A Taco Bell meal with five options spread out on speckled counter or table top.

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Despite there being things you should never order at Taco Bell, I love a late-night (or midday ... or early morning) visit to the faux-Mexican mega-chain. The greasy guilty pleasure of many, including myself, Taco Bell has added some deliciously spicy options to its menu over the years, from the two chicken dishes that will set your mouth ablaze to the not-that-hot, but yes-that-delicious, grilled cheese burrito. And then there are Cinnamon Twists. I have tried Cinnamon Twists as they have a habit of sneaking into some of the otherwise excellent combo boxes. I thought they would make a nice dessert after a dinner of cheesy beefy goodness. I was mistaken: Dry, stale, and surprisingly bland, these sad snacks taste like if you sprinkled some cinnamon sugar onto some Styrofoam packing peanuts.

According to Taco Bell, Cinnamon Twists are popular enough to make it to the Best Sellers menu, which might be the most confusing thing I've read all year. Cinnamon Twists came in dead last in our ranking of popular Taco Bell items, and it's easy to see why. Clearly, not all of the items on the Best Sellers menu are worthy of that title.

Cinnamon Twists have the potential, not the execution

Cinnamon Twists spilling out of their bag and loaded nachos in black oval bowl at Taco Bell.

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The idea behind Cinnamon Twists isn't bad at all. Clearly the dough, cinnamon, and sugar combo is supposed to be reminiscent of the simple churro, the undisputed king of cinnamon-y snacks, especially in Mexican cuisine, which Taco Bell sort of, kind of ... maybe falls under. Our copycat Cinnamon Twist recipe is certainly an improvement, so something appears to have gone wrong on Taco Bell's end.

While few things feel better than late-night Taco Bell after a long day where you're too tired to cook, Cinnamon Twists are part of the Luxe Box combo meals. I think this is a shame, as I find the Luxe Boxes to be some of the better deals at Taco Bell. Fortunately, the Twists can typically be replaced by another side item, like chips and nacho cheese. Unfortunately, the tortilla chips aren't great either, especially if you're eating at Taco Bell in the morning. Until Taco Bell finds a way to make its Cinnamon Twists taste fresh and warm instead of a mummified churro, I'm happy to swap them out for a marginal improvement (like the chips). But at least those grilled cheese burritos are still delicious.