Product Review: Caveman Bakery Tropical Caveman Cookies

Product: Caveman Bakery Tropical Caveman Cookies – $6.29+

Yep.

This is just what you are thinking.  These cookies are called “caveman cookies” for a reason.  And that reason is…(insert trumpeting here)…they are a part of the “caveman” diet…or the Paleo Diet as it is often called now.

Now, as a gluten-free vegetarian, a lot of what I make can be done the Paleo way…but a lot of my protein sources (beans, peanut butter, etc.) are frowned upon in the paleo diet.  As are some of my favorite vegetables – like potatoes and corn.  So, while I know a few people who do follow that “caveman” way of eating…I can’t for my own health.  It just isn’t feasible for me.  But, that’s not to say that I don’t try these “paleo” recipes and items that are now on the market.  As long as they fit into my dietary restrictions, I’m never one to turn down the opportunity to try something new.  And…since I do know people who live by this form of “diet”…I have learned how to bake many staples to fit into the “caveman” diet by trying out different flours, often made from almonds or coconut.

So, while I was in Ohio visiting my friend Jenn, she picked up for me some interesting cookies that fit my tastes and…were gluten-free.  Jenn loves me like this and often has goodies for me to try waiting at her house.  I took a gander at the boxes…seeing the open-mouthed Caveman and the words Tropical on one box.  Alpine is the other flavor…and the one I haven’t tried yet.  YET!

Well, with the demise of the gluten-free vanilla bean pound cake (it was SO good!), I needed a new sweet treat to cleanse the palate after dinner.  I recalled these boxes in my pantry and screamed my thanks to Jenn as I pumped a fist in the air in dessert victory.  I mean…dessert is something I grew up eating after dinner.  It doesn’t have to be huge.  A cookie or a small bowl of ice cream…just something sweet to tie up the meal.  That’s how I was raised.  I still swear to this today.  So, I happily snagged the Caveman Bakery Tropical Caveman Cookies from the pantry.

So, it was cookie time.  And you know…I am a complete cookie monster.  My favorite thing in life is a good cookie!!  And when I opened up this box…I found individually wrapped little cookies (about the size of a silver dollar) just eagerly awaiting their trial.  I plucked four from the box (two for me and two for my roomie) and got to unwrapping them.  They smelled absolutely delicious.  Hard to explain just how they smelled, but I caught the macadamia nut and a hint of sweetness from the coconut and ginger.  I opened up two cookies for my roommate and delivered them, giving her the usual disclaimer that, “if they suck we can try something else…”  As I was heading back into the kitchen, she took a bite.  At first…I couldn’t tell what she thought of them.  The face she was making was sort of neutral.  Then…there was something.  But from where I stood, I couldn’t tell if it was good or bad.  So, as I was opening up my cookies, I asked her how they were.

“They are like…chewy cardboard that is sweet.”

Um…that can’t be good.

“Are they edible?” I inquired.

She thought for a moment and took another bite.  “Well…I’ll eat them…but they aren’t something I’d buy again.”

Okay…

Guess it was my turn to give them a try.  I settled in for dessert and took a bite.

So…here is the nitty-gritty:

The Caveman Bakery Tropical Caveman Cookies are good in that they are chewy and use real ingredients.  I mean…it doesn’t get much more real than what goes into these cookies.  They are not so good in that they don’t really have that much of a flavor.  I know…you probably think it’s that I’m missing the sugar…but I cut down on sugars wherever I can and try to do low sugar even in my snacks and cookies.  Often I substitute honey…which is what is used in these cookies to sweeten them.  The thing is…they are really bland.  They do have a nice nutty flavor to them, which I like.  The coconut hits at the end.  And the ginger doesn’t overpower…but there is just something about them that didn’t…wow me.  I wouldn’t say they taste like cardboard, but they definitely take some getting used to.  I love a chewy cookie and I wasn’t certain these would be…but they are very chewy.  And that…is my favorite part.  With nothing more than the hint of coconut for something “tropical”…I can’t for the life of me figure out why these are called “tropical”.  But…they aren’t awful.  And we will polish off the box.

Let’s talk ingredients.  Honestly, the good thing about the Paleo Diet is how straightforward ingredients are in products.  The Caveman Bakery Tropical Caveman Cookies contain almond flour, organic honey, unsulfured coconut, macadamia nuts, and ginger.  That’s it.  They really are chewy…and contain 100% real ingredients and are gluten-free.  They are also cholesterol free and sugar free.

Nutritionally speaking…here’s how the Caveman Bakery Tropical Caveman Cookies stack up.  A serving size is 2 cookies.  Yep.  TWO cookies.  This serving will provide you with 140 calories and 10 grams of fat.  Yep…10 GRAMS OF FAT!!  Don’t freak out though.  Much of this fat is derived from the macadamia nuts and almond flour.  Fat from nuts is a healthy fat.  So…yeah…deep breath.  It’s okay.  Additionally, these cookies contain 10 grams of sugar, 2 grams of fiber rand 3 grams of protein.

So…while these aren’t awful, they aren’t amazing either.  They are just sort of “MEH.”  And a “MEH” dessert is not a dessert that will be repeated.  We are going to finish up the box.  And, yes, we will also try the Alpine Caveman Cookies as well to see if they perhaps satisfy us better or have more flavor.  I give kudos to Caveman Bakery for making a paleo-friendly cookie for the market…but it seems they could use a little help with the recipe.  But, that’s just my cookie-loving opinion.  I don’t think I’d invest in these in the future.  At least not this flavor.