Funyuns have been one of my favorite indulgences in the chip aisle for years. Those crispy, airy rings made of corn meal and coated in onion seasoning are hard to resist, so I don’t buy them often. Aldi sells its own version of Funyuns in the form of Clancy’s Onion Rings, which are good but don’t quite compare to the name brand.
Then, I found out that Trader Joe’s has its own unique take on Funyuns. They’re gluten-free like Funyuns, but these are lentil- and rice-based snacks with a sour cream and onion seasoning. They’re not an apples to apples comparison with Funyuns, and they’re not necessarily trying to imitate any name brands that I can tell. But they definitely caught my eye as someone who likes Funyuns and anything sour cream and onion-flavored.
The package states:
These perfectly pop-able mini rings are baked (never fried) and flavored with a classic sour cream & onion seasoning for an addictive, bite-sized, and gluten-free snack.
Trader Joe’s Sour Cream & Onion Rings Lentil & Rice Snacks cost $2.49 for a 2.5-ounce package at the time of writing. That’s about $1 per ounce. With 2.5 servings per package, that’s also about $1 per serving.
If you’re looking out for allergens, these contain milk.
Nutrition information and ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)
Ingredients include red lentils, rice meal, vegetable oil, and sour cream and onion seasoning (salt, whey powder, tapioca dextrose, natural flavor, buttermilk solids, onion powder, sour cream powder, dried parsley, yeast extract, nonfat dry milk, spice, calcium carbonate, annatto extract (for color), and rosemary oleoresin (to preserve).
A 1-ounce serving has 130 calories, 6 grams of total fat (8% DV), 0.5 grams of saturated fat (3% DV), 180 mg of sodium (8% DV), 16 grams of total carbohydrates (6% DV), 2 grams of dietary fiber (7% DV), less than 1 gram of total sugars, no added sugars, and 4 grams of protein.
These are very crunchy and have a slightly denser texture than Funyuns. They have a strong smell, and I could smell the sour cream and onion seasoning as soon as I opened the package. They’ve got good sour cream and onion flavor, too. The lentils give them a bit of a distinct aftertaste, but I like these. If you want a substitute for sour cream and onion potato chips or Funyuns without some of the potentially less desirable ingredients (for example, Funyuns contain MSG), these are well worth a try.
The Verdict:
Trader Joe’s Sour Cream & Onion Rings Lentil & Rice Snacks feature crispy lentil and rice rings with a savory, tempting sour cream and onion seasoning. The bag we bought did not last long. If you like Funyuns or sour cream and onion anything, give these a look.
