Birthday Cake Cheerios

 

Product circa: summer 2026

Birthday, get it?  Whether this product is meant to celebrate the USA's semiquincentennial or simply Independence Day in general, it is not called out anywhere on the box, except for the fireworks as part of the design.

I was excited, but I'm not sure why.  I don't think cereal was ever going to taste like cake.  Instead, you had a generalized vanilla frosting flavor added to the Cheerios, with perhaps the sprinkles also being notable.  Not bad at all, to be sure, but it's about as good as any sweetened Cheerios varietal.

Orange Cream Coca-Cola

 

Product circa: 2025

It is my contention that every product should have an orange vanilla version, period.

Anyway, this stuff is good.  Orange, vanilla, and cola are flavors that have always gone well with each other in any combination.  The flavor is strong enough to be noticed here as well, and I would say they struck a good balance.  However, I might say that the older Orange Coca-Cola product would be my preference.

The zero sugar version is a pale comparison to the original; the flavor balance is off, somehow.  I think that vanilla flavoring might specifically struggle with calorie-free sweetener.

Dirty Mountain Dew

 

Product circa: spring 2026

Following the dirty soda trend, Pepsico decided to create its own bottled version.

I wish they hadn't.  Mimicking soda and cream was never going to work in a non-dairy shelf-stable version.  They simply added vanilla "cream soda" flavoring to their Dew, and they added too much.  In the end, the vanilla overpowers the rest of the product, and ultimately this tastes like cream soda, but more tangy and bitter.

Ironically, the zero sugar seems to have less vanilla, and veers further toward balance.  But the sweetener completely ruins the attempt.

Cap'n Crunch's Orange Creampop Crunch

 

Product circa: summer 2025

As soon as I learned of this product's existence, I was able to order some from Walmart's backstock in autumn 2025.  Have YOU ever had orange-flavored cereal before?  I rest my case.

The subtle-but-present orange flavor is there, and it's definitely a unique experience for cereal.  The typical "cereal vanilla" is what dominates most of the experience, but the vanilla and orange combine to get an almost banana-like flavor, which is very welcome.  In the end, this is a like a tropical-tasting cereal, and dare I say, even a refreshing experience.  I'd reach for a box of this once a year, if I had the chance.

Snickers Cinnamon Bun

Product circa: 2021

Fun fact: when it comes to cinnamon buns, the distinct taste we know and love is arguably more about vanilla than actual cinnamon.

Well, Snickers took that tack here.  The only change to this product is that the nougat is more heavily flavored with vanilla, with only the slightest bit of cinnamon flavor.  If you ate this without a wrapper, you might have a hard time knowing it’s not an original Snickers.

Waffles & Syrup Oreo

Product circa: 2017

Fun!

The cookies here have an amped up vanilla plus a little other something that’s hard to detect.  The creme has a bit in the middle that’s flavored with maple sugar/syrup.  It’s a good attempt overall, but unfortunately, my personal tastes come into play, as I don’t love maple.

Neapolitan Oreo

Product circa: 2022

Really glad they decided to put all 3 flavors into each cookie sandwich.  That’s definitely in the spirit of the “big reaches” that Oreo usually pulls off.

This is delicious.  There’s something about all 3 cremes together that really result in something complex.  Add to that the slightly-cinnamon and tons-of-vanilla cookies, and in the end, this is a really special product.  This is one that they should make permanent.  And surprisingly, I'm not too bothered by the overload of creme, here.

Pepsi x Peeps

Product circa: spring 2023

With this insane crossover, Pepsi proves why it's the unmatched with its crazy flavored colas.

This tastes like the old Pepsi Vanilla, but with an added flavor that tastes exactly like the kind of marshmallows you'd find in a cereal.  It's not quite as tasty as the original Pepsi Vanilla, unfortunately. However, I have no idea how they have captured the flavor of cereal marshmallows and applied it to a beverage.  Thankfully, in the years since I first tried this product, I have also tasted that flavor elsewhere in other snacks.  I'm glad to see it's being used more. 

Dr. Pepper Strawberries & Cream

 

Product circa:  2023 and after

Note: This is a presumptive Ephemeral Nom

Not the first Dr. Pepper to have berries or cream added.

Not much to see here.  While vanilla is assuredly in Dr. Pepper’s original mix of flavors, if they added more here, it doesn’t come through with the artificial strawberry.  The strawberry here doesn’t play well with the regular formula.  As always, I applaud the attempt, as well as the numerous recent attempts at other Dr. Pepper variations, but this one misses the mark.

Kit Kat Churro

 

Product circa: 2023

Honestly, this tastes exactly as expected.  A white chocolate Kit Kat with a heavy dose of cinnamon added to it, and also vanilla.  Vanilla and cinnamon seem to be a cheat code to make things taste delicious.  These are utterly fantastic.

Pepsi Wild Cherry & Cream & Zero Sugar

Product circa: 2025

Note: This is a Presumptive Ephemeral Nom

As many brand competitors (in many industries) tend to release similar products to compete at the same time, this release coincides with Coke's Orange & Cream varietal.

As someone who claims that Pepsi Vanilla is his favorite soda of all time, and who also believes that Pepsi Wild Cherry is truly exceptional, I was very excited for this.  Sadly, while this stuff is taste, I think its probably a worse product than either mentioned above.  It is lesser than the sum of its parts.  I think the flavors just get a bit too jumbled.  It might have been possible to blend this in a way that worked better, but maybe not.  The vanilla tastes odd, and the cherry doesn't taste quite like the flavor in Pepsi Wild Cherry.  The Zero Sugar version isn't bad, but I don't taste vanilla at all.

Canada Dry Vanilla Bean Bold

 

Product circa: winter 2022

All the flavors somehow manage to stay separate, here.  The spicy ginger, the vanilla, the tangy citric acid... none of them meld, and the experience overall feels disjointed.  I might like to see what a normal vanilla ginger ale might taste like.

Pop-Tarts Splitz

Product circa: autumn 2018

Surely Pop-Tarts has better ideas than simply mashing products together, right?  Maybe not.

These pastries are bifurcated into two different flavors on each half of the pastry.  Each side is also frosted differently.

The sugar cookie side: Not bad.  It has a doughy, buttery, cake batter vibe.  It tastes like the (obnoxiously named) Printed Fun Pop-Tarts Frosted Sugar Cookie, but not as good.

The brownie batter side: Good, but it doesn't have the "batter" taste, like the other side does (even though the other side really shouldn't).  It's a tasty chocolate Pop-Tart, but it's forgettable.

Each side eaten together: nothing special, certainly not greater than the sum of the parts.

Before we close, I need to share the absolutely hilarious comic panel from the back of this product's box:

Pop-Tarts Splitz:- Good
Original Pop-Tarts S'mores(for comparison):- Great 

Filled Cupcake Oreo

Product circa: 2016

At first glance these seem almost satirical, as Oreo has been known to do.  However, Oreo has also taught me to not judge the cookies by the marketing, and so down my gullet they go!

The first bite would indicate that they don't taste much different than the original chocolate creme Oreo version.  After a cookie or two you finally notice that there's something different with the creme; for me, it somehow had a more noticeable hit of vanilla, maybe?

Anyway, if you open the cookie sandwich and examine the creme, you'll find the center has a whipped cream-like dollop.  The texture is different and it tastes great, but I think you'll lose all that between the thick creme and crunchy cookie.


Filled Cupcake Oreo:- Great

Original Oreo(for comparison):- Great

Thomas' Cinnamon Vanilla English Muffins

In our house we blow through Thomas' low-calorie English muffins, so it isn't often that their seasonal varieties evade my eye in the store.  In fact, Thomas' has had quite a few ephemeral muffins recently that I've failed to review here, due to laziness.  Hopefully they'll be back next winter so I can nab'em.

Here's a food industry secret: you know that smell that surrounds every Cinnabon or Auntie Annie's that you've ever passed?  It's almost always a combination of cinnamon and vanilla.  You'll realize that as you reach for this package in the store or walk by the stuff in your own  house.  The smell is powerful, and it has a large radius of influence.

How does it taste?  Not as good as it smells.  However you prepare them, these muffins will mostly convey cinnamon, but not vanilla.  The cinnamon is strong and earthy, but the vanilla is faint and subdued.  As you take a bite, your nose will pick it up more vanilla than while chewing, because of its aromatic volatility.

In the end, it's really good, but I'm not sure it's better than any other permanent cinnamon muffin from Thomas'.


Thomas' Cinnamon Vanilla English muffins:- Good
Original Thomas' English muffins(for comparison):- Good

Milky Way French Vanilla and Caramel

It's a pleasant surprise seeing Milky Way experiment a bit.  The last time they mixed it up that I can remember was a few years ago when they implemented the now-permanent Milky Way Simply Caramel, which is an incredible product.

Anyway, French vanilla sounded like an interesting angle for a chocolate bar.  Wikipedia tells me that "French vanilla" is distinguished from normal vanilla flavoring by conventionally (not technically) containing a stronger vanilla flavor, or instead a custard flavor, since French ice cream was historically in the style of frozen custard.  For products that do not contain custard, like this one, Wiki says that caramel or butterscotch are sometimes added.

As you sink your teeth in, you can tell that something isn't quite as expected.  The vanilla is indeed strong; a perfume of it fills your mouth as you chew.  As you get further, it becomes clear that something is added to the vanilla nougat to make it feel richer.  My bet is on butter flavoring.  This isn't the first time I've seen butter used as an attempt to mimic other flavors.

In the end, it's just not quite right.  You literally can't taste the caramel or chocolate in each bite, and instead you're left with a mix of vanilla and butter.  I supposed it's not bad for a change, but I can't see myself reaching for one of these ever again.


Milky Way French Vanilla and Caramel:- Passable
Original Milky Way (for comparison):- Good

Pop-Tarts Chocolate Vanilla Creme

Pop-Tarts were introduced in 1964, making 2014 the brand's 50th Anniversary.  They've introduced two limited time flavors for this occasion.

I'll start the first "Birthday Edition" Pop-Tarts review by saying that ephemeral Pop-Tarts are usually pretty remarkable, if not notable, at least.  These buck that trend.  What's worse, this flavor is supposedly a flashback to a successful past variety of Pop-Tarts.  Why they brought these back, I don't know.

The company forgot to put any flavor along with the sugar in this product.  The chocolate pastry is only vaguely reminiscent of chocolate, with plenty of their full-time products hitting a higher mark in this category.  The creme is supposedly vanilla creme, but it doesn't taste like it.  Its sweetness is on par, of course, and if I try hard, I can detect the slightest notes of powdered milk or powdered cream.  That's it.  No vanilla.

Oddly, this product doesn't improve when toasted and warm, like most Pop-Tarts do.  I just don't get what they were trying to do here.


Pop-Tarts Chocolate Vanilla Creme:- Passable
Original Pop-Tarts S'mores(for comparison):- Great

NOMinally Ephemeral: Tootsie Roll Vanilla Midgees

I simply call them "vanilla Tootsie Rolls", and they're my favorite.  I always tend to prefer earthy/herbal flavors over chocolate, and I never was a big fan of the original Tootsie Roll candies.

Unfortunately, Vanilla Midgees are almost never sold by themselves; you can really only find them in bags of mixed Midgees of various flavors.  But Tootsie Roll made the genius decision of offering a limited edition packaging of only Vanilla Midgees for Halloween(look in your local store's Halloween candy aisle).  So fundamentally, this isn't really an ephemeral nom, and instead only NOMinally ephemeral.

Midgees have about the same texture as Tootsie Rolls, with perhaps a bit more softness to the chew.  These are immediately discernible as vanilla at first impression.  The vanilla used in the candy must be of high quality, because its depth of flavor reminds me of the kind imparted by real vanilla beans when used in cooking and baking.  The vanilla evolves into a creamy and buttery experience, thanks to the condensed milk used to make the candy.  Surely a more complex experience than the original Tootsie Roll.

These approach a 4-NOM score.  Nab them while you can.  You can always try to wait for the post-Halloween candy sales, but they might be gone by then.

Tootsie Roll Vanilla Midgees:- Great
Original Tootsie Roll(for comparison):- Good


acquired: CVS Pharmacy

Pop-Tarts Frosted Red Velvet

Many people may not realize it, but red velvet cake is a type of chocolate cake.  More specifically, it is a delicate chocolate cake with a hefty dose of vanilla, traditionally served with cream cheese frosting.  The cake's red color originated from the use of naturally-processed cocoa along with acidic ingredients like vinegar and buttermilk to bring out the cocoa's red anthocyanins.  The resulting earthy color was boosted years later with beet juice and food coloring.  Alton Brown can explain it better than I.

Once again, Pop-Tarts proves that it can make a really mean vanilla pastry.  Vanilla's flavor dominates here, with chocolate only barely detectable, if at all.  It seems that a hefty amount of butter flavoring was used in the pastry's filling, which is an attempt to simulate cream cheese frosting, I imagine.  And, just like a proper red velvet cake, these Pop-Tarts sport an attractive red color with a striking white frosting and filling.

This buttery vanilla effect is quite delicious, especially when toasted.  However, it barely resembles its namesake in flavor.

Pop-Tarts Frosted Red Velvet:- Great
Original Pop-Tarts(Strawberry, for comparison):-Good

Printed Fun Pop-Tarts Frosted Sugar Cookie

Arguably a holiday flavor, Pop-Tarts has rolled out their Sugar Cookie variety for at least the 2nd year in a row.  Perhaps it's simply a wintry flavor and not specifically for the holidays?

Anyway, I'm glad it's back.

Not only are its frosted fronts printed with adorable images, but its flavor and texture rank at the top if its class.  It's yet another vaguely vanilla flavor with perhaps a bit of butter, but it has an added doughy flavor that those cake products are able to achieve.  Along with that, the filling inside is very dense and chewy such that it takes effort to pull a bite away.  It may sound strange, but it's very satisfying.

When toasted, almost everything about it improves.  The sweetness stays the same, the texture softens, while all the flavors intensify, especially the butter.  It's almost like eating a sugar cookie straight out of the oven, and that's not hyperbole.  Incredible.


Printed Fun Pop-Tarts Sugar Cookie: - Outstanding

Original Pop-Tarts (Strawberry, for comparison): - Good