Babish Culinary Universe put a playful spin on pantry nostalgia by tasting more Pop-Tart flavors than anyone reasonably should. This roundup captures his lively, slightly absurd taste-test while keeping the focus practical: quick notes, clear scores, and honest tips for enjoying these sugary pastries. If we’re talking cooking, easy recipes and snack experiments, this is a joyful place to start.
How the tasting worked
The approach was simple and delightfully theatrical: try Pop-Tarts toasted and untoasted, inspect frosting coverage, check filling depth, and then score each flavor for overall enjoyment. A few rules of thumb emerged—warm often improves paste-like fillings, sprinkles add a welcome crunch, and “goo” vs. “paste” has a surprising influence on texture.
Quick verdicts: flavors and scores
Below are concise notes for each Pop-Tart sampled, grouped for easier reading. Scores are on a 1–10 scale (higher = more delightful).
Originals and basics
- Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon — 7: Warmed up it’s straightforward and comforting; about 58% of the pastry is enjoyable.
- Frosted Blueberry — 8: Great frosting coverage, fun sprinkles, and a strong filling that carries the edges.
- Frosted Strawberry — 4 (toasted) / 5 (cold): The filling is weak hot but reads better cold; confusing performance.
- Unfrosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon — 5: Missing the surface sugar crunch, noticeably worse texture.
- Unfrosted Strawberry — 4–5: More jam-like filling but still not a favorite.
Fruit-forward and classic jams
- Frosted Cherry — 3: Too fake and synthetic; a heavy “cherry chapstick” vibe.
- Frosted Raspberry — 7: Pleasantly tart and appealing; reminiscent of favorite jam notes.
- Frosted Lemon Blueberry Crumble — 6: Mostly great blueberry with jarring lemon-extract hits.
- Fantastic Four Blue Raspberry (limited) — 5: Very tart, candy-like, uniquely fun if nostalgia for blue raspberry calls.
Chocolate, cookies, and dessert riffs
- Frosted S'mores — 7: Sugary, cereal-like s'mores vibe; warm is best.
- Cookies & Cream — 8: Surprisingly faithful and excellent when warmed.
- Frosted Hot Fudge Sundae — 5: One-note chocolate-syrup flavor; improved hot but flat.
- Frosted Chocolatey Chip Pancake — 3: Fake maple and muted chocolate—misses the mark.
- Frosted Cinnamon Roll — 8: Gooey, cinnamony, and the crowd favorite—goo matters.
- Brownie Crunch Poppers — 5: Cocoa-puffs nostalgia; not great but nostalgic.
Girl Scout–inspired and seasonal riffs
- Girl Scouts Thin Mints — 5: Minty but not sweet enough; turns slightly toothpastey.
- Girl Scouts Coconut Caramel — 7: Strong coconut notes and fake-but-fun caramel; would like flakes of coconut.
Trend flavors, limited runs, and novelty bites
- Frosted Banana Bread — 2: Banana-powder forward and candy-like; tasted by a surrogate due to allergy.
- No Chill Sugar Cookie — 1: Dry, pasty filling, and bafflingly boring.
- Frosted Strawberry Milkshake — 4: Gooey, chapstick-y strawberry; a downgrade from standard strawberry.
- Frosted Confetti Cupcake — 1–2: Dry paste center with stale sprinkles; underwhelming celebration.
- Strawberry Pastry Bites — 2: Small size concentrates both fake strawberry and shortening notes uncomfortably.
- Crunchy Poppers Strawberry — 7: Great snap, good snack texture; frosting flavor is nostalgic if slightly metallic.
How to get the most from a Pop-Tart
- Toast for warmth — Many fillings improve when warmed; strawberry and banana are exceptions.
- Check frosting coverage — Frosting matters: edge-to-edge coverage and sprinkles make a surprising difference.
- Know your filling — “Goo” vs. “paste” changes mouthfeel; goo usually feels more indulgent.
- Try mini or popper versions — Crunchy poppers are snackable and texturally satisfying compared to full-size pastry missteps.
- Experiment responsibly — Don’t blend an entire box into a smoothie unless you want a sensory overload (the creator tried it; it was intense).
"You need the goo. Give me the goo, give me the goo, Lord, give me the goo." — a cheerful motto for goo-lovers everywhere.
Final thoughts
Babish’s tasting is a reminder that simple snacks can be great fodder for playful food experiments. For anyone interested in cooking, easy recipes or snack-level creativity, these Pop-Tart notes offer guidance: pick blueberry or cinnamon roll for comfort, cookies & cream for dessert vibes, and avoid sugar-cookie no-chill disasters. Above all, have fun—taste, toast, and maybe try one in a whimsical recipe experiment, but perhaps leave the full-flavor smoothie to the very brave.
This article was created from the video I Tried Every Pop Tart with the help of AI.
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