We love a good food mashup as much as the next person. But when two iconic biscuits come together to form one, our ears prick up.
When Arnott’s reached out to inform us of its Iced VoVo Tim Tam, currently available at Coles for $6, we had to give it a try. While there’s no denying this biscuit is delicious, there’s an elephant in the room we can’t ignore.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The Better Homes and Gardens team, including senior food editor Sarah Murphy, taste-tested the Tim Tam Inspired by Iced VoVo.
- We based our assessment on taste, texture and how well it captured the flavour of the original Iced VoVo.
- The most common feedback from our team was that the coconut flavour tasted artificial.
- The Iced VoVo Tim Tam is available exclusively at Coles supermarkets nationwide for $6.00.
Tim Tam is inspired by Iced VoVo: What’s in the packet
Arnott’s says the Tim Tam, inspired by Iced VoVo, is everything you love about a Tim Tam with a “refreshing raspberry jammy centre and iconic coconut flavour of an Iced VoVo.”
They’ve also said: “With every bite, Aussies will experience the iconic, indulgent layers of Tim Tam paired with the gooey, tart raspberry jam of an Iced VoVo, complemented with irresistibly indulgent coconut-flavour cream.”
And there it is, the elephant we’re talking about: there’s no real coconut. Using coconut-flavour cream rather than real coconut is an oversight. Given that coconut features heavily in Iced VoVo, you can tell the difference.
Our team’s first impressions
It might be 9 am, but that hasn’t stopped the Better Homes and Gardens team of taste testers from sampling the Tim Tam inspired by Iced VoVo.
Better Homes and Gardens senior food editor Sarah Murphy grabbed the first bickie out of the packet.
“OK, I wanted to love these, but it’s not quite there for me,” she said. “They are super sweet (and I have a sweet tooth!) I also love coconut, so I was a bit disappointed there was no actual coconut in there. I’ll stick with the caramel Tim Tams in the future.
“The jam bit did taste like the VoVo jam, though. It pains me, but a 6/10, like I won’t go searching for these at 3:30 pm this afternoon when I need a treat.”
Mon also found this very sweet. “I love both these biscuits separately, but I find them too sweet together,” she said.
Jade says she also would have loved some real coconut in there: “I was really excited to try these, but for me, the coconut filling just didn’t hit right. It tasted like coconut oil. I liked the jam filling inside, but that wasn’t enough to save it. It was so sweet, one bite was plenty.”
Funnily enough, BHG’s editor Meg rates this biscuit. “I don’t like Iced VoVos or Tim Tams, but I don’t mind this.”
Where’s the coconut?
All in all, the Iced VoVo Tim Tam is a nice biscuit, but it left me thinking.
The chocolate hits first, and as always with Tim Tams, it’s first class. Then comes the jam, which is a lovely little surprise mid-bite. But right behind it is a coconut flavour that, I have to be honest, tastes a little artificial, not quite the real thing you’d expect from a classic Iced Vovo.
It left me thinking about buying a packet of actual Iced VoVos and dipping them in chocolate myself. Now, that would be delicious.
How does it stack up?
Compared to the original Tim Tam, this one doesn’t quite hit the same heights. The classic is classic for a reason. That perfect balance of chocolate biscuit and cream filling is hard to beat.
As for the real Iced VoVo? The collab captures the jam nicely, but the artificial coconut note means it doesn’t do the original full justice.
The verdict
If you’re an Aussie biscuit tragic who loves a novelty collab, this one’s worth trying at least once. But for those who grew up with a deep loyalty to either biscuit, it may leave you a little flat.
We’re giving it 3 out of 5 Tim Tams.
Would we buy it again? Probably not. But we will absolutely be buying a packet of Iced VoVos and a block of chocolate on the way home today.
What Aussie biscuit fans are saying
We’re not the only ones with an opinion. When we shared the news of the Iced VoVo Tim Tam on Facebook, our readers had plenty to say — and the verdict was pretty clear.
“Nothing beats the original, they’re the best!” said one reader. Others were more direct: “No thanks, give me the original Tim Tam any day.”
Some took the opportunity to call for a different kind of change altogether. “Be better to leave both alone and bring back some old favourites instead — too many Tim Tam flavours!” one reader said, while another made a simple but passionate plea: “Bring back the coffee Tim Tam.”
And when it comes to how far readers are willing to stray from the classic? One summed it up perfectly: “Nothing beats the Original, Double Coat or Chewy Caramel — that’s as far as I go.”
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