Susie’s Smart Breakfast Cookies Review

By Sheri Rosenbaum

Hot

• All-natural ingredients
• Moist, dense and flavorful
• 4 different flavors for variety
• Ideal meal replacement, keeps you full and satisfied
• 2 grams of Omega-3s in each cookie
• High in fiber and protein
• Microwave for 20 seconds adds to the flavor
• Auto ship option saves money

Not

• Cocoa flavor cookie was dry and lacked flavor
• High in calories and fat, dieters beware
• Shelf life 3 months @ room temp, freeze to keep longer

Susie’s Smart Breakfast Cookie

Price: $42.50 for box of 12 ($3.54 ea); $54 box of 18 ($3 ea)

Flavors: Orange Cranberry Nut, Gingered Apple, Banana Coconut and Cocoa

Weight: 3.57oz (100g)/cookie

How obtained: Company samples

RBR Advertiser: Yes

Great for Breakfast or On the Go

Last month Susie of Susie’s Smart Breakfast Cookies contacted the RBR office asking if we’d like to test their cookies. Yes, there really is a Susie and she runs the woman-owned business.  She sent a mix of her four cookie flavors; Orange Cranberry Nut, Gingered Apple, Banana Coconut and Cocoa to try for myself.

Susie started baking omega-3 rich cookies for her family after writing the book The Queen of Fats, Why Omega-3s Were Removed from the Western Diet and What We Can Do to Replace Them, covering omega-3 fatty acid research. She adapted a family recipe using flaxseed meal, walnuts and canola oil, which are rich in omega-3s. When her friends started asking for the cookies, the Susie’s Smart Cookie business was born.

Compared to sports bars, these cookies are pricey at about $3.50 each. But if you think of it as a meal replacement, where can you get a meal at this price?

What is Omega-3?

Omega-3s are a family of essential fatty acids that play important roles in your body and are known to provide a number of health benefits. Research has shown omega-3s provide benefits from fighting depression and anxiety to improving eye health to reducing inflammation and much more. Omega-3s can be found in fish oils, especially from salmon and other cold-water fish. Also, some plant-based sources include chia seeds, brussels sprouts, hemp seed, walnuts, and flaxseeds.

Where Do Susie’s Smart Cookies Get Their Omega-3s From? 

Susie’s cookies are all natural and each contains 2 grams of omega-3 that comes from walnuts, ground flaxseed and non-GMO canola oil. The cookies are rich in fiber and protein, vegetarian (not vegan), and have 20 grams of whole grains.

How Do They Taste?

Each cookie had a very distinct taste. I’ll preface my ratings by saying I really like bananas, cranberry, nuts and chocolate, but don’t care for ginger and don’t like coconut or orange in my food (prefer by itself). I was surprised as I thought this would skew my opinion, but it didn’t.  Remember, these are my personal ratings and your tastes will most likely differ.

– Orange Cranberry Nut – This flavor was my favorite and is Susie’s original flavored cookie. The mix of cranberry, orange and walnut flavors were outstanding without one overpowering the other. When I opened the packet, the aroma was delightful. The cookie was dense, moist and tasted as good as it smelled. It actually reminded me of the spiced nut bread my grandmother used to make.

– Ginger Apple – Now this one surprised me as I don’t care for ginger. But it was really tasty. Like the previous cookie the flavors worked without overpowering one another. It was also dense and moist with chunks of apples.

– Banana Coconut – I was excited to taste this flavor because I really like bananas. But neither the banana or coconut flavors stood out. It still tasted good but for me it wasn’t as good I expected. Personally I’d like more banana flavor to it, like a banana bread.

– Cocoa – I love chocolate and was planning to love this one. But I was disappointed. It was dry and didn’t have a rich cocoa flavor. Because of the calories and lack of taste, I did not finish the sample. [Editor’s Note from Lars: I purchased a sample box of all flavors for my family and thought the cocoa was fine, as did my 14 year old who sniffed and then tasted with a lot of suspicion because he saw the word “nutritious” on the label. So far I’ve only eaten Banana Coconut and Cocoa, and I like Banana Coconut best.]

The promotional flyer that came with the cookies says the shelf life is three months, or you should freeze them if you want them to last longer. I tasted each flavor the week the samples were delivered and then tasted again two weeks after that. They did start to lose their moisture after a couple of weeks but putting them in the microwave for 20 seconds not only freshened them up, but also enhanced the flavor.

When Should You Eat Them?

Because of the mere size and calories of these cookies they are not designed to be eaten in bulk. They are truly a meal supplement or for added nutrition on a long ride. They are individually wrapped and fit in a jersey pocket.

When I ate one for breakfast or lunch, it was filling and was truly a meal supplement. If you are a hiker or camper, these would also be perfect to take along. I can definitely see eating them as a nutritious breakfast in the summer after my early morning open water swim on the drive home. Just toss it in my bag and go.

I do think the company should drop the word “cookie” and “breakfast” from their name. It is confusing as most people think a cookie is a guilty pleasure snack or dessert item. Also, these are not just for breakfast. For the sports market, I’d suggest changing the shape to a bar and calling it Susie’s Smart Bar. I think this would resonate better in the sports community.

Bottom Line

If you are looking for an all-natural, nutritious meal replacement with a way to get your omega-3s and fiber, consider Susie’s Smart Breakfast Cookies. They are not only healthy and filling, but very flavorful; unlike any sports bar I’ve tried. Choose from 4 very different flavors sold individually wrapped in a variety box or all one flavor.