21 Great Value Snacks Ranked From Worst To Best

Snacks are a mainstay in my home and, assumedly, in homes of busy families everywhere. They offer conveniently ready food for whenever you have a small craving to satisfy and are often portable. However, grocery store foods continue to cost more, and store brands like Great Value are a great way to cut your food costs. Unfortunately, not all Great Value snacks are worth buying — a few aren't even palatable.

Usually, determining which Great Value snacks are good buys and which are gross would be a matter of trial and error — potentially leading to a waste of your hard-earned money for certain products. Thankfully, you don't have to undertake this because I had the chance to try 21 of the brand's offerings available at my local Walmart and rank them from worst to best. (And if you want to learn about their knock-off candy bars, we did that hard work for you, too.) 

I considered taste, smell, appearance, and pricing when creating this ranking, relying on my food industry experience and personal snack consumption history. Since so many of these snacks are aimed largely at kids, I also considered my children's opinion for relevant items. A full explanation of my methodology is available at the end of this article. Let's get into it.

These are the worst freeze dried peaches I've ever had, by far, and the only item on this list I found so disgusting I literally spit it out into the trash can. A strong smell of sour peaches was noticeable as soon as I opened the bag, and the texture was off in a way I can't quite describe — which was disappointing, since the freeze dried apples were good. The taste was even worse than I feared and reminiscent of what wet cardboard smells like. An aftertaste like rotten peaches permeated my mouth and made me feel nauseous for quite some time after. Definitely skip these. 

Cereal bars are something we keep stocked in the house, but Great Value's mixed berry option hasn't earned itself a recurring spot. It features a soft, grainy texture outside with a gooey gel inside that honestly wasn't bad. However, the smell was overpoweringly sweet and syrupy, which ended up being indicative of the cereal bar's taste — instead of a light, fruity flavor profile, these tasted like pure, extra sweet fruit syrup lighted coated in grains. I definitely can't recommend these.

The Great Value Fig Bars (like others placed similarly on this ranking list) weren't bad, but they weren't great, either. Soft, chewy bars were filled with a smooth filling that offered a nice figgy taste. A bitter aftertaste lingered in my mouth, which tasted a little off, but not uncomfortably so.

Really, there isn't anything specifically wrong with these fig bars. They just weren't as good as name brand varieties we usually keep stocked in the house and I likely won't be purchasing them again for that reason alone.

I'll start off by saying my usual Lay's Wavy Potato Chips are much better than these, and since I eat them so much, the difference is notable. That being said, I'd definitely eat these again if they were in the house and wouldn't be opposed to opting for them on weeks where the grocery budget needs to stretch a little further. They have a nice crisp when you bite them and an overall good taste, albeit they could use a little more salt. They would probably be fine if paired with something more flavorful, like the best seven layer dip. 

These weren't the worst thing I'd ever eaten, but I won't be buying them again, either. Admittedly, the pricing was good and several dollars under name brand versions of the same product. And, the taste test started off well. The outside is perfectly crunchy and salty, with a strong starchy taste. But, once the full bite was in my mouth, things started going wrong texturally and taste-wise.

The peanut butter center is just off. It has a weird artificial taste that's overly sweet to the point it overpowers the natural nutty tones I was expecting. Plus, it had a weird texture that was gooey in a bad way. I recommend sticking to the name brand options if you enjoy peanut butter filled pretzels. 

These meat sticks were more reminiscent of pepperoni instead of the predominately beef flavor I was expecting, which is okay since I'm a pepperoni fan. While the Great Value Original Meat Sticks aren't bad, they also don't come close to the quality of my favorite name brand options, like Slim Jim and Chomps Grass-Fed Jerky. A well-seasoned porky smell was paired with a semi-tough exterior and a much softer interior, which I liked — but, these sticks were much greasier than I expected. While these aren't bad, I won't be buying them again because I like the name brand options better.

Strawberry is one of my favorite flavors, so I was excited to try these. While I wasn't exactly disappointed, I wasn't thrilled, either. My test taste began on a positive note, as these smelled strongly like sweetened strawberries and had a nice firm texture on the outside. The filling is a little lumpy and overpoweringly sweet, but it wasn't so bad I couldn't finish the cookie. However, there's a chemical aftertaste that was hard to get out of my mouth. Overall, I won't buy these again, but I might eat them if offered to me by someone else.

These cookies come in individual packages, which is really convenient for school or work lunches, and they're also made in a dedicated nut-free facility — which I absolutely love for people with nut allergies. The only downsides are that you don't get many cookies in a single pack, and the cookies tend to stick to your teeth, which is a little annoying. However, there was a rich, chocolatey taste with a slight unexpected saltiness and a satisfying crunchy texture. These are definitely worth trying and would be perfect when you have a craving for something sweet and salty.

These granola bars are another item that has found a permanent place in my home's snack cabinet. They feature a very heavy peanut butter taste and are chock-full of peanut bits — which is perfect because I love peanut butter, but could be too much if you're not as big a fan. They're perfectly sweet, salty, and chewy, just like the package described, with a pleasant nutty aroma. I feel confident recommending them to anyone who enjoys sweet and salty snacks.

This popcorn has definitely found its place in my home's snack pantry. They have a mild cheddar taste with heavy buttery notes reminiscent of movie theater popcorn. The kernels have a soft melt-in-your-mouth texture with a light crunch in the center that's incredibly satisfying. Plus, this snack has a beautiful orangey-white coloring I find aesthetically pleasing. The best part about this popcorn is the price tag (which isn't something you hear often in this economy). The bag is just under two dollars and is large enough for a family of four to snack on for two days.

Mini pretzel twists are a favorite snack in my household, but we usually buy the name brand options like Rold Gold. However, this Great Value option is a few dollars cheaper and comes in at just over two dollars for a good-sized bag — and I personally think they're almost as good as what we normally buy. The only difference is that these pretzels are a little less flavorful than the name brand options, but my kids didn't seem to notice when they tried them. These were crunchy with a nice mouthfeel and appropriately salty for pretzels.

I'm a huge fan of freeze dried fruit generally, so I was excited to try these. The first thing I noticed was that apples were the only ingredient, which I love because Great Value doesn't often have a wholesome ingredients list. The apples themselves had a strong fruity taste and offered me a nice crunch when I bit into them.

The price on these wasn't bad and, although it's on the higher end for Great Value snacks, it was still more affordable than the name brand options on the shelf. And honestly? These taste just like other brands I've had. I will definitely keep these in stock and can strongly recommend them.

These are very similar to name brand options, but (like all other Great Value items) at a fraction of the cost. Each bite felt indulgent but light, appeasing my sweet tooth without making me feel sugar sick. The raisins provide a nice tartness that perfectly contrast the sweet chocolate and mild creaminess of the yogurt. A pleasantly complex texture was created by the thin hardness of the coating and the slightly sticky, chewiness of the raisins. I'll be keeping these stocked in my pantry moving forward.

Like most of the Great Value snacks on this list, the price tag is the best part and I got these for less than two dollars. These offered a wonderfully loud crunch when you bit into them — and this crispness was balanced by the sweet, creamy layers between the wafers. The initial taste was sweet and chocolatey with hints of rich cream. The only downside was that this delicious first bite was followed by a slight artificial aftertaste. Despite this, Great Value's chocolate wafers have found a regular spot in my snack pantry.

As someone who enjoys spicy foods, I loved these jalapeño chips. They offered a decent level of heat, but it wasn't overpowering and allowed the natural earthiness of the pepper to come through. Each bite offered me a satisfying crunch that gave way without stabbing me in the mouth (which is an issue I've had with other kettle cooked chips). I'll definitely be purchasing these again and think they'd be an excellent pairing for a grilled classic ham and cheese sandwich.

Honestly, these were the best cheese dip and breadstick snacks I've had. Although the cheese was definitely artificial, that's what I expected from the snack and there was no gross aftertaste like other brands I've eaten. The breadsticks had a nice crunch to them and an overall good taste. The cheese dip to breadstick ratio was perfect and left me satisfied. And, the pricing on these was fantastic, coming in at under two dollars for a five pack. I will definitely be keeping these stocked in the house and highly recommend them — especially if you have children, because they were a hit with all of mine.

The Great Value Crunchy Glacier Ranch Tortilla Chips taste uncannily like Cool Ranch Doritos. And, since these were several dollars cheaper, I feel like they're a steal. If the two products were in a blind taste test, I don't think anyone could tell them apart. The bold ranch seasoning has a mild zesty punch with notes of earthiness and savoriness throughout — and there's a nice crunch when you bite into them. Although these were great on their own, I think they'd really help level up some loaded nachos (something I plan to try in the near future). I'll definitely be buying these chips again.

There isn't much to say about these except that they taste exactly like raisins and are identical to name brand options. They have a nice chewy texture with a slightly firmer outside. A mild tartness adds complexity to the predominantly sweet flavor profile. If you like raisins, I recommend buying these instead of name brand varieties because it's the exact same thing at a lower cost. You won't even know the difference.

These little bear-shaped cookies have a taste identical to the Teddy Grahams they're attempting to replicate. When you open the bag, you're greeted with a pleasant smell of spiced honey and this scent is indicative of the taste you can expect. My first bite offered a pleasant crunch with a mild honey sweetness and slight cinnamon spice laced throughout the earthy graham cracker. Even better, the cookies maintained their texture when dipped in milk and didn't become mushy. And, like the chocolate chippers on this list, they're made in a dedicated nut-free facility. I highly recommend these.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that these Great Value Diced Pears in 100% Juice were the equivalent to any name brand — there was literally no taste or quality difference that I could tell. The pears were a little firm with appropriate coloring and provided a smooth, crisp mouthfeel. The juice was a little strong, like it was slightly concentrated, but that's my own personal preference for what my fruit is stored in. The cups as a whole were sweet, but not overpoweringly so, with a fresh, fruity taste I really enjoyed. My kids also enjoyed them, making these diced pears a new school lunch staple. I definitely recommend choosing these over more expensive varieties.

The Great Value Cinnamon Applesauce was the best snack I tried on this list, and I recommend it wholeheartedly. A warm, mildly spicy cinnamon flavor blends with the sweet and tart apples perfectly — and this is comparable (if not identical) to name brand options but at a fraction of the cost. The texture is smooth with a nice weight that's ideal for a light snack on the go. With zero doubts, this applesauce will become a mainstay in my home.

All snacks chosen for this ranking were from Walmart's store brand, Great Value, and based upon what was available to me in my local store (located in New Jersey). Each item was judged based on its taste, smell (if there was one), appearance, and pricing. When applicable, these qualities were compared to those of your standard name brand options. To make my determinations, I relied upon my fifteen years in the food industry, decades of eating snacks at home, and some input from my children when a snack item was a variation of something they regularly consumed.