TRAIL TRUFFLES – Dark Chocolate Nut-Butter Filled Protein Bites – Healthy, Plant Based, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Non-GMO Snacks (Chocolate Hazelnut, 4 Pack)

After trying all the flavors and reading many of the reviews, I realize people either love these things or hate them. I love them and I totally get what the company is trying to do. These are—at their core—a fruit and nut energy bite. Dates are the number one ingredient, but I don’t even really taste the dates. You do get the chewy texture of the dates in the shell though.What makes these unique (and awesome) is that you really get that dark chocolate flavor and a creamy filling similar to what you’d find in a truffle. But if you’re expecting a Lindt-type truffle, these aren’t for you. The superfoods, protein, healthy fats, and fiber means these work well for me to satisfy my chocolate craving and keep me going whether I’m on the trail or not. The fact that these are low glycemic means I share them with my diabetic friends as well. That also means you really taste the dark chocolate flavor and they’re not too sweet. Perfect!

This was the third time I have ordered these truffles and I know I'm canceling my subscribe and save. The first box I got was great. I loved the product, the fact that they were healthy and nutritious yet chocolatey, and immediately gave it a 5-star review and signed up for subscribe and save. The next order I got was just okay, didn't taste as fresh and one of the packages, the macadamia coconut one, tasted rancid. The expiration date was still a couple months away so I figured it was just a fluke and maybe I've been stored in too hot conditions while being shipped. but now that I have received the third box I will not buy these again. Instead of 4 packages oh, there were actually only three in the box. It was missing the hazelnut flavor. Since my second order had one rancid package I was careful to check the expiration date. I received these in mid-july and the expiration day was May 30th! I tasted The mint one and the macadamia and they were horrid. This company started out with a good idea and produce something that tasted good when fresh, but obviously has terrible quality control. maybe it's just one of the many side effects of a global pandemic and interrupted supply chains that resulted in not so fresh ingredients, but if they are going to produce something of this low-quality and Amazon is going to have a hard enough time turning it over that they are shipping things that expired two months earlier, the company should just suspend productions until they can make a better product.

Confession, I tried this product because A: I was going in for a surgery that had a long recovery time and didn't have the time to make and freeze the ones I usually do for my husband and B: They had an attractive $2 off coupon available.I usually make a specific one for him to take in his lunch M-F. The Hubs is a 38 year veteran of UPS and its 10-12 hour long days without air conditioning, running as many as 150 stops. Aka: hard conditions when you are a 55+ person. Added to it is the fact that his route is out in rural areas, meaning there is no place to stop and buy lunch. Not a single restaurant, unless you count a gas station with the heat-n-eat sandwich things. Not exactly healthy options. They do let him sit in their air conditioning while he crams down his lunch from home, so no complaints against them.We, however, eat "obnoxiously" healthy- as our doctor puts it. We eat very little meat, mostly veggies. Ancient grains like Farro. Fruits, etc. He eats a healthy breakfast at home, then a veggie wrap for lunch but he still gets the mid afternoon slump. That's when he pops out these little things.We've gone through 6 bags of them now, yes we re-ordered. He eats 2 each afternoon. I store them in the freezer in a small reusable container and then pop them in his lunch box. By the time he gets to them they are thawed. I have also used them as a hold-over snack because I don’t cook dinner until he is off work, which can be as late as 10pm. So, with that out of the way…Taste: A bit on the dry side, they need to be to avoid spoiling. Moisture is a breeding ground, so dryer is better, though a bit hard on the palate. Chase it with a nice large swallow of cold water and you’ll be good to go. We get the Chocolate Mint flavored ones. It isn’t overwhelmingly chocolate or mint, more like a hint of it. The date flavor isn’t overwhelming either, as it is in some other brands.Power: As I said before, just 2 of these will carry him from around 3pm to when he is done for the day. He is constantly moving, lifting up to 150 pounds, trucking up and down stairs, long sidewalks, and even ‘walking off’ packages (when they cannot get the truck down a driveway, he will physically walk the package to the home- sometimes miles each direction), all outside in physically challenging conditions-rain, snow, excessive heat, etc. So, I think if you take them on a hike with you, you’ll be just fine. They have enough energy packed into them to carry you.Pro’s: They are small enough to be easily carried and without fear of spoiling quickly. They are packed with enough readily available energy that your body will benefit from them, even under harsh conditions. The flavor, at least of the chocolate mint ones, is good enough to fool the brain into thinking you are having a treat.Con’s: A bit dry, but easily countered with a long drink. They aren’t very physically attractive, resembling a “piece of poo”, as the grandson put it. He suggests not dropping one out on the trail because you might mistake a piece of poo for it and have a wicked surprise. He’s 8, however, and poo is wildly amusing at that age.Once I am up and about from this surgery, I’ll go back to making homemade ones and keep a bag of these in the freezer. They are handy to have around and fill in when I can’t. I suspect we will be adding them to cooler bag when we are back to fishing as well. We never seem to stop when we plan to, especially if the fish are biting, and snacks are always welcome.

Ordered these via Amazon, arrived last month, they have been amazing! I was attracted to these since I am always looking for healthy snacks as part of an overall healthy lifestyle plus fuel for my running (~60 miles per week), and these fit the bill perfectly. The truffles arrived as advertised, needed to be refrigerated for a few hours due to Amazon supply chain / hot Denver summer - no big deal. I have been eating the truffles as a quick pre-run snack or post-run recovery treat. Peanut Butter and Mint Creme are my favorites. Defintely worth trying for any athlete seeking out alternative fuels (better than a bar, not heavy on stomach, and taste awesome) or someone looking for sweet and healthy treats that are low glycemic and minimize added sugars - but still taste great and use natural ingredients.

These are definitely not a normal chocolate truffle. If you’re expectations are a sweet treat this isn’t for you. They’re bitter and strong in flavor. That being said, these are good for people with dietary restrictions or as a protein snack, definitely not a sweet snack that you can just chew on all night. They’re good, but they are an acquired, health-surrounded taste.