... similar to something you'd get with say, broken up rice krispies with caramel. It's definitely a unique texture. The Himalayan pink sea salt is a wonderful addition because it cuts the flavors and gives the taste buds a little pizazz.

Overall, these are completely delicious. I'm a big fan as have been the folks I've shared these with. They're definitely a unique take on making a "healthier" chocolate. These get a raving two thumbs up all around.

A serving, 3 jumbles, is 140 calories or 4 points plus values.

3 2 1 Cake

It's been years since I made mug cake ... or what's better known as "3, 2, 1 Cake". In the Weight Watcher world this is a little ingenious recipe to have portion size dessert on hand, whenever the mood may seem fit. The greatest part is you can tailor it to your mood/craving depending on what you decide to mix together. For instance you could swap out the flavors cake mix for anything ...chocolate, strawberry, lemon, etc. The possibilities are quite endless.

All you need is 1 box of Angel food cake and 1 box of cake mix (any flavor of your choice).

 

Mix the two together and store in an airtight container.  When you want to make yourself a cake (single serving) all you need to mix together are:

 

* 3 tbsp cake mix (this is the combined cake mix)

* 2 tbsp water

* stir together and cook in the microwave for 1 minute

 

Typically, I like to spray the inside of my mug with a little non-stick cooking spray (just to make the clean up easier) and then add in my cake mix and water. You can either eat the cake straight out of the mug, or you can add it onto a plate and top it with some fruit, whipped cream, etc.  The world is your pickle and it'll satisfy any flavor you're looking for in the moment.

 

This particular cake is 3 points plus per serving (but the points can be 2 points plus depending on the type of cake mix used).

Trader Joe's Chocolate Mousse Eggs

An upcoming holiday can only mean one thing in the "bakery" section of Trader Joe's ... that is unique little desserts for the holiday. On one of my last trips to the store, I spotted and picked up a package of the Trader Joe's Chocolate Mousse Eggs. They were simply adorable and I figured it could be a nice little treat with a cup of tea/coffee.

 

The cakes are small ... a little bigger than a mini cupcake and come 6 per pack. The cakes are egg shaped and the tops and sides are coated in a thinner layer of chocolate. The tops of the egg cakes are little drizzled icing to give the appearance of colorful Easter eggs.  The cake layer is moist, the mousse is a rich delicate chocolate mousse and the chocolate is a smooth milk chocolate. Together, it's light, satisfying and a good dose of chocolate. They're not overly sweet, but I found them to be just right.

 

They had a refreshing quality to them, which is weird to say, but I want to say it was due to the fact it's just a very light dessert. I could have one and was satisfied.  I gave one to my niece when she stayed over and she enjoyed the cake, eating the whole thing. So, they're kid approved (but really, what child doesn't enjoy chocolate ... or cake?).

 

A serving, 1 egg, is 100 calories or 3 points plus values.

Trader Joe's Mini Hold the Cone! Chocolate Ice Cream Cones

Since I was such a fan of the vanilla version I of course had to give the Trader Joe's Mini Hold the Cone! Chocolate Ice Cream Cones a shot. Admittedly chocolate ice cream isn't my favorite, but sometimes I want a different flavor of something as a treat.

Hold the Cones are miniature ice cream cones which are great for when you want something small, sweet and refreshing but you don’t want whole lot of something. They’re perfect because they not only taste delicious but they’re also adorable and miniature. I find they give you the right amount of everything. A few bites of ice cream, a few bites of chocolate coating, and a few bites of a delicious crunchy yet chewy ice cream cone.

The ice cream itself is good quality chocolate ice cream. It's creamy, it's chocolaty but it's not overwhelming. The chocolate coating on the top of the ice cream balances well with the chocolate ice cream. The coating being a dark chocolate so the two pair perfectly without being overly sweet. They're a great treat which is guiltless.

A serving, 1 cone, is 70 calories or 2 points plus OR you can have 2 ice cream cones for 140 calories or 3 points plus.

Yoplait Greek 100 Calorie Whips! Tropical

I have evidently been on a mission to try all of the new Greek Whips that appeal to my taste buds. One of those was the Yoplait Greek 100 Calorie Whips! Tropical. The tropical Greek yogurt is one of my favorites so I figured a whipped version would be perfect ... and it truly did not let me down!

 

As I've mentioned in a previous review the texture of this yogurt is a far cry from your average Greek yogurt. It's not thick, heavy, or "wet" in consistency. It's light, airy and has a mousse texture to it. It's flavored well, giving a jam packed 9 grams of protein, while also remaining light and airy at the same time. Definitely a different twist on a yogurt which can make for a refreshing dessert or snack option.  I have seen some people using this as a cream between graham crackers - kind of a nod to the old school Weight Watchers cool whip "ice cream sandwiches."

 

The flavor of this is very much tropical. There's hints of mango and pineapple which give it a very sweet, refreshing "tropical" vibe. It's very much reminiscent of its Greek yogurt variety, which is enjoyable because now depending on whichever texture I'm looking for I can reach for one or the other.

 

A serving is 100 calories or 2 points plus values.

Trader Joe's Mini Cafe Twists

I had heard great things about the Trader Joe's Mini Cafe Twists so while at the store I made sure to pick up a container to give a try. I'm a huge fan of cafe twists ... there's a brand my local grocery store sells that's pretty tasty and uniquely sold in a variety of different flavors. Flavor options aside, the Trader Joe's variety is your standard cafe twist with no unique or interesting flavor categories.

 

The treat is dairy free containing no butter, eggs, yeast and are low sodium. There isn't much to them, the ingredients being simply unbleached wheat flour, soybean oil, palm oil, beet sugar, cinnamon and salt. If you don't have a Trader Joe's in your area, these are essentially the Barry's Bakery Original French Twists just re-packaged (which are sold in plastic containers, similar to the one pictured, or in bags).

 

The twists are a puff pastry dessert which is a combination of crispy, crunchy and slightly sweet with a cinnamon flavoring. The crisps are perfect on their own, or alongside a nice cup of coffee/tea. They serve the cure for crunch, sweet and a dessert ... it's a hybrid between a cookie and a dessert. I find them to be satisfying while not being something that can turn into a trigger. Even though they're described as mini the twists are pretty decent in size (about a fingers length in size, if not a tad bigger).

 

A serving, 4 twists, is 120 calories or 3 points plus values.

Kellogg's Special K Brownies - Heavenly Caramel

When I spotted the Kellogg's Special K Brownies - Heavenly Caramel in the grocery store I didn't hesitate to pick up a box. I checked over the nutrition label and popped the box into my cart. On the contrary I wish I actually read the box because I would have had somewhat of an idea regarding the size of the brownies.

 

Taking a package out of the box, my thought immediately went to "are you for real?"  The key piece of information on the box that I missed is the fact that there were 7 brownies in the box.  Seven ... and the box isn't all that big! The individually packaged brownies are SO small ... more along the lines of a small York peppermint patty. Taking the brownie out of the packaging, they're small little thin squares which have a drizzle of chocolate over them with little caramel chips running throughout the brownie batter.

 

Taste wise, they're good, they give you that bit of chocolate while not truly noticing the caramel flavoring. But the fact that they're so small makes them slightly unappealing. Ideally Fiber One brownies are larger than these (roughly by 2/3's the size). Granted these aren't a loaded with fiber brownie so it won't upset any tummies. But they are small and may not necessarily cure the brownie hunger.

 

Overall, they're not bad ... but for the sheer size alone, I'd probably take my snacking to another route for an extra few calories/points plus values.

 

A serving is 80 calories or 2 points plus values.

Trader Joe's Maple Walnut Blondies

I have seen the Trader Joe's Maple Walnut Blondies time and time again ... but I've refrained from purchasing them because I could only imagine how delicious they'd be. Of course I was shopping with my mother at the time, who saw them and wanted to try them ... so they ended up in the grocery cart.  I figured since there was another party who wanted them it would be less temptation since I wouldn't be the only one eating them.

 

I'm a brownie fan to the core, but blondies are one of those treats I usually only have if another person makes them. Not sure why, but it's always been that way.

 

Opening the package up and taking out a blondie you can immediately notice the moistness to them. They're firm but softer in texture, the maple is undoubtedly noticeable and the walnuts give it a slight crunch to balance off the whole textural experience. They are sweet ... sweet enough that I found I could easily share a brownie with another party and feel satisfied. But they're also sweet enough that if you don't have someone to share them with you can eat the whole thing before you realize it.

 

They're undoubtedly delicious and a perfect sweet snack to cure any sweet tooth. If you really like maple flavor and you love brownies .. then you'd undoubtedly love these. If you're not a fan of maple ... steer clear because it doesn't lack in the maple goodness department.

A blondie is 290 calories or 8 points plus values.

Glenny's 100 Calorie Peanut Butter Brownies

I discovered the Glenny's brand of snacks when the vending machine company brought in some "healthy treats" as samples. One of the samples was the Glenny's chocolate chip brownie. Interested in the brand I decided to purchase a box online since I could not find them in stores. Since the original was delicious I figure the peanut butter would be even better .. so I ordered a box of the Glenny's 100 Calorie Peanut Butter Brownies.

Now, brownies are one of those dessert foods that I love. There's nothing better than that chocolatey, fudgy deliciousness. The only downside is that a serving size is rather small for the jam packed amount of calories/points plus values in them.  What I like the most about these brownies is that they're individually wrapped, they're a perfect size (larger than your average brownie serving) and are jam packed with flavor. The brownies have an element of fudginess to them while the little peanut butter morsels running throughout it give you that smooth peanut butter flavor.

They are perfect as a little snack on their own ... while they'd pair perfectly with some whipped cream and fresh fruit, or even some light ice cream/frozen yogurt for a little healthier take in a brownie sundae. They're perfect because they suit the chocolate fix while also cure the snacky craving.

A package is a serving, which is 100 calories or 2 points plus values.

Trader Joe's Petite Fig, Pear and Cranberry Tart

I admit ... any time I go to Trader Joe's I scope out the fresh desserts table. You know ... to see if anything will perhaps catch my eye. Typically something does, which results in me looking at the nutrition label and deciding whether it's worth it or not. I picked up the Trader Joe's Petite Fig, Pear and Cranberry Tart gave it a once over, checked the nutrition label and decided to give it a try.

 

With cranberries being the thing for the winter season it appeared intriguing. The tart looked fluffy, flaky and delicious. The top had what appeared to be a crumble topping. Cutting the tart into thirds I was concerned once I pulled a slice off the tray. The middle of the tart appeared to not be cooked all the way through. Well, it was either that or the fruit just made the middle of the tart soggy, stringy and unappealing.  I took my knife and cut all around the middle of the tart to dispose of the middle.

 

The outer half of the tart was alright ... really on the plain side of flavor. It wasn't truly buttery, it had more of a croissant texture to it, while it was more tart than sweet and was mediocre all around. Nothing to brag about while nothing worth eating. Sadly, the remainder of the tart found a permanent home in the garbage bin.

 

Better luck next time?

A serving, 1/3 of the tart, is 290 calories or 8 points plus values.

Trader Joe's OH Almond Kringle

After a trip to Trader Joe's one afternoon I was hoping to pick up another pumpkin caramel kringle but to my surprise they were all sold out. But they did have the Trader Joe's OH Almond Kringle available ... so I decided to pick it up to give it a try. I mean, after all, I do tend to enjoy almond desserts.

The kringle was shaped exactly as the pumpkin caramel, in an oval shape which had a thin layer of icing over the top of the kringle. The dessert was that classic, flaky crust and the inside was smeared with an almond flavoring. It wasn't truly along the lines of a filling, but it looked like almond paste may have been included with the flaky layers and layered together. It was along the lines of a dense, packed consistency which had a little bit of moisture to it.

Flavor wise I wasn't truly that impressed. The pumpkin caramel kringle was phenomenal and I found the almond kringle to be overly sweet and rather lackluster. It wasn't "wowing" and it wasn't utterly delicious. I found it to be too sweet to truly enjoy.

Like they say, you win some ... lose some ... and this was a loss.

A serving, 1/12th of the dessert, is 190 calories or 5 points plus values.

Glenny's 100 Calorie Chocolate Chip Brownie

One morning the gentleman who replenishes the vending machine at work came in and left some "healthy treats" on the table for my coworkers and I to sample. There weren't very many items but the one that caught my eye was the Glenny's 100 Calorie Chocolate Chip Brownie. I took a quick glance at the nutrition facts and brought the package back to my desk to tuck away in my desk.

 

After needing an afternoon pick-me-up I decided to open the brownie to have a snack. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised ... the brownie was pretty big, far larger than a serving if I were to make boxed brownies. The brownies texture is a mix between cake and fudgy and had chocolate chips running throughout the dessert. For only 100 calories it was perfection - chocolatey, tasty and pretty satisfying.

 

For being pretty packed with fiber (7g) and protein (4g) they definitely do not have that fiber taste that can be found in some Fiber One products. These aren't hard on the stomach, haven't made me feel bloated or uncomfortable. They're delicious straight out of the package, while I also find them to be a perfect addition to a dessert to make it feel a little "sinful". Brownie sundae anyone?!

 

A package is a serving, which is 100 calories or 2 points plus values.

Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pie Mochi Ice Cream

Admittedly, when I first saw the Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pie Mochi Ice Cream it was intriguing (because I'm a sucker for pumpkin anything) but also slightly daunting. I've tried mochi before and with texture issues I didn't enjoy the strawberry flavor. Figuring I'd give it a shot after hearing how good they were, I popped a box in my shopping cart and went home with them.

 

The dessert is shaped like a round ball, which has a smooth, dry -- almost play-doh feel to it. It's dusted with what looks like flour. The mochi shell is chewy in texture, slightly gummy and doesn't have much of a flavor to it. It's rather on the plain side and seems to be odd or foreign even. The ice cream inside the mochi is where it's at. It's a smooth, creamy, pumpkin pie ice cream which tastes exactly like pumpkin pie. It really packs a punch and left the pumpkin lover within satisfied. Together it's a unique and pretty delicious treat.

 

1 mochi is a serving, which is 100 calories or 3 points plus values.