Dollar Store Desserts vs Name Brand desserts

As we’ve proven in a lot of our taste tests, sometimes more expensive does not always mean better. We wanted to know if the Dollar Store desserts brands were better than the Name Brand desserts. So we tested them out side by side. And some of the results were shocking… some were comical.

The taste test is video 8 of our 52 video series, but the first of a smaller video series testing out Dollar Store brands. We’re also going to test out drinks, and chips/snacks, candy, and breakfast-y foods. So stay tuned!

Dollar Store Dessert brand vs Name brand Desserts Video Transcript:

Welcome to our Dollar Store taste test. We are comparing dollar store brands to name brands. So first we’re going to go… Oh well actually, first it’s Jill! You’ve read about her on the blog thefoodshowdown.com and she’s joining me this time to test it out. As well as two puppies. Yeah, just adopted a puppy (we’ll do an intro video) and are fostering another one. So it’s a little hectic here.

Fudge Covered Graham Crackers

But all right, so first up is the fudge covered graham crackers. You want to open that one. So I always do the numbers. That’s like my favorite part. So the dollar store is no longer a dollar. It’s a dollar 25. Those are about 13 cents an ounce eight cents a cookie. A great brand of oven baked. These are 21 cents an ounce and six cents a cookie. So the walmart brand is actually cheaper… And by walmart brand I mean the Keebler Elf. Name brands. So I have the dollar store brand. Go for it. Oh oh wow. What a great crunch. Oh these are cheaper because they’re this size per cookie.

That’s great.

I think I thought that was good. We’ll compare.

mmm That Keebler is better but this is this is still fine.

It’s fine and they probably have very similar ingredients. Yeah that’s pretty good.

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Sandwiches

All right while you’re living on that one, next is… To me I think the dollar store brand is better actually. Cookies and cream… we have two puppies… cookies and cream sandwiches. So the dollar store one $1.25, 11 cents an ounce. You get three of them so 41 cents per one. These are 12 cents per ounce and 60 cents per sandwich. Let’s rip into it. I keep giving you the dollar store brand. I see how it is.

Let’s see. Oh I’ve never had this before. Have you? Fat Boy? No, apparently it’s a western thing, if you don’t have it near you. Utah. Yeah, Utah. I’m gonna try that one first.

It looks mushy. I think the wafer is a little off on it. It’s a good brand of Party Treat versus Fat Boy. No that’s not great. Fat Boy’s not good? Oh that’s [Party Treat] not good.

Here’s the one puppy. Mmm that’s lovely. Yeah that one’s better. Oh, much better, yeah.

Cream-Filled Cake

Okay next step isn’t really a true fair comparison side by side. Is it?

These are totally different. These have chocolate fudge on top. Yeah but it’s still a cream-filled cake, and this is a cream-filled cake. But this one has fudge on top! That’s gonna make all the difference. But it’s still the dollar store equivalent, so that’s what we went with. The dollar st- oh wow! I didn’t give the play-by-play you can probably share that later baker select. (Shows Hostess)That’s pretty good.

Now this name brand is Hostess zingers

Mmm, I don’t think I’ve had one of these before.

I’m gonna have the name brand first this time because you just keep giving me the dollar store. Oh god, first of all it kind of looks burnt. Wow these are good. It looks burnt.

And there’s like no cream inside. Oh wow a lot less cream.

No that’s not great. Oh a lot drier. There’s not enough cream. Yeah. Hi, Hello (to dogs) And maybe the fudge does make it better on the Hostess. Is it Hostess? Hostess?Hostess.

Milano’s

Okay now this one’s another one that’s not super fair comparison: Milano’s and Shortbread [cookies]. Okay so… oh shortbread dark chocolate cream…creme? This is double dark chocolate. Those were three dollars and 28 cents. 1.25, so that’s 43 cents an ounce 21 cents per cookie. This one’s [dollar store brand] only 10 cents per cookie 28 cents. I will say I love Milano’s, so the dollar store is going to have to do a major step up. well, I think these are really meant to be more like the uh fudge there’s like fudge elf… do you know what I’m talking about? Oh, E.L. Fudge. Yeah that has the little elf.

Which I guess maybe those are comparisons of these [Milano’s]. Oh gosh, oh that’s so sad! Oh gosh! All the chocolate’s on one side. you open that up?

Hahahaha! It’s so sad. Milano’s, you can see, it’s the whole way around. That’s funny. Let me try the other one.

Okay, this one’s doing a little bit better. I guess they are kind of that’s trying to mimic [Milano’s]. The dogs are going crazy. They want some chocolate.

That has a weird… cake flavor? The shortbread maybe?

Yeah there’s a different flavor. Texture is pretty close though. Like this is obviously what they’re going for. Yeah those are thinner. But there’s a weird flavor. But it’s a weird like cake like in the in the actual cake part. Okay now, last up. Yeah the chocolate’s good.

Did you say this is a series? Oh like yeah we’ll be doing more of- whoa dog fell off the bed.

We’ll do… we’ve got drinks, like chips right? We’re going to be doing chips, snacks, candy, breakfast-y foods. Get excited.

Fudge-Striped Cookies

Yeah okay so these…

were 1.25. 4 cents per ounce. 11 cents per cookie. These are 23 cents per cookie. So double. Oh, you’re giving me the name brand ones? Yeah because I’m really curious about this.

Wait, so the name brand is double the price? Yes. Wow! Will it be double as good? Let’s find out. Maybe you could get it for a discount, you could get it for a better price. Yeah. Oh there’s no hole in the middle. There’s a hole in the middle right? Oh well then yeah, I mean now that’s not as fun, because you can’t do this. This is true.

Anyone else do this?

Oh It broke on me. I mean… Is it good? It’s fine, there’s nothing wrong with it.

Oh I don’t think I can tell the difference.

I think we should do a blind taste test and see. I don’t think I can tell a difference. Can you? I think I felt a little bit like… Buttery? Buttery for Keebler. Yeah maybe a little bit more buttery, kind of. But…

not enough difference to make double the price. No and I bet the ingredient list is the same. So good job, Oven Baked. now you know. Not a sponsor. All right All right, well that was fun!

Dollar Store Desserts vs Name Brand Desserts Conclusion

So the camera randomly stopped filming, Luckily it was at the end of the taste test. We hope you enjoyed our video comparing Dollar store Desserts to Name Brand desserts, and found some of it helpful. Do you agree with what we found? Let us know what you think in the comments! Please subscribe and watching some of our other videos!