Today, Kevin and I are diving into some intriguing snacks from Zany Bites. We’re trying four unique flavors: Chocolate Double Dip, Cinnamon Churro, Pizza Zingers, and Taco Blast. Each pack costs $1.79 at Big Lots and weighs 1.75 ounces (50 grams).
These snacks, made in Pakistan, aim to revolutionize clean snacking with real, simple ingredients. Their tagline promises a break from the ordinary with bold and fun flavors. Zany Bites emphasizes guilt-free snacking, using artisan-baked rice and avoiding artificial flavorings, preservatives, and chemicals.
Chocolate Double Dip
The ingredients include rice, cocoa, brown sugar, and sunflower or canola oil. Each serving is 35 calories, with five servings per bag. The snack is GMO-free, gluten-free, nut-free, vegetarian, soy-free, egg-free, and sustainable.
The texture of these bites is soft and puffy, unlike the harder texture of traditional rice cakes. The chocolate flavor isn’t very sweet and tastes primarily of rice and cocoa, giving a slightly burnt flavor. While Kevin finds the cocoa flavor too mild, I appreciate the low-calorie aspect, making it a decent option for those looking to indulge without guilt.
Cinnamon Churro
With the same base ingredients as the chocolate version, this flavor substitutes cocoa for cinnamon. Again, each serving is 35 calories. Kevin finds the pure cinnamon flavor overpowering and unsweetened, while I enjoy the light sweetness and bold cinnamon taste. This snack is perfect for those who enjoy cinnamon without a lot of added sugar.
Pizza Zingers
This flavor adds tomato, cayenne pepper, paprika, oregano, garlic, and salt to the base ingredients. The initial tomato flavor is strong, reminiscent of tomato soup, followed by a punch of spices. The oregano is quite dominant, making the flavor less appealing to us as it doesn't quite capture the essence of pizza. The spice level is moderate, making it less suitable for those sensitive to heat.
Taco Blast
This variant includes paprika, red chili, pink salt, onion, garlic, black pepper, cumin, and coriander. The initial taste is pleasant, but the heat quickly becomes overwhelming, dominating the other flavors. The intense spiciness might appeal to those who enjoy very hot snacks, but it’s too much for our taste.
Final Thoughts
Out of the four, the Cinnamon Churro stands out as my favorite due to its balance of flavor and low-calorie content. Kevin prefers traditional rice cakes for their sweetness. The Pizza Zingers and Taco Blast flavors are too spicy for our liking, but they might suit those who crave a hot snack.
Zany Bites offers a unique take on rice snacks with their clean ingredients and bold flavors. While not all flavors were hits for us, the brand’s innovative approach is commendable. If you're a fan of rice cakes and looking for something new, the sweet variants are worth a try. For spice lovers, the Taco Blast might be a fiery favorite. Check out more at www.zybites.com and join the clean snacking revolution!
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