Category: Reviews

As my next tasting adventure, I turned my attention to that ever-popular brand of Tofutti, know by vegans and omnivores alike. As I’m sure you all know, Tofutti has been around for quite some time now and just about everyone has already had their say in countless reviews of their products. Maybe I’m just not “with it” like everyone else, but I had never had anything by Tofutti before, so I figured that the Tofutti Cuties were the right place to start because… Why not?

There is a very impressive list of flavors that the Tofutti Cuties come and so I was disappointed I could only secure four different types. I’m still on the lookout for those Coffee Break ones…

So here was what I thought of the sandwiches that I sampled :

Better Than Cookies ‘n Cream

Very sweet, with a strong vanilla flavor. Even better when allowed to sit out for a couple minutes and become slightly melted, creating an irresistible creamy texture, punctuated with little cookie bits that are just like the larger cookies surrounding the “ice cream.” My only complaint is that if you eat too many of these, the over-enthusiastic sugary notes can become rather cloying, almost to the point of feeling unctuous.

Chocolate

A deep cocoa-y flavor, much less sweet but a more sophisticated taste. A lot better than what I had been expecting, as it was not an overpowering chocolate, but far more delicate and satisfying. The sandwich cookies were a slightly richer chocolate in comparison, but I think that they really did go well together. This is high praise coming from me, because I’m really not a huge fan of many chocolate desserts.

Mint Chocolate Chip

Perhaps my favorite of the whole bunch, bringing a very bright and refreshing mint flavor to the party. Not necessarily sweet, but in my opinion, it really loses nothing from this missing component. An even better treat resides between the two chocolate wafers than in the cookie pieces in the Cookies ‘n Cream; There are whole mini-chocolate chips, delivering a satisfying crunch as opposed to the limp surrounding cookies.

Peanut Butter

Really not peanut buttery at all. I suppose it may have been slightly nutty, but when paired with sandwich cookies, the chocolate flavor completely overshadowed the “ice cream.” In fact, if I hadn’t known in advance that they were supposed to be peanut butter, I probably would have guessed that they were vanilla. It was a great disappointment, as I had expected them to be a rich and intensely flavored tofutti, but they were still creamy, sweet, and tasty nonetheless.

All in all, I found these Tofutti Cutes to be surprisingly tasty, since I hadn’t actually tried vegan ice cream before and wasn’t sure what to expect. I don’t think I would buy the peanut butter or chocolate ones again, but there are so many other flavors, I’m sure I can find many to take their place.

The worst thing about them: They are very messy to eat, so make sure you are in close proximity to a sink and towel when you eat them!

Since I don’t currently have the appropriate facilities to bake or cook at the moment, I’ve decided to instead sample some ready-made vegan goodies and give a brief review for those interested in the instant gratification of purchasing sweets, as opposed to laboring through the work to make them (Although I don’t usually see this as being too difficult in itself…)

So the first item on my must list was the Newman O’s organic oreo-type cookies. They look exactly like classic oreos, with their bright white cream filling enclosed in two distinctive black patterned cookies. The difference, of course, is that not only are they vegan, but they even tout themselves as being all organic and having no trans fats. Additionally, in case you were feeling guilty about purchasing cookies instead of baking your own, you can easily justify this expenditure as they donate millions of dollars to various charities worldwide.

I was only able to secure a package of the Original flavor, but they also make a number of other tasty sounding varieties, such as Chocolate Creme, Mint Creme, and Ginger O’s. I’m still on the look out for the Ginger O’s… If I ever get my hands on them, I’ll be sure to put in my two cents on those, too.

After contemplating the intricate little designs on the top cookie, I separated the layers in order to get a better feel of each and ate them like any eight year old or nostalgic adult. The “creme” filling was delightfully creamy and smooth, with a soft undertone of vanilla. The strongest flavor, however, was definitely the intense sweetness brought on by enough sugar to put a child in a coma, although I suppose oreo fillings and such are generally meant to have that distinct sugar-rush type of characteristic.

I was surprised by how sturdy the cookies were, beyond my normal definition of “crisp.”Clearly a cookie for dunking, it softened to a much more agreeable structure after a few seconds submerged in a tall glass of soymilk. Alone, the cookie portion isn’t something I would be inclined to chow down on, as the cocoa elements fall a bit flat, in my opinion. When eaten together in one bit, the two textures match beautifully together, near polar opposites creating an excellent contrast.

Now, I’ve never reviewed anything before, so I tried to pay close attention to every nuance in flavor as to better serve the vegan public. But don’t just take my word for it; If you’ve never tried Newman O’s go pick some up for yourself! An easy, tasty snack that you’ll probably remember from your childhood, that can once again be enjoyable to the compationate vegan in you.