Holiday Popcorn Showdown – Too Haute Cowgirls

Holiday Popcorn Showdown

Holiday Popcorn Showdown hero image

Too Haute Cowgirls vs Holiday Tin Canisters of Caramel, Cheddar and Butter Popcorn

It’s that time of year where we dust off longstanding holiday traditions – the good, the bad, and the tacky. Classics are great for nostalgia and comfort. Yet, in our humble cowgirl opinion, some classic holiday mainstays need to be retired. 

Candy canes as actual candy to eat? Pass. 

Mall Santa with the kinda bad breath? Hard pass. 

Yule Log fireplace on a TV screen? No thanks.

Holiday popcorn mix

As gourmet popcorn purveyors, we feel the most offensive of all holiday traditions is the big tin of bad popcorn in caramel, cheese and butter flavors. Or “regret-corn” as we call it. This tri-colored horror should have gone extinct long ago. Don’t agree with our “haute take”? Here’s how the two compare:

Too Haute Cowgirls Popcorn

Too Haute Cowgirls popcorn assortment

Classic Holiday Tin of Popcorn

Holiday popcorn assortment

Flavor variety and mixability 

Since all the Too Haute Cowgirls flavors start with smooth, buttery caramel sauce, they all strike a sweet-and-salty chord in different variations. All pair well with the OG Blisters on My Buttercrunch butter toffee. 

  • Caramel
  • White Cheddar
  • Butter

There’s an ongoing debate about how well these three flavors combine (which they will, inevitably, once the cardboard divider fails). 

Hey, we’re all for interesting flavor blends – within reason. But when would you ever combine cheese and caramel outside of a popcorn tin? Honest answer: never. 

Ingredients

We start with non-GMO popcorn. Flavors are made with all-natural premium ingredients such as real butter, crunchy mixed nuts, Guittard dark chocolate, crushed toffee, Himalayan sea salt, and Fleur de Sel.

Caramel flavor: high fructose corn syrup, palm oil

Butter flavor: Artificial flavor, yellow color blend

Cheese flavor: cultured pasteurized milk, salt, enzyme, corn syrup solids

Snack quality

Small batch, premium, gourmet. 

Mass-produced, highly-processed. 

Business location and origins

Too Haute Cowgirls is handcrafted locally in Sterling, Colorado. We’re a woman-owned small business on a mission to treat people with kindness.

Leading brand GiftPOP is based in Ocala, Florida. It was purchased by faceless corporate conglomerate Signature Brands LLC in 2008. 

Packaging

Resealable standup pouches keep the well-coated popcorn fresh.

The packaging design features a bold color for each flavor, and the branding reflects the enterprising western frontierswoman spirit that inspired this delicious treat.

“Collector” tin cans are unwieldy, not airtight, and oftentimes dented. Good for reusing as a gift box for people you don’t care much about. 

True to corporate conglomerate form, these tins co-opt artwork from Coca Cola, Disney, Universal, etc.

Cardboard flavor divider is known for its unreliability.

Giftability

A gift to remember and share. Gifting a bag or gift box of Too Haute Cowgirls shows real thoughtfulness and genuine interest in your giftee’s gourmet snacking experience. It’s also very shareable during family movie night, makes a great party favor, and adds a western touch to any event.

Good for emergency gifting only. If you’re on your way to a holiday party and the only shop open on the way is Walmart, then go for it. Stopping for a big tin of classic holiday popcorn is just slightly better than showing up empty-handed. 

Also appropriate for tacky “white elephant” gifting. The joke’s on whoever ends up with it.

Addictiveness

Highly addictive, and possibly transformative. As CandyGurus.com writer Johnny puts it, “Too Haute Cowgirls turns my son into a wild beast.”

Non-addictive. “I need some of that caramel cheese popcorn in the summertime too!” said nobody, ever. To be tolerated on a once-a-year basis, maximum.

Quantity

  • Individual bags are 4.5 oz
  • Pony Express 5 Pack is 22.5 oz
  • 16 oz caramel flavor, 2.5 oz cheese flavor, 2.5 of butter flavor
  • Full tin is 22 oz

Price

  • Individual bags are $6.95
  • Pony Express 5 Pack is $39.95
  • $5 on Walmart.com
  • $7.99 on Instacart
  • $25 on Amazon.com

Where to buy it

Shipped with love from Colorado to any U.S. address. Standard shipping is Federal Express or UPS ground, and orders over $100 include regular FREE shipping!

Shipping is backed by heartfelt customer service with a direct phone number.

Mostly available at discount retailers such as Walmart, grocery stores, convenience stores, dollar stores, and gas stations.

Also available online on Walmart.com, InstaCart, and Amazon

Most revealing online reviews

This is such a fun, unique and tasty gift! I have sent them as client gifts and they are very well received! ~Facebook reviewer

“If I am going to a party or gathering I always bring a bag. Thank you for making me the most popular at parties!” ~Facebook reviewer

I would not buy this again. I bought two tins for Christmas gifts, but they arrived badly dented so we ate them both.” ~Amazon reviewer

“None of the three flavors were very good. The best of the three was the regular popcorn. There was only a hint of flavor for the cheese and the carmel didn't have a rich carmel flavor like it should.” ~Amazon reviewer

Conclusion

Gourmet popcorn snack magic for sharing and gifting year-round.

Bottom-shelf holiday tradition in desperate need of an upgrade. 


Looking for a NEW holiday popcorn tradition?

Pony Express 5 Pack Pony Express 10 Pack A Red Haute Gift Box - Great for a group! Fistful of Fleur de Sel popcorn Have bacon Will Travel popcorn Blisters on my Buttercrunch popcorn

 

 

 

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