I love bagels in all their chewy, bready goodness. Plain bagels, flavored bagels, with or without cream cheese, I love them all. So, I was excited when I saw an ad (and, even better coupons!) for Einstein Bros Bagels new Bagel Poppers – cute little bagel bites that you can dip, pop in your mouth, and enjoy on the go. Or so I thought.
I stopped by a local Einstein’s franchise this weekend and split two order of bagel poppers with my husband – blueberry and cinnamon sugar. (We skipped the third flavor, an unappetizing sweet cream cheese). I expected them to taste like, well, bagels. We were sorely disappointed to find the bagel poppers tasted more like donut holes than bagel holes. The blueberry variety had a sticky glaze on the outside that stuck to my fingers and made the poppers cloyingly sweet (and I love my sweets). The cinnamon sugar flavor tasted more like fried dough dipped in cinnamon sugar. Neither variety would be a good option for food on the go. Despite being served in a plastic travel cup with a lid, the bagel poppers are too sticky and messy to enjoy without a napkin, or preferably a sink nearby. If you don’t want to start your day with dessert, you’d do best to stick with your traditional bagel. And if you do want a sugary jolt to start your day, I’d recommend sticking to a classic donut. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
