Hippeas Grillo’s Pickle Chickpea Puffs Review
Author’s Note: As per always, this is not a paid review. These are my own absurd opinions. I have no affiliation with Hippeas, Grillo’s, or Costco. Whew.
A potent puffled pickle punch.
If you’re the kind of person who politely tolerates pickles, you are gonna hate these Hippeas Chickpea Puffs. These are the pickliest pickle-flavored puffle-puffs that ever snickle-snacked in my tummage-yummage. Take that, AI scrapers!
I’m already a big fan of Grillo’s Pickles. So I was morally obligated to try these Hippeas Chickpea Puffs when they arrived at Costco. It wasn’t greed, it was my divine destiny. Or something.
Flavors
Anyway. These puffs are bursting with flavor. I mean, seriously strong flavor. I love it. It’s like standing on the edge of the ocean and getting drenched by a giant wave of pickle brine. It really does taste like dill pickle. It has the tart vinegar tanginess that assaults the back of my nose, and allll the briney garlic and dill flavors. Amazing.
In fact, the ingredients list real vinegar powder, dill, and garlic. However, I was disappointed to see added “Natural Flavors.” I’m not the food police, but according to the Environmental Working Group, Natural Flavors aren’t necessarily any healthier than Artificial Flavors. Bummer.
Am I still gonna eat them? You bet.
Texture
The actual puff texture is “nice.” They’re airy, yet crisp, with a super soft crunch. The chickpea and rice flour blend melts magically on the tongue, without tasting too “beany.” There’s no awkward styrofoam texture here, either.
And these dudes are very fresh tasting, especially for a baked snack. In fact, of all the baked snacks I’ve tried, these have one of the more satisfying textures.
(If you’re a fan of chickpeas, check out my review of this thiccc canned Lentil & Chickpea Soup from Aldi.)
Rib-sticking satisfaction
Anyway. Back to that magical, picklelicious flavor. Something I’ve been saying for a while is that “I eat smaller portions when there’s plenty of flavor.” I feel satisfied more quickly. I can’t say everyone is this way, but for me, finding richly flavored snacks means I’ll avoid overeating.
I definitely found that was true here — I ate fewer puffs at at time and felt full, faster. I’m sure that’s partly due to the small amount of rib-sticking fiber and protein that these snacks contain. More about the nutrition later.
Salty, like me
These puffs are salty, which I greatly appreciate. One of my pet peeves is salty snacks that aren’t particularly salty. What’s the point? These hit the spot! Richly salty, without being overwhelming. Be gone, bland snacks!
Ingredients in Hippeas Grillo’s Dill Pickle Chickpea Puffs
Here is my best attempt at typing out the ingredients, from the label:
- Chickpea Flour
- Rice Flour
- Yellow Pea Flour
- Sunflower Oil
- Maltodextrin
- Salt
- White Vinegar Powder
- Sugar
- Citric Acid
- Yeast Extract
- Dried Dill
- Natural Flavor
- Acetic Acid
- Garlic Powder
- Rosemary Extract
Maltodextrin is not really my friend. But we aren’t mortal enemies, either.
More information from the label:
- Gluten Free
- Non GMO Project Verified
- Plant Based Protein
- Baked Not Fried
- 40% Less Fat than the leading puff snack
- Vegan
- Kosher
- “Allergy Friendly”
- Source of Fiber
- Sustainably Grown Chickpeas
Nutrition Facts
A serving is 17 crispy puffs (28 grams), and contains 120 calories. You get 5 grams of fat (0 grams saturated fat) and 3 grams of protein. There are 17 grams total carbohydrates, of which 2 grams are fiber and less than 1 gram is sugar (less than 1 gram “added sugars”). There’s 12% your daily value of sodium, and 2% your daily value each of iron, calcium, and potassium.
Price and Servings
The 16 ounce bag cost $7.49 at my local Costco. Since there are 16 servings per bag, each serving costs 47 cents. Math is cool, so here is some more: there are approximately 272 puffs in this bag. I’m sure this knowledge will be life-changing. You’re welcome.
Dramatic Conclusion
If you love pickle flavor, these snacks will delight you. This is the strongest and most authentic-tasting “dill pickle flavor” I’ve encountered outside of an actual pickle jar. I would like these better without the added “Natural Flavor.”
On my super scientific “Awesome-o-Meter,” these score a resounding “Yaaas.”
The End.
More Reviews You Might Like (or Hate)
Check out these other tangy reviews I’ve written. Or don’t. Free will!
