Papa Johns' Twix Papa Bites Review: A Decadent Bite-Sized Treat
Pizza chain Papa Johns has introduced a new sweet sensation, and, as usual, we're eager to present you with our take on whether this interesting treat is actually worth your time and money. The new Twix Papa Bites are the fourth flavor in the chain's Papa Bites lineup. We are intrigued to see them added to the menu, and, of course, we have to give them a try.
The Papa Johns' Twix Papa Bites seem utterly extra when you consider all that they are stuffed with. And though we were excited to sample them, we were also poised to declare them cloyingly sweet with all of their candy components and caramel accompaniment. So, were they sickeningly sweet? Read on to find out. We've got all the information you need about this hot new menu item, including nutritional information, pricing, availability, and, of course, the final verdict concerning the overall taste.
Join us as we sample these sticky little bite-sized nuggets that will soon make an official debut at a Papa Johns location near you.
The ingredients are bit obscure
Right out of the gate, we can say that the ingredients in the Papa Johns' Twix Papa Bites are a bit obscure. We aren't saying that Papa Johns doesn't give us any information about what's contained in its tiny sweet rolls — it definitely does. Still, it isn't quite the depth of detail we need to know exactly what these sticky sweet bites are comprised of ... at least not without an official statement from Papa Johns itself.
With that said, we at least know that Papa Johns' Twix Papa Bites, according to the website, feature Twix cookie bar bits that are stuffed into the chain's fresh pizza dough and baked. They're then topped with caramel drizzle before being boxed up and whisked off by the next hungry customer.
After taking a good look at these Twix Papa Bites, we can say there's a little more to them than what's described online. There appears to be a creamy center, which we assume to be cream cheese, given its look, taste, and texture. This creamy substance encases the Twix pieces in a way that helps them all stay in place. And though Papa Johns hasn't officially stated that these treats are indeed stuffed with cream cheese, we think whatever these bite-sized minis are mixed with elevates the flavor ... but more on that aspect later!
The pricing is right ... kind of
As exclusive members of the pizza chain, we were able to enjoy these Papa Johns' Twix Papa Bites sooner than the general public. They were also featured at a discounted price at the time of publication. At only $4.99 a pop, these yummy caramel nubs seemed worth the price. You got eight rolls per order, meaning they cost you about $0.62 per Papa Bite. The thing is, we actually aren't sure we'd want to pay any more than that for these, despite the fact that we did enjoy them.
Why's that, you may ask? They're small, to tell ya the truth. We know they're only meant to be a side dish, and we totally understand that. At the same time, we think that the full price of $7.99 for eight unevenly sliced Twix Papa Bites is a bit too much. Nevertheless, since Papa Johns tends to run specials often, it's possible that you may end up snagging a discount on these even when they aren't sold exclusively at a slashed price. As for whether or not you should feel content paying full price for them ... eh, we'll leave that up to you to decide.
It is one of two sweet Papa Bites options
Papa Johns' Twix Papa Bites are one of two sweet offerings on the Papa Bites menu. Coming off the heels of nostalgically tasty Oreo Cookie Papa Bites, the Twix Papa Bites are yet another dessert option. The other varieties, Chicken Parmesan and Jalapeño, are savory renditions of the same concept; these are stuffed with cheese and chicken or spicy jalapeños, respectively. Each Papa Bites serving comes with eight rolls and a special dipping sauce to enjoy.
In case you're wondering, the Twix Papa Bites include a hearty side of rich caramel sauce, while the Oreo Cookie Papa Bites are paired with a smooth cream cheese icing for dipping. The Chicken Parmesan Papa Bites offer the original pizza sauce as a side, while the Jalapeño Papa Bites are served with ranch, no doubt as a creamy complement to their spicy flavor.
Twix Papa Bites are member exclusive until late October
As previously mentioned, as Papa Rewards members, we were able to snag this member-exclusive item earlier than the general public. We received our notification about the product release on October 16, but word on the street is that the Twix bars treats officially become available for everyone at Papa Johns on October 23.
Want to enjoy these sweet stuffed bites now? Early member access is granted simply by signing up for Papa Johns reward points on the company website. In addition to getting early access (and discounted prices on food), you'll also receive 1 point for every $1 you spend at Papa Johns, $10 for every 75 points you accrue, and use of any Papa Dough points earned toward anything your heart desires on the menu.
If you do sign up for Papa Rewards, just be sure to keep a lookout for menu drops like these new Twix Papa Bites. They usually come fast and furious and often feature special pricing you can take advantage of before the new food items get released to the public.
They pack a sugary wallop
We don't think anyone expects Twix Papa Bites to be a health food, and indeed, they aren't. These syrupy Papa Bite grabs are definitely a decadent treat and pack about 4 grams of sugar per bite to prove it. According to Papa Johns, you can also expect 2 grams of fat, 105 milligrams of sodium, 80 calories, and 2 grams of protein per Papa Bite (note that the caramel dipping sauce is extra, but detailed nutrition information is not yet listed online). Thus, if you plan on eating the whole box without sharing (we totally get that), this won't exactly be the lightest dessert option out there.
You should also note that though these Twix Papa Bites don't contain nuts per se, the Papa Johns website makes it clear that some of the ingredients included in these bites are made on the same processing equipment where common allergens like peanuts, tree nuts, and eggs, are also used. If you have very severe peanut, tree nut, or egg allergies, you may want to keep this information in mind before happily noshing away on your first Twix Papa Bites order.
These bites are totally worth it
To be honest, we were surprised to have liked these so much. Our first impression of the Twix Papa Bites was pretty terrible since the employees appeared to have scorched our bites so that they wreaked of char instead of the pleasantly sweet caramel aroma we expected.
With that said, we really enjoyed our first hesitantly cautious bite. Instead of tasting like burnt bread and scorched sugar, we got notes of fresh baked dough, subtly decadent cream cheese, and, of course, the satisfying flavor of sweet caramel. The crunchy bits from the cookie bar were also a nice touch, though we'll warn you that this dessert may not feature as much of the crunch as you might hope. The crisp cookie pieces seemed to be scattered sporadically throughout the rolls and, thus, weren't a consistent part of the eating experience ... at least not in the batch we received.
In addition, you'll want to note that these Twix Papa Bites aren't big on Twix flavor. At first blush, they taste like luscious caramel and cream cheese, which we honestly couldn't get enough of. There were times, however, when we got a mouthful of chocolatey Twix essence, but again, this was by no means the consistent flavor experience. All in all, we really enjoyed these Papa Johns' Twix Papa Bites despite our initial lousy impression of them.