Kozy Shack No Sugar Added Chocolate Mint Pudding Review

I really think Kozy Shack products are under-rated because I don't really hear anyone going wild for them. But, I'm here to tell you that Kozy Shack No Sugar Added Vanilla Pudding = amazing. Kozy Shack No Sugar Added Rice Pudding = awesome. BUT since I'm a choco-holic, the Kozy Shack No Sugar Added Chocolate Mint Pudding was on my radar big time, and it was only a matte of time before a taste test. Chocolate and mint go together almost as well as chocolate and peanut butter in my mind, so this was a no-brainer to buy.

I let this chill in the refrigerator over night before I had it as my daily chocolate fix, and unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed. This chocolate incarnations of the Kozy Shack puddings is not my favorite. It's waterier than the tapioca and rice pudding flavors and the mint didn't add much, being over-powered by the chocolate - but together it's still a colossal mess. For straight-up chocolate, I definitely prefer the Kozy Shack Simplywell Dark Chocolate Pudding - which does have added sugars though (13 grams total).

Each snack cup of Kozy Shack No Sugar Added Chocolate Mint Pudding provides 70 calories, 1 gram of fat (all saturated - 5% of the daily value), 3 grams fiber (12% of the daily value), 5 grams sugars and 4 grams protein.

Kozy Shack Soy Pudding (Chocolate) Review

(Photo Credit: Lucky Taste Buds)

I have to admit that the phrase "soy pudding" doesn't sound exciting and appetizing, I had previously tried the Kozy Shack Vanilla Soy Pudding and it wasn't too bad. The consistency was thick, but it did have a slightly soy-ish taste. I decided to try the Kozy Shack Chocolate Soy Pudding to see if I would prefer that variety.

The chocolate too had a thick consistency, and it looked great. I spooned up some pudding, and was excited to find that I liked this one better than the vanilla - no surprise considering I'm a chocoholic. While this pudding too had a hint of the soy taste, it was pretty much masked by the rich chocolatey flavor.

Each 4 ounce cup provides 120 calories (20 calories more than the vanilla), 2 grams of total fat, 2 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein. The ingredients are water, organic raw cane sugar, organic hulled soybeans, organic wheat starch, organic cocoa pressed with alkali, organic maltodextrin, organic vanilla extract, carrageenan, and sea salt.

Kozy Shack Soy Pudding (Vanilla) Review

(Photo Credit: Lucky Taste Buds)

Almost all of the reviews of Kozy Shack No Sugar Added Vanilla Pudding have been excellent, well, with the exception of Kozy Shack Simplywell Green Tea Chai Pudding. The Kozy Shack No Sugar Added Vanilla Pudding was great, but I wanted to try a non-dairy variety, so I scooped up the Kozy Shack Vanilla Soy Pudding.

I opened a cup of the gluten-free vanilla soy pudding and dug my spoon in. Firstly, let me say how impressed I was with the consistency. So many puddings, especially lower-calorie ones, are watery at best, but not this one. The color was like that of French Vanilla ice cream, and it smelled great. I tried a bite, turning the thick, creamy pudding over in my mouth to really get a sense of the flavor. I must say, although this is a good pudding, the taste is a little too "soy-ish" for me. There is a sort of earthy flavor, and it isn't as purely sweet as some other puddings (which may actually be a bonus to some people).

What I did like more were the nutritional facts. Each 4 ounce Kozy Shack Vanilla Soy Pudding cup provides 110 calories, 2 grams of total fat, no saturated or trans fat, 1 gram of fiber (4% of the daily value), 12 grams of sugars and 4 grams of protein.

Kozy Shack Simplywell Green Tea Chai Pudding Review

The Simplywell line from Kozy Shack has extra added nutrition - good source of vitamin E, calcium and vitamin D and prebiotic fiber. So far, I have loved every one of the Kozy Shack Simplywell Pudding varieties that I've tried - the Dark Chocolate, Lemon Ginger and Pear Mangosteen. I kept a keen eye out for more flavors and eventually spied the Kozy Shack Simplywell Green Tea Chai Pudding.

This one sounded good (I like green tea ice cream), but when I took a bite, I found that I could barely stomach it. I'm not the biggest fan of chai to begin with, but the combination of the flavor and the texture of the pudding was way too weird for me. I didn't even finish the container and I was really disappointed since I've had such good experiences with the other flavors.

Each 4 ounce cup of Kozy Shack Simplywell Lemon Ginger Pudding provides 100 calories, 1 grams of total fat, 3 grams of protein, 12% of the daily value for fiber and 14 grams of sugar.

Kozy Shack Simplywell Pear Mangosteen Pudding Review

Yoplait Light Yogurt is an old standby of mine, with Oikos Greek Yogurt pulling a close second (when I can afford it). However, sometimes, no matter how many enticing flavors of yogurt that Yoplait can dream up, I just have a hankering for something new. That was me this past Saturday at the grocery store, so I picked up Kozy Shack Simply Well Pear Mangosteen Pudding. I don't think I've ever had anything that was "mangosteen" flavored!, but since I've had good experiences with Kozy Shack Simplywell - love the Kozy Shack Simplywell Dark Chocolate and Lemon Ginger Pudding - so I figured that this flavor would also be good.

After ripping off the foil topping, I noticed a consistency similar to that of homemade goo (did you ever make that in science class as a kid?), but after stirring it around (which isn't the easiest thing because the containers are only just big enough), the pudding consistency comes through. The fruity aroma is very inviting, so you can only imagine how intrigued I was when that first spoonful went into my mouth. This is a distinct flavor of pudding that you will not find ... well, anywhere that I am aware of. My taste buds can most certainly detect the pear flavor, while the other fruity notes are enticing me to try an actual mangosteen, which I've never had before. The fruitiness is very prevalent and thorough, complementing the thick and creamy texture perfectly.

Kozy Shack Simplywell Lemon Ginger Pudding Review

The Simplywell line from Kozy Shack has extra added nutrition - good source of vitamin E, calcium and vitamin D and prebiotic fiber. Since I loved Kozy Shack Simplywell Dark Chocolate Pudding, I kept a keen eye out for another flavor - Lemon Ginger was what I found next. Does this combination in a pudding seem surprising to anyone else?! I was a bit skeptical, but was still excited to try it as I'm pretty adventurous when it comes to trying new foods.

I dug a spoon into the ridiculously creamy pudding, took a bite and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. Me likeee . This tastes like lemon yogurt and pudding, and I found that the ginger added some spicy deliciousness to the mix. It's a little tart, but light and refreshing.

Each 4 ounce cup of Kozy Shack Simplywell Lemon Ginger Pudding provides 100 calories, 1 grams of total fat, 3 grams of protein, 12% of the daily value for fiber and 13 grams of sugar. This is similar to "light yogurts", except there is a bit more fiber - so this might make a good substitution.