First of all, I want to be clear that this review is, in no way, a paid placement or advertisement. There are no affiliate links provided in this review. This is all an honest, unbiased opinion, and the review was done just for fun.
If you're a big Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan, or even just a bit obsessed with 90s nostalgia in general, there's a good chance you're familiar with this holy grail of snack food lore. In 1991, Hostess introduced the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pies for a mere twenty-week period, delighting any kid lucky enough to try one with it's green icing-glazed deep fried outer pie crust housing a creamy vanilla pudding. There are similar fruit pies still crowding convenience store shelves to this day, but none of them have packed quite the same punch to the young-at-heart that these did in a seriously short period of time some 30+ years ago.
A nut butter company in Florida called Nutty and Nostalgic has tackled the often-requested reintroductions of several extinct snacks from the 1990s, with Turtles Pies being one of them. They've re-branded this familiar treat as Nostalgic Dessert Cowabunga Pies. And, while they've done an overall great job of resurrecting the original, there are some marked differences between the two.
The first and most obvious change is the fact that Cowabunga Pies aren't pies, and they aren't in any form even closely resembling any type of pie. In fact, it's a jar full of a cashew butter based concoction. That's not to say it isn't delicious, but it's a point that need be made very clear, which Nutty and Nostalgic do.
Cowabunga Pies don't contain pudding, either. Instead, they've opted to flavor the cashew butter base with a vanilla flavoring. While, it's fairly obvious that it's not pudding, it's not so obvious that what you're enjoying is a nut butter. That's presumably because, in this instance, they've added palm shortening and a few other ingredients. The result is a decadent and creamy "filling."
The jar consists mostly of the 'Vanilla Pudding Power Nutty Fluff,' as they call it, with a top and bottom layer of 'Green Glazed Pie Chips.' While I can't confirm that they are the same exact taste or consistency as the Hostess pie 'crust,' I can absolutely report that they are delicious. The added crunch in these little bits that are missing from its Hostess counterpart are a welcomed difference, here.
I unboxed this in the presence of my very picky eater of a ten year old, who was immediately intrigued by both the packaging and my quick explanation of what we were looking at and why it exists. We opened the jar, and peeled back the seal, to be greeted with a pleasantly sweet aroma that begged my son to throw his reservations aside for a momentary taste. He promptly rolled his eyes back in his head while muttering something incomprehensible about how good it was. He then quickly went in for another spoonful before I looked at the nutritional info and made a quick decision to tell him we would have to take it easy on this treat.
For the record, my reaction was not too far removed from my son's. It really is an unbelievably satisfying spoonful of sweet nostalgic magic. And, despite a fairly steep price tag ($17.89 shipped after a 10% coupon code,) once that delectable serving hit my tastebuds, it all seemed like a worthwhile purchase.
THE VERDICT:
Is it a faithful recreation of the original? No. And, even if it were in its original pie form with the period-correct ingredients, would I be able to judge it in its relation to the taste of the original? Also no. I can't say that I have or have not ever had the original Turtles Pies, and I'm honestly a bit skeptical of anyone who can claim with absolute certainty that they can accurately remember whether they had one or not. I'm even more skeptical of anyone that claims they can remember the taste of them enough to compare the two products on any meaningful level. But, that's another argument for another time.
What we DO have in Nutty and Nostalgic's Cowabunga Pie is a seriously satisfying shelf-stable snack, in a resealable container adorned in TMNT-themed packaging, that's sure to transport you back to a simpler time, place, or age.
Kid and adult approved and recommended.