Hostess Bouncers are like fun-sized versions of three classic Hostess snacks: Twinkies, Donettes, and Ding Dongs. Also, they’re glazed. Also, they’re all filled with cream. Also they do not, in fact, bounce.
They do look like someone tried to bounce them, though. It’s like they started out as golf ball-sized spheres, but then someone slammed them onto the ground in the expectation that they would sproing back up, but instead they just went splat. So now each little treat has a flat bottom. Honestly, they’re very cute.
They come three to a pack and there are five packs in each box—presumably, one for every day of the work or school week. They’re perfect for slipping into a backpack or tote bag for an on-the-go treat. But how do they actually taste? We tried all three flavors of Hostess Bouncers to find out.
While any one of us would have been happy to see a pack of these in our lunch boxes as kids, they fell short when confronted with our grown-up palates. The cake itself was a tad dry and crumbly. It could use some milk for sure—or more filling. The filling was not nearly as plentiful as the picture on the box made it seem. Sporked writer Jordan Myrick was particularly offended by the lack of filling in all of these mini cakes. If you promise Jordan a creamy filling, you better deliver.
The mini Twinkies had a great cake component. It was a little lemony and extremely moist. So moist. So very, very moist. But the glaze came right off. That was okay for managing editor Gwynedd Stuart who felt it was “superfluous,” anyway. Once again, these didn’t have enough filling for Jordan, but I personally liked the smaller amount of cream. It allowed for greater enjoyment of the cake.
These were the best out of all the Bouncers. They had a nice, even glaze coating, a toasty cinnamon aroma and taste, and a tender crumb. They’re a bit like tiny rounds of coffee cake without the streusel. These also delivered on more filling, which was creamy and a touch tangy. If you’re interested in trying just one type of Bouncer, this is the one to get.
Hi! I’m the editor-in-chief of Sporked. I will never turn down a fresh-shucked oyster but I’ll also leap at whatever new product Reese’s releases and I love a Tostitos Hint of Lime, even if there is no actual lime in the ingredients.
Why you should trust me: I have been writing about food and beverages for well over a decade and am an avid at-home cook and snacker. I began my career writing about fine dining and recipes, moved into cocktails and spirits, and now I talk about groceries. If you can eat it or drink it, I’ve probably written about it.
What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s dried okra. Appleton Farms prosciutto from Aldi. Some sort of Trader Joe’s cheese (I’m into the aged gouda at the moment). Frozen waffles (usually the Eggo Cinnamon Toast Minis). Spindrift water (loving the Cosmopolitan right now).
Favorite ranking: Smoked salmon. Imagine me as Scrooge McDuck but instead of coins I’m diving into a vault of slippery smoked salmon slices. Pure joy. I also found some real steals in that taste test!
Least favorite ranking: Canned oysters. I had such high hopes for this but it quickly became a chore. The kitchen smelled like an uncleaned aquarium.
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Justine Sterling
Tyler Bowers
Jordan Myrick
Ariana Losch
