It’s easy to get caught up in the magic of Pop-Tarts. The shiny Mylar wrapper! The oh-so-sweet smell! The twin pack of pastries! The decades-old handheld snack has been a hit since the moment it popped up on shelves and remains wildly popular to this day.
Funnily enough, it wasn’t the first to market. In 1964, Post actually introduced the original “Country Squares” (now called Toast’em Pop-Ups). Within just a few months, Kellogg’s released its own version of the toaster pastries in four flavors: strawberry, blueberry, brown sugar cinnamon, and apple currant. The name — Pop-Tarts — was a pun on Andy Warhol’s pop art movement. With the help of color TV ads (a novelty at the time!), Pop-Tarts sold out in the first two weeks after launch. Kellogg’s capitalized on the fervor, running cheeky apology ads, which only further contributed to the demand.
Decades later, Pop-Tarts are still a staple in households across the United States, and the number of flavors has multiplied to a whopping 19 (at the time of this tasting). Crowning the best Pop-Tarts was a daunting task, but we did it with complete focus and devotion. After sampling well over a dozen flavors, we narrowed our list of favorites to 10. In the end, the top Pop-Tarts flavor truly surprised us.
10. Blueberry Frosted
While it doesn’t pack too strong of a punch, Blueberry Frosted has all of our favorite traits: It’s loaded with rainbow sprinkles, contains the beloved thin layer of white icing, and even comes in an unfrosted version (for those looking for something a little less sweet). Though it’s an excellent choice for Pop-Tarts lovers of all ages, it was beaten out by others with a more prominent flavor. If you like your blueberry on the subtle side, though, this is for you.
Buy: Pop-Tarts Frosted Blueberry Toaster Pastries $4.88 for 16 at Walmart
9. Snickerdoodle
Snickerdoodle caught our panel of testers completely by surprise. Eaten straight out of a warm toaster, this flavor is gooey and made our test kitchen smell like fresh-baked cookies. It’s topped with crunchy cinnamon-sugar crystals and filled with a buttery vanilla cinnamon mixture. We also think it’s secretly a distant cousin of Brown Sugar Cinnamon. We’ll be reaching for this flavor when we don’t have the energy to bake cookies, but want all the toasted satisfaction of biting into one.
Buy: Pop-Tarts Snickerdoodle Toaster Pastries, $2.62 for 8 at Walmart
8. Wild Berry
Wild Berry is that girl. She is the most stylish of the Pop-Tarts by far, with a bright, bold purple glaze and an electric blue squiggle. The flavor matches the appearance: Essences of pear, apple, and strawberry combine to create a layered filling that proves Wild Berry is more than just looks. It would have ranked higher had tasters not favored Pop-Tarts that (spoiler!) highlighted a single fruit.
Buy: Pop-Tarts Frosted Wild Berry Toaster Pastries, $5.53 for 16 at Walmart
7. Hot Fudge Sundae
Hot Fudge Sundae’s chocolate crust and creamy vanilla filling are adorned with rainbow sprinkles and a drizzle of fudge icing. While the look absolutely screams SUNDAE, the flavor falls a bit short. It’s decadent, yes, but a little too sweet for our panelists and not enough like the actual ice cream that inspired it.
Buy: Pop-Tarts Frosted Hot Fudge Sundae Toaster Pastries, $4.88 for 16 at Walmart
6. Cookies & Creme
This classic combination of bitter cocoa and creamy vanilla filling has been in grocery stores for ages, but something about the warm, crumbly chocolate Cookies & Creme Pop-Tarts gave an unexpected textural boost to the sticky-sweet filling inside. It tastes shockingly similar to the classic cookie it’s inspired by and is a more palatable version of the super-loaded Hot Fudge Sundae.
Buy: Pop-Tarts Frosted Cookies and Creme Toaster Pastries, $4.88 for 16 at Walmart
5. Brown Sugar Cinnamon
As one of the original Pop-Tarts that debuted in the 1960s, the brand had decades to perfect this warm, spiced flavor. Brown Sugar Cinnamon is a certified classic. With mellow notes of molasses, it’s comforting and vintage without feeling old-fashioned. We’ve heard rumors that spreading butter on Pop-Tarts is one of the more enjoyable ways to eat them and suspect this one would be the perfect flavor to try just that.
Buy: Pop-Tarts Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Toaster Pastries, $4.88 for 16 at Walmart
4. Frosted Strawberry
One of the most widely available and top-selling flavors in the country, this sprinkle-topped flavor will always be there for us — like a supportive old friend. While its white icing and rainbow sprinkles are iconic, its jammy filling is what we’re here for. When toasted, it’s reminiscent of a simple strawberry pie, balancing its sweetness beautifully with a plainer, more savory crust.
Buy: Pop-Tarts Frosted Strawberry Toaster Pastries, $4.88 for 16 at Walmart
3. Frosted Cherry
Frosted Cherry is ever-so-slightly bolder than its strawberry sister. With a pink sheen and sparkling red sprinkles, it’s festive and summery. The flavor’s sweet-tart combination is even more prominent when slightly toasted, and perfectly balances its drier browned crust.
Buy: Pop-Tarts Frosted Cherry Toaster Pastries, $4.88 for 16 at Walmart
2. S’mores
S’mores is by far one of the more underrated flavors we tested. With a graham cracker crust, a chocolate glaze, and alternating fudge and marshmallow filling, there is truly nothing like the ingenuity of these Pop-Tarts. And after a minute in the toaster, you can bet that you’ll be enjoying that campfire feeling — from anywhere. Though it’s easy to be skeptical of factory-made treats masquerading as homemade desserts, S’mores is one of the few that successfully pulls it off.
Buy: Pop-Tarts Frosted S’mores Toaster Pastries, $4.88 for 16 at Walmart
1. Frosted Raspberry
Frosted Raspberry is the best flavor by far. Its zing of raspberry filling cuts through the sweetness of the icing and creates a layered, complex, and sincerely delicious dessert to enjoy at any hour of the day. In a unanimous win, Frosted Raspberry Pop-Tarts holds the crown for the flavor we’ll be reaching for again and again (toasted, of course).
Buy: Pop-Tarts Frosted Raspberry Toaster Pastries, $4.88 for 16 at Walmart
How We Tested the Pop-Tarts
To keep the ranking as objective as possible, I recruited five testers with varying regional backgrounds and flavor preferences. The Pop-Tarts were toasted on a lightly brown setting for one minute each and served warm to the panel as soon as they were done.
We carefully ranked each one of the Pop-Tarts based on texture, sweetness, nostalgia, and flavor accuracy (expectation vs. reality). We then narrowed our list to the top 10 worth stocking in our pantries.
Do you agree with our ranking? Tell us about it in the comments below.