Sometimes even the trashiest of folks have to don their finest for a special outing, and that day has come for junk food Queen Little Debbie. Popping off the shelf in a notably thicker and shinier box garnished with the title “Specialty Recipe” tag, there’s a new batch of cellophane treats aimed to set the bar even higher for quick fix cakes. Little Debbie’s Turtle Brownies combine a pan-baked cake brownie topped with salty-smooth, golden brown caramel, crunchy roasted peanuts and a drizzle of fudge coating.

Little Debbie’s Fudge and Cosmic brownie’s are pretty highly regarded in the sugary snack scene, and while I think they’re good I would never choose them over my personally coveted Zebra Cakes or Oatmeal Cream Pies. That being said, anytime you toss something salty into the already sweet mix I’m in it like a happy dog jumping into the pool at a backyard BBQ.

The brownie’s are incredibly soft, and although they’re pretty small in terms of diameter, they have a decent hefty density to them in my hand. The fudge coating is already beginning to slightly melt as I pick it up with a glistening glean that promises the cakey brownie experience I’m anticipating.

Good news – looks can be deceiving, but not with this specialty batch bad boy – or, girl? Cake-y yet very moist with a wonderful chocolate flavor that seems a bit richer than the usual cosmic variety. The fudge coating is solid and sweet but the real game changer here is the salted caramel. The caramel brings a legitimate salty pop and gooey-ness that makes the cake even more fudgey and downright delicious. It has the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and rich, that while it’s pretty standard affair for baked goods in 2018, is decently complex for a brownie that costs less than forty cents.

My only complaint with the Turtle is that the peanuts are pretty much a non-factor as far as the flavor is concerned. They add a touch of crunch but are so small that they can’t do much to cut through the luscious layers of chocolate and caramel. For a true turtle experience the nuts should be replaced with pecans, but that’s really splitting hairs ‘cause Debbie did a damn fine job dressing up nice and fancy for the summer banquet bangin’ in my mouth.

Rating: 9/10

Found at: Target ($3.09)