Cheez-It
First created in 1921 by the Ohio based company ‘Green and Green’, this forever popular snack is found in pretty much every grocery store. They’ve become so popular that there is even a college football bowl game named after it: the Cheez-It bowl. Now owned by Kellogg’s, they come in a variety of flavours to enjoy.
Fig Newtons
They have a bit of a stigma attached to them nowadays, usually known as your Grandma’s favorite, but these fruity cookies were super popular in the mid 1900s and a staple for anyone’s pantry. First made popular by Nabisco, these treats were always recognisable in their bright yellow boxes.
Snickers
The ultimate combination of chocolate and peanuts. Snickers are a fan favorite and have been since 1930. According to Candy Industry (2021) Snickers have sold over $127 million worth of fun size snacks to date, that’s a lot of chocolate. They were also voted the second most popular halloween candy in a poll in 2019.
Marshmallow Fluff
This super sweet treat became internet famous almost overnight. Paired with peanut butter, Nutella or just eaten straight out of the jar, this stuff was craved by kids and teens everywhere. It’s sold in most grocery stores around the US and even made its way across the world into different countries as an “American delicacy”.
Twinkies
Hostess produces over 1 million Twinkies every day, how many of them have been eaten by you? They are so popular in fact they can be found pretty much everywhere from gas stations to grocery stores to even vending machines. Show your appreciation on National Twinkie day on April 6th each year.
Reese’s
Harry Burnett Reese began his chocolate career working for Milton Hershey. Taking inspiration from his boss, he began making his own bars at home in his kitchen. In the mid 1920’s Reese gathered success selling various fillings covered in Hershey’s chocolate, and the War eventually made him focus on his Peanut Butter Cups. Today, they’re voted America’s favorite halloween candy of all time.
Ritz Crackers
Eaten at just about every potluck or wine and cheese night. Nabisco created these famous crackers back in 1930, and ever since then they have been considered the commonly bought cracker in the US. Dip them in hummus, eat them with cheese or have them plain as a light, salty snack.
M&M’s
The colourful candy has always been an American favorite. They get their name from the two founders, Forrest E. Mars and Bruce Murrie, (surnames). Featuring flavours such as Peanut, Pretzel and crispy, you will find M&M’s in every store and across the world, with even a huge store dedicated to them in London.
Gushers
These ultra sweet treats burst onto the scene in 1991. Since then the juicy fruit snacks have been popular for their unique middle and, even though their ingredients list is kind of unrecognisable, it hasn’t stopped American households from buying them. One bag is never enough.
Fritos
Named the “original corn chip”, Fritos were produced back in 1932 and to this day they still only contain their three original ingredients: corn, corn oil and salt. Now the brand has expanded with different flavoured dips for their newer snack ‘Frito scoops’, such as Jalapeno Cheddar and Hot Bean Dip.
Cheez Whiz
It’s not technically real cheese, but we love it anyway. First released onto grocery store shelves in 1952 by Kraft Heinz, this dip in a can has been used in many ways. Topped on top of hot dogs, chips or soft pretzels, people went crazy for this new food invention.
Chips Ahoy
Made to cover all cookie lovers’ bases, this choc chip cookie took the US by storm. Created by Nabsico/ Mondelez International, Chips Ahoy has even been trailing Oreo by a small margin in terms of popularity in the US. They offer chewy and extra chocolatey varieties too, so everyone can enjoy.
Cheetos
Probably THE go to crunchy snack. Chester the Cheetah is a daring and ‘cool guy’ mascot, but the snack he promotes was popular 40 years before he even came around. Cheetos are one of Frito-Lay’s top selling brands, alongside Doritos and Tostitos to name a few.
Oreo
“Milk’s favorite cookie” was introduced back in 1912. They have forever been one of the most popular cookies in the US and also across the world. The new flavours and collabs keep on coming, with Double Stuff and Golden Oreos being popular inventions, even collabing with KPOP sensation Black Pink.
Lay’s Potato Chips
The classics never get old. Lay’s have ruled the chip world for over 75 years and everyone has their own favorite flavour, from sour cream to barbecue. Found in every grocery store, they are probably what pops into your head when someone says ‘bag of chips’.
Teddy Grahams
Loved for their adorable teddy shape, these graham cracker snack bites were released in 1988 by Nabisco in original flavours: honey, cinnamon and chocolate. More options have been added over the years like vanilla and birthday cake, but chocolate chip remains the number one favorite.
Goldfish
The smiling fish snack has been around since 1962. Loved by kids and adults alike, these nostalgic snacks can easily be taken anywhere due to their size, which makes them great to have in busy family households. Their cheddar cheese flavour is the most iconic but did you know it was just one of five flavours featured in their original debut?
Pop-Tarts
These ultra popular snacks will celebrate their 60th birthday in 2024. They make a delicious sweet breakfast in the morning, straight out the foil or from the toaster, and now feature many different flavours outside of the original five: strawberry, blueberry, brown sugar cinnamon and apple currant.
Doritos
Not only are they famous in American households, they’ve taken the rest of the world by storm too. They are technically classed as tortilla chips as they were originally released in 1966, in a toasted corn variety, but have now branched out to many more flavours.
Snack Pack
Seeing one of these in your lunch box in grade school made the whole day better. These little pudding cups were revolutionary at the time, as shelf-stable milk products immediately took off in popularity with busy parents. After being featured in the Netflix series “Stranger Things” and Adam Sandler movies, they’ve become a pop culture sensation.
Pringles
Pringles were created to conquer the quest of making the perfect chip packaging – a successful mission, depending on who you ask. The tube packaging lined grocery store shelves and became popular in its own right and still, to this day, Pringles are one of the best sold chips in the US. It’s most bought flavours are sour cream and onion and the original, salted variety.
Nutter Butters
This delicious sandwich cookie introduced by Nabisco in 1969 has a memorable name and taste. The peanut shaped cookie became a staple in many American homes and one of the best selling sandwich cookies in the US, and today you can even enjoy the taste for breakfast with the Nutter Butter cereal.
Fruit Roll-Ups
Fruit Roll-Ups have been a kid’s favorite snack for several decades now, not only for their fruity chewy taste, but the fun tattoos for your tongue. This snack was introduced by General Mills, under Betty Crocker, and featured four distinct flavours: cherry, apple, apricot and strawberry.
Famous Amos Cookies
These cookies were named after the product’s founder and cookie lover, Wallace “Wally” Amos. Using his talent agent connections he was able to get celebrities like Marvin Gaye and Helen Reddy to help finance and promote his new invention and it worked because revenue reached $12 million by 1982.
Nutella
The world’s favorite hazelnut chocolate spread became a household name in Europe in the 1980s before making its way over to the states. Ever since then, Nutella is found literally everywhere and in everything; however, the US version is slightly sweeter and more oily than its European counterpart.
Chex Mix
Chex Mix is the amazing fusion of salty snacks, like pretzels, breadsticks and bagel chips, all thrown together in an easy to carry bag. The perfectly mixed snack is available in lots of different flavours like Cheddar, Honey BBQ and more recently sweeter versions like Honey Nut.
Dunkaroos
Kids in the 90s will remember loving this lunch time snack as the perfect dip and go cookie treat. Unfortunately, in 2012, the product went MIA. After some begging from loyal customers, though, General Mills finally gave in and brought back the beloved snack in 2020, with new chocolate frosting varieties.
Takis
Tangy and spicy, these rolled and flavoured corn tortilla chips are originally a Mexican treat. Their popularity caused them to spread and take over the US snack scene in 2004. The most popular flavours out there are hot chile pepper and lime fuego, coming in the iconic purple bags you probably see at every gas station.
Hershey’s
Invented by Milton S. Hershey in 1900, these are known as THE chocolate bar. Popular in every State, Hershey’s have continually expanded their product line. Now featuring products such as Hershey’s syrup, Twizzlers and the popular Valentine’s day treat, Hershey’s Kisses. They boast over 120 years of chocolate history!
Jif
A relatively latecomer to the peanut party, Jif has become one of the most popular peanut butter brands. Holding a world record for the largest peanut butter plant, Jif produces 270 million pounds of peanut butter to feed the US every year. It’s sweet and creamy taste has been added to kid’s PB and Js all across America.
Animal Crackers
They’re called crackers but they’re basically cookies. Most adults remember eating a handful of these when they were young, and the nostalgia is still alive. Nabisco brought these out as a fun kid’s snack because of their cute animal shape and they were found in pretty much every parent’s pantry.
Kit Kat
Have a break, have a Kit Kat! Created in 1935 in England, these chocolatey wafers made their way to the States and since then have been a favorite sweet treat across the country. Now including different varieties like peanut butter and white chocolate, Kit Kat’s can be found in most grocery stores and kid’s lunch boxes.
PEZ
One of the most entertaining candies out there. PEZ wasn’t just a sour candy, it was a collectible. It seemed like every cartoon and movie character had their own scaled down version of themselves on a PEZ. PEZ originally began in mint flavours to help adults with smoking habits, but later were changed to fruit flavours and marketed towards children.
Slim Jims
Invented in the 40s by Adolph Levis, these meaty sticks were originally sold as bar food to drunk patrons. They became popular as they were seen as a satiating treat, but not the same as chewing on a huge log of pepperoni. Just make sure to not read the ingredients list if you’re dieting…
Tostitos
You can’t throw a party without chips and dip, and these were the first choice. These salted corn snacks were made in that useful scooping shape, perfect for dipping and snacking when binge watching TV shows. They became popular amongst all ages due to their moreish flavour, so they released varieties too such as Guacamole and hint of lime.
Rice Krispies Treats
Snap, crackle and pop. Rice Krispies knew if they added a bit of sugar to their product, they’d attract even more people. Then came handheld cubes of Rice Krispies glued together with sweet marshmallow, and everyone loved it. Found in every kid’s lunchbox and every household, these treats became a fan favorite across America.
Sno balls
Hostess is one of the most popular baked treat companies in the US, and Sno balls are at the top! There’s a lot going on with Sno balls: a fluffy marshmallow centre, chocolate cake, vanilla cream and a coconut outer shell. Coming in lots of different flavours, these became one of Hostess’ best selling treats.
Flipz Pretzels
The combination of sweet and salty is always a good one. Flipz had a good thing going with these because they had just enough salt to crave something sweet, which meant these pretzels were the perfect snack. You could very easily eat a whole bag of these.
Bugles
America’s favorite cone shaped snack. General Mills knew they had to keep the snack scene on their toes, by inventing this uniquely shaped crunchy snack. Bugles became popular for their many different flavours and the ability to eat them off your finger tips. Have you tried all 19 flavours?
Almond Joy
Invented in 1946, this bar was different from the rest. Instead of solely focusing on sweet candy bars, the Almond Joy experimented with newer flavours for the time. Hershey’s continued to expand on their unique product and even introduced a limited edition Pina Colada almond joy in the early 2000s.