Walden Farms. How you so taunt us with products that occasionally end up tasting like pharmaceuticals. With high hopes for the caramel sauce despite the bad foray into the onion dip in 2008ish, what Walden Farms makes up for in their “0 calorie 0 carb” promise, they make up for with constitutes as chemical sludge.
Please. For the love of all that is, well, edible, please consider socking us some calories and carbohydrates and bring the bam!
Scathing chemical undercurrents aside, the good news? You can still made this product work with the addition of heavy whipping cream for a ‘naturalness’ and much greater appeal/flavor to the caramel. It’s definitely better when added with fat–which probably defeats the purpose of the ‘calorie free’ labeling, but come on. You still have to be able to use the stuff. Can I get a holla?
The flavor is definitely maple-like, which surprised me, considering this is a caramel sauce. I am wondering why Davinci’s wasn’t consulted on this product, since both use sucralose, and Davinci’s SF caramel syrup is pretty amazing stuff… And here’s the kicker! Davinci’s caramel syrup actually smells like caramel! But I digress.
I’m torn on telling you whether to buy this or not, but here is the break down. Weigh the pros and cons.
Don’t buy this product if:
- You are satisfied using sugar free caramel candies in your baking
- You plan to dip apples in this and relive deluded Marzetti Apple Dip moments
- You have an aversion to sauces that look like caramel and smell like maple syrup
- You can’t stand Splenda masking the flavor of chemicals
- You have an allergy to eggs or corn, since whites and corn starch are ingredients
Do buy this product if:
- You plan to add fat to this product in the way of heavy cream, coconut milk, coconut butter or butter
- You want a cost effective way to use caramel in a recipe (those candies are expensive)
- You want a gluten free, carb free solution to caramel using no sugar alcohols
- You plan to use this in a recipe, since a jar goes a fairly far way, especially with added fats
- You want to throw caution to the wind and give it a shot knowing that Walden Farms offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee
A 12 ounce jar delivers a lot of product bang for the buck. I have used the caramel dip to make a pretty large cheesecake and to decorated dessert plates (not to mention the top of the cheesecake) through a cake decorating tip, and still have about 1/3 of the jar left. Not bad for only $3.79.
Walden Farms Calorie Free Caramel Dip Cost: $3.79 for 12 ounces (12- 2 Tbsp servings)
Carb/Calorie Count: 0 carbs/0 calories
Ingredients: Ingredients like egg whites and xanthan gum, Splenda, corn starch leave nothing to be alarmed about
Flavor: Maple-sweet with chemical aftertaste
Texture: Thick consistency like partially heated smooth peanut butter
Usefulness: I mix with heavy whipping cream to soften the flavor and increase spreadability in baking recipes and for decoration
Found at: netrition.com
Website: www.waldenfarms.com
You know, I actually like most of the Walden "sweet things", and most of their dressings. Two things I'll never get again "Ketchup" and "Peanut Spread"!!!
However, I have found that the fruit flavored "spreads" work well as a topping (i.e. for Cheesecake, low-carb toasts, etc) if you throw it in the blender and take it back to a more liquid form, instead of the gel-like consistency it comes in.
That being said, I actually like the chocolate dip and sauce the best. The caramel is okay enough for me.