Taco Bell Churro Chillers Review: These Yummy And Affordable Shakes Pass Our Taste Test
This week, Taco Bell announced the test release of all-new frozen blended drink innovations dubbed Churro Chillers. The iconic chain will be testing Churro Chillers at a select location in Southern California starting December 15 while supplies last. These colorful and festive shakes are inspired by authentic Mexican flavors and feature colorful swirls packed with flavor, according to the chain.
"We're always pushing the boundaries to deliver bold and craveable Mexican-inspired flavors our fans have come to expect from us, and these frozen drinks showcase how far our innovation goes," Taco Bell U.S. Chief Marketing Officer Taylor Montgomery stated in a press release.
The Churro Chillers are the first frozen shakes to hit the Taco Bell menu, giving sweet-toothed Bell Heads something to get very excited about. We jumped at the chance when Taco Bell invited us to sample its new Churro Chillers — in all four flavors. We headed straight to our local Taco Bell to see if they tasted as good as they sounded.
What's in Taco Bell's Churro Chillers, and how much do they cost?
Taco Bell's Churro Chillers are sweet, blended shakes swirled with craveable, colorful flavor on the inside and topped with a layer of delectably smooth cold foam and churro crumbles. The Churro Chillers are available in four flavors that, according to a press release, are meant to complement any of the food items on Taco Bell's menu. The four flavors are Mexican Chocolate, Dulce de Leche Coffee, Wild Strawberry, and Sweet Vanilla. In classic Taco Bell fashion, the Sweet Vanilla Churro Chiller has a visually captivating purple tint for an extra twist and a nod to the brand.
The Churro Chillers are served in a 16-ounce cup, and no matter which flavor you order, the price is the same. Any of the 16-ounce Mexican-inspired blended beverages will be available for $4.19 for a limited time while supplies last.
When are Churro Chillers available and for how long?
Churro Chillers will be offered for a limited time at a single location in Southern California starting December 15. The frozen shakes will be offered all day exclusively at the 2222 Barranca Parkway location in Irvine. So, if you live in Orange County and want to experience Taco Bell's new frozen drink offering, we suggest stopping in, driving through, or ordering delivery from this participating store sooner rather than later.
These refreshing blended beverages are available only for a limited time, so once they're sold out, you'll miss out, unless the test proves that the shakes are a hit. In that case, Taco Bell executives might choose to add Churro Chillers to the regular menu or expand the testing beyond Southern California. For dedicated Taco Bell "Happier Hour" enthusiasts, the allure of $1 drinks is well-known. But unfortunately, the new Churro Chillers are not part of the happy hour promotion (sigh).
How do the Churro Chillers compare to other Taco Bell items?
At Taco Bell, you can order virtually any soda, juice, iced tea, coffee, or slushie you desire to enjoy with your Chalupa Supreme or Crunchwrap as part of a combo meal. But aside from the sugar-packed Freezes, dessert drink options at Taco Bell are limited. The brand was sure to notice this absence in its beverage menu sooner or later. Taco Bell U.S. Chief Marketing Officer Taylor Montgomery stated in a press release, "We are constantly listening to what our fans are craving next, and we are thrilled to offer them a frozen creation that's just as delicious and desirable as their favorite menu item."
When it comes to dessert drink options, Taco Bell offers its popular Freezes, which currently include flavors like Wild Strawberry, Blue Raspberry, and Mountain Dew Baja Blast. Now, with the Churro Chillers test, the company is expanding its blended drink offerings. While we couldn't get nutrition facts, the company provided us with this tidbit of information: The Dulce de Leche Coffee is the only Churro Chiller flavor to include coffee. It has approximately 50 milligrams of caffeine. In comparison, an average cup of coffee has about 95 milligrams of caffeine.
How do the Churro Chillers taste?
Each variety of Churro Chiller came topped with cold foam, which added an attractive visual touch and a nice bed for the churro crumbles to rest on. The churro crumbles tasted cinnamony. They were way crunchier than we expected and added a welcome textural component to the drinks. The Dulce de Leche Coffee flavor was delicious and would make a fine substitute for coffee any morning. The Wild Strawberry leaned a little too artificially sweet for our taste, but the red swirl inside the cup sure was pretty. You'll need to bring your own cinnamon for the Mexican Chocolate if you want anything other than a light milk chocolate flavor. Lastly, the Sweet Vanilla flavor was delightful, boasting a vanilla taste that was spot-on and flavorsome. While we would have preferred the shakes to be slightly thicker, that aspect didn't detract from a pleasurable eating (sipping) experience.
We're not sure we would want to sip on a Churro Chiller while eating savory food because we think these sweet frozen drinks are best enjoyed on their own. But sure, if you need to soothe your tongue after eating a spicy Diablo sauce-topped burrito, a Churro Chiller is an excellent way to go. Our verdict? You'd be hard-pressed to find a yummier and more affordable sweet frozen shake.