Kwik Trip Takes A Sweet Turn With New Candy Bars

When I stop at a convenience store, I usually wander through the aisles to see if the chain has released any of its own branded products. I find it fascinating how many convenience stores are creating their own versions of popular snacks these days.

About a month ago, I noticed something new at Kwik Trip, but I only recently had the chance to try them. This time, they’ve ventured into the world of chocolate.

NEW CANDY BARS FROM KWIK TRIP

Kwik Trip has introduced two candy bars called Kwikz! and WannaBe!. These are clearly knock-offs of well-known candy bars you’re already familiar with. But the big question is: are they trying to make something better than the originals, or simply something comparable?

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TASTE TESTING THE KWIKZ!

First up: the Kwikz!

I had to laugh because they aren’t even trying to hide the fact that this is their version of a Twix bar. It looks almost identical on the outside. To make things fair, I bought a regular Twix bar and compared it directly with the Kwikz!

Granted, this was only a two-person taste test, but I think it still counts.

The Kwikz! looks very similar to Twix, both on the outside and inside. A Twix bar is made with a biscuit-style cookie base, topped with caramel (or peanut butter, depending on the version), and then coated in milk chocolate.

The Kwikz! follows the same formula. It’s made under Kwik Trip’s Urge! brand and features a biscuit cookie on the bottom with a light layer of caramel on top. However, the caramel layer didn’t seem quite as thick as the Twix.

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CONCLUSION

To me, the Kwikz! had less caramel flavor and more cookie flavor. Overall, though, it was still a pretty good candy bar.

I asked one of my sons to join me for the taste test to see if he could tell the difference. I placed a Twix bar on one plate and the Kwikz! on another, each with its wrapper underneath.

He had never seen the Kwikz! packaging or tried one before. He thought both bars tasted good. When I asked him which one he believed was the Twix, he picked it out immediately.

That confirmed my thoughts: the Kwikz! is slightly less caramel-forward and more focused on the cookie.

THE WANNABE!

Next up was the WannaBe!, which is clearly Kwik Trip’s version of a Snickers bar.

Snickers is known for its combination of nougat, caramel, peanuts, and chocolate, and the WannaBe! comes pretty close. Still, there are noticeable differences.

The WannaBe! had less caramel flavor and leaned more toward peanut flavor, though it seemed to contain fewer peanuts overall. It did have a nice nougat center, and I thought it was really good. The chocolate coating also tasted different from the Snickers version.

DID KWIK TRIP NEED PERMISSION TO CREATE THESE BARS FROM MARS?

From what I’ve read, Kwik Trip is a major retailer of Mars candy products, including Twix and Snickers. Since they sell large quantities of those brands in their stores, it doesn’t appear to be an issue for them to create their own similar versions.

In the end, die-hard Twix and Snickers fans probably won’t be converted. There is a noticeable difference between the originals and the Kwik Trip versions.

But hats off to Kwik Trip for creating two candy bars that are genuinely good. Loyal Kwik Trip fans might just find a new favorite.

I should have paid closer attention to the price, but I believe the Kwikz! and WannaBe! Bars are about 70 cents cheaper than the brand-name versions. Will you switch to Kwikz! and WannaBe! for the price… or for the flavor? Or will you remain loyal to the brands you come to know and love your entire life?