I tried 5 soda-filled recipes from the Mountain Dew cookbook, and I'm pleasantly surprised by the results
- I tried making five recipes from Mountain Dew's new, sold-out cookbook, "The Big Bold Book of MTN DEW Recipes."
- The two-ingredient cupcakes and Mountain Dew margaritas were delicious and I'd make both again.
- I liked the Mountain Dew salsa, though it was a bit too spicy and I couldn't taste the soda in it.
- I wouldn't make the grilled cheese again because it took so long to prepare and was a bit too sweet.
- The Flamin' Hot Cheetos and mozzarella Mountain Dew bites were surprisingly tasty, but they took a lot of effort to make.
Earlier this month, Mountain Dew released a cookbook of soda-infused recipes that quickly sold out.
"The Big Bold Book of MTN DEW Recipes" contains recipes for dips, entrées, desserts, and cocktails that feature Mountain Dew and its many flavors as a star ingredient. Although I received the cookbook for free for review purposes, it typically retails for $30 and is set to restock soon.
To see if the book is worth the hype, I tested five of its soda-filled recipes. Read on to see how my Mountain Dew creations turned out.
The two-ingredient cupcakes were really easy to make
This was the first recipe I tried from the book, and it was a breeze to follow. It reminded me of the soda-and-boxed-mix cakes my family made when I was growing up.
After mixing my ingredients, the batter looked too thin. Still, I spooned it into my silicone cups.
After 18 minutes in the oven, the cupcakes were done and had a light-golden color.
These cupcakes were sweet and fluffy and they reminded me of angel-food cake
First, I tasted a cupcake without icing. I couldn't taste the Mountain Dew at all, but the cake tasted very sweet.
This was also the softest, fluffiest cupcake I'd ever had. It reminded me a lot of angel-food cake but less dense.
I tried a cupcake with the icing, but it was cloyingly sweet. I also noticed that the cupcakes fell apart as soon as I tried to remove them from the silicone liners.
I use these liners all of the time for cupcakes and muffins with no trouble, so this batter might've just been stickier than others.
I'd make these again without the icing
Because these cupcakes were so sweet and delicious on their own, I'd happily make them again.
But I'd nix the icing and pair these cupcakes with fresh berries and whipped cream, which is how I like to eat angel-food cake. I'd also spray the silicone cupcake liners to help prevent sticking as much as possible.
The cookbook's green salsa was a twist on my favorite: salsa verde
I love salsa verde, so I was feeling optimistic. The recipe also calls for a lot of fresh ingredients, which seemed like a nice contrast to the sweet Mountain Dew.
The directions had a slight discrepancy because they listed two different steps when you should add the jalapeños. Although this wasn't a huge deal, I noticed a few other minor mistakes throughout the cookbook that can be confusing when you're trying to perfectly execute the recipes.
My salsa mixture ended up being pretty thin, so I popped it in the fridge as directed and hoped it'd thicken while it cooled.
The Mountain Dew green salsa really brought the heat
The recipe was cheap to make, but I cut it in half so I wouldn't waste any salsa. I still made about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of salsa.
The salsa only contained one jalapeño, so I was surprised that it was so spicy. I couldn't taste the Mountain Dew at all, and I think it needed more salt (the recipe says salt to taste, so that's my fault).
Overall, the taste was pretty good but very hot.
I'd probably make a similar recipe again but without the soda
The salsa was good, but the Mountain Dew and its sweetness didn't shine here.
Even though it defeats the purpose of the recipe, I'd likely make this without the soda next time, since reducing it is an extra step. I'd also cut down on the jalapeño because it was a little too spicy for me.
I was the most nervous about tasting the Mountain Dew grilled cheese
Nothing looks more unappetizing than a thick, green goo oozing out between two pieces of bread, so I wasn't too excited to eat this. But I figured if it made it into the cookbook, it had to be worth trying.
The directions were also strange to me. Instead of grilling the whole sandwich at once, I had to make a green cheese sauce after reducing some Mountain Dew on the stovetop.
I had to separately grill the bread, then add the cheese goo to it later when I plated the sandwich.
This was one sweet sandwich
The sandwich tasted OK but it took far too long to make.
As the Mountain Dew reduced, the sugars in the soda took on a caramelized flavor. This might sound fine, but when combined with cream cheese, the sandwich ended up being far too sweet. Not even the shredded cheddar cheese could add enough of a savory flavor.
I probably won't make this time-consuming dish again
This ended up taking much longer and was far messier than just making a regular grilled cheese sandwich.
I love to experiment with grilled cheese by adding jams or fruit and various cheeses. But it's never taken me so long to make a grilled cheese sandwich, let alone one that was OK at best.
I think this could be a fun meal for kids, though, since they may appreciate seeing green food coloring in a grilled cheese.
I was intrigued by the bizarre mashup in the Cheetos and Mountain Dew mozzarella bites recipe
Although combining Mountain Dew, cheese, and Flamin' Hot Cheetos seemed bizarre, it seemed like the kind of mashup that would end up being delicious.
This recipe had a lot of steps, so I started by making a green cheese goo similar to the one in the grilled cheese sandwiches.
The Mountain Dew took a long time to reduce, and when I added it to the cheese and cream cheese, the mixture became like silly putty.
From there, I had to chill the cheese into molds, make a Cheetos coating, then deep-fry each mozzarella bite.
But even after freezing the cheese for a few hours (even though the recipe just says to chill them in the fridge for an hour), they were a huge mess to fry.
The exterior didn't seem to cook enough before the cheese started leaking out everywhere.
The mozzarella bites had a sweet-and-spicy flavor profile
The filling had a sweet flavor reminiscent of the grilled cheese I made, but this time the sweetness paired really well with the fiery Flamin' Hot Cheetos.
Unfortunately, the texture of the cheese wasn't quite right — it was chunky instead of stringy and melty. The exterior also wasn't as crisp as I think it should've been.
I would probably attempt this recipe again
This mozzarella bites recipe took the longest to make of all the recipes I tested, and although the flavor turned out great, the texture wasn't what I had hoped for.
I think with some practice, and freezing the cheese overnight, I could make a better batch.
But making these was such an endeavor (that also resulted in a huge pile of dirty dishes) that I'd only make these on a rare occasion.
Finally, it was time to celebrate happy hour with a Mountain Dew margarita
Truthfully, I don't drink soda very often, and Mountain Dew is usually too sweet for me. In the other recipes, I knew the drink would be mixed into food, but with this, I'd be the most likely to really taste the Mountain Dew.
I didn't think I'd like this cocktail, but I love margaritas — so I figured it was worth a shot.
The Code Red margarita tasted like juice
This was a super sweet, cherry-flavored drink that tasted more like juice than anything else.
With the simple syrup and Mountain Dew Code Red, this sugary drink was delicious and went down like water, but I definitely wouldn't recommend drinking more than one.
Between the sugar and the alcohol, this cocktail seems like a quick trip to hangover city.
I wouldn't mind making this drink again
I prefer a traditional margarita, but I would give this version another chance.
I'd probably just cut back a bit on the simple syrup and Mountain Dew so it isn't quite so sugary, but overall, I liked the cherry and lime combination.
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