This is a bit of a random review, but I am writing it for 2 reasons:

1. This pudding was one of my go-to foods during my post-wisdom teeth extraction recovery period.
2. My dad bought it, and I saw the flavor and was extremely dubious. My first impression was quite wrong.

Disclaimers: I am not being paid to write this review, and food tastes REAL good when you’re having trouble getting anything down at all.

Snack Pack Pudding: Apple Pie A La Mode

Snack Pack makes puddings and jellies that you may have seen while grocery shopping. These are usually NOT in the refrigerated section, because some kind of magic keeps them okay without refrigeration. (It says so on the package.) (Not the part about magic.)

My dad brought home some jelly and pudding while I was incapacitated and unable to eat solid food last week. I saw banana creme pie and apple pie a la mode and raised my eyebrows as much as I could muster at him. These were some weird-sounding flavors for pudding. I am usually really suspicious of foods that are ambitious and try really hard to taste like non-traditional flavors. (Those yogurts that taste like desserts? Why can’t it taste like yogurt?)

He had me bring it along with me to school while I was on campus working. I had one for a light lunch since I was still just a bit queasy and…

… it was so good. Wow. The layers in the pudding actually do represent different flavors:

• The top, cream-colored layer was meant to be the “[à] la mode” part, aka the ice cream-flavored part. It tasted like standard vanilla pudding and not like anything too crazy. I like vanilla pudding, so I was pleased.
• The bottom, caramel-colored layer was meant to be the apple pie part, and it was tasty without being, again, too ambitious. It has a hint of cinnamon but isn’t overly apple-y or pie-y.

Did it actually taste like apple pie served with ice cream? No, of course not. And personally, I really didn’t want it to. There are certain expectations at play when you are tasting apple pie and the texture is pudding-y, and when you are eating pudding and it doesn’t taste like chocolate, vanilla, or other traditional pudding flavors.

I will definitely be eating this again. I have one more cup in my fridge (although remember, you don’t need to keep it in your fridge) and I am saving it for a rainy day.

Well, would you look at that. It’s raining outside.