Little Debbie Nutty Bar

Posted by in Chocolate Reviews on February 28 2008 | Leave A Comment
Little Debbie Nutty Bar

This is the complete antithesis of the Hotel Chocolat collection that Simon reviewed yesterday, but it’s another sample sent to us from the manufacturer – this time, from Tennessee based McKee Foods.

I’ve never heard of McKee or the Little Debbie brand, but looking at their Wikiepedia page, they seem to be something of an American institution.

Having done my research, my hopes weren’t particularly high for this. While there are some fantastic small American chocolatiers, my experience of chocolate from larger manufacturers hasn’t been great so far.

But as it turns out, I quite enjoyed them.

Little Debbie Nutty Bar

As you can see, Nutty Bars are very simple wafer bars. The layers of wafer are separated by a sweet peanut butter, and the bar is coated in a very thin layer of milk chocolate. In fact, the chocolate is so thin that you can actually melt it just by looking at it. I had to put a few bars in the fridge for half an hour in order to get a decent photo, but even so, the chocolate melted again the moment I picked it up.

But for normal eating purposes (i.e. ones that don’t involve getting decent photos first), this probably won’t be an issue. Each of the 12 bars in a box comes individually wrapped and you can just hold it by the wrapper when eating it.

When you bite into a bar, the first thing you notice is just how light and crispy it is. I’m not surprised each bar only has 100 calories – it’s mostly air! But that’s a good thing, because the result is something that’s tasty and satisfying without being stodgy and filling.

Taste-wise, they’re quite sweet and have a pleasant, nutty taste. The chocolate is so thin that you can barely taste it, but that doesn’t really matter. This is definitely a “less is more” snack.

With all the fantastic chocolates I’ve tasted recently, I really shouldn’t have enjoyed these quite as much as I did. But at $1.59 a box (that works out at about 7p each), I would definitely be buying these for mid-morning snacks. They’re simple, sweet, light and tasty.

Luckily, they sent me three boxes. 🙂

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Comments On This Post

  1. Tiffany

    I just thought I’d let you know that there are other Little Debbie snacks that are even more favored than the Nutty Bars. The most important thing to realize about Little Debbie snacks is that, in my experience, they are mostly consumed by children; they are generally packed into lunches as the dessert. However, I have found many adults enjoy them in a nostalgic way. My favorite Little Debbie snack has always been the Star Crunch (http://www.littledebbie.com/products/StarCrunch.asp). I was never fond of the chewy cookie center, but the combination of caramel, rice crisps, and “fudge” always made up for the cookie. One snack I sometimes get an inexplicable craving for is their Fudge Brownies (http://www.littledebbie.com/products/FudgeBrownies.asp). I don’t like them because of their taste but rather the unusual way they fill my mouth; the brownies are not cakey nor fudgey but a strange combination of both, which results in a sensation that makes me want to fill my entire mouth with the brownie. If you get a chance, I would suggest you try both snacks–not for the taste but more for the experience and sugar rush.

  2. Matsafatsaroni

    Nutty Bars have been with me for many years, and there’s no decline in the effect they have on me, and there never will be. I’ve had boxes of them stacked on my bookshelf, always there for me to munch to my heart’s content. Many times have I eaten a whole box in one sitting. I’ve given away thousands of them, turned many on to them. I’ve pigged out on them. I’ve savored them. I’d get a Little Debbie tatto, seriously. Nutty Bars are in that erotic, sensual class, like Andes mint chocolates.

  3. yitmoore

    Little Debbie is, as you related in the article, an institution in America. I just tried these singles and I should inform you that you are really missing out on the real original Nutty Bar. The original is a 4 layer wafer while this ‘single’ is only 3 layers (they cut out 1 layer to get the bar to 100 calories). You wouldn’t think it would impact it that much, but I think the impact is substantial. Also, the original bar has a slightly thicker dose of chocolate (don’t worry, it still melts onto your fingers; getting it off is half the fun). The Swiss Cake roles are also the “Best in Class” (much better than the Hostess HoHo).

  4. Swiss cake rolls are my favorite and I’ve been eating them for well over 35 years. Little Debbie does not use animal fat which ensures no weird aftertaste like hostess products.

    Slightly chilled is the only way to eat Nutty Bars and Swiss Cake Rolls. The original Nutty bars (with the extra layer of cookie and packed in double packs) are definitely worth it.

    I’m planning to go on a tour of the factory in early July.

  5. Hello everybody, I just wanted to say these are my favorite as well! If anyone ever has trouble finding these and any other Little Debbie snack, I wanted to tell you to visit our site at http://www.edebbies.com as we carry a huge assortment. Oh, and yes nutty bars in the freezer is the best way to eat them!

  6. In 1932, when I was 6 years old, I was living in Nashville, Tennessee, and with my mother would often visit my aunt and cousins across town. The two boys and I would walk to the little store down the street and get oatmeal creme pies. I enjoyed them for many years in various cities in the South. In 1942, I moved to California and would buy an oatmeal treat but none ever tasted like the ones from my youth.
    Finally, in 1988 or 1989, I went into a new convenience store in
    Thousand Oaks, Califoria, and there was a new-to-the-area oatmeal
    creme pie called LITTLE DEBBIES and, boy, did the taste ring a bell even after more than 40 years. I saw on the box that they
    were made in Tennessee. Did the recipe get passed down to the present company or is it just similar? Love the Nutty Bar, too!!!

  7. Lawe

    At first I was surprised you didn’t know about these snacks, then once I saw your conversion to British pence, I understood.
    In the USA, it seems everyone knows about this brand and it’s untrue that it’s themed mainly towards children. I mean they certainly market it to some extent children, but it’s a huge step above fruit-by-the-foot, or any of the snacks you might find with little boys and girls on the box.
    A lot of these snacks do have a “light” taste.
    Not filling, no. Americans tend to eat with the intention of filling themselves, so these snacks have helped pave the waists of many children and adults. Simply because they are delicious and impossible to get enough of.

  8. Joanne (or GrammyJo to my grandkids ;o)

    Don’t know if this will be read or not, given how long ago the post started. But I HAD to add my 2 cents worth about Little Debs. I haven’t had them in a long time ONLY because I have a hard time stopping once I stop eating them!

    My fave way to eat them is to (deftly) loosen and bite off the top layer, then munch till it’s gone. Each layer follows in kind until I’ve devoured the entire delicacy. There’s just NO better way to eat them.

    Oh yes, the trick in managing the chocolate, peanut buttery mess on ones fingers it to eat as many in succession as possible. More eating and less licking!

  9. Joanne (or GrammyJo to my grandkids ;o)

    OOPS…meant to say I have a hard time stopping once I START eating them. ;o)

  10. jenetta

    i have to do research on nutty bars and other sweets for school, but you people are useless. i need the year they were first made and other names for them and stuff like that. make a website with useful information.

  11. Dom (Chocablog Staff)

    Jenetta: I think you need to do some research on the definition of “research”. I’m so sorry you’re going to fail at school.

  12. These nutty bars were even a favorite of our 43rd President. Mr Bush and dick cheney would probably indulge in a late night snack of them in the Situation Room while discussing bombing plans for Iraq.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/paypaul/2227707398/

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