The Best Snacks, According to a Team of (Basically) Professional Snackers

Is there anything more morale-boosting than a little treat in the middle of the afternoon? Well, sure, a little treat immediately after breakfast—we’re not here to police anyone’s snack consumption. Serious Eats is comprised of a team of snacking enthusiasts (some may even call us aficionados), and we’re also gifted with the trait of being highly opinionated. So although no one asked us for a categorically organized list of the best snacks, we’ve been feeling munificent. Please enjoy (and don’t forget a glass of seltzer to wash it all down).  

Corn-Based Snacks

“Hear me out: giant corn nuts. I love that they’re bigger than most corn nuts and the Chile Picante flavor has a nice kick to it. I’m a salty snack girl so these fit the bill perfectly and the amazing crunch factor can’t be beat.” — An Uong, commerce writer, news & deals 

“My favorite snack of late starts with a bag of these corn crisps. They’re delightfully sweet and savory. I like to use them to scoop up cottage cheese topped with salsa macha. It’s incredibly good.” — Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm, associate commerce editorial director

“I’m a longtime popcorn lover. Some of my best memories are of watching (sometimes age-inappropriate) movies with my mom on weekend nights as a kid with a giant bowl of popcorn. Recently I’ve gotten away from popcorn bags and started making my own on the stove. I love the endless flavor combinations. When I’m super busy and I’m craving popcorn Opopop is where it’s at. The individual-sized “popcorn pods” come in so many flavors and the starter set even comes with a silicone popper that you can use again. I love that the popper becomes the bowl and keeps your popcorn warm for longer. They have fun flavors like Cinnaliscious, Pickle Monster, and Maui Heat, but I really love Fancy Butter flavor the most.” — Kelli Solomon, senior social media editor

Crackers

“These salty-sweet rice crackers seasoned with soy sauce are a childhood favorite. You will wish you had an extra pack…or two.” — Genevieve Yam, culinary editor

“Confession: I love saltines. What was originally a food of necessity when a sour stomach hits has become my oft-grabbed snack when the cupboards are bare and I need something salty. They’re shatteringly crisp and light, and they don’t make me feel greasy like I do after I’ve eaten too many potato chips. They’re also just so good crumbled into chicken noodle soup, but I bet you already knew that.” — Grace Kelly, commerce editor

“I love a cheesy cracker and while I don’t follow a gluten-free diet, I’m completely smitten with these Cheez-It-esque snacks, especially paired with Kerrygold aged cheddar cheese sticks, for a satisfying double-cheesy snack.” — Megan Steintrager, associate editorial director

“​​Maine-grown buckwheat flour makes these crackers incredibly crisp and crunchy. Big hunks of black olives and a hearty sprinkle of za’atar make them my favorite cheese plate accompaniment ever.” — Rochelle Bilow, commerce editor

Chips

“I love the blend of sweet, salty, savory flavors in these crunchy rice chips. I couldn’t find them for over a year but they seem to be back in stock now, and I’m very grateful.” — Megan

“These crunchy, savory chips are delightful to eat, and it’s hard to stop at just one! Because they’re much cheaper in Asia, I often fill my suitcase with packs of them to bring back to the U.S. I don’t know this for sure, but I imagine that fish skin is a byproduct of processing fish fillets and would otherwise be a waste product. This is such a delicious, resourceful way to use the ingredient, and it’s one of my favorite salty snacks around.” — Genevieve

Fruit

“Show me a sweeter, more delicious portable hit of fiber. You can’t!” — Tess Koman, executive editorial director

“Receding gums are, unfortunately, something that runs in my family. This means eating sticky sweet items hurts like heck (don’t worry, I see a dentist and, no, I don’t have a cavity). But these dates are worth the five seconds of agony. They’re fudgy and have an almost molasses-like, caramelized sugar flavor— to put it simply, they are the date-iest tasting dates I’ve ever had. I eat them like candy, which is to say, with relish and too fast.” — Grace

Sweet Snacks

“I love homemade granola has much as the next person, but this tastes like a cookie. Which means, to me, it needs no further justification. I’ll eat it by the handful or with a little milk (duh).” — Riddley

“These fall into my favorite category of dessert: austere cookies. They’re faintly sweet, with a buttery, crumbly texture. I love every single flavor, but their original oatcakes are superior. P.S.: I absolutely did name the main character in my most recent novel after these biscuits.” — Rochelle

“I am VERY picky about granola bars. They are often too sugary, gone in the blink of an eye, and don’t do much to satiate me. However, I adore GoMacro Bars. They’re super chewy and dense and come in a ton of flavors. The coconut and almond butter, oatmeal chocolate chip, and sunflower butter and chocolate are some of my favorites.” — Riddley

“I first tried Nature’s Bakery expecting the fig-stuffed cookies of my school lunchbox days, but these are about a million times better. They’re hearty, chewy, and just the right amount of sweet.” — Rochelle

FAQs

What’s the best place to buy snacks online?

Gone are the days of grocery store dominance. You can now find snacks (and cooking ingredients) online—including directly from retailers. If you’re feeling splurgy, here are some of our favorite “treat yourself” pantry goods.

Can you buy perishable snacks online?

Yes: Many online retailers, including Amazon Fresh and InstaCart are set up to accommodate highly perishable items. Of course, you’ll want to coordinate delivery with a time you’ll be at home.

Why We’re the Experts

• The Serious Eats team has been writing about food for almost two decades.
• We thoroughly research and test recommended products, including grocery and food items.