Is Kraft Mac & Cheese Apple Pie a dinner or a dessert?

From its inception last fall, Snackology has covered the world of new and returning favorites across the worlds of fast food, candy, cookies, soda and even macaroni and cheese. We’ll get back to that last category in just a second, but first, I need to commemorate that all of those reviews, rankings and roundups have led to this: The 100th edition of Snackology.

As always, I’m incredibly grateful that every Snackology reader has decided to subscribe to the newsletter, click on links to it and share it with their friends. If you aren’t already an official Snackology subscriber, starting with No. 100 is the perfect opportunity.

While Taco Bell’s Mountain Dew Baja Blast Pie missed scoring the No. 100 spot by a few editions, we’re here today to discuss another limited-edition release that had social media buzzing. It’s time to talk about Kraft Mac & Cheese Apple Pie Flavor.

We’re a few weeks shy of a full year since I reviewed Kraft Mac & Cheese Everything Bagel Flavor. In the early months of Snackology, my wife summed that flavor up perfectly, proclaiming: “I don’t think it has to exist.” She was right. It was terrible. (And that’s not even taking into account the moment the flavor packet exploded in our kitchen.) There’s no way the Apple Pie flavor of Kraft’s classic mac and cheese would be that bad, right?

What it costs

You can get a box of Apple Pie Mac & Cheese on Walmart’s website for $1.48.

My thoughts

The concept of mixing mac and cheese with apple pie isn’t the most absurd thing. A few crisp apple slices are a great companion to some creamy brie. People definitely raised their eyebrows when Kraft announced the Apple Pie flavor, but I thought there was potential there.

“The flavors of dinner and dessert together at last,” the back of the box of Kraft Mac & Cheese Apple Pie Flavor declared. “Cheesy, apple-y cinnamon-y goodness. So grab a spoon and dig in.”

Hold on, mac and cheese box, I gotta assemble things before I can grab a spoon and dig in.

After my mishap with the cheese packet last year, I was super careful opening this one. Kraft Mac & Cheese should be dummy proof — and I wasn’t going to be the dummy who violently shook the packet again.

As I stirred the cheese-and-flavoring packet into the macaroni with some milk and butter, I was already getting tiny wafts of apple. Despite knowing that I was making Apple Pie-flavored mac and cheese, it still took me by surprise. Food science is wild.

At first glance, Kraft Mac & Cheese Apple Pie Flavor looks exactly like the classic orange Kraft Mac & Cheese you probably grew up with. But closer examination revealed flecks of what I’m assuming are specks of cinnamon.

The taste test is what you’ve all come for, so here we go …

Kraft Mac & Cheese Apple Pie Flavor is good?

This verdict was backed up by both my daughter and Caitlin. (While our daughter’s palate is suspect, my wife is a tough judge when it comes to food nonsense like this.) This flavor of mac and cheese has the slightest level of apple to it, with maybe a touch of cinnamon mixed in.

My biggest complaint with Kraft Mac & Cheese Everything Bagel Flavor last year was that the everything bagel flavor was wildly overpowering, but in the case of this year’s seasonal flavor, Kraft could’ve amped the flavors up. I would’ve liked more bright apple notes.

Snack score

🍪🍪🍪 (3 out of 5 cookies)

Kraft Mac & Cheese Apple Pie Flavor is still available on Walmart’s website, which means you too can give it a try. It’s a harmless addition to Kraft’s current takes on its classic mac and cheese, but I don’t think it’ll replace the traditional flavor in your cupboard.