There's a seemingly endless array of Oreo flavors out there already, but last summer, Oreo asked fans for more suggestions. Legions of Oreo lovers submitted their flavor ideas to the #MyOreoCreation contest and now, finally, the top three flavors are in stores.
Flavor ideas submitted through the #MyOreoCreation contest had to be tested, tasted and reviewed before making it to the final round. (Wouldn't you like to have that job?) Ultimately, Oreo decided on three finalists: Piña Colada, Cherry Coke, and Kettle Corn. Starting April 30, these limited edition flavors will be in stores nationwide, so you can try them out for yourself and vote for a winner.
With the help of some friends, I recently had the chance to give the flavors a taste test. Here’s what you need to know about each one before running to the grocery store.
Piña Colada
The Piña Colada flavor is actually in the the style of an Oreo Thin, which is thinner and crisper than a regular Oreo (aka less creme). The flavor is designed after the classic cocktail that combines rum, coconut cream, and pineapple juice, but there's no alcohol in these cookies. I made friends try these without knowing the flavor name, and the guesses were pretty spot on: coconut, mango smoothie, and yes, piña colada.
The biggest giveaway was the smell, which definitely reminded everyone of a coconut candy. I'm allergic to pineapple, so I don't actually know what a piña colada tastes like, but the flavor on this one seemed pretty spot on. It reminded me of a tropical vacation, even though some of my taste-testers were put off by the "fake coconut" twang. On my end, I'm not sure I'd grab this one off the shelf if I had all the options, but I definitely enjoyed snacking on them when they were offered to me.
Cherry Cola
This flavor was by far the most polarizing, combining Pop Rocks-like candy with red and white creme sandwiched between a classic chocolate cookie. The idea behind this flavor seemed to combine the taste of a cherry cola with the sensation of carbonation, and success levels really depended on who I asked. Flavor guesses included peppermint, cherry pie, and root beer.
These smelled a bit minty also, which definitely threw us off. The popping candy was a surprise for some, and some of the popping candy got stuck in our throats so the aftertaste of the flavor was present far longer than we wanted it to be. It was either people's favorite or least favorite flavor, but I thought that it did pretty accurately capture the flavor of a cherry soda. I don't drink soda though, so I knew ahead of time it wouldn't be my absolute favorite.
Kettle Corn
Full disclosure—Kettle Corn was my favorite flavor. It smelled like butterscotch, and the creme had pieces of puffed millet (which is basically just a cereal grain). The pieces in the creme filling weren't that noticeable in terms of texture, but they added some flavor dimension that I wasn't expecting. The vanilla Oreo cookies also ended up working really well here, reminding me most of a traditional Oreo.
The guesses on this flavor were cheesecake, butterscotch, and carnival—I'm not really sure who was closest, but everyone described a super-sweet experience. I, for one, am all about sweetness in my desserts, so I was all for it. However, some of my friends were less enthused by the denser creme and sugar overload.
While none of the new flavors tasted world-changing amazing, I was most excited by the Kettle Corn, followed by Piña Colada, with Cherry Coke brining up the rear. And to be clear, I ate a ton of all three flavors, so my reservations are born from nuanced criticism more than extremely negative feelings. But I will be casting my vote for Kettle Corn, and I can't wait to submit some of my own flavor ideas if this contest ever comes back. Brigadeiro flavor, anyone?