Edward Marc Strawberry Shortcake Bites Review
Author’s note: I have no affiliation with Edward Marc or Costco. These are my own cranky opinions.
“Thanks, I hate it.”
I like most of the stuff I buy at Costco. I don’t always LOVE it, but I like it. I rarely hate it.
But I hate these Strawberry Shortcake Bites from Edward Marc. What happened? How dare you, Edward Marc! How dare you, sir!
What are they?
These are small “shortbread cookie” balls covered in “strawberry flavored creme.” It’s kind of like a white chocolate/yogurt coating, but not quite. The cookies are (vaguely) similar to a vanilla wafer in texture.
Fake-tasting flavor
I am used to strong, almost preternatural flavors. But this is beyond that. It tastes shockingly fake. With an odd, lingering aftertaste that reminds me of fake banana flavor. Ugh. The flavor almost gets stronger after eating one. (No, that doesn’t make sense at alllll.) Paradoxically, these are made with “natural flavors.”
(By comparison, I DID really like the flavor of these strawberry yogurt-covered pretzels.)
Gritty texture
Look, I love me some crunchy goodies. Crunchy is my middle name! But these are downright gritty. The cookie is gritty. (And hard, rather than tender like a “shortbread” should be.) The strawberry coating is even grittier. At first, I thought this was some deeply unfortunate manufacturing fluke. But, no. The ingredients specifically list separate “STRAWBERRY CRUNCH” and “SHORTCAKE CRUMB.” So this texture is by design.
(For a crunchy, fruity candy I DID love, here is my review of Sconza Triple Berry Yogurt Bites.)
And yes, I am familiar with the crunch coating on the namesake ice cream bars. This isn’t like that.
There are tiny fragments of freeze-dried strawberries in the “creme,” which give it a little extra zing. And attractive speckling. Fruit freckles. But I’ve definitely had other candies with strawberry powder that were not gritty.
Much too sweet
They’re much too sweet. A single ounce of these candies has 15 grams of sugar — that’s almost 4 teaspoons. More than a tablespoon of sugar. I complain a lot about “too sweet” candies. So, if this was the only issue, I’d probably give these Shortcake Bites a pass. But it’s not. So I won’t.
(If you’re looking for a strawberry treat I loved, check out this review of Aldi’s Strawberry Jaffa Cakes.)
Say something nice, you monster!
Well, they are smaller “balls” than I expected. I thought they would be the size of a Whopper candy. But they’re more like, a chubby peanut. The Ozempic version of a Whopper. This is nice if you don’t want such a big bite of fake-tasting strawberry flavor all at once. I guess?
Ingredients in Strawberry Shortcake Bites from Edward Marc
Here is my best attempt at typing out the ingredients from the label:
- Strawberry Coating: White Confectionary Coating (Sugar, Palm Kernel Oil, Nonfat Milk Powder, Whole Milk Powder, Whey Powder, Palm Oil, Soy Lecithin, and Vanilla), Palm Oil, Strawberry Powder, Natural Flavor, Vegetable Juice (color), Malic Acid.
- Vanilla Cookie Gems: Enriched Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, folic Acid), Sugar, Palm Oil, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Natural Flavor, Nonfat Dry Milk Powder, Salt, Baking Soda, Soy Lecithin (emulsifier)
- Shortcake Crumb: Wheat Flour, Sugar, Palm Oil, Natural Flavor (contains milk), Soy Lecithin, Salt, Baking Soda
- Strawberry Crunch: Sugar, Rice Flour, Palm Oil, Tapioca Starch, Natural Flavors (contains sugar), Fruit and Vegetable Juice for Color (apple, cherry, sweet pottato, radish, blackcurrant)
More information from the label:
- No preservatives or artificial flavors
- Crafted in the USA
- Kosher Dairy
Nutrition Facts
A serving is 7 pieces (28 grams) and contains 140 calories. You get 7 grams of fat (6 grams saturated fat) and 1 gram protein. There are 19 grams total carbohydrates, of which 0 grams are fiber and 15 grams are sugars (13 grams are “added sugars”). There’s just 2% your daily value sodium, and 0% your daily value cholesterol per serving.
Price and Servings
The 20 ounce bag cost $11.29 at the regular price. But I got mine on sale for $7.99. Since there are 20 ounces per package, each serving would cost 56 cents at the regular price.
Shelf Life
The “best by” date on my package allowed more than a year to consume.
I’m pleased that these Shortcake Bites aren’t melty at room temperature. They are fairly sturdy little nuggets. And they come in a resealable bag. There, I knew I could say something nice!
Dramatic Conclusion
I really hated these Strawberry Shortcake Bites. This confuses me, because they’ve been a returning item at my local Costco for a couple years. So other people must like ’em! What’s wrong with me?
Or, what’s wrong with ya’ll?!
The Awesome-o-Meter rates these Strawberry Shortcake Bites a semi-dismal “Why, Tho?”
The End.
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