Review: Honey Stinger Cookies & Cream Waffle

When you’re out on a long bike ride or hiking up in the alpine you have to fuel your body. And why shouldn’t said fuel taste delicious?! The Honey Stinger Cookies & Cream Waffle is the perfect pocket-sized snack for all your adventures. With a long shelf-life you can buy them in bulk and they’ll last all season long. I find that not only are they super tasty but they are the perfect size and weight, fitting right inside your pocket. These have been a constant go-to snack for all my outdoor adventures over the years and I’m stoked that Honey Stinger added this new flavor to the mix.

I wouldn’t call myself a true “type 2 fun” person but a solid 1.5, and on some days a 2. I’ve ridden several century bike rides including three 200+ miles rides as well as 30+ mile backpacking trips and 20+ mile day hikes. To get through those high mileage days I’ve had to adapt my routine over the years and really take my nutrition seriously, most importantly before and during my endeavor. I’ve reviewed other snacks aimed at fueling the outdoor athlete, including another from Honey Stinger so I was excited at the opportunity to review their newest waffle flavor, cookies & cream. I received the product right at the beginning of fall – just in time for “larch madness!” In the hiking world “larch madness” is a short-lived time in autumn when the needles of deciduous larch trees turn a beautiful golden before falling off. So I brought them on all my larch adventures including a backpacking trip and three day hikes.

Lake Ingalls

The first adventure I took the Honey Stinger Cookies & Cream Waffle on was a backpacking trip to Lake Ingalls in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. We got a late start but were fortunate enough to find a really nice campsite, set up camp and even had time for a sunset stroll to the lake before dark. I toted a Honey Stinger waffle with me to the lake for a little sunset treat! After our lakeside adventures we made our way back to camp, tucked in for the night, and fell asleep to Hocus Pocus on my phone (obligatory halloween movie to watch on October 1st). It was a long cold night but when we woke up for sunrise we were gifted with one of the best shows I’ve seen in the backcountry. We grabbed our sleeping bags and perched up on the rocks above our campsite, made coffee, and just enjoyed the moment. Dipping my Honey Stinger waffle into my coffee as the sun came up over the mountains was like something out of a fairytale – it was pure bliss. While most of the time I eat the waffles at room temperature every once in a while I get the chance to have them with my coffee and that is by far my favorite. They get all melted and delicious; such a treat to have when you’re at 7,000 ft! After lingering around a few hours we finally broke camp and hiked out – sweaty, dirty, and happy.

Blue Lake

Next I toted the tasty Honey Stinger waffle on a day-hike to Blue Lake along Highway 20 in the North Cascades. This hike is short and sweet, the perfect hike for us being that my friend is six months pregnant. The trailhead is about three hours from Seattle and our entire drive over it was foggy and raining. But sure enough as we approached the trailhead the clouds started to break and the sun came out. By the time we started the hike it was blue sky and a beautiful day. We started the hike in gloves and hats but were quickly shedding them as it got warmer and warmer. When we finally reached the lake I couldn’t wait to bust out my waffle. The perfect lakeside snack! And despite the temps being on the colder side, since the sun was shining the waffle got nice and warm in my hip-belt pocket. Another picture perfect day in the mountains with great snacks!

Yellow Aster Butte

The third adventure and second day-hike I brought the Honey Stinger waffle on was a day-hike near Mt. Baker called Yellow Aster Butte. Another cold morning, this time with snow on the ground, but we lucked out and got another beautiful sunny afternoon. The fall colors were just past peak and the hillside was still a beautiful explosion of red and orange. It was a Friday so it was nice and quiet on the trail. We enjoyed romping around in the fall colors and admiring unobstructed views of all the nearby peaks, notably Mount Shuksan and Mt. Baker. The Honey Stinger waffle was the perfect addition to my bag lunch. Being that the new flavor is made with a chocolate waffle it just checks every box. It’s nice to have something sweet on the trail, but also get a little more nutrients from than say a candy bar. Honey Stinger nailed it with this one!

Maple Pass Loop

The fourth and final trip I packed a few waffles for was a day-hike to Maple Pass Loop with my dad. Unfortunately I don’t have any product photos from this trip as we got so hungry on the hike up we ate them! It was a cold and wet start to the hike and we were craving something sweet to get us through the patch of bad weather. I had two waffles in my hip-belt pocket (again, they’re a super convenient size for this!) so I pulled them out and we dug in! I was so thankful to have these and to have them readily available and not have to take my pack off.

Friendliness to the Earth

True Source Certified

This is a voluntary system for those participants in an international supply chain who wish to demonstrate through an independent third-party audit that their sourcing practices for honey are in full compliance with requirements of the True Source Certified Standards.

USDA Organic

Would love to see the company have more sustainable packaging or donate some proceeds to our public lands (just a few ways they could give back)

The Final Word

The Honey Stinger Cookies & Cream Waffle is a great trail snack that packs a ton of flavor! It doesn’t turn into a melty mess and is perfect for all mountain adventures be it skiing, hiking, mountain biking, etc. I’ve been enjoying these for years and will definitely be adding this new cookies & cream flavor to my shopping list.

Things I love about this product:

Gluten-free (unlike some of their competitors!)
Non-GMO
Doesn’t melt in hot temps
Can eat at room temp or warm (I prefer to dip in my coffee)
Small enough to fit in your pocket
USDA Organic
True Source Certified
Easy-to-open packaging
Long shelf-life
Light-weight (1.06 oz)
A lot of flavors to choose from (including the newest, cookies & cream)

Areas for improvement:

Can get hard in cold weather
Only 1g of protein (Stinger does sell Protein Waffles but not in this flavor)
Would love to see the brand do more to be eco-friendly and/or philanthropic

An explanation for the ratings above:

Taste: 5/5 – At only 140 calories these pack a punch when it comes to flavor. I especially love the dark chocolate waffle.

Durability in Variety of Weather: 4/5 – Being that they are a waffle they are great in the warmer and more mild temps but can get a little hard in cold weather. Fortunately they heat up really nicely with a warm cup of tea or coffee. And it is great to have something chocolatey in the summer that doesn’t melt.

Weight/Packability: 5/5 – They are the perfect size! Having a snack that is thin enough to fit in your pocket is such a treat! I love putting one in my coat pocket when I’m skiing or my hip-belt pouch on hikes.

Eco-Friendly 1/5 – More environmentally conscious packaging or an effort to reduce their carbon footprint would be great to see.

This review was originally posted on DirtbagDreams.com.

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