Thank you to Crispy Green for providing the fruit I sampled for this post. As always, all content and opinions are my own.
I'm always on the lookout for whole food-based, low sugar snacking options. But some of my favorites--fresh fruit, vegetables and hummus, Greek yogurt, homemade baked oatmeal bars--are either unwieldy to bring on the go or require refrigeration. That's why I was excited to try Crispy Green's line of freeze-dried Crispy Fruit: there's no added sugar, and the single-serving packages (equivalent to 1/2 cup fresh fruit) are lightweight and portable.
Currently, there are seven flavors of Crispy Fruit: apples, mangoes, Asian pears, cantaloupes, bananas, pineapples, and tangerine. Here are my tasting notes on each:
- Crispy Apples These had a pleasant hint of tartness, and the crispy freeze-dried texture reminded me of biting into a fresh apple.
- Crispy Mangoes This one was a disappointment, since it's missing a distinct mango flavor. Instead it just tasted vaguely tropical.
- Crispy Asian Pears A bit understated--although the Asian pears weren't as sweet as I was expecting, they have a subtle, refreshing flavor.
- Crispy Cantaloupes Although these did taste like cantaloupe, they seemed underripe with a slightly bitter aftertaste.
- Crispy Bananas I'm not a fan of fresh bananas: it seems like by the time they finally ripen, they're unpleasantly mushy. But with freeze-dried bananas, I got a sweet, ripe taste with a satisfying crisp texture.
- Crispy Pineapples This reminded me of the fresh pineapple I enjoyed in Hawaii, with a sweetness that almost makes the freeze-dried fruit seem juicy.
- Crispy Tangerine The tangerines were my favorite, thanks to the potent flavor and unique texture--each slice of tangerine is carefully dried, resulting in an airy puff of citrus. The texture reminded me of a Cheeto, but fruit flavored and guilt-free.
The takeaway: I was impressed with the fresh fruit flavor, satisfying texture, and convenience of Crispy Fruit, particularly the bananas, pineapples, and tangerines. However, at 35 to 55 calories per pack, I found that a package of Crispy Fruit wasn't enough for a stand-alone snack. Try adding some nuts for a satisfying sweet and salty blend, or enjoy the fruit with your favorite whole-wheat crackers.
Interested in trying Crispy Fruit for yourself? You can purchase in stores or online.