12 Trü Frü Flavors, Ranked Worst To Best

We all know that we should be eating more fresh fruit. While the precise amount needed varies by age, sex, height, weight, and physical activity, fruit is an indispensable part of a healthy diet rich in vitamins and nutrients. That said, it can be challenging and expensive to obtain fresh fruit, and eating it before it goes bad is always an issue. For this reason, many people turn to alternatives, like canned or frozen fruit. 

The folks at Trü Frü know all of this, and they have developed a line of hyper-chilled and hyper-dried chocolate-covered fruit that's sure to satisfy your taste buds and fulfill your daily nutritional requirements. All of the fruit used by Trü Frü is picked at peak ripeness and frozen before being coated in chocolate and either chilled or dried. There is good reasoning behind this, as frozen fruit is better than canned alternatives when it comes to maximizing nutrients.

Being a fruit-curious individual myself, I was intrigued by the process used to produce these fruit snacks, so I decided to sample them. I ranked them from worst to best so that you can go out and purchase the right product to satisfy your taste buds and nutritional needs. Read on for the full lineup and to discover what criteria I used to rank these dainty fruit snacks.

Some recommendations are based on first-hand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer/distributor/etc.

Trü Frü was gracious enough to provide me with a cross-section of both its hyper-chilled and hyper-dried fruit snacks. I was concerned about comparing the two, as they have very different qualities in terms of the texture of the fruit, so I felt it necessary to go into more detail as to how I ranked these.

As a professional chef with nearly 18 years of experience, I always use my expertise to evaluate aroma, texture, taste, and overall quality in my rankings. This was even more important here, as many of the products could potentially taste alike, were it not for the subtle differences. As such, there is an element of personal taste involved in my final ranking, as it was difficult to tease out a winner without relying somewhat on my preferences. While I enjoyed every one of these snacks, as a general rule, I found that the hyper-dried fruits were more satiating thanks to their crisp texture, which requires some chewing. On the other hand, the hyper-chilled ones were more refreshing, as they were cold and firm until they began to dissolve slowly on the warmth of my tongue.

Another consideration is that the hyper-dried fruit are portable and have a longer shelf-life. Unlike dehydrated fruit, freeze-dried fruit can be stored for up to a decade, when not coated in delicious chocolate. Frozen fruit, though, must be held at a temperature of 0 F or below for safety, making it less convenient.

At the bottom of this ranking of Trü Frü flavors was the Nature's Bananas Hyper-Dried in Dark Chocolate variety. I enjoyed these, but I had to get super nitpicky to determine a ranking and these were the ones that I felt were the least well-balanced of the bunch I sampled.

These hyper-dried pieces of banana were quite small, rather than slices, which made the ratio of dark chocolate to banana a little clunky. That said, the dark chocolate itself was of fantastic quality, so I didn't mind that particularly. The aroma was dominated by chocolate with hints of banana peeking through. In terms of texture, these had a crisp bite to them, almost like Rice Krispies, which I found quite pleasant. I just wanted more banana flavor to shine through.

These would be a fantastic dried fruit addition to your morning granola ritual for a dose of potassium, antioxidants, and an indulgent dark chocolate flavor. They just wouldn't be my first choice when it comes to snacking on them as-is.

Next to last on this ranking was the Nature's Raspberries Hyper-Dried in Dark and White Chocolate Trü Frü variety. I really wanted to rank these higher based on flavor, but these had a textural issue that's common with raspberries.

In terms of mouthfeel, these started off strong with that crisp crunch that I'd expect from freeze-dried fruit, but as the fruit began to disintegrate on my tongue, the seeds lingered and nestled into my teeth. While I logically understand that fresh berries, particularly raspberries, generally mean seeds, I do find them to be unpleasant to chew on. I almost always strain the seeds out of raspberry-flavored recipes to retain the flavor of the fruit without the unfavorable bite.

The scent of these snacks was again predominantly that of dark chocolate, with the raspberry being faint. In the flavor though, the raspberries were the perfect blend of tart and sweet, with the high caliber white and dark chocolate blending harmoniously with the fruit with their buttery and bittersweet notes.

Just ahead of the hyper-dried variety were the Trü Frü Nature's Raspberries Hyper-Chilled in White and Milk Chocolate. While these raspberries also suffered adversely from the lingering seeds in my mouth after eating a piece of the chocolate-covered fruit, the process of freezing the berries helped to soften the seeds somewhat. That made them just slightly more tolerable, which is why I ranked these ahead of the dried version.

In terms of flavor, I happen to be a snob when it comes to chocolate. Milk chocolate is not to be overlooked, and even though this was fantastic quality, it just couldn't compete with the deep, bittersweet notes of a good dark chocolate for my palate. That said, the taste of these snacks was solid, with the raspberries being just slightly less sweet and more on the tangy side. This tartness was perfectly well-balanced by the sweet, creamy white and milk chocolate.

As expected, the Nature's Raspberries Hyper-Chilled in White and Dark Chocolate offering from Trü Frü placed just ahead of the milk chocolate variety. Again, the texture of these was superior to the dried raspberries because the cold mitigated some of that crunchiness from the seeds. It is also worth noting the texture of the frozen fruit varieties. In general, this made for quite a layered experience, with the fruit softening as it slowly began to melt, enhancing its taste and aroma and slowly distributing the chocolate across my palate.

Speaking of aroma, for the most part, the freezing process tended to dull the scent of the fruit until it began to warm. That said, the smell of dark chocolate was quite potent with these, which was very enticing. When it comes to flavor, few combinations are as glorious as sweet treats made from raspberry with dark chocolate. I happen to be a sucker for this combination which highlights bittersweet, tart, and sweet flavor notes, making this a snack that was definitely a winner in the taste department for me.

Up next on this ranking of Trü Frü snacks were Nature's Strawberries Hyper-Chilled in White and Milk Chocolate. These snacks had a lot going for them. First off, each bite was made from half a strawberry, making this a hefty serving that, though brain freeze-inducing, was super satisfying. Additionally, I felt that the aroma of the strawberries was more distinctive and proportionate to that of the chocolate, even though they were frozen. Lastly, while these too had seeds, they were far less pronounced than those in the raspberry snacks. In fact, they were hardly noticeable, making the mouthfeel of these quite pleasant.

Where these snacks were less successful for me was the flavor. Again, they were super tasty, but I just prefer dark chocolate over the milk variety, so this is purely a personal bias. That said, the strawberries themselves were super sweet, with zero hint of tartness, and this was definitely complemented by the buttery white chocolate and creamy milk chocolate.

Trü Frü's Nature's Bananas Hyper-Chilled in Dark Chocolate and Peanut Butter offering ranked next on this list. As a general rule, the combination of chocolate with peanut butter is one that I cannot resist. From peanut butter chocolate eggs to a sumptuous cup of peanut butter hot chocolate, few combinations make me salivate like this sweet and savory one. For this reason, I was a little bummed that these banana snacks didn't rank higher on this list. Don't get me wrong, the combination of chocolate and peanut butter was certainly there, and it shone in both aroma and taste. I also appreciated the fact that the bananas were sizable slices, rather than small chunks, which made the ratio of banana to chocolate and peanut butter better-balanced than the dried banana snacks were.

Where these faltered slightly were the bananas themselves. Though bananas are technically ripe when they just turn yellow, they tend to get sweeter as they begin to develop brown spots, which also makes them less starchy. These barely ripe bananas often have a lingering bitter flavor that, while not necessarily off-putting, isn't really to my liking. I found this to be the case with these bananas. While I understand the need to use firmer bananas to prevent them from turning into mush during the freezing and coating process, I like my bananas on the riper side.

Up next, the Nature's Strawberries Hyper-Dried in Crème from Trü Frü. The best way to describe these is to compare them to a delightful strawberry shortcake recipe. The crisp, crunchy texture of the strawberries served as a great base for the crème topping, which was something like a cross between white chocolate, whipped cream, and a less sour version of Greek yogurt.

Though the aroma of these was not particularly distinctive, the flavor was fantastic. The strawberries were perfectly sweet, while the creamy coating really created a complex flavor and texture in my mouth. The only reason I didn't rank these higher was because the top contenders were so dynamite. That said, if you're a fan of strawberry shortcake, you'll love these. Try adding them to your favorite overnight oats recipe or as a garnish for your next batch of cupcakes for something completely unique and delicious.

Not unsurprisingly, the Trü Frü Nature's Blueberries Hyper-Dried in Crème ranked next on this list. Similarly to the strawberries, the crème coating was fantastic. In this case, the tie-breaking factor between the two fruits was the blueberries themselves. I was quite surprised at both the flavor and texture of these blueberries. Though they were sweet, they retained that quintessential tartness that makes blueberries so appealing. They also were much crisper than I was anticipating, which was a nice juxtaposition to the crème coating.

These snacks are dusted in a natural blueberry powder to further amplify the fruit flavor, which was a nice surprise. It really did intensify the experience and make it more enjoyable. While as a chef, I often search for ways to transform foods or serve them in different ways, these are perfect just as they are. I polished the whole bag off the day I opened them, as afternoon pick-me-up after a workout.

Continuing the blueberry theme, the Trü Frü Nature's Blueberries Hyper-Chilled in White and Dark Chocolate came in next on this ranking. One thing I noticed about these was that many of the blueberries had stuck together in clusters during the freezing process, so rather than bite-sized, individual pieces, I got a bigger clump of chocolate-covered berries. This isn't a problem, just something I noticed.

Like with some of the other frozen fruit varieties, the scent of these was relatively muted, save for a mild dark chocolate aroma. In terms of texture, I did feel that the chocolate was a bit heavy-handed with these, somewhat diluting the texture and flavor of the blueberries. When I did get a good taste of the berries, however, they had a lovely flavor that began sweet and finished tart. The bittersweet dark chocolate was a nice counterpoint to the flavor of the blueberries, and since it was dark versus milk chocolate, I didn't mind that it occasionally overpowered the berries. Overall, despite the minor idiosyncrasies of these snacks, I found them to be superb.

Breaking into the top three of this ranking of Trü Frü offerings is the Nature's Strawberries Hyper-Dried in White and Dark Chocolate variety. This is the highest-ranking dried fruit option for a few reasons. These shone from start to finish, with the aroma and flavor reflecting perfectly balanced strawberry and chocolate notes. Again, the dark chocolate appealed to me for personal reasons, but I did feel as though the bittersweet notes helped to tame some of the natural sweetness of the strawberries.

In terms of texture, these had a nice snap on the exterior from the perfectly tempered dark chocolate. This yielded to the crisp, crunchy freeze-dried strawberry, creating a party in my mouth. Because of their petite size, these berries were easy to snack on whole and were sweeter than the average giant ones you might use for chocolate-covered strawberries, which was just a bonus for what was otherwise a delightful, sweet, and healthy treat.

In second place on this ranking of Trü Frü snacks is the Nature's Pineapple Piña Colada Hyper-Chilled in White Chocolate and Coconut variety. I was absolutely smitten with these sweet treats. These tasted exactly the way I expected them to — like a recipe for a creamy, frothy, nutty piña colada, sans the booze.

These white chocolate and coconut crème-covered pineapple chunks were perfectly bite-sized. The moment they hit my tongue and the coating began to dissolve, the sweetness made way for the tart but sweet fruit. As the whole thing began to warm up, this really enhanced that illusion of drinking a tropical beverage on a hot, sunny beach on some kind of island resort. From the aroma to the texture to the taste, these snacks scored a solid A+ grade from me and I could easily see using them as a garnish for any tropical-themed beverage.

Garnering top billing on this ranking of Trü Frü flavors are Nature's Cherries Hyper-Chilled in White and Dark Chocolate. To be fair, this was a hard choice because the top two were super close. The only reason these eked out the win was that I felt that cherry and chocolate was a combination with more universal appeal than that of pineapple and coconut.

These cherries, like the frozen blueberries, had a similar issue with sticking together in clumps, though this was less frequent. The only reason I bring this up is because they are super juicy. In fact, they're so moist that I was surprised by the liquid squirting into the back of my throat when I bit into one of these. Two of them at once might be a little much. That said, I really loved the fact that these frozen fruits retained this much natural juice.

The aroma of these was well-balanced between both the cherries and the dark chocolate. Their flavor was tart but sweet, which was the perfect match for the creamy white chocolate and bittersweet dark chocolate. Though these were delightful as-is, I could see using them as a last minute garnish for a cherry cheesecake recipe or any kind of dark chocolate cake, where I might want a complementary flavor with a contrasting texture.