Target's Good & Gather Smooth Ranch Cashews are seasoned with garlic, sour cream, and onion and intended to mimic buttermilk ranch. An evaluator who sampled 14 Good & Gather snacking nuts reported that the ranch seasoning was overpowering, masking the natural cashew flavor. The bag emitted a strong scent, and the nuts carried a powdery coating that affected mouthfeel and made them difficult to eat. The Smooth Ranch Cashews ranked far below options like Himalayan Salted Dark Chocolate Almonds. Consumer reviews are mixed, with some praising the seasoning while others call the flavor weird or too powerful. Other ranch-inspired snack options exist.
Our tester found the seasonings to be too overpowering, causing the natural taste of the cashew itself to be completely masked. The strong scent from the bag was also a turnoff, as was the powdery coating on the nuts, which impacted the texture. Overall, they were just too hard to eat, especially when compared to something like the Himalayan Salted Dark Chocolate Almonds, which topped the list by a long shot.
That being said, there are some people who like the Smooth Ranch Cashews, so it could just be down to preference. One Target customer called them "absolutely delicious" and complimented their "perfect" seasoning in an online review, while others compared them to Cool Ranch Doritos. However, other reviewers called the cashews "weird," "too powerful," and said the flavorings were off.
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