Cafe au Lait Kit Kat

I have to admit that this is one that has been sitting on my desk for a long time so if you read this and hope to eat it then I'm afraid it might be long gone by now. I went through a phase this last year where Kit Kats simply didn't interest me. Do you blame me? I've eaten a LOT of Kit Kats in the last two years. But I finally got back to some really great Kit Kats again this summer, including the Cafe au Lait Kit Kat.

I've tried, and really liked, other coffee Kit Kats in the past. The Cafe Au Lait Kit Kat promises to be extra special since the Lait in this Cafe au Lait is from Hokkaido. If you want to sell anything to do with dairy in Japan the best way to do it is to promise it is from Hokkaido. They have very happy cows up there producing the best butter, milk, and cheese in the country.


The Cafe au Lait is a mini Kit Kat and has 69 calories. It is made with white chocolate although it has a light brown tint to it. It smelled strongly of coffee. The coffee flavor was in both the chocolate and the cream, giving it a nice bitter bite to the sweetness of the white chocolate that I loved. It tasted just like a cafe au lait, although with more cafe than lait. I loved it the first time and I loved it again with the Hokkaido milk. I heartily suggest this Kit Kat to any coffee lovers out there.

Score: 9

Strawberry Hazelnut Kit Kat

Why oh why does Nestle keep making Strawberry Kit Kats? Probably because despite my promising not to buy anymore I still find myself buying them all. The latest strawberry incarnation I've tried is the Strawberry Hazelnut Kit Kat. At least there was something other than just strawberry going for it. At least that's what I told myself as I paid for shipping and handling for yet another strawberry Kit Kat.

Like the Cookies and Cream Kit Kat, the Strawberry Hazelnut Kit Kat comes in a box of 6 petits each with 25 calories. Hazelnut and chocolate is a no-brainer. Anyone who loves Nutella can attest to that. And strawberry and chocolate is Nestle's trusty standby, so I knew that despite it being yet another strawberry Kit Kat that this was something I looked forward to.


Upon opening the wrapper there was a strong fake strawberry smell. The chocolate itself is strawberry flavored with the hazelnut in the creme. The creme was very creamy and the hazelnut flavor kept the strawberry chocolate from being overwhelming. In truth this might as well have been named the Hazelnut Strawberry Kit Kat since there was more hazelnut than strawberry in my opinion. The small bites also prevented it from being too sweet since there was little danger of overdoing it. Overall, it was a great tasting Kit Kat. If you're going to try a strawberry version, I would recommend this one for sure.

Final Score: 7

Another lover of Kit Kats

Just a quick note encouraging you to check out fellow Kit Kat blogger haikugirl at My Kit Kats. She has several varieties of Kit Kat I haven't tried including Kit Kat ice cream, Kit Kat in yogurt, and a Kit Kat branded daruma.

Cookies and Cream Kit Kat

Although I'm obviously a fan of chocolate candy bars, Kit Kats especially, my real weakness are cookies. I always request a cookie cake for my birthday. My favorite ice cream flavors are chocolate chip cookie dough and cookies and cream. So I really appreciate it anytime Nestle decided to put the two things I love - Kit Kats and cookies - together, this time with the Cookies and Cream Kit Kat.

The Cookies and Cream Kit Kat are really petits. Very small, no more than just a bite, and only 24 calories each, they are made with white chocolate with bits of chocolate cookie mixed in. The cookies are obviously meant to be Oreos although it's not explicitly stated since there appears to be no tie in with Nabisco. The cookie bits are good and give the bar a little extra crunch. They actually taste just like cookies and cream ice cream but in candy bar form. Although they might be better straight from the refrigerator, I haven't tried it cold yet. It did make me want some ice cream so this could be a pretty good substitute if you aren't near an ice cream shop.


There are 6 small bites in each box so you can eat all six with a little guilt or just eat a few at a time with none at all. I ate two and plan on putting the others in the freezer to see if getting them cold doesn't make them even more like cookies and cream ice cream.

Final Score: 8

New(ish) Kit Kats

There are several new...ish varieties of Kit Kats out there to track down and try...if you've just started eating Japanese Kit Kats. If you've been at this awhile, and I have, then you will recognize some of these as regional varieties who are getting some time on the main stage. Some of them are just getting their second (or fifth or sixth) chance at it.

If you missed the regional varieties because you don't have an awesome friend named Marie who traveled to Hokkaido to bring you back Kit Kat then this is your chance to try them. I'm not sure there's any urgency on the Pudding Kit Kat. I can guarantee that will be back again, but the Tiramisu might be worth a try. Either way, I won't be reviewing them again but I've linked to my first reviews below.

Edamame Zunda Kit Kat (once a regional Kit Kat from Tohoku.)

Yubari Melon Kit Kat (once a regional Kit Kat from Hokkaido.)

Custard Pudding Kit Kat (released several times various ways and only strawberry beats it in the so tired of it category.)

Tiramisu Kit Kat (I reviewed this one once before very early on and I'm still on the fence whether to try it again. In the meantime you can laugh at my early attempts at blogging or wish for the days when I was less verbose and got on with the chocolate reviewing.)


And because I'm trying to stick to my no more Strawberry Kit Kats rule I am definitely not reviewing the Bitter Strawberry Kit Kat even if it does look slightly intriguing. Instead I will point you to someone who isn't forced to pay international shipping for the pleasure of yet another Strawberry Kit Kat. Check out Orchid64's take on the Bitter Strawberry Kit Kat at her blog Japanese Snack Reviews.

That's all for now! If you've seen anything I've missed let me know!

Strawberry Cake Kit Kat

It's summer in Ohio and that means big red smokies, baked beans, corn on the cob and my favorite - strawberry short cake. In Japan it's not the time for strawberries or strawberry cake - that would be at Christmas which explains why this Kit Kat has been out for awhile. However, I'm on a Midwest America schedule so that's my excuse for why I've just gotten around to trying it. Also because I just can't get excited about another strawberry Kit Kat.

This incarnation - the Strawberry Cake Kit Kat - comes in minis that have 68 calories each and are made with white chocolate. They smell faintly of strawberry and are alight pink color. The idea is that they should taste like strawberry cake - the very sweet confection that the Japanese eat at Christmas. There isn't much of a "cake" taste per say, unless you count the wafers but the strawberry is muted and there is a definite hint of whipped cream in there. It's not bad. Actually it's pretty good. It's just that we've seen strawberry time and time again and I'm running out of things to say. If you get the chance to try - go for it. If you've tried the other million strawberry Kit Kats Nestle has put out then you won't miss anything by giving this a pass.

Final Score: 7

Mikan Big Little Kit Kat

It's getting harder and harder for me to buy Kit Kats. When I was in Japan I could rationalize purchasing just about anything. I would buy Strawberry Kit Kats with only the slightest of variations if I found them in the 7-11 across the street. Purin Kit Kats in different incarnations - Chunky, Little, Mini, Regular from the Sunkus next to Toyohashi Station were a snore after awhile but they were there so why not?

Now that I'm back in the States and buying my Kit Kats online the thought of paying shipping for yet another Purin or Strawberry Kit Kat isn't as easy to rationalize. The latest craze in the Kit Kat world is releasing existing flavors but as Big Little Kit Kat. Big Little is pretty much the definition of an oxymoron and not enough of a twist to convince me to spend the money on international shipping. I did shell out for the Mikan Big Little Kit Kat but it will be my last. Only truly new flavors from here on out - or until I go into Kit Kat withdraw.

I did break down and buy the Mikan Big Little Kit Kat even though I've had other orange Kit Kats before. I rationalize it by telling myself I haven't had mikan yet. But still, it's really nothing very new. I challenge Nestle to wow me with some truly new flavors that I can get excited about.

But until then...the Mikan Big Little Kit Kat has 224 calories. In my little pack I got 9 large milk chocolate cubes. It's hard to tell if these are really bigger since I don't have a Little Little Kit Kat to compare too but I'd say the difference is minimal. They smelled orange-y although it was more of a kitchen cleaner citrus smell than of a ripe juicy mikan (mandarin orange). The taste was less artificial and really more of an afterthought rather than a dominant flavor, which I actually approved of. The cream was very creamy. The milk chocolate paired nicely with the orange flavor for an overall great tasting snack.

I've had other orange incarnations but this might be one of my favorite. It actually makes me wonder if I shouldn't go ahead and just buy more of the Big Little versions after all. Thoughts?

Final Score: 7


This is my first post since the quake and tsunami in Japan. I hope that any of my readers living in that area are safe and sound. Personally, I'm relieved to report that all friends and acquaintances are safe. My thoughts and prayers are with those in the quake zone and I encourage you to donate to the relief effort, specifically to the Japanese Red Cross.