All the Best Foods and Drinks We Tried in April 2024

It's officially May, and with summer feeling like it's just around the corner, we're also seeing a shift in the food industry.

From fiery hot new sauces and snacks to chilly ice cream, bubbly boba and ice-cold drinks—and everything in between—our favorite brands have been giving us all kinds of options to help us live our culinary lives to the fullest. We got sent all kinds of goodies to taste test over the last month to pass along our top favorites, so keep scrolling to discover what we loved best in April 2024.

Alec's Ice Cream

Alec's Ice Cream is a brand unlike any other we've seen because of its use gut- and eco-friendly A2/A2 dairy, which is more sustainable while being easy on even dairy-sensitive tummies. They're some of the creamiest and richest ice creams we've tried, and their unbeatable line of flavors just got even better with nine new additions to the roster. We got to try the perfectly sweet and tart Meyer Lemon Cookie, yummy Groundwork Coffee 'N' Toffee, luscious Sea Salt Caramel and fresh and vibrant Strawberry Oat Crumble flavors, but they also now have Triple Chocolate Blackout Cookie, Palm Springs Banana Chocolate Date Shake, Nutty Butter Brittle, Maple Cardamom Candied Pecan and Salted Dark Chocolate. Seriously—you can't lose no matter which one you pick.

(via Alec's Ice Cream)

 

Sweet Loren's x Alex's Lemonade Stand

Sweet Loren's is one of our favorite cookie brands because their plant-based, gluten-free break-and-bake cookie dough is also safe to eat right out of the bag, and they've just outdone themselves with their new collaboration with Alex's Lemonade Stand. The Lemon Cookie dough is a lemon-infused sugar cookie with just the right amount of vibrant citrus tartness to offset the sugary sweetness, making it all too easy to eat a dozen baked cookies in a single sitting. Even more, Sweet Loren's will be donating $10k to Alex's Lemonade Stand as part of the collab.

(via Sweet Loren's x Alex's Lemonade Stand)

 

Also read about: Sweet Loren's Cookies Are Made With Ingredients So Clean You Can Eat the Raw Dough

 

Recess

Recess's relaxation drinks have become our go-tos for hectic, stressful days ever since we first sipped them, and they just got even better with a new Tropical Bliss flavor for their Mood lineup. Recess's Mood drinks include magnesium and adaptogens such as L-theanine and lemon balm to boost your mood and increase relaxation, and they work like a charm—especially when infused with the sweet, summery taste of pineapple, passionfruit and mango.

(via Recess)

 

Baroncini

Anyone who's serious about the quality of the olive oil they use for everything from cooking to dipping and marinating will instantly fall in love with Baroncini's Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This extra virgin cold-pressed oil is made with two iconic Sicilian olive varieties, nocellara del belice and cerasuola, for a rich flavor so pure you can actually taste the olives. If you want to feel like you're in southern Italy, this is the oil to try.

(via Baroncini)

 

Sweety Ice Cream

Here at Sweety High, we're obviously long-time fans of Sweety mochi ice cream, but their new and improved treats are truly better than ever. They now come in a smaller and more snackable bite-sized mochi dessert ideal for a sweet, chilly snack any time of day. The delicate mochi exterior is soft and chewy, while the ice cream inside is a creamy, delicious complement. We've tried the Alphonse mango and Vietnamese coffee flavors, and they're both as yummy as they sound.

(via Sweety Ice Cream)

 

Gardencup

There are few things we love better than a delicious salad that pairs a delicious dressing with super fresh veggies and great toppings—especially when they're effortless, like the options from Gardencup. The brand sends great salads packed with fresh produce and superfoods right to your door, so all you need to do is add the dressing and crunchy toppings, shake and enjoy (though we also recommend shaking before you add them for the best mix possible). The lineup includes Southwest With Fajita Chicken, Chicken Bacon Cobb, Asian Chopped With Honey Garlic Chicken, Caesar With Grilled Chicken, Mediterranean With Grilled Chicken, Caprese With Grilled Chicken, Buffalo Chicken Ranch, Applegreen With Grilled Chicken, Garden Harvest With Grilled Chicken and Chef Salad, and though they look enormous, they were never not tasty enough to finish every last bite. We've also been getting great use out of the sealable plastic cups, which are perfect for everything from to-go lunches to storage at home.

(via Gardencup)

 

Also read about: A Definitive Ranking of the Most Popular Salads

 

Rare Breed Coffee

If it matters to you where your coffee comes from, it's time to check out Rare Breed Coffee. The brand offers both single-origin and blended coffees from all over the world, with an emphasis on making sure that each one is both sustainably and ethically sourced. Even better, they're quite tasty. We sampled their Mild Riot, a low-acid, decaf Central American coffee that packs rich flavor with notes of hazelnut and cocoa, minus the buzz, and it's become a staple for those days we want the flavor of coffee but not the jitters.

(via Rare Breed Coffee)

 

Organic Valley

Anyone who prefers to eat organic should know Organic Valley and their dairy and egg products, free of pesticides, antibiotics and GMOs. They also just added four tasty new cheeses to the lineup, including Italian Herb Mozzarella Shreds, Spicy Cheddar Shreds, Spicy Cheddar Slices and Smoky Cheddar Slices. The shreds are delicious to add to everything from pasta and pizza to nachos, while the slices make for the most flavor-packed grilled cheeses you can imagine. The fact they're all organic is just the icing on the cake.

(via Organic Valley)

 

Balkan Bites

Balkan Bites is the brand that first got us obsessed with burek, a flaky and savory stuffed phyllo pastry from the Balkans, and we may be even more in love with their new Mini Phyllo Rolls. They essentially shrink the donut-sized pastries down into snackable bites, going from frozen to hot, crisp and delicious in just 15 minutes in the air fryer. Between Spinach and Cheese, Beef and Onion and Cheese Medley, each one is as delicious as the last.

(via Balkan Bites)

 

Divina Market

Divina Market is an online Mediterranean one-stop shop for the tastiest olives, spreads and antipasti, and we got to try a number of their tasty offerings. The Pitted Lemon & Garlic Olives are a quick and easy snack that comes in six-packs to elevate any salads or dishes. They're made without brine, making them ideal for on-the-go snacking, with a bright and savory taste thanks to the lemon and garlic. They also have Bloody Mary Olives marinated in a rich and savory tomato juice, making them great for a charcuterie board while the brine can become a signature mocktail, and Chili Lime Frescatrano, perfectly marinated to make a bright and fiery addition to any meal. We also enjoyed their rich and decadent Vegan Pesto, free of both nuts and dairy, with an explosion of basil flavor, and their Sour Cherry and Chili Orange Spreads, ideal for charcuterie boards paired with cheese, crackers and your favorite meats.

(via Divina Market)

 

INBLOOM

Kate Hudson's INBLOOM is a wellness brand dedicated to making healthy living more accessible with supplements that nourish the mind, body and soul. We recommend starting with Essential Elements, a powder jam-packed with vitamins, adaptogens and nutrients from ashwagandha mushroom extracts, vitamin complex, fruit and veggies blend and so much more. It has a rich, earthy and sweet raspberry flavor that works overtime to improve brain, cardiovascular, immune and digestive function on a daily basis. We also adore their red berry-flavored Beauty Aura powder, designed to strengthen skin, hair and nails with a mix of marine collagen and red berry complex, and their chocolatey Brain Flower powder, supporting cognitive function, stress relief and focus, without the need for caffeine.

(via INBLOOM)

 

HI-CHEW

HI-CHEW recently teamed up with Sloomoo Institute for some of the yummiest-smelling fruity slimes we've ever had the pleasure of playing with, but since we can't eat slime, we were also delighted that the team sent us some of the brand's candy to dig into as well. A couple were HI-CHEW varieties we hadn't tried before, including the rich Dessert Mix HI-CHEW in Strawberry Ice Cream, Candy Apple and Key Lime Pie flavors. Our favorites, though, had to be the Infrusions flavors, with softer, juicier centers in Juicy Blood Orange, Juicy Strawberry and Juicy Peach flavors, with a lovely texture contrast that made it impossible not to eat the whole bag in one sitting.

(via HI-CHEW)

 

BOBABAM

We can't get enough of boba, but with the trouble of waiting in line at a happening boba shop—not to mention the cost—it's not always worth it. That's why we've become such massive fans of BOBABAM and their instant boba drinks, bringing the real experience home. All you have to do is microwave the contents of their frozen packets for a minute and add a glass with ice and milk for a tasty drink with chewy tapioca pearls in no time flat. They also come in classic flavors, including Brown Sugar, Strawberry, Coffee, Mango, Milk Tea, Matcha and Taro, to delight boba lovers of all kinds.

(via BOBABAM)

 

Also read about: A Definitive Ranking of the 10 Best Boba Tea Flavors

 

Revolution Nutrition

Typically, if you're looking for a great protein drink and are sick of the traditional flavors of vanilla, chocolate, caramel and coffee, you're out of luck. That's where Revolution Nutrition comes in. Their Splash Protein Drinks pack all of the power you'd want, with 24 grams of isolate protein, but in candy-like fruity flavors that anyone could enjoy. The sugar-free, lactose-free drinks come in Sour Cherry, Candy Peach and Blue Sharks flavors, with a slightly thick texture that goes down smooth.

(via Revolution Nutrition)

 

Reese's

If you know us, you know that we love Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, but we love the brand even more when the candies come in fun shapes. The latest is here in time for the Olympics, with the classic chocolate and peanut butter candies in the shape of sports medals. They're the perfect way to congratulate yourself for a job well done, and the ratio of chocolate to peanut butter makes them an all-time great Reese's shape.

(via Reese's)

 

Bachan's

As folks who regularly go through the huge 34 oz. bottles of Bachan's Japanese-style barbecue sauce, we're always the first to jump to try new flavors, and lovers of spice are going to go wild for the newest addition to the lineup, Hella Hot. Available exclusively at Target, this sauce is even more fiery than the classic Hot & Spicy flavor thanks to the heat of both red jalapeño and red habanero peppers. With each bite, you'll find the heat build further and further on your tongue, backed by the traditional sweet and umami flavors of soy, ginger and green onion.

(via Bachan's)

 

Also read about: We Tried Every Bachan's Original Barbecue Sauce Flavor—Here Are Our Thoughts

 

Somos

SOMOS is all about making it easier than ever to enjoy authentic Mexican food from the comfort of your home, and they just made classic hot dishes even more effortless with their line of simmer sauces. Whether you love the classic seasonings and spice of Taco Simmer Sauce, the iconic tang of Fajita Simmer Sauce or the pineapple and chili kick of Al Pastor Simmer Sauce, you just have to cook your meats, add the sauce and stir for perfect results. Plus, each one is made with only the best ingredients, 98% sourced directly from Mexico.

(via Somos)

 

Ellenos

Even if you don't consider yourself a yogurt person, we urge you to try Ellenos and see if the brand can't change your mind. Their slogan is "The yogurt that makes ice cream jealous," and we fully get it after tasting their creamy, perfectly sweetened flavors. They truly strike the ideal balance for yogurt, with just a hint of the tang that's overpowering in many brands and without the artificial sweetness that seems common in many grocery store brands. They're also masters with flavor pairings. Our favorites are the Strawberry Shortcake, combining real strawberry puree with sweet-and-salty cookie crumble, and the Pink Guava, with a guava puree that's positively heavenly with the yogurt.

(via Ellenos)

 

Truff

Truffle lovers rejoice because TRUFF just launched its latest hot sauce, and it's a doozy. This one was released in collaboration with Lucasfilm and inspired by Darth Vader—the new Star Wars Dark Side Hot Sauce. Suitably, it's their hottest sauce ever, combining the decadent umami flavor of black winter truffles with sizzling hot ghost peppers for tons of tasty heat without missing out on the truffle flavor that put TRUFF on the map. Plus, we've never seen a cooler bottle of hot sauce than this one, featuring a screw-off Darth Vader helmet cap.

(via Truff)

 

Also read about: Yoda's Wisest Quotes to Use as Your Next Instagram Caption

 

Stellar Snacks

If you're hunting for a pretzel brand with an unbeatable crunch and incredible flavors, look no further than Stellar Snacks. This unique brand makes all of its pretzels from scratch using sustainably harvested wheat and barley flour, hand-picked seasonings, Italian sea salt, vegan butter and monk fruit (instead of sugar) to get their four iconic flavors just right. Between the classic Simply Stellar, rich Bold & Herby, sweet-and-salty Maui Monk and buffalo-flavored Sweet & Sparky, it's easy to fall in love with each one.

(via Stellar Snacks)

 

2foods

2foods is a unique AAPI-founded brand dedicated to making us all rethink what we know about plant-based foods. Their signature product is the Gâteau Chocolate, made to be enjoyed in three different styles, each giving its own delicious experience. Depending on its preparation, it can be served as a fudge, mousse or melted chocolate. Our favorite is the mousse, but they're all worth tasting, with all three being so decadent, yet not overly sweet, you'd never guess they're vegan.

(via 2foods)

 

NoliQ

There's a mocktail revolution afoot, and NoliQ has quickly become one of our favorite alcohol-free cocktail brands yet. Their small, 45-calorie cans are delicious all-ages versions of classic cocktails with complex and grown-up flavors. We adore each one, from the sweet and fiery Gingerberry Burst to the nutty, almond-infused Amaretto Sawa and the tart and smoky, almost savory, MargnoliQa, and each one is made even better with a bit of carbonation and feel-good blend of vitamins and magnesium.

(via NoliQ)

 

Deux

We've never met a Deux treat we didn't love, and their new Grandma x Oatmeal Cookie Dough collab isn't just vegan, gluten-free and edible straight out of the tub—it's also one of their most delicious yet. There's none of that raisin garbage here, with a lusciously sweet cookie dough combining chewy oats and melty chocolate chips, and while it's delicious with a spoon out of the container, we beg you to see how scrumptious they are baked up.

(via Deux)

 

Barnetts

Barnetts is an Australian brand best known for their biscotti, but after trying their chocolate wafers, we're positively hooked. This crisp, flaky wafers are filled with hazelnut creme and dipping in luscious ganache, with toppings including almonds, coconut, cookies and cream, peppermint and cappuccino drizzle. Whether you snack on one or three, they're a perfect light dessert, and the gift box also makes an excellent present at a really reasonable price.

(via Barnetts)

 

KEY

If you've been on the lookout for a different type of energy drink, check out KEY and their innovative new all-natural energy drinks. These vegan, zero-sugar energy drinks are infused with ketones to boost mental focus and energy levels, containing natural caffeine from green tea and L-theanine to keep you energized and thriving, instead of jittery and wired. Though it does have a slightly medicinal flavor, it's far better than any other ketone beverages we've sipped, with tasty Ginger Lime, Pineapple Passionfruit and Grapefruit Peach flavors.

(via KEY)

 

OWYN

After trying and loving OWYN's bottled protein drinks, we just had to taste test their new OWYN Pro Elite Protein Powder, coming in both plant-based vanilla and chocolate flavors and formulated with zero grams of sugar with low net carbs. It's packed with 30 grams of protein to help you meet your daily protein needs while tasting great and fitting right into your current protein routine.

(via OWYN )

 

United Sodas of America

Healthy sodas are all the rage these days, but if you ask us, United Sodas of America might be the best brand on the market. With the perfect level of carbonation and a variety of fruity flavors, you won't be tempted to pick up a sugary bottle of soda again. Because every can is unique in its own way, we'd encourage you to try their Best Sellers Variety Pack, featuring six different sodas. It has everything from pear to peach and grape. Our favorites, though, have to be the tangy and tart Sour Blueberry and Cherry Pop.

(via United Sodas of America)

 

And in case you missed it, click HERE to check out all of the best foods and drinks we tried in March of 2024.