Thursday, October 30, 2014

Nature's Bakery Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Fig Bar - Wegman's: Cherry Hill, NJ

Nature's Bakery Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Fig Bar - Wegman's: Cherry Hill, NJ
My boyfriend and I were walking through Wegman's, and I was trying my best to NOT buy more food to review until I went through my stash at home, but I just couldn't resist this packaging! I rationalized this purchase as something I could hand out to kids on Halloween, but who am I kidding? I just wanted to photograph these and keep them for myself!


The spooky, sketchy, pumpkin mascot is what originally caught my eye, but I love everything about this packaging! It's matte, which photographs nicely, it has a pattern and texture in the background that adds a lot of visual interest, and it's resealable! The contrast between the purple and the orange really makes the important text stand out, and the layout is not only appealing, but it makes the information really easy to follow. I can't say one bad thing about this package, and I love it! (It's been a while since I geeked out over a package design.)

Inside we have four different flavored fig bars that are individually wrapped. Today I'm going to focus on the limited edition pumpkin spiced flavor, since it's the most Halloween-y, but I'll cover the others pretty soon. (Most likely next week.)


Looking at the individual package design for this flavor, it's a bit busy. I don't like it as much as the large bag, but it's pleasant enough and it functions well. I'm really missing the contrast of the orange and purple, but at least that adorably spooky four-armed mascot is still here. (I love him!) If you read all of the provided nutritional information, this seems like a really healthy alternative to all of the Halloween candies out there. As an adult who loves figs, I think these sound delicious, but if a kid has a choice between this and a bag of skittles, which do you think they will pick? Being the house that is handing out healthy treats on Halloween can be a little risky, but if they taste good enough, you'll avoid a barrage of eggs and toilet paper. Let's see if this bar will pass the test.


Inside the wrapper is a thick square pastry that looks a bit like a giant Fig Newton. Well maybe not giant, but this is at least larger and longer than the Fig Newtons I ate as a child. The outside looks oatmeal-y and natural, similar to outside of those cereal and breakfast bars you can buy at any grocery store, and the filling is a dark, but translucent, amber color. It looks a bit like fig jam, with the little fig seeds sprinkled throughout, but it's a bit more orange/golden.


As far as scent, this smells earthy, like oatmeal, figs, a bit of spice, and there's a hint of actual pumpkin in there as well. The pumpkin pie spices aren't especially bold or in-your-your face, but they are definitely there, and there is an earthy squash-scent that reminds me of actual pumpkin puree. (Although it also smells a lot like sweet potatoes.)

After one bite, I was hooked. The outside is thick and crumbly, like the fruit bars you can buy at Trader Joe's, and it tastes like brown sugar oatmeal. Inside, the filling is moist and jammy, but it tastes a lot fresher and softer than the filling of a Fig Newton. This tastes like a mixture of pumpkin butter and fig jam, which sounds a little odd, but the flavors work well together. I found this square shaped snack to be sweet, but not too sweet, and very satisfying. After eating one, which tasted great, I didn't feel the need to open another or have any other snacks. (Which is why I am breaking up these reviews. I can't imagine eating all four flavors in one sitting.)

The aftertaste for these is more-so oatmeal than pumpkin, and you do get a bit of the oat-y exterior stuck in your teeth, but this was a really enjoyable little treat. If you are looking for a healthy treat to hand out this year, this is a bit pricey. If you can afford it, I bet the kids would love these. As for me, I can't afford buying enough of these to hand out in my neighborhood, but I really enjoyed the pumpkin spiced square and I plan on using these as a breakfast on-the-go for my drive into work. (Sorry kids, I'm keeping these for myself this year.)


On a Pumpkin Scale of 1-5 (5 being the most pumpkin-y) I’d give this a 4. The filling is like a mixture of pumpkin butter and fig jam, this is earthy, filling, and actually good for you! I'm really impressed with these little squares. 
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