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Top 10 Most Popular American Snack Foods
This was a tough one because there are so many popular and tasty American snack foods. There are the obvious sweet choices like Skittles and Reese’s Pieces. And of course there’s the salty favorites like Lay’s and Doritos chips. But we wanted to dive a little deeper into the snack world and show you the top 10 most popular American snack foods.
10. Donettes
Covered in powdered sugar and gone in one bite. What are they? Mini donuts! Hostess was clever when they realized Americans needed to be able to down a donut in one bite without any shame and lots of satisfaction. Though if you get a box of these fun-size donuts, you are inevitably going to eat an entire row of Donettes (since they are so small) which, in the end is probably equivalent to more than one full-size donut. Who are we kidding? We’ll probably finish off the whole box because they are so tasty! Hostess is famous for their snack cakes, and these powdered mini donuts are an American classic. They are loved by many not only because of how good they taste but also for how long they stay fresh. These little bits of sugar are the perfect pairing with a morning coffee or a glass of milk. The only thing you have to watch out for with these mini donuts is the powdered mess after eating them. Needless to say, America must love Donettes regardless of their messiness judging by all the positive reviews online. These mini powdered donuts from Hostess are the perfect snack when craving something sweet with a little bit of substance behind it. Soft and sweet but be warned – there will be a mess.
9. Utz Cheese Balls
Cheese balls might be the ultimate American snack food. How do we know this is a popular American snack… well, when Honey Boo-Boo said she wished she had an extra finger so she could grab more cheese balls, that’s when we knew. Utz cheese balls can be described as “a roughly spherical blob of puffed reconstituted corn, coated with a powdered cheese-food product”. Although that doesn’t sound very gourmet or delicious, they are the perfect puffs for snacking with an abundance of cheesy flavor that covers your fingers. Utz cheese balls come in bulk at Costco, Walmart, Target or Sam’s Club. And when we say bulk, we mean in supersize containers. Data says that there are usually around 1,100 cheese balls per container… which really looks more like a barrel. That’s a lot of cheese balls in all those barrels across America! But get a group of people together for any sort of event, and a whole barrel of these cheese balls will disappear real quick. It’s probably safe to say that Utz cheese balls are a snack that disappears rather quickly even without a large gathering of people.
8. Fruit Gushers
Did you know that there were once only 2 different kinds of Fruit Gushers? Strawberry Splash and Gushin’ Grape. But nowadays you can explore a delicious variety of Gushers such as Sour Triple Berry Shock and Tropical Flavors. There’s a favorite fruit gusher out there for everyone! They also released a new variety of Fruit Gushers in early 2020 named “Galactic Fruit Gushers” which featured the aptly named “Asteroid Apple” and “Berry Star Cluster” flavors. The best part about Fruit Gushers can be found inside. There’s nothing like biting into a soft, chewy gusher and then experiencing a rush of gooey sweetness. Fruit Gushers are a Betty Crocker fruit snack that have become widely popular across America. Fruit Gushers are said to “juice up life with a taste explosion in every bite”…and we have to say they are right. An honorable mention here goes to Betty Crocker’s Fruit By The Foot and of course, there are also the good ol’ Fruit Roll-Ups. Who went to school without one of these stand-out snacks in their lunch box? There are so many fun ways to eat these chewy fruit snacks, but they would often end up being crumpled into a ball and devoured in a single go. They gave you the perfect sugar rush just before recess. Same goes for Gushers, some people like to bundle together a handful of Gushers and experience the rush all in one mouthful! Now that’s a flavor explosion!
7. Twizzlers
There’s something absolutely fabulous about Twizzlers, and it’s not that they’re just so much fun to eat. They are most known for their classic red color and twisted long shape. Founded in 1845 as Young and Smylie, the Twizzlers brand made its debut back in 1929 and have remained a popular snack to this day. They now come in many different flavors, colors, and have several spin-off products too! Although the most popular flavor of Twizzlers is of course the strawberry flavor. It’s a very popular flavor in America and recognized as the classic image of this famous candy. Twizzlers continue to be the perfect snack to munch on at the movies, on a road trip, or at home. Twizzlers have even become part of today’s pop culture, being referenced or featured on screen where actors are chewing on what is noticeably a delicious red Twizzler, like in The Walking Dead. The Twizzlers website notes that Neil Armstrong said that he “could go for some Twizzlers right now” after his more famous “one small step” line once setting foot on the moon during the historic first lunar landing mission. For the biggest Twizzler fans out there – imagine this. Twizzlers holds the Guinness World Record for the longest piece of licorice ever made which measured 1200 feet and weighed 100 pounds. That’s just crazy huge!
6. Cheez-its
This lovable baked cracker has been around for nearly a century. Cheez-Its is a cheese cracker manufactured by the Kellogg Company. These aren’t regular crackers, no they are cheesy, salty, and bite-size crackers perfect for endless snacking. As a kid, what lunchbox was complete without a snack baggie full of Cheez-Its? One fan of the crackers commented that Cheez-Its always tasted more, for lack of a better word, “real” than most of your mass-produced snack foods. They continued to say that they weren’t persuaded by the “100% Real Cheese” marketing slogan either. At least they don’t think so. Well one thing we do know for sure is that Cheez-its are darn delicious. Cheez-its are well known for their cheddar cheese flavor but they also have a white cheddar flavor and have recently become more creative with their flavors over the years. These flavors include Hot & Spicy, Bacon & Cheddar, Pepper Jack, Cheese Pizza, Italian Four Cheese, and more! There is a Cheez-its flavor for every American’s taste buds.
5. Rice Krispies Treats
A true classic. What other crispy, gooey, marshmallowy treat can put a smile on anyone’s face like Rice Krispies Treats can? These treats are just downright yummy and that’s why America is ga-ga over them. They are made by combining Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal together with butter or margarine and marshmallow. Perfect for school lunches or an afternoon snack, a Rice Krispies treat is the perfect pick me up or even a quick and cheap dessert. Although Kellogg’s introduced the cereal in the 1920’s and provided the recipe to the public in 1939, it wasn’t until 1995 that they came out with their own pre-packaged version of their famous Rice Krispies Treats. Just how good are they? One fan commented that these were the most amazing, delicious things ever. People try to recreate these at home but they’re never quite the same as the packaged ones. These Rice Krispies Treats enthusiasts prefer to use the cereal and make their own homemade version, sometimes getting creative and adding sprinkles, chocolate chips, nerds candies, mini M&Ms, and more.
4. Cape Cod Chips
Cape Cod Potato Chips are a popular cart item for shoppers at Costco or Sam’s Club. Their slogan is “When your hand’s in the bag, your head’s in the Cape”, which may be true – it feels like paradise digging into a bag of these. The most widely known and probably the most favorite of them all is the original Cape Cod kettle chips. Today, they have delicious flavors like white cheddar and sour cream or sweet mesquite BBQ. They also have fun varieties, from waves to waffle-cut chips. Cape Cod Potato Chips was founded in 1980 by Steve Bernard with his brother Jude in Massachusetts. Their goal when starting was to offer a healthier potato chip made with little processing. Fast forward to today and surprisingly, a soup company owns Cape Cod Potato Chips. The Campbell’s Soup Company bought Cape Cod Chips from the Bernard brothers at the end of 2017. The kettle-cooked chips may make a scrumptious pairing with one of their soups, but they are most notorious for snacking. Taste testers say that what they love most about these chips is their crunch. Many also note that they are perfectly kettle-cooked with just the right amount of salt, one of many reasons why they’re so addictive! Super crunchy and never too oily, we bet you’re starting to crave a bag of these!
3. Ritz Crackers
One of America’s favorite snacks, Ritz Crackers have been around for almost 80 years! They continue to hold a spot in Americans’ hearts and stomachs to this day! Ritz are delicious round crackers that are slightly salted on one side and have a rounded scalloped edge. These crackers are just buttery perfection. They are the ultimate crackers to snack on by themselves or topped with your favourite spread. You can even get these crackers in fun mini-size sandwich format – two tiny Ritz crackers with a layer of cheese in the middle. The packaging says they’re made with real cheese, and we can’t argue with that since they have the right color, and they taste of real cheese, but who really knows how real we’re talking. One thing we do know is that no one seems to care because they are just too tasty. Ritz usually gets 5-star ratings for their crackers because of the perfect balance of buttery flavor and saltiness. For those who may find Ritz too salty, they’ve got you covered with a less salt version. You can always find them being served at parties and gatherings, usually accompanied with some sliced cheese, salmon, or deli meats. Ritz crackers are perfect with cheese or even peanut butter. Some Ritz lovers even like to add Ritz crackers in meals – anything from casseroles and meatloaves to soups and baked stuffed clams. They can also turn into a dessert sandwich cracker by adding layers of Nutella and peanut butter or making small ice cream sandwiches. Anything is possible with Ritz crackers.
2. Oreo & Chips Ahoy Cookies
It is very possible that every person in America has had an Oreo cookie at least once in their lifetime. How could they not? Oreos are ranked as one of the most popular cookies in America – right between chocolate chip cookies and Girl Scout cookies. This is why we have to include Chips Ahoy cookies as well in this entry. America thrives on cookies. Don’t believe us? Just ask the Cookie Monster. Chips Ahoy and Oreo cookies are a staple in almost every pantry! You never know when that cookie craving is going to hit and you have to be ready. Let’s not forget the perfect pairing with either of these cookies, a tall, cold glass of milk! An Oreo cookie is a cookie lover’s dream come true with creme slathered between two chocolate cookies. The Oreo cookie has been on the shelves since 1912, and in 2016, the product accumulated more than $2 billion dollars in global annual revenue, which was the most of any cookie company that year. This tells us Oreos are not only America’s favorite snack but they have become a global favorite too! So Oreos are indeed a popular cookie but now let’s dip a Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookie into our glass of milk, too. These are the most popular mass-produced chocolate chip cookies on the market! The great thing about Chips Ahoy is that they come in packages of both hard cookies or soft cookies depending on your preference. Which is your favorite?
1. Twinkies
Twinkies truly are an American icon. This famous American snack cake is described as a “golden sponge cake with a creamy filling”. In America, Twinkies have not only been a mainstay on supermarket shelves, and in the bellies of millions, but they have come to represent an entire country! Twinkies are famous! They have become pop culture staples and have made plenty of appearances in movies over the years. Harold Ramis’ character in Ghostbusters famously used a Twinkie to explain psychokinetic energy, and Woody Harrelson’s character in Zombieland willfully tracked down the “spongy, yellow, delicious” snack cakes throughout the film. Growing up, you hoped to open your lunch box and find one of these! Sometimes it was a Fri-YAY special to find Twinkie in your lunch box, and it was a great way to start the weekend. Today, Twinkies are being used in many creative ways; “deep-fried” Twinkies have become a common novelty food at state fairs and some super fans have even built multi-tiered Twinkie wedding cakes for their special day. One thing that can’t be debated, Twinkies are definitely one of America’s favorite snack foods.