I snicker at Wendy’s Snickerdoodle Cookie Frosty Fusion

It’s been quiet in the world of Frosty since Wendy’s flurry — no, not McFlurry — of activity earlier this year. The chain gave its iconic not-quite-ice cream dessert a huge shakeup in April and May, introducing Frosty Swirls (which added brownie, strawberry and caramel sauces to them) and Frosty Fusions (which then stirred in Oreo cookie crumbles, Pop-Tarts Crunchy Poppers and toffee bits).

It was definitely an exciting time for Frosty fans. The Frosty Fusion with Pop-Tart Crunchy Poppers is still a favorite of mine, and I’ve gotten it a bunch of times, in both vanilla and chocolate, since it hit the scene in May.

Wendy’s had a limited-edition Frosty as part of the its Meal of Misfortune promotion for Netflix’s Wednesday, but nothing as big as the rollout of Frosty Swirls and Frosty Fusions. But now Wendy’s is back with a big new flavor for the holiday season, with the Snickerdoodle Cookie Frosty Fusion hitting stores last week.

“At Wendy’s, we believe the best gifts are chosen with care and made just for you,” Wendy’s notes its announcement of the new flavor. “Our Snickerdoodle Cookie Frosty Fusion isn’t just another seasonally-inspired Frosty treat — it’s a delicious example of how we’re always listening to our fans and delivering the flavors they crave most. By blending cozy, nostalgic snickerdoodle goodness with our iconic Frosty, we’re serving up a festive holiday treat, designed for you.”

Is snickerdoodle the new go-to flavor for the holiday season? Between Wendy’s and new flavors of Twix and Hershey’s Kisses, the cookie-based taste is having a moment. But am I on board?

What they cost

I paid $4.99 each for the two small Snickerdoodle Cookie Frosty Fusions that I bought over the weekend.

My thoughts

OK, I should share that the very first time I encountered snickerdoodle cookies as a kid was at a summer program where one of the days was going to be spent making cookies. I assumed that the “snicker” part of “snickerdoodle” meant that I could expect the chocolatey goodness of a Snickers candy bar in the cookies we were baking.

Boy, was I disappointed.

I can’t promise that my disappointment from thirty years ago doesn’t still linger whenever I encounter anything that’s snickerdoodle flavored now. I bought a Twix Snickerdoodle candy bar a week or two ago. I enjoyed it, but it’s not something I’d buy again. (Snackology readers should keep an eye out for a roundup of Christmas candy next month if they want more snickerdoodle thoughts ...)

Like every Frosty Fusion on Wendy’s menu, you can get the Snickerdoodle Cookie Frosty Fusion with either the chocolate Frosty (yay!) or the vanilla Frosty (boo!). I obviously got one of each, because I care about all of you.

Snickerdoodle Cookie Frosty Fusion Chocolate

No matter which flavor base you get, your Snickerdoodle Cookie Frosty Fusion should have “a sweet, cinnamony snickerdoodle sauce” blended into it before it’s topped with cookie crumbles.

My Wendy’s location did a fantastic job when it came to properly making my Frostys (with one blip, which we’ll get to in a second). In the early days of the Frosty Fusion, I got a Frosty or two that hadn’t been blended. Like when this happens with a McFlurry at McDonald’s, you hate to be that customer to ask for your frozen dessert to be Fusion’d or McFlurry’d, but that’s what you’re paying for, right?

You can never go wrong with a chocolate Frosty. It always hits the spot, a chilly bright spot in a world of darkness. That said, I’m not sure it was the right combo for the Snickerdoodle Frosty Fusion. Those snickerdoodle crumbles and sauces were fighting hard against the chocolate flavor of the Frosty itself, and I don’t think they won the battle.

It’s still hard to go wrong with a chocolate Frosty with cookie bits.

Snack score

🍪🍪🍪 (3 out of 5 cookies)

Snickerdoodle Cookie Frosty Fusion Vanilla

I think Wendy’s understood that the chocolate Frosty might have been too powerful for the Snickerdoodle Cookie Frosty Fusion, specifically mentioning its vanilla counterpart in the announcement for this flavor.

When I pulled up to the drive-thru to pick up my two Frostys, the very nice woman working the window handed me two Snickerdoodle Cookie Frosty Fusions ... with a vanilla Frosty base.

Obviously a problem for what I’m doing here.

There luckily wasn’t a line behind me, and she very quickly made me the chocolate version. Unfortunately, it wan’t quick enough for the vanilla Frosty to not start losing its structural integrity. By the time I got home, my Snickerdoodle Cookie Frosty Fusion in vanilla was more liquid than solid.

But even if it had stayed frozen for the taste test, I don’t think that would’ve saved the vanilla version of the Snickerdoodle Cookie Frosty Fusion.

I agree that a vanilla base would be a much better start for this seasonal flavor — as I learned the hard way during that summer program decades ago, there’s no chocolate in a snickerdoodle — the vanilla Frosty has such a distinct taste that there’s just no way for another flavor to slide into it.

Snack score

🍪🍪 (2 out of 5 cookies)