Product Review: Made in Nature fudge brownies

I rarely review items that I did not love or at least really like. That is likely because most of what I get from Costco really *does* deserve high praise. However, relatively recently I ate a snack from Costco that I did not like too much. It was not terrible but certainly not something I’d recommend or buy again.

A few months ago, I noticed a new item at Costco…Made in Nature fudge brownies.  These are individually wrapped for convenience, kosher pareve, and…chocolate!! As I have not been able to find brownie brittle at trader Joe’s or stop and shop in a long time, I thought they might be a good substitute…or even better because I usually prefer soft over crispy food.

They are small squares, about the size of a triscuit but 3-4 times as thick. They are a chocolate brownie with small chocolate chips interspersed throughout. I was actually quite surprised by how small they were. However, for 90 calories per piece, I probably shouldn’t have been! (Hey, even a “healthy” brownie is a brownie.)

In terms of taste, they are chocolatey but with that slight “off” taste that I think may be due to the healthier ingredients, including date paste. They are actually more akin to a Lara bar than a fudgy brownie. I actually like Lara bars but it was not what I was expecting and expectations for a fudge treat certainly makes a difference! (In fact, I did have them a few times after and liked them better each time.)

The texture is also more like a Lara bar than a typical brownie. These are denser and stickier than my image of a typical brownie. Again, I think it’s due to the ingredients. In addition, packaged brownies may also be this texture due to more preservatives. I grew up eating my mom’s absolutely amazing (packaged but she had the absolute perfect timing…sooo good). I recently had a different brand of packaged brownies with chocolate chips that were better but still had that dense, sticky texture. 

I don’t recommend these brownies at Costco but again, I think a lot is expectations.

Have you tried them? What do you think?