The Best Store-Bought Guacamole, Ranked

If you’re throwing a party, guacamole should always be on your dip list. It’s a crowd pleaser that’s just as good with tortilla chips as it is with those last couple lonely baby carrots at the bottom of the veggie tray.

There are tons of brands of pre-made guacamole to choose from, so I set out to find the best ones. I went to a few grocery stores and picked up 11 packages of guac that ranged from chunky to spicy. Then I sat down with a big bag of chips and tasted them all side-by-side to determine which had the best flavor and texture. Here’s the results, ranked from best to worst. Spoiler alert: I’d only buy about half of them again. 

Who knew that the hummus people would also be great at making guacamole? This guacamole is thick but still creamy and has just the right amount of chunks. It tastes the freshest of the bunch. You can taste both the avocado and the guac’s add-ins, which in this case are mostly onions and cilantro. This is a great all-around guacamole, whether you’re just eating it as a dip or smearing it on a bagel.

If you prefer your guacamole to hit you over the head with the flavors of peppers, garlic, and anything else that isn’t avocado, Cabo Fresh is the brand for you. There’s lots of bits of vegetables throughout, and it’s thick and extra creamy. It tastes like a fresh pico de gallo mixed with avocado, and I’m here for it.

This is Sam’s Club’s brand, and it’s quite good, except for one thing: the packaging. There are three packs of guacamole in one box, but the packs are made of Ziploc bag-like material with no structure. You can’t serve this straight from the container, you have to spoon it into a bowl first, which is just about the dumbest thing I’ve ever experienced in a ready-to-eat dip.

Now that I've gotten that out of my system, the actual guac is pretty good. It’s got the most heat of any “regular” guacamole on this list, so if that’s a plus for you, then you’d like this one. It’s got some really large avocado chunks, and it’s not too thick or thin. Plus, there’s a nice citrus tang. But will I buy this again? Nope, because it’s packaged like a guacamole water balloon. 

If you prefer your guacamole a little less thick, Good Foods will fit the bill. It’s not runny by any means, but it will spread and dollop easier than the thicker ones. There's plenty of chunks, but it could be a little more creamy. It’s got a bright, acidic flavor, but is a bit bland overall. If you put this out at a party, no one would have any problems with it.

Unfortunately, the packaging is a bit of a problem again. This one is from Costco, so while you get three (sturdy, shapely!) tubs in a package, there’s no lids, so you better plan to finish each one ASAP. 

Wholly seems to be pretty popular in the avocado product aisle as there’s about a million different flavors of guacamole to choose from. This “classic” variety is a bit boring, though, with only garlic as the dominant flavor. It’s not offensive, but there’s also not much reason to go back for more. If you have picky eaters to feed, this might fit the bill.

There are two shallow trays in this package, which is kind of nice for dipping — though again you’ll be without lids. It’s very chunky, but also very plain, like it’s just avocado mash and not guac. It’d be good on a sandwich or spread on your morning avocado toast.

This is the spiciest guacamole I tried, but like the other Wholly guac, it’s also bland. The heat comes without much flavor, so if you want a spicy dip, you’re better off mixing some of your favorite hot sauce or chile powder into a better store bought guac.  

There’s a lot more flavor going on in this Trader Joe’s guacamole compared to Avocado's Number, but that’s not actually a good thing. The vegetables taste canned, and the whole thing tastes weirdly cooked instead of fresh. It’s a rare miss by Trader Joe’s. 

Aldi’s standard guac (there’s a lot of unique flavor variations, including one with pineapple, at Aldi right now) isn’t as good as I had hoped. It says it’s chunky, but the texture comes mostly from the bits and pieces of vegetables that resemble those found in jarred salsa. The flavor, too, tastes like you mixed bad salsa into some mashed avocado. There’s no freshness, and it’s got a vinegar-like aftertaste.

The first thing you notice in this guac is the little specks of green herbs and big chunks of tomatoes throughout it. Weirdly, they don’t translate into much flavor besides an off-putting taste I can’t even put my finger on.

Bland is the problem with this guacamole, too, but the real kicker is the texture. It’s like someone filled the container with green acrylic paint instead of guac. It’s so smooth that it doesn’t seem like it’s made from actual vegetables. You could spackle a wall with this paste. Hard pass.