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Friday, August 23, 2024

Every flavor of Dot's Pretzel taste test - Original, Southwest, Honey Mustard, and Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels

You know, I didn't used to like hard pretzels. Those hard, overly dry, mostly tasteless, alternative to chips. But all that changed when I tried my first Dots Pretzel. Whoa! These are different! They aren't hard at all. Plus they've got a delicious seasoning to them! These I like! 

Well, luckily for me, not only do they have the regular Original flavor, but there's 3 others too! We got together with our friends Alfredo, Nicole, and Jacob to try all of them and give our thoughts! Nicole had asked if we could do a savory taste test instead of a sweet one, like we usually do and this sounded perfect! 


Along with the Original Dot's Homestyle Pretzels, we also have Southwest Seasoned, Cinnamon Sugar Seasoned, and Honey Mustard Seasoned. Can't wait! 

Which should we start with? Of course it's gotta be the Original? The package at the top says they're Authentic.

Founded back in 2012, Dorothy Henke made these pretzels in her kitchen in Velva, North Dakota. They were such a huge hit that in 2021 the Hershey Company bought Dot's Pretzels for $1.2 billion! 
The tagline on these packages is Small Town Recipe, Big Time Flavor. 

These savory snacks with a twist have a delicious buttery and salty flavor along with a little something extra. 

Nicole - I've only had the Original before. 
Alfredo - I've never had Dot's pretzels before. 
Theresa - But you like pretzels in general? 
Alfredo - Oh sure! 
Nicole - Those really are good. It's so buttery. 
Joe - It's buttery and has good season. 
Theresa - These are my favorite pretzels ever. 
Joe - It's good that Costco sells them in such large bags. 
Alfredo - Very buttery. That's the first thing that came to my mind. 
Nicole - It has more flavor and a better crunch than all those other little pretzels. 
Joe - Yeah, I don't like any of those little pretzels. They have a "puff" to them. 
Alfredo - The original is delicious. Wow. 

Next up, we're headed to the Southwest. Dot's pretzels might have been baked and produced in North Dakota, but it was when Dot was in Goodyear, Arizona for the winter that she started making the pretzels at home in her oven. 
These Southwest Seasoned pretzels are Bold & Zesty. 

Open it. Love it. Share it. Repeat. 

Nicole - Now Ian, you've had these before. You warned me that they could be intense. 
Theresa - You should experience it for yourself. 
Ian - It tastes like jalapeno. 
Every agreed.  
Joe - The Salsa Verde Doritos flavor. Jalapeno is definitely the dominant flavor. 
Alfredo - But it's not too hot. It doesn't kill you. 
Jacob - It's not horrible. 
Nicole - But it's not nuanced. It's all jalapeno. Nothing else. 
Joe - It has the flavor of jalapeno but not the heat. 
Ian - It isn't bad.  
Jacob - Maybe they'd be good on a road trip, because it would slow you down. 
Alfredo - I'm getting hooked on these. I usually stay away from Jalapeno potato chips and other spicy things. But these have just the right amount for me. 

Let's save the sweet ones for last. Which means next we'll try the Honey Mustard Seasoned pretzels that are Sweet 'n Savory. These pretzels are a Honey Wheat base, versus the other ones. 

Slightly Sweet. A Little Salty. A Subtle Tang. 

Nicole - Oh that's good! 
Ian - Yep! 
Jacob - It's very mustardy. Not so much honey. 
Nicole - But I like mustard on pretzels. 
Alfredo - It's not an overkill. 
Theresa - I'd eat that. 
Alli - Not bad. 
Joe - It's a good mustard. I don't know that I taste much difference with the honey wheat pretzels versus the regular ones. 
Jacob - It's very reminiscent of the Snyders of Hanover pretzels. 

Trying to decide how much she likes this one. 

Last up are these Cinnamon Sugar Seasoned Pretzels that are Sweet 'n Toasty. 

Compared to all the other ones, the cinnamon and sugar coating really stand out here. 

Just in case you were thinking you needed a diagram of your pretzels. 

Nicole - Oh I could eat a bag of those! It tastes like Cinnabons with a crunch. 
Alfredo - It's like having a dessert. 
Joe - They're totally different. Savory, Savory, Savory, and then these Sweet ones. 
Nicole - Somebody at Dot's was like "I want dessert today" and they made it happen. 
Alfredo - It's almost like eating a churro. 

What are the favorites? I think everyone needs to retry them. 
Joe - I don't hate any of them. I had previously been warned off on the Southwest ones, but they're still good. 
Alfredo - It definitely depends on what you're in the mood for. 

Nicole - Honey Mustard and Cinnamon Sugar are the ones I would go for. 
Joe - That's your 1, 2? 
Nicole - No, that's my 1, 1. Because it's the sweet versus savory. I like both at different times. 

Ian - Top, Dot's Original. Second, Dot's Honey Mustard. Third. Southwest. Fourth. Cinnamon Sugar. But I would say this. I would eat all of them again. 
Alli - On some days, Original. On other days, Cinnamon Sugar. Third Honey Mustard. Then Southwest. 

Alfredo - I really liked the Original. They can be eaten at any time. Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner. 
Theresa - Or any time in between!
Alfredo - If I was watching football, I'd want the Jalapeno Southwest ones. And Cinnamon Sugar and Honey Mustard are tied. Those original ones are dangerous. 

Jacob - I'm thinking Honey Mustard might be winning. I really like the original, but I feel like if you eat too many it makes your tongue start to hurt, like eating too many Sour Patch Kids. They're neck and neck though. If I'm in the mood for sweet, the Cinnamon Sugar are good. I wouldn't toss the Southwest ones out, but they're just not my favorite. 
Theresa - Original 1, Honey Mustard 2, Cinnamon Sugar 3, Southwest 4. 
Joe - I like the Cinnamon Sugar pretty good. Then the Original. The other two, I like them about the same. 

And with that, I thought we were done! But recently Dot's has released a brand new flavor! Parmesan Garlic! I'll be on the lookout! Definitely going to have to give that one a try! 

2 comments:

  1. What a flavorful pretzels taste test!! The Original sounds so good they're perfect for "breakfast, lunch, or dinner...or any time in between!"...in other words, whenever the pretzel craving hits, having Dot's Pretzels will satisfy that easily!!! "Almost like eating a churro" sounds like a good advertising line for the Cinnamon Sugar ones...anyone listening out there? :-) Dorothy Henke didn't know the goldmine she discovered when she created those pretzels...congrats to her! EOM

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  2. If you can find them, you must try the Dot's Cheese Curls.

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