Kotas Reviews Peppermint Bark Chex Muddy Buddies

We're still in Yearly Catch Up mode here at Kotas Reviews, and probably will be for some time, given the size of my back log. I'm sure I'll trim out some of it as uninteresting, but until then, onward and..uh...forward? Anyway, we're back with more Muddy Buddies: Peppermint Bark Muddy Buddies!

Forgive me, for I exist.

My biggest complaint? That the green circle on the packaging in no way matches the color of the Snickerdoodle package. I think they missed a real opportunity here in complimentary packaging. I also wonder, why neon green rather than a slightly less eyeblazingly bright green? Maybe the peppermint bark didn't show up as well against it? Eh, I think too much. This is pretty much the same package as the previous Muddy Buddies, but with different pictures and colors. I wasn't impressed then, and I ain't impressed now, but it's not bad, just sort of blah. So, what about the flavor?

Let's take a step back. I have varying feelings about peppermint bark. I do love me some peppermint candy, but I am not nearly as big a fan of white chocolate, and peppermint added to white chocolate does not provide additional flavor thrills. The type of bark that includes dark chocolate however, I enjoy that very much. Given that these are Muddy Buddies, which traditionally have some chocolate components, I expected these to taste more like the better kind of peppermint bark. Unfortunately, the picture on the package disabuses me of that notion. Still, I hold out hope.

Same Chex, Different Dust

Well, color me not surprised. It's Chex with a pile of flavor dust on it, much like the previous installment. Kinda phoning it in with the holiday flavors here, aren't we General Mills? Still, looks aren't the most important part of a snack food. The scent is pepperminty, which is fine given that most peppermint bark smells the same way. The flavor is...also pepperminty, and that's about it. It doesn't compliment the Chex nearly as well as the Snickerdoodle flavor did, but it's still sweet, crunchy and pepperminty. Not sure how the "bark" part comes in, as this could have just been called "Peppermint", but marketing is often baffling to me.

On the FACE Rating System, this gets 0 Faces. I don't hate them. I don't like them. They are "okay". Perhaps a bit of a novelty, but nothing like the peppermint bark I would want to eat. If you are offered some, or find some for cheap, give it a try, but I wouldn't make any sort of effort to get them unless you are some sort of crazed peppermint fan who simply MUST have all things Peppermint AND you just HAVE to have Chex Mix Muddy Buddies. A rare combo indeed!

Kotas Reviews Snickerdoodle Muddy Buddies

Ah, it's great to be back. After a long winter's nap, the new year began, and so ushers in a new year at Kotas Reviews Everything! So of course I'm just going through my backlog of holiday stuff. Let's dive in, shall we? 

Chex is an incredibly versatile snack food. There are a ton of flavors (Corn, Wheat, Rice, Frosted, Honey Nut, Chocolate, Cinnamon, Vanilla, Tarter Control...), it's good dry or with milk, and it is the springboard from which two glorious snack lineages spring: Chex Mix and Chex Muddy Buddies. Both of these lines were originally simply recipes that promoted their base product, but have since evolved in to true product lines of their own. Today we look at a holiday themed one: Chex Muddy Buddies Snickerdoodle Flavor.

Because Christmas, I guess.

Snickerdoodle cookies are a personal favorite. Cinnamon, sugar, and a name that sounds like a dirty word but isn't, snickerdoodles are about the perfect cookie for me that doesn't somehow contain chocolate. I've also been a huge fan of Chex over the years, particularly Corn Chex. Naturally, I just had to try this, even if it was in "Muddy Buddy" format. The packaging is sort of underwhelming, with some vague Winter decorations, the product itself, and a small, out of place looking red circle with some pictures of the titular cookies. Underwhelming, but acceptable. Let's open the bag!

Uh, sure. That's fine I suppose.

She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, at least scent wise. It smells EXACTLY like Snickerdoodles, particularly grocery store bakery snicker doodles. They look about what I expected them to look like: Chex with a heaping helping of flavor dust on them. I expected a bit more, maybe some kind of filling, given these are Muddy Buddies, which normally have chocolate and peanut butter in them (hence the name). These? These are more like Dusty Buddies, but I suppose the name isn't as marketable. But of course, you are all wondering...how do they taste?

Well, they taste exactly as they look: Like Corn Chex covered in cinnamon and powdered sugar in vast quantity. It is very reminiscent of snicker doodles, so props to them for that, but these could have been labeled "Cinnamon Sugar Muddy Buddies" and I would feel the same. The whole point of a snicker doodle is the look of the cookie, with the cinnamon on top of a cracked surface. The name comes from the look, not the taste! Eh, they are still fine, just an odd aesthetic marketing choice in my opinion.

On the FACE Rating System, these garner 0 smiley faces. They are fine, for the most part, but I wouldn't particularly seek them out again. My main problem is that they seem to be trying to be things they are not: Snicker Doodles (Nope), Muddy Buddies (Nope), Holiday Treats (Double Nope), and predictably fail at each turn. The final product though, is decent. So, maybe try them if you are offered them, or just need more cinnamon sugar in your life.