Review: Oreo And BTS Team Up For Purple Cookies Packed With Familiar Flavors

In the first half of 2026, BTS — the K-Pop band that has dominated the global music scene for more than a decade — led Spotify in streams with "Swim," a single from the band's latest LP that reached over 500 million streams before the calendar flipped to June. If that sounds like a big number, one other world-famous brand would like a word. With over 60 billion Oreos consumed annually, it's safe to say that even if every time someone streamed "Swim," they also ate an Oreo, it would only put a small dent in the number of sandwich cookies enjoyed so far this year.

Thankfully, BTS and Oreo aren't competitors; instead, they've become collaborators. Debuting Monday, June 1, for presale before they hit store shelves on June 8, Oreo is releasing a special-edition BTS cookie that is bursting with Korean-inspired flavors, along with a special message for the band's fans.

The cookie-collab features a first for Oreo: Purple cookies. That's far from the only twist, though, as the sweet creme inside takes inspiration from the flavors of hotteok, a warm, brown sugar–stuffed pancake popular in Korean street food markets and a BTS favorite. The cookies will also feature special designs that pay homage to South Korea's iconic street market culture.

Purple cookies and unique designs are fun, but are they tasty? Oreo sent me a package of the limited-time cookies to taste for myself. Read on to find out if these cookies are worthy of K-Pop royalty or are more befitting of a one-hit wonder.

Oreo reached out to Mashed and offered to send samples of the new BTS collaboration cookies. After receiving my pack in the mail — a few cookies were cracked, but still tasted just fine — I took some photos and dug in. My evaluation was based on taste, texture, and how well these cookies stacked up to the original Oreo we know and love. Some recommendations are based on first-hand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer/distributor/etc.

This is not your standard Oreo cookie, or even an easily recognizable variation. For one, the purple color is no joke. Traditional Oreos are made with alkalized cocoa, which gives the cookies their trademark chocolatey taste and trademark black color, but there's no chocolate in the BTS Oreos. Instead, the cookies have a rich brown sugar flavor, not unlike a Biscoff cookie or that jar of cookie butter you can't stop eating spoonfuls of before bed.

The filling is just as unique, thanks to a double creme layer. The thinner, white layer tastes like standard Oreo filling, while the thicker, brown layer is definitely packed with brown sugar flavor (I say flavor because the words "brown sugar" never actually make an appearance in the ingredient deck.) Sprinkled throughout the filling are crunchy, crystalline sugar pieces that add a fun texture to the traditionally smooth center.

Taken together, each bite delivers an extra crunchy, creamy brown sugar flavor that may not be quite as addictive as traditional Oreos, but it more than delivers on the promise of brown sugar pancake flavor.

I'll be honest, I'm far more of an Oreo stan than a BTS one. I haven't done the math, but I'm willing to guess that my lifetime Oreo consumption is, conservatively, in the tens of thousands, and that's not just traditional Oreos; the Golden Oreos are also a favorite. 

I'm not sure the BTS edition is one I'll be clamoring for on a regular basis, but it's a fun change of pace. Biscoff fans will find some familiar flavors infused with the all-important creme of an Oreo. Plus, the color is fun, and if you're all about BTS, the cookie designs make this treat all the more enjoyable.

The BTS Oreos are only here for a limited time. Fans can visit OREO.com/UnwrapTheCollab beginning June 1 to sign up for presale. You'll be able to find them at retailers beginning June 8, while supplies last. And, remember those unique designs on the cookies? There are 13 in total — one unique design in each pack — and together they form a message, so if you've ever dreamed of solving a riddle by eating cookies, this is your moment.

Unlike regular Oreo cookies, where a serving size is 3 cookies totaling 160 calories and 14 grams of sugar, the BTS serving size is 2 cookies. In a serving, you'll find 140 calories and 12 grams of sugar, so these are definitely not diet Oreos, nor should one expect them to be. As with the calorie count and sugar content, the special edition cookies are slightly higher in sodium, at 45 milligrams per cookie versus roughly 43 milligrams apiece in a regular Oreo.