Cute Bag, isn't it?

Elizabeth Barbone

Snikiddy PizzaPie Puffs

A cute new display was at my local gourmet shop the other day. I wandered over to it and noticed boxes proclaiming, "PizzaPie Puffs." Above the name, it stated: no trans fats, wheat free, no preservatives, no GMOs, no corn syrup, no hydrogenated oils." Now, wheat-free does not mean gluten-free. I read the ingredient label. No glutenous grains were listed. It was time to call the company.

"Hello! I have a box of your PizzaPuffs. They say wheat-free. I was wondering if they were also gluten-free?" I asked.

"Yes the Puffs are gluten-free. In fact the new packaging will have a little gluten-free logo on them." The customer service person replied.

Now that I had established the puffs were gluten-free, they were eligible for a product review!

I opened the box and saw five cute snack bags. These would be perfect for any kid's lunch box. They scream "cute" not, "I am on a special diet!"

The corn puffs are pretty small. They looked like they would have the same texture as a puffed Cheetos. I bit into one. It kinda crunched and then dissolved in my mouth. Then the flavor came. Slowly.

See, the PizzaPie Puffs don't taste like pizza. At all. I think when you promise a kid something that tastes like pizza, it should taste, well, like pizza. These puffs tasted like garlic-y tomato sauce. (They did leave a lingering herb flavor in my mouth; I think it was oregano.)

See how some of the puffs are coated and some aren't?

Once I got used to the flavor, I realized there wasn't a lot of it. Some of the puffs were generously coated. Some had little or no flavor coating. And while I don't like things salty. I think (and I can't believe I am writing this!) these could have used a little more salt. (I am not a big salt person. But, these were flat.)

Anyhow, I applaud the companies organic effort. And I liked that the snack only had 70 calories per pack. However, for me, these didn't do it. I found the flavor lacking. When I want a snack, I don't want to dive into something on the bland side.

Summary: Neat company. Dedicated to "healthy" snacks. Corn puff. Light Flavor. Fine texture. two stars