Wilder Shaw / Cheapism
What makes for the best fruit snack? If done right, these tasty morsels can be the highlight of the day for children, teenagers, and adults alike. So who makes the snacks with the best texture? Which ones are vaguely healthy? Do childhood treats still hold up? I tasted ten different types of fruit snack brands and ranked them. Happy snacking!
Prices and availability are subject to change.
$2.19 from Target
The truth is, nothing else even comes close. Welch’s is the king. Texture is half the battle in the fruit snack wars, and nobody does it better than Welch’s. These are chewy without getting stuck in your teeth, fruity but not too artificial-tasting, and each pouch is the perfect serving. Even the little details of the fruit look more well-molded on Welch’s fruit snacks. You can’t do better than this.
$2.68 from Walmart
Unlike Gushers, this still hits just right. The strawberry flavor is very under control, and despite the fact that this thing is three flippin’ feet long, it’s paper-thin and doesn’t feel like too much. Not sure how they pulled that one off.
$8.99 from Target
Annie’s, as always, is the “healthy” snack here. The gluten-free, organic Bunny Fruit Snacks are probably the best choice for kids, but there is a vast texture difference between Annie’s Summer Strawberry and Berry Patch flavors.
Strawberry is a little tougher, which I like, because the Berry Patch gummies are surprisingly soft. The flavor here is distinctly organic, and I’m not really sure how else to describe that. There’s a familiar granola bar-ish thing going on, and though that sounds insane for a fruit snack, I don’t mind it. Stick with the strawberry flavor.
$5.39 from Target
The flavor of Mott's fruit snacks is OK, but the consistency might still be a little too sticky for me. Also, excuse me, but why is my fruit snack shaped like a carrot? A carrot might be a snack, but I assure you, it is not fruit. Good luck getting a picky child to eat a candy shaped like a carrot. What are we doing over there, Mott’s?
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$10.57 from Walmart
I have to be honest, these aren’t even close to as bad as I expected them to be. To get through an entire piece might be a challenge, but even with a rainbow, tie-dye nightmare like this, the flavor wasn’t too offensive. I’ll end up eating another another Fruit Roll-Ups snack at some point.
Related: American Candymakers With Treats Almost Too Pretty to Eat
$2.69 from Instacart
Betty Crocker has her fingers in just about every franchise, it seems. Hit most grocery stores and you’ll find the company's Scooby Doo-and-Marvel-themed fruit snacks. They’re probably just what you remember: a little overly chewy, full of forgettably subdued flavors, and served in teeny-tiny portion sizes.
Related: Addictive Costco Snacks You'll Be Happy You Bought in Bulk
$5.49 from Target
Welch’s has gone the Gushers route with Juicefuls, a liquid-centered version of its original fruit snack. These are alright, not too juicy and made with that perfect Welch’s consistency.
Welch’s has managed to outdo Gushers here, because even though these are gross, they’re better than classic Gushers. Welch’s has also managed to outdo Gushers in terms of coming up with a word worse than “Gusher.”
$5.64 from Walmart
Hate the flavor, love the texture. These taste old, and they reek of artificial fruit flavor. Unfortunately, flavor is more important than consistency to me, so Funables are a no-go. Apologies if the song is stuck in your head now.
$8.06 from Amazon
I don’t know. These are too weird. Another attempt at the Gushers-style format with a liquid center, there is simply a little too much juice in here for me. It’s nauseating. Why does everybody want a liquid center so badly?
$2.68 from Instacart
I honestly can’t believe I used to love these so much. They're a full nightmare. To start, they’re hard as a diamond, but once you make your way through the exterior you are rewarded with only the most unsettling of liquids. It’s like monster blood or something. You don’t want this in your mouth. The sticky residue left both on your fingers and your teeth is no picnic, either.
