But which premade cookie dough reigns supreme? We tried a bunch of store bought cookie dough to let you know which is the best chocolate chip cookie dough to buy. We baked the cookies according to package instructions, and tried them at room temp, sans milk. It was really tough for us. 

Here’s the best store bought chocolate chip cookie dough we found in our incredibly taxing job of taste testing premade chocolate chip cookie dough (gluten free chocolate cookie dough and vegan chocolate chip cookie dough, too).

The following article contains affiliate links that may generate a small commission to us when you make a purchase through the link. Learn more about how we work with affiliates here.

Best Allergy Friendly

Sweet Loren’s Less Sugar Dough

Instacart

If you told the child version of me that I would actually actively prefer the version of a cookie dough that advertised “less sugar,” I’d have laughed at you. Now, I look back on that version and say “tsk tsk tsk,” because this less sugar premade cookie dough is divine. I wasn’t super excited by the dough itself, which tasted muted. But while it baked it somehow transformed into a Chips Ahoy doppelganger. It certainly makes a crunchy cookie instead of a chewy one, but it’s incredibly tasty—especially when you consider the fact that it’s gluten-free, vegan, and free of major allergens. If you are going into a potluck and you suspect the crowd might be a veritable minefield of allergies, this is definitely the best cookie dough to buy. — Hebba Gouda

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Best Gluten Free

Immaculate Gluten Free Chocolate Chunk

Immaculate

Gluten free cookies made with the best gluten free chocolate chip cookie dough don’t have to get all weird and grainy in your mouth as you eat them—this Immaculate Gluten Free Chocolate Chunk cookie dough is proof. This stuff is so good! This dough puffs up quite a bit in the oven, resulting in sort of tall cookies, but don’t let that turn you off. They’re moist and chewy and absolutely packed with chocolate chips. It’s not only the best GF cookie dough we tried, it’s also some of the best chocolate chip cookie dough, period. — Gwynedd Stuart

Credit: Liv Averett / Immaculate

Rating:

8.5/10

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Best Vegan

Simple Truth Plant Based Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Ralphs

If the test of good vegan chocolate chip cookie dough is that it could easily pass for non-vegan chocolate chip cookie dough, this is the stuff. Kroger’s Simple Truth Plant Based Cookie Dough comes in pre-measured little squares that you just plop on a baking sheet. They come out of the oven chewy, but crisp up around the edges a bit as they cool, which makes them seem buttery even though they obviously aren’t made with dairy butter. The vegan dark chocolate chips are flavorful but not overpowering—you can still taste the dough itself. This is the best place and bake cookie dough if you don’t eat eggs or butter, but I think everyone will like it. An absolutely stellar vegan product. — Gwynedd Stuart

Credit:Liv Averett / Ralphs

Rating:

9/10

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Best with Caramel

Private Selection Sea Salt Caramel Chocolate Chunk Cookie Dough

Ralphs

This premade cookie dough from Private Selection (another proprietary brand sold at Kroger-owned grocery stores) isn’t the very best chocolate chip cookie dough simply because it’s not straight-up chocolate chip cookie dough, but I gotta say, this was my personal favorite. If you want chocolate chip cookies with a little extra decadence, you have to try this stuff. You can see caramel start to create gooey pools atop and beneath the cookies as they cook in the oven. It’s downright pornographic. Once they’re done baking, the cookies have excellent chew, as does the caramel—and there’s a lot of caramel. That said, these are definitely still chocolate chip cookies. There’s plenty of chocolate chunks—not chips, CHUNKS, i.e. rectangular morsels rather than little kisses. This is the best cookie dough to buy for the cookie swap. Truly, no one will care that you used premade cookie dough. — Gwynedd Stuart

Credit: Liv Averett / Ralphs

Rating:

9.5/10

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Best Two Bite

Great Value Ready to Bake Cookie Dough

Walmart

If you’re like me and you’d rather eat five little cookies than one big cookie, you’re going to love this chocolate chip cookie dough from Walmart. Great Value doesn’t advertise these as miniature cookies, but they’re much smaller than most place and bake cookies. I tasted these head to head with the Toll House cookie dough that is intended to make mini cookies, and I liked these just a touch better (plus, this cookie dough is from Walmart, so it’s cheap). You can actually taste a little bit of salt in the dough, which I love. If you want to go the small cookie route, this is the best chocolate chip cookie dough to buy. — Gwynedd Stuart

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

9.5/10

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Best Tube of Dough

Pillsbury Eat or Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Target

If you’re looking for the best cookie dough to buy by the tube so you can scoop out as much or as little dough as you need, this is the premade cookie dough for you. Bonus: You can eat it raw as well as baked! It has a surprising amount of salt—but all that salt does is elevate all of the other flavors and cut through the sweetness. The balance of salt and sugar is perfect, and perfectly interrupted by lots and lots of chocolate chips. The dough bakes up a little flatter than I was expecting, but it delivers a cookie that’s just right for those who can’t decide between crispy and chewy. The result is a cookie that’s half crunchy, half soft, all delicious. — Hebba Gouda

Credit: Liv Averett / Target

Rating:

9.5/10

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Best of the Best

Nestlé Toll House Chocolate Chip Lovers

Target

Tollhouse looms large in the chocolate chip cookie game, and it’s easy to see why. We actually did two rounds of taste tests on doughs led by completely different tasters, and this dough came out on top both times. It doesn’t have that unpleasant, unnatural preservative flavor you’ll find in a lot of other premade cookie dough. And the cookies made with this premade cookie dough bake up chewy and gooey and absolutely stacked with chocolate chips. This is the best chocolate chip cookie dough for real chocolate chip cookie fans. — Gwynedd Stuart & Hebba Gouda

Credit: Liv Averett / Target

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Other cookie dough brands we tried: Miss Jones Grain Free, Sweet Loren’s Chocolate Chunk, Amazon Fresh Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

The post Best Premade Cookie Dough for Chocolate Chip Cookies appeared first on Sporked.

The following article contains affiliate links that may generate a small commission to us when you make a purchase through the link. Learn more about how we work with affiliates here.

Best Frozen Waffles

Krusteaz Belgian Waffles

Instacart

We talk about these waffles all the time here at Sporked HQ. They’re just so much better than so many other frozen waffles we’ve tried. They’re big, they’re flavorful—they really taste  homemade. According to Sporked editor-in-chief Justine Sterling, “They have the perfect amount of sweetness with just a slight nod to vanilla. They are crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Incredible.” Grab some good syrup and buy a box of these asap.

Read the full ranking of the best frozen waffles

Credit: Ryan Martin

Rating:

10/10

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Best Gluten Free Waffles

Full Circle Market Blueberry Gluten-Free Waffles

Instacart

Gluten free waffles are very hit or miss—but most of them miss, to be honest. They come out of the toaster so dry you have to absolutely drench them in butter and syrup to make them remotely edible. But we found one brand of GF waffles that really outdid the rest, simply by virtue of resembling regular toaster waffles. No, Full Circle Market gluten free waffles aren’t quite as fluffy inside as Eggos, but they come close. Buy the blueberry flavor. They’re better than plain.

Read the full ranking of the best gluten free waffles

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

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Best Frozen Pancakes

Eggo Buttermilk Pancakes

Target

There isn’t a huge amount of diversity among microwave pancakes, but Eggo Buttermilk Pancakes are just a little bit tastier than the rest. They’re fluffy and have just a touch of buttermilk tang that makes them more interesting than a lot of the other brands we tried. Seriously, stop making batter! Put away the griddle! Like most of the best frozen breakfast foods, these suckers are ready in just minutes. 

Read the full ranking of the best frozen pancakes 

Credit: Liv Averett / Target

Rating:

9/10

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Best French Toast Sticks

Farm Rich Original French Toast Sticks

Instacart

When we set out to find the best frozen french toast sticks, we wanted them to taste like french toast sticks from a fast food restaurant. And we got close with these Farm Rich french toast sticks. Better yet, they actually taste like french toast. They’re eggy, but still fluffy. They’re a little oily in a way that satisfies. Even if you don’t have time for the drive-thru, we bet you have time to toss a few of these in the microwave in the morning. Don’t forget the ramekin of maple syrup. 

Read the full ranking of the best french toast sticks

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

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Best Frozen Hash Browns

Great Value Shredded Seasoned Potato Hash Brown Patties

Walmart

If you like McDonald’s hash browns, you’re going to like these frozen hash browns from Walmart. They’re greasy and satisfying. And they’re going to taste even better soaked in the yolk of some sunny-side-up eggs.

Read the full ranking of the best frozen hash browns

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

10/10

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Best Breakfast Sandwich

Jimmy Dean Biscuit Sausage, Egg & Cheese

Target

Jimmy Dean will always be the king of sausage, but you could argue he’s also the king of frozen breakfast foods, although that doesn’t have much of a ring to it. This breakfast sandwich proves he is a benevolent king. Justine said it tastes like a fresh-from-the-diner breakfast sandwich, with its buttery biscuit and savory sausage. Even the egg is convincing. If you need a hot breakfast on the go, this is your jam. 

Read the full ranking of the best frozen breakfast sandwiches

Credit: Merc Target

Rating:

10/10

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Best Chicken Biscuit

Jimmy Dean Honey Chicken Biscuit

Walmart

If you like a sweet-savory combo, this frozen chicken biscuit rules. The chicken patty is juicy and fried in a nice flaky coating. The honey flavor makes the whole thing sing. If you like chicken and waffles, this frozen breakfast sandwich will scratch that itch. 

Read our ranking of the best frozen chicken sandwiches

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

8.5/10

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Best Breakfast Burrito

Tina’s Breakfast Burrito, Handcrafted, Egg, Sausage & Cheddar Cheese

Walmart

Okay, full disclosure, this is not exactly a restaurant-caliber breakfast burrito, but it’s a hell of a dupe for a fast food burrito. In fact, I wrote in my original review that it tasted like “a cheesier version of the McDonald’s breakfast burrito in the best way possible.” It may not be a perfectly crafted breakfast burrito, but it sure tastes good.

Read the full ranking of the best frozen breakfast burritos

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

10/10

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Best Breakfast Bowl

Great Value Sausage & Gravy Breakfast Bowl

Walmart

Breakfast bowls are delicious bowls of slop as it is, so the best frozen breakfast bowls have gravy—that’s just the way it is. Plus, the white gravy on this Great Value breakfast bowl actually tastes like gravy—creamy and peppery. And the eggs in this bowl are fluffy rather than stiff like the eggs you’ll find in a lot of microwave breakfast foods. 

Read the full ranking of the best breakfast bowls

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

10/10

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Best on a Stick

 Breakfast Best Pancakes & Sausage On-A-Stick

Aldi

Pancake corn dogs are one of the great frozen breakfast food innovations. This breakfast-on-a-stick from Aldi is super savory and a little sweet and just fatty enough to make you feel alive. It gets nice and toasty when you cook it in the toaster oven and it has a tinge of maple flavor, too.

Read the full ranking of the best corn dogs

Credit: Merc / Aldi

Rating:

9/10

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Best Toaster Strudel

Pillsbury Raspberry Toaster Strudel Pastries

Affiliate

If you’ve resigned yourself to a life of eating Pop-Tarts, you really need to change course now. Toaster Strudel is absolutely the superior toaster pastry. The crust is flaky and the filling is fruity and they come with individual little packets of a frosting that gets all melty when you drizzle it on the freshly toasted strudel. Buy the raspberry flavor if you can find it. It’s the best. 

Read the full ranking of the best Toaster Strudel

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

10/10

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Best Oddity

Banquet Sausage and Gravy Deep Dish

Walmart

This is an insane product. It’s literally just a pie crust filled with sausage gravy—and unfortunately, it’s delicious. As I wrote in my notes, “This is honestly one of the more delicious things I’ve ever tasted.” This is something I would have eaten every day for breakfast in elementary school and not faced any consequences. Life was so sweet. For an adult with a body that’s keeping score, though, this is a good once-in-a-while treat. We know Banquet pie crust rules (we like their turkey pot pie and their individual apple pie) and it’s especially delicious drenched with creamy sausage gravy. And like some of the best frozen breakfast foods, this is cheap. It costs a dollar and it tastes like a little slice of heaven! 

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

The post The 12 Best Frozen Breakfast Foods from Our Taste Tests appeared first on Sporked.

For this taste test, we bought a variety of frozen appetizers—frozen mini quiche, little puff pastry bites, even mini tacos. Format didn’t really matter; we were just looking for apps that can be eaten in one or two bites. A lot of these are called “bites,” in fact. That’s a good start! We fired up our trusty countertop oven, cooked them according to the package instructions, and then had ourselves a little cocktail soiree right there in the office, no tiny plates or bev naps needed. Here are the best mini appetizers we found at the grocery store.

The following article contains affiliate links that may generate a small commission to us when you make a purchase through the link. Learn more about how we work with affiliates here.

Best Filo Bites

Signature Select Chicken & Pesto Bites

Instacart

We tried two flavors of these little filo dough pastry bites—spanakopita and chicken pesto—and while both were good, the chicken pesto is more flavorful and more unique than the spinach-based filling. The filling has such a nice, bright pesto flavor that tastes so good with a little bit of savory chicken flavor. The filo crisped up beautifully in our little countertop oven. I would absolutely destroy a platter of these at a cocktail party. Invite me to your cocktail parties! I tell stories about what I watched on TV recently—it’s riveting! 

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best Dip Bites

Farm Rich Spinach and Artichoke Dip Bites

Farm Rich

I could tell by looking at these mini appetizers that the breading was going to be too thick—and it is too thick, but the filling makes up for that shortcoming. The spinach artichoke dip is so rich and cheesy with lots of dairy flavor and actual cheese pull when you take a bite. The best part though? You can actually taste briny bits of artichoke in the mix. I honestly wasn’t expecting that. I will say that calling these mini appetizers is a stretch (they’re about the size of chicken nuggets), but two bite appetizers are cool, too.

Credit: Merc / Farm Rich

Rating:

8.5/10

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Best Wontons

Good & Gather Jalapeno Cream Cheese Wontons

Target

The worst thing about getting cream cheese wontons at a restaurant is that they’re practically empty half the time. These mini appetizers from Target are stuffed with cool, creamy cream cheese. It’s really fatty and rich tasting. And the jalapeno bits are a perfect complement—they contribute heat, sure, but they also add some nice peppery, vegetal flavor. The wrappers don’t have that super crackly deep-fried quality you get at a restaurant, but they crisp up nicely and taste good—not like old oil like other frozen wontons. I would 100 percent serve these at a party and I bet they would go fast. If you love crab rangoon but don’t actually care about the crab part of the equation, add these suckers to your mini appetizers shopping list. 

Credit: Merc / Target

Rating:

9/10

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Best Mini Quiche

Nancy’s Petite Quiche

Walmart

Nancy’s makes the best frozen mini quiche (trust us, we did a whole frozen quiche taste test). You get two flavors in this variety pack—lorraine and florentine—which is nice for a little variety. The egg fillings are nice and custardy, and the crust is golden and flaky. In the realm of the best mini appetizers, mini quiche should feel fancy and these definitely do.

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

9.5/10

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Best Indian-Inspired

365 Vegetarian Butter Chik’n Naan Bites

Whole Foods

This is another two bite app that we decided deserves a spot among the best mini appetizers. To be perfectly honest, the veggie chicken filling is just kind of goo—I couldn’t really get a feel for the veggie chicken itself—but I don’t think it matters because the flavor of the butter chicken sauce is so lovely. It has that authentic blend of spices you find in butter chicken and tiki masala sauce. I cooked these bites in the oven rather than the air fryer so they didn’t get super crisp, but I didn’t mind at all because the doughy pocket actually kind of reminded me of naan. These are perfect to serve to a party of omnivores.

Credit: Merc / Amazon

Rating:

9.5/10

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Best of the Best

Cuisine Adventures Puff Pastry Bites

Instacart

If you love little, snacky mini puff pastry appetizers, you have to get this variety pack from Costco. You get bites in four flavors: Roasted Red Pepper & Cheddar, Spinach & Parmesan, Artichoke, Monterey Jack & Jalapeno, and Caramelized Onion & Ricotta. The Spinach & Parm and Caramelized Onion & Ricotta are the two best mini puff pastry appetizers—the flavors are so creamy and rich and decadent with the buttery puff pastry. They also have a crackly topping on top that crisps up really nicely and gives them a lot of good crunch. And the filling inside the roasted red pepper bite tastes like pimento cheese. Too fun, right? In true Costco fashion, these come in a big ol’ box of 48 bites, but I think you’ll be surprised how quickly they disappear. 

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Other products we tried: Guy Fieri Flavortown Kickin Crab Rangoon, Savory Cocktail Bites, Guy Fieri Chicken Parm Poppers, Jose Ole Mini Beef & Cheese mini tacos, Good & Gather chicken quesadilla poppers

The post The Best Frozen Mini Appetizers appeared first on Sporked.

Frozen mac and cheese is indulgent and delicious, yes, but it isn’t for control freaks. If you like to micromanage how al dente your pasta turns out, frozen mac and cheese probably isn’t for you. This stuff is saucy and, generally, that makes for soft pasta. But let’s rewind and focus on the good. Like I said, this stuff is saucy. Cheese-saucy. It’s special-occasion food, but there’s no reason you couldn’t throw a tray of it in the oven for dinner any night. Eat it as a side or, hell, eat the best frozen mac and cheese as a meal. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but nothing matters anymore!

In three separate taste tests, we grabbed some of the most popular brands of frozen mac and cheese at the grocery store, cooked them as recommended (if oven was the first suggestion we went with that; otherwise, they went in the microwave), and tasted them back to back. We found the best frozen mac and cheese to serve a crowd, the best frozen gluten free mac and cheese, and the best vegan mac and cheese, too. Buckle up (but not too tight); things are about to get cheesy. 

The following article contains affiliate links that may generate a small commission to us when you make a purchase through the link. Learn more about how we work with affiliates here.

Best Vegan Frozen Mac and Cheese

Chao Creamery Plant-Based Mac ‘N Chao Creamy Original

Instacart

This vegan mac and cheese blew us away. We’ve liked Chao’s products in the past—their vegan cheese slices are perfect for vegan grilled cheese—but this was a surprise. It’s very saucy and the sauce really tastes like cheese. There’s no odd aftertaste, which is usually the drawback with vegan dairy products. Our only problem with this vegan mac and cheese? The portion is so small! If you’re serving this for an occasion, like vegan Thanksgiving, for instance, buy a few boxes.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best Sauce

Amy’s Macaroni & Cheese

Walmart

The image on the box isn’t lying—this frozen macaroni and cheese is saucy as all get out. And the cheese sauce is definitely the star here. It’s silky and creamy and doesn’t separate like some other cheese sauces tend to. Even if you eat this with a fork, every bite packs a mouthful of sauce. That said, the sauce could stand to be a little more flavorful, but if you want something that won’t dry out on the table, this is the best frozen mac and cheese you can buy.

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best for a Crowd

Stouffer’s Macaroni & Cheese

Instacart

As we so often say, this one is a classic for a reason. Yes, the macaroni is mushy rather than al dente and the flavor of the cheese sauce doesn’t have a whole lot of complexity, but it’s warm and creamy and satisfying in a way that doesn’t require a lot of thought. No thinking, just eating. Whenever I have Stouffer’s frozen macaroni and cheese I always wonder why I don’t eat it more often. It’s a treat-yourself side that’s easy as hell to make (I love that the edges brown up even when you cook the tray in the microwave, which we did in this case). This is the best frozen mac and cheese for a crowd, especially if you’re feeding a big group with a bunch of kids. They’ll be so happy.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best Gluten Free

Beecher’s “World’s Best” Gluten Free Mac & Cheese

Walmart

I will admit that I didn’t taste this frozen gluten free mac and cheese alongside its glutenous counterpart (see #2), but I swear, I would never, ever, ever be able to tell this tray of frozen macaroni and cheese was made with gluten free pasta (penne, specifically). It’s so good! But, honestly, Beecher’s cheese sauce would be good on a boot. It’s so rich with salty, complex cheddar flavor. This is the best frozen mac and cheese for a mixed crowd—I highly doubt any gluten eaters will notice the difference.  

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best Flavor

Beecher’s “World’s Best” Mac & Cheese

Vons

Beecher’s claims to make the “World’s Best” mac and cheese. And in terms of overall flavor, no joke, this may be the best frozen mac and cheese you can buy. But here’s the thing: This isn’t macaroni! It’s penne! I couldn’t in good conscience give a penne and cheese the top spot on a macaroni and cheese list. That said, holy shit, this stuff is good. Beecher’s eschews a homogenous mystery cheese sauce for one that’s redolent of sharp white cheddar (Beecher’s Flagship cheddar, to be precise) and plenty of paprika. I cooked this one in the oven because that was the first suggestion on the package, and it browned up really nicely. Scoop this into a Pyrex and put it on your holiday table; no one will know it’s frozen mac and cheese. Just don’t gaslight guests by calling it macaroni!

Credit: Liv Averett / Vons

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Best of the Best

Patti’s Good Life Mac & Cheese

Walmart

Patti LaBelle is a music industry icon (c’mon, she has two tracks on the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack!). And if this mac and cheese from her lifestyle brand, Patti’s Good Life, is any indication, she’s also an absolute maniac in the kitchen. There are four servings of mac and cheese in this box and each individual serving packs 34 grams of fat and 20 grams of saturated fat. With stats like that, you’d assume this stuff is indulgent—and you’d be correct. This frozen mac and cheese, made with both cheddar and Monterey jack, isn’t just cheesy. It’s so, so buttery. Honestly, my new life goal is scoring a Thanksgiving or Easter invite to Patti LaBelle’s house, because you know this woman is loading her sides and casseroles with pounds of butter like god intended. But this isn’t the best frozen mac and cheese just because it’s egregious; it’s the best frozen macaroni and cheese because it’s really well seasoned and tastes absolutely excellent. If you can find this at Walmart, buy it! (And pick up one of Patti’s cobblers while you’re at it.) 

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Other products we tried: 365 Family Size Macaroni & Cheese, Banquet Mac & Cheese, Marie Callender’s White Cheddar Mac & Cheese, Michelina’s Macaroni & Cheese, Signature Select, Stouffer’s Ultimate Spicy Nacho Mac & Cheese, Bob Evans Queso Mac and Cheese

The post The Best Frozen Mac and Cheese (Vegan Mac and Cheese, Too) appeared first on Sporked.

The good news: There are more vegetarian turkey alternatives on the market than ever before, and that means a main course doesn’t have to be off the menu. Of course, every vegan turkey roast isn’t created equal. We fired up the oven and tried several of the biggest brands out there to find the best plant based turkey for Thanksgiving—and a veggie beef wellington, too.

The following article contains affiliate links that may generate a small commission to us when you make a purchase through the link. Learn more about how we work with affiliates here.

Best Gravy

Trader Joe’s Breaded Turkey-less Stuffed Roast

Trader Joe’s

Trader Joe’s vegan turkey loaf is back! We removed it from our ranking last year because we couldn’t find it in stores, but it’s available this year, which is great. It’s a lot like the other vegetarian turkey loaves on this list: It’s a tube of fake turkey meat that’s been breaded and stuffed with stuffing. I know that sounds kind of nuts, but, trust me, it’s better than the little nude lump of fake turkey Tofurky sells. Our favorite thing about this particular vegan turkey roast? The gravy it comes with. It’s so savory, fatty, and flavorful—I truly do not understand why Trader Joe’s doesn’t sell this vegan gravy on its own! Anyway, if good gravy is essential to your vegan Thanksgiving meal, give this loaf a shot.

Credit: Liv Averett / Trader Joe’s

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Best for a Solo Thanksgiving

Gardein Savory Stuffed Turk’y

Vons

There’s no shame in having a solo Thanksgiving. It’s quiet. You can watch TV while you eat. And you can have your very own individual vegetarian turkey roast. Cute and delicious. Gardein, maker of our #1 vegan turkey roast—spoiler, sorry—also makes this little individual version and we love it. It’s vegetarian turkey, stuffed with cranberry and sage stuffing, breaded, and baked. So many vegetarian turkey roasts are so dry. Last year we ranked Tofurky, but eliminated it this year because we just couldn’t handle how dry it came out. Gardein’s plant-based turkey substitute is nice and moist. Honestly, the stuffing in the center doesn’t have much flavor, but the gravy it comes with helps a lot. If you don’t want a bunch of leftovers, this is the best vegetarian turkey option for you.

Credit: Liv Averett / Vons

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best Unique

Field Roast Hazelnut & Cranberry Plant Based Roast

Instacart

If you like Field Roast products, you’ll love this roast, which is essentially just a big, honkin’ version of one of their meat-free sausages. Sporked editor-in-chief Justine Sterling liked how seasoned and salty this one is, but I personally have a hard time getting past the fact that the stuffing in the center of the loaf is exactly the same texture as the rest of the loaf (ie rubbery). While this may be the best vegan turkey alternative for someone who loves the brand, I have to say that Field Roast always gives me indigestion. If you’re similarly afflicted with agita, buckle up for a ride to burp city. 

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best of the Best

Gardein Plant-Based Turk’y Roast

Instacart

Walmart

I am not vegetarian, but I eat a lot of veggie meat products at home. Gardein is a favorite (their breaded turk’y cutlets and gravy make such a good, quick weeknight dinner), so I’m pleased to report that Gardein makes the best vegan turkey loaf out there. My biggest beef with vegan turkey (pun intended) is that it’s always so dense. Seriously, if you neglect to baste a Tofurky roast, you’re going to have to go at that thing with a hacksaw. Gardein’s turk’y is super tender, and the breading encasing the loaf is lightly seasoned and adds just a little bit of crunch. The stuffing inside isn’t the tastiest stuffing I’ve ever had, but bits of celery give it some texture, while cranberries contribute a subtle tart sweetness. Most importantly, the loaf comes with a packet of vegan gravy and the gravy actually tastes good. I would be stoked if someone served this to me on Thanksgiving! 

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Other products we tried: 365 Plant Based Roasts with Gravy & Mushroom Stuffing, Tofurky Veggie Roast & Wild Rice Stuffing, Field Roast Celebration Roast

The post The Best Vegan Turkey Roast (and Other Plant Based Mains for Your Holiday Table) appeared first on Sporked.

Health-Ade Holiday Cheers kombucha purportedly celebrates the holiday flavors “of ginger, vanilla, and allspice,” which, if you’re not familiar, tastes like a mixture of nutmeg, black pepper, cinnamon and clove. Allspice is essentially a peppercorn, but the label on the bottle features two anthropomorphic spices—nutmeg and star anise. Or maybe it’s just a star. Who knows. Anyway, we’re here to tell you whether this new kombucha flavor is a holiday must or a holiday bust.

New Product!

Health-Ade Holiday Cheers Kombucha

Health-Ade

Giving yourself the gift of gut health is such a lovely idea, but we’re here to tell you whether this stuff actually tastes good. First of all, this does look like a gift. The brown apothecary-style bottle that Health-Ade comes in makes it feel fancier than kombucha that comes in a regular bottle or can. So that’s a good start! 

Pros: We really like Health-Ade kombucha. In fact, their Pink Lady Apple flavor is our top pick for the best tasting kombucha of them all. This Health-Ade flavor doesn’t make as much of an impression, but it does certainly taste like ginger, as promised. 

Cons: Did I taste allspice or vanilla? Not really. Maybe the tart ginger and fermented tang of the kombucha itself was a little bit rounder because of the vanilla, but I could hardly detect it. And if there is festive holiday spice in this, it was pretty much lost on me. This tastes like a very standard ginger kombucha, which is something Health-Ade already makes. I didn’t try this alongside Health-Ade Lemon-Ginger kombucha, but I would be very surprised if there were a big difference in their flavor profiles. Health-Ade Holiday Cheers tastes good—really, it’s fine—but it’s not going to have you singing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” at the top of your lungs.

Rating:

7/10

Sporks

The post Will Health-Ade Holiday Cheers Kombucha Make Your Spirits Bright? appeared first on Sporked.

We’ve taste tested everything from gluten free pasta (good) to gluten free bread (hit or miss at best). After our most recent gluten free cookies taste test, we can confidently say that cookies are among the best gluten free products you can buy at the grocery store. There are tons of options, and unlike gluten free bread, most gluten free cookies have a texture and consistency that approximates cookies made with regular ol’ wheat flour. Whether you’re a celiac, gluten sensitive, or just experimenting with cutting gluten out of your diet, these are the best gluten free cookies you can buy.

The following article contains affiliate links that may generate a small commission to us when you make a purchase through the link. Learn more about how we work with affiliates here.

Best Gluten Free Cookie Dough

Immaculate Gluten Free Chocolate Chunk

Amazon

This place-and-bake cookie dough made our ranking of the best chocolate chip cookie dough, and not just because we wanted to include a gluten free option. This gluten free chocolate chip cookie dough rules. The pre-portioned pieces of dough puff up a lot in the oven, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but they’re every bit as moist and chewy as their non-gluten-free counterparts. We also love how absolutely packed with chocolate chips these are. If you want the best gluten free chocolate chip cookies hot and fresh out of the oven, buy this dough! —Gwynedd Stuart

Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon

Rating:

8.5/10

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Best Crunchy

Glutino Super Stuffed Chocolate Vanilla Cream Cookies

Amazon

The thing I like about these Glutino Super Stuffed Chocolate Vanilla Cream Cookies is that they don’t taste like Oreos, even though they look just like Oreos. Like all the Glutino products I’ve tried, these have a great crispy texture. To my mind, these are the best gluten free cookies for people who wish Oreo had an extra-toasty option like Cheez-It does. They’re crunchier and a little more flavorful. I wouldn’t necessarily choose these gluten free cookies over gluten free Oreos (which you’ll find in the #2 spot), but these are good gluten free cookies that do their own thing. —Jordan Myrick

Credit: Merc / Amazon

Rating:

8.5/10

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Best Soft

Enjoy Life Foods Snickerdoodle Soft Baked Cookies

Walmart

When we set out to find the best store bought gluten free cookies, we picked up Enjoy Life cookies in a few flavors. Honestly, most of them were bad. These gluten free cookies, on the other hand, are absolutely delicious. They are so soft and moist without being spongy like a lot of gluten free baked goods. They taste like real snickerdoodles. We’ve already established that the best gluten free cookies taste like they could plausibly contain gluten, but these honestly taste like they could be homemade! —Jordan Myrick

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

9/10

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Best Chocolate

Goodie Girl Fudge Striped Crunchy Oat Flour Cookies

Walmart

Goodie Girl makes some of the best gluten free cookies. If you grab a box of any of their gluten free treats, you’ll likely be satisfied. These fudge striped crunchy oat flour cookies are the best they have to offer, though. They taste like Keebler cookies but a little more oat-y. That didn’t upset us though! The oat complements the chocolate. I would never know these are gluten free, and that’s why they’re some of the best gluten free cookies we tried. —Jordan Myrick

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

9.5/10

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Best Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

Simple Mills Nut Butter Stuffed Sandwich Cookies

Amazon

When we taste tested peanut butter cookies, something crazy happened: These gluten free cookies tasted the best of them all. So yeah, these are the best gluten free peanut butter cookies, but they’re also the best peanut butter cookies, period. Wild, right? If you try them, you’ll get it. They’re salty and sweet, tender and crumbly—they genuinely taste better than Nutter Butters. Once in a while, the best gluten free cookies are even better than the best gluten full cookies, and this is an example. —Gwynedd Stuart 

Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon

Rating:

9.5/10

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Best Texture

Tate’s Ginger Zinger Gluten Free Cookies

Vons

I really freaked out about Tate’s gluten free cookies. If you think about it, Tate’s are the perfect cookies to go GF—the best thing about them is that they’re crumbly and buttery, and taking out the gluten doesn’t change that.  Like other Tate’s cookies, these Ginger Zingers are crispy-crunchy, but they have a surprise in store: chewy bits of real candied ginger. The ginger isn’t super spicy, but it has an excellent earthy flavor—and the added texture is just a total dang treat. GF cookies can often have a slightly strange aftertaste, but these pretty much only have ginger on the finish and that’s a good thing. I am not GF and I would buy these again; that’s how I know they’re some of the best gluten free cookies. —Gwynedd Stuart

Credit: Liv Averett / Vons

Rating:

9.5/10

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Best Non-GF Dupe

Double Stuf Gluten Free Oreos

Target

Double Stuf Gluten Free Oreos are an almost identical counterpart to regular Double Stuf Oreos. It’s shocking! I can’t believe they make such a good gluten-less product. I don’t know if I could pick out a regular Oreo in a side-by-side taste test with this gluten free version. I think the original is a little less forgiving, but the extra filling of the Double Stuf disguises any hint that gluten free flavor the cookie component might have. If I couldn’t have gluten, I would always have these in my pantry. They’re the best gluten free cookies to dunk in a big ol’ glass of milk (or almond milk if you don’t do well with dairy either). —Jordan Myrick

Credit: Merc / Target

Rating:

10/10

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Best of the Best

Tate’s Bake Shop Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Target

If you like Tate’s chocolate chip cookies, you’ll like these because they taste almost exactly the same as the original. I don’t think I’ve ever had a gluten free product that tastes so much like the real deal. These are crunchy, sweet, and chocolatey. I typically prefer a soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie, but these gluten free Tate’s cookies have me hooked. They are easily the best gluten free cookies and the best gluten free chocolate chip cookies, too. —Jordan Myrick 

Credit: Merc / Target

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Other Products We Tried: Great Value Vanilla Flavored Gluten-free Creme Sandwich Cookies, Goodie Girl Mint Cookies, Goodie Girl S’mores Sandwich Cookies, Enjoy Life Foods Double Chocolate Brownie Soft Baked Cookies, Glutino, Made Good Chocolate Chips Cookies, Made Good Snickerdoodle Cookies, Favorite Day Chocolate Chip Cookies, Partake Chocolate Chip Cookies

The post The Best Gluten Free Cookies at the Grocery Store (Cookie Dough, Too) appeared first on Sporked.

As a Gardetto’s fan and the taste tester who led our cheddar cheese taste test, I feel highly qualified to tell you whether Aged Cheddar Gardetto’s are worth your hard-earned snack cash. If I promise not to tell any more boring stories, will you read my review? 

New Product!

Gardetto’s Aged Cheddar

Amazon

This snack mix contains rye chips, pretzels, breadsticks that look like little loaves of bread, and little square crackers that look like Cheez-Its (maybe they are Cheez-Its—the packaging doesn’t mention the components). The breadsticks and the Cheez-Its appear to have cheese baked in, but all of the morsels are coated in a cheesy flavor dust. 

Pros: I swear the rye chips in this new Gardetto’s snack mix taste more like rye than the rye chips in the original Gardetto’s mix. Or like pumpernickel bread, maybe. Either way I can taste the actual chip here, which I guess you could count as a plus even though it mostly means this mix is very unevenly seasoned. Some bites are super cheesy, some are super bland. I do like these breadsticks, though. Typically, breadsticks are my least favorite snack mix element because they taste like almost nothing, but these seem to actually have some cheese baked in, so they have a little more flavor. The Cheez-It crackers are good, too—anecdotally, those were the most seasoned elements in the bag I got. 

Cons: This mix just can’t hang with regular Gardetto’s. That savory, Worcestershire sauce sort of flavor is irresistible. Aged Cheddar doesn’t make enough of an impression.

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

The post A New Gardetto’s Snack Mix Just Dropped and We Tried It appeared first on Sporked.

Over the course of three taste tests—not to mention many other brand-specific taste tests we’ve performed—we tasted a lot of brands and a lot of flavors of sparkling water. Did we taste every flavor every brand makes? No. But we tasted a lot of them, worked through our feelings, and then put together this ranking of the best flavored sparkling water you can buy, including the best Spindrift flavor, the best LaCroix flavor, the best Nixie flavor, and the best Spindrift flavor. Because it’s trendy, we added probiotic sparkling water to the list, too. Happy belching!

The following article contains affiliate links that may generate a small commission to us when you make a purchase through the link. Learn more about how we work with affiliates here.

Best Plain Seltzer

Polar Original

Walmart

Polar obviously has a vast lineup of flavors—I’m partial to Cranberry-Lime, myself—but here’s something beautiful, perfect, and understated about an ice-cold can of plain Polar seltzer. In the absence of any flavoring—natural, artificial, or otherwise—Polar has an incredibly clean, crisp, and refreshing taste, making it a perfect blank slate as a cocktail base or to drink on its own, sans spirits. Nice, big bubbles make it easy to drink, so if still water never quite feels like it quenches your thirst (my mom claims this is the case for her), you can really pound these to stay hydrated. If you like plain seltzer, this is the best seltzer to the last drop.

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

7/10

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Best Subtle

365 Ginger Sparkling Water

Amazon

A few years ago, it became a meme to try to describe the mildness of the fruit flavor in LaCroix sparkling waters. A strawberry with low battery. The concept of grape. You get the point. This ginger sparkling water from 365 is kind of like the meme, but in a good way. This can contains a whisper of ginger flavor, but it would really hit the spot if you had an upset stomach. We all grew up drinking sugary-ass ginger ale when we felt ill. In hindsight, that is insane. With a can of this, you get the stomach-settling flavor of ginger, soothing carbonation, and zero sugar so you don’t just make matters worse down there. Honestly, when we first tried this I didn’t love it, but it became the flavor I returned to the most.

Credit: Liv Averett / Whole Foods

Rating:

7.5/10

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Best LaCroix Flavor

Lime LaCroix

Walmart

When we set out to find the best LaCroix flavor, Lime was the clear favorite, in part because it’s such a crowd pleaser. You know who’s part of that crowd? Ja bois Rhett & Link, who also put this in the top spot when they did their LaCroix flavors Gut Check. To me, this tastes like a good seltzer with a squeeze of real lime juice. It’s bright and refreshing and also happens to pair very nicely with liquor—it’s versatile and we love that. While we don’t think LaCroix makes the best sparkling water you can buy, Lime LaCroix deserves a spot on this list.

Read the full ranking of the best LaCroix flavors

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best Bubly Flavor

Grapefruit

Walmart

Much like LaCoix, Bubly comes in a lot of flavors. And Sporked editor-in-chief Justine Sterling tried them all. The best Bubly flavor? That would be Grapefruit—a little boring, but definitely true! She loved the aroma and the taste: “It doesn’t taste fake and it doesn’t taste sweet. It just tastes like seltzer water with a generous squeeze of grapefruit juice.” When a sparkling water brand really nails a fruit flavor, it’s a beautiful thing. If you’ve been wasting your time crushing LaCroix Pamplemousse, you should try this instead.

Read the full ranking of the best Bubly flavors

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

8.5/10

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Best Caffeinated Sparkling Water

Good & Gather Pear Hibiscus Caffeinated Sparkling Water

Target

It was only a matter of time until sparkling water started offering us the jolt of caffeine we’d typically get from a can of soda. My colleague Jordan Myrick tasted a bunch of caffeinated sparkling water, and this Good & Gather flavor was the best of the best. “This caffeinated seltzer is fragrant, light, and bubbly,” Jordan wrote. “I don’t typically drink seltzer and I would drink this.” Oh and it packs 35 mg of caffeine, same as a can of Coke!

Read the full ranking of the best caffeinated sparkling water

Credit: Liv Averett / Target

Rating:

8.5/10

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Best Probiotic Sparkling Water

Bear’s Fruit Mango Habanero 

Amazon

Probiotic and prebiotic bevs are a big deal these days, so it was only a matter of time until probiotic sparkling water was a thing. Organic kombucha company Bear’s Fruit makes really tasty probiotic sparkling water. The carbonation is very light and pleasant, and it tastes like fruit juice rather than artificial fruit flavor. We tried three flavors, but Mango Habanero was our favorite—it has a very mild sweetness and the mango flavor is very natural, which isn’t the case with most mango-flavored sparkling water. If you’re suspicious of mango-flavored bevs because you’ve been burned by that fake-y tropical fruit flavor in the past, set aside your misgivings and try this. The best part is the subtle fruity, vegetal flavor from the habanero and the twinge of heat it brings. It’s very delicious. But be forewarned: Unlike most sparkling water, this is not totally sugar free. It contains 3 grams of sugar from the organic fruit juice in the mix (8% juice, in fact). This isn’t a soda by any means, but this might not be the best sparkling water for people who are very closely watching their sugar intake. 

Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon

Rating:

8.5/10

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Best Nixie Flavor

Nixie Black Cherry Lime

Instacart

We hadn’t previously tried Nixie in our taste tests, but I really like how aggressively carbonated it is. The Black Cherry Lime flavor is especially great. It’s unsweetened, but still tastes exactly like black cherry soda. It has that good, deep black cherry flavor, and just a little bit of citrus on the finish to brighten things up. Nixie is one of the newer sparkling water brands (founded in 2019), and it’s good. If you’re like me and you buy whichever brand of sparkling water is on sale, you can trust this is worth having in the fridge. Fun fact: Nixie was founded by a woman named Nicole whose father started Cape Cod potato chips. Packaged food nepo baby!

Rating:

9/10

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Best for Soda Lovers

Sanzo Yuzu

Instacart

I truly can’t stress enough how much I love Sanzo sparkling water. It’s like Spindrift’s cool older cousin—it’s made with real fruit juice, but all the fruit flavors are more interesting. Their Yuzu variety tastes so much like a lemon lime soda (but more interesting). If you are a person who dislikes seltzer—cough *Jordan* cough—you will be super into this! It’s so bright and refreshing, and it’s made with both yuzu juice and lemon juice. And I love Sanzo’s nice, subtle bubbles, which make it super drinkable. I swear this settled my stomach after a long day of taste testing. This is the best sparkling water for soda lovers, but people who are into sparkling water will dig it, too.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

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Best Waterloo

Waterloo Peach

Target

When I go to someone’s house and they offer me a sparkling water and I discover it’s Waterloo, I am pumped. In our initial taste test, we obviously didn’t try every flavor of every brand, but everyone thought Waterloo Peach was leaps and bounds above a lot of the fruit flavored offerings we tasted (Black Cherry is a close second, in my book). Even sparkling water skeptic, Jordan, couldn’t resist it. “I wanted to hate it but it’s good,” they said. “It’s more like peach rings [gummy candy] than actual peach.” That’s what Waterloo nails: perceived sweetness. It tastes like candy but doesn’t have sugar. Science rules. 

Credit: Liv Averett / Target

Rating:

9/10

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Best Unique

Sanzo Calamansi

Instacart

I’ve never had anything quite like Sanzo Calamansi. It’s super tart. It tastes like the rind of fresh citrus. I’ll admit that I’m not super familiar with the flavor profile of calamansi (a yellow-fleshed citrus fruit that’s popular in the Philippines), but Jordan assured me this is spot on. And, again, Sanzo is highly gulpable—no sharp little bubbles that make it hard to drink. This is the best sparkling water if you want something different.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best of the Best

Spindrift Lime

Instacart

I’ve consumed a lot of sparkling water (for business and for pleasure) and it just doesn’t get better than Spindrift. Real fruit juice makes this the Cadillac of seltzer. It’s fresh. It’s refreshing. It’s high quality. And of all the Spindrift flavors, Lime is literally perfect. “It tastes like high-quality key lime juice in very good bubbly water,” I wrote in my ranking of the best Spindrift flavors. “It’s tart and bright and perfect for so many things—drink it alone, spike it with literally any liquor (vodka, tequila, whiskey), or add a splash of it to pretty much any beverage for a little effervescence and punch of citrus flavor.” Spindrift is the best sparkling water and I stand by that (belching, naturally).

Read the full ranking of the best Spindrift flavors

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

The post Best Sparkling Water: We Tasted (and Retasted) all the Best Seltzer appeared first on Sporked.

For this taste test, I shopped for everything from frozen mini pancakes to the full-size guys. I tried Eggo frozen pancakes and a variety of generic brands. To be perfectly honest, the frozen pancakes landscape isn’t very diverse. All the frozen pancakes we tried tasted pretty similar, but some are a little bit better than others—softer and fluffier with a flavor that approximates batter that was browned on a griddle. Some of the frozen pancakes we tried tasted like almost nothing, but a little butter and syrup will fix ‘em just fine. This list will come in handy for the real time-crunched mornings, when you’re heating and eating on the go without any of the traditional pancake accoutrements. Read this, then fill your freezer with the best frozen pancakes.

The following article contains affiliate links that may generate a small commission to us when you make a purchase through the link. Learn more about how we work with affiliates here.

Best Fluffy

Eggo Minis Pancakes

Target

Walmart

These Eggo frozen pancakes are visibly taller than other microwave pancakes, and sure enough, they’re very nice and fluffy out of the microwave. If you like silver dollar-sized pancakes, these are some of the best mini frozen pancakes you can buy. You toss ‘em to your kids like dog treats to eat plain, or you can pile them with toppings—their fluffy nature will have them sopping up syrup.

Credit: Liv Averett / Target

Rating:

8/10

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Most Fun

Pillsbury Funfetti Mini Pancakes

Instacart

I really thought these Funfetti frozen mini pancakes were going to taste like birthday cake. Alas, they are just regular mini pancakes with some sprinkles in them. If they are supposed to be birthday cake flavored, that is a dang dirty lie. But are they good? Sure! The sprinkles contribute just a little bit more sweetness than you’ll find in other brands of frozen pancakes, which is welcome if you’re sending a kid out the door with these minus butter and syrup. 

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

8/10

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Best to Eat Solo

Signature Select Mini Pancakes

Instacart

Signature Select mini pancakes, which you’ll find at Albertsons-owned grocery stores, have a flavor that other frozen pancakes don’t have. I checked the ingredients list for vanilla extract, but it only lists “natural and artificial flavors.” Anyway, these taste a little bit vanilla cake-y to me, and it’s definitely not a bad thing given how bland so many frozen mini pancakes taste. If you’re smothering them in syrup, you probably won’t even notice, but if you’re eating these on their own or with some berries and whipped cream, they’ll make an impression. 

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

8.5/10

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Best of the Best

Eggo Buttermilk Pancakes

Target

Eggo Buttermilk frozen pancakes have a nice amount of salt. In fact, they’re the only microwave pancakes we tasted that have any dimension to their flavor. They really have that buttermilk tang, and it’s definitely welcome in an otherwise one-dimensional food. These full-size Eggo frozen pancakes aren’t as fluffy as the minis, but they’re nicely aerated all the same. I also like the larger size—these are real pancake breakfast fodder. Heat up some breakfast sausage and some hash brown patties, and have yourself a Big Breakfast at home.

Credit: Liv Averett / Target

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Other frozen pancakes we tried: Dewaffebakkers Buttermilk Mini Pancakes, Great Value Buttermilk Pancakes, Hungry Jack Minis, Signature Select Buttermilk Pancakes

The post The Best Frozen Pancakes for Flapjacks in a Flash appeared first on Sporked.

For our inaugural Healthy Choice taste test, we bought 13 Healthy Choice frozen meals, focusing on their Café Steamers and plated meals; we’ll get to the Max Bowls, Power Bowls, and Zero Bowls in another taste test. 

These meals are pretty varied, but we were looking for flavor, first and foremost. As my colleague Jordan Myrick pointed out, seasoning is generally free of fat and calories—season your damn diet dinners, people! We were also looking for a protein, be it steak or chicken, that isn’t chewy and actually tastes like meat. These don’t seem like big asks, but out of the 13 Healthy Choice frozen meals we tried, we only found six Healthy Choice frozen meals we could honestly recommend. The next time you’re in the frozen aisle and you’re having trouble choosing your Choice, be sure to reference this list of the best tasting Healthy Choice meals.

The following article contains affiliate links that may generate a small commission to us when you make a purchase through the link. Learn more about how we work with affiliates here.

Healthy Choice!

Healthy Choice Creamy Marinara Chicken (300 cal, 3.5g fat)

Target

This Healthy Choice frozen meal consists of white meat chicken in marinara sauce with orzo, spinach, and seasoned broccoli. The chicken comes as a breast-shaped patty and tastes like almost nothing. Likewise, the marinara isn’t terribly flavorful—you’re going to want to add some salt or even a sprinkle of parm to give this a little more flavor. But the orzo is the star of the show here. It’s plump, tasty, and filling. We also appreciate that there’s spinach in the mix and that the broccoli is actually seasoned—the best Healthy Choice frozen meals include a vegetable you actually want to eat. 

Credit: Merc / Target

Rating:

6.5/10

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Healthy Choice!

Healthy Choice Café Steamers Sweet & Sour Chicken (390 cal, 9g fat)

Walmart

This meal looks like junk—the chicken “fritters” are soggy and the rice is absolutely drenched in goopy sauce—so we were pleasantly surprised that it doesn’t taste that bad. The chicken pieces aren’t crispy, but flavor-wise, they taste like Chicken McNuggets dipped in McDonald’s sweet and sour sauce. The rice is a mess and there aren’t nearly enough mix-ins—I spotted a few pepper bits, one carrot, and a couple of pineapple tidbits—but overall this tastes pretty decent. In a perfect world, you’d cook the chicken in the air fryer and then add it to the bowl with sauce and rice, but that starts getting complicated. The best Healthy Choice meals are, if nothing else, easy to prepare.

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

7/10

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Healthy Choice!

Healthy Choice Café Steamers Spaghetti & Meatballs (280 cal, 7g fat)

Walmart

Healthy Choice enjoys referring to their pasta as “freshly made,” and we simply do not know what that means. Freshly made by a machine in a factory? Sure, great. Anyway, this Healthy Choice meal is made with a marinara sauce that actually tastes like something and isn’t overloaded with the bitter taste of oregano. The little meatballs in this dish are very dense, but they taste pretty good. They’re like a bigger, better version of the meatballs in a Chef Boyardee meal. 

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

7.5/10

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Healthy Choice!

Healthy Choice Balsamic Garlic Steak (230 cal, 6g fat)

Target

We taste tested a few new Healthy Choice frozen meals, and this was the best of them. You get steak in a balsamic sauce with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans. The mashed potatoes actually smell like garlic, which is a good start. They don’t have enough salt, but if you salt them yourself, they’ll taste better. They’re a little gummy, but totally tolerable (I kind of like the consistency of microwave mashed potatoes, to be honest). The sauce is a little tangy and a little savory, but we don’t hate it. And even though the beef looks like dog treats, it doesn’t taste bad. If you get a bite with all the elements together, it tastes good. And the green beans even have crunch. Impressive!

Credit: Merc / Target

Rating:

8/10

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Healthy Choice!

Healthy Choice Café Steamers Beef Merlot

Walmart

Of all the beef-centric Healthy Choice frozen meals we tried, this was the best. The beef is tender and the Merlot wine sauce tastes very much like it belongs in a frozen meal, but there’s also something pleasantly nostalgic about it. It’s just a nice, savory gravy with a little bit of a tannic backbone. This tastes good, but, man, frozen dinners really shouldn’t be made with cubed, “roasted” potatoes like this. They’re always so mealy! Mashed potatoes would have tasted so good with the gravy! Consider a revamp, Healthy Choice? 

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best of the Best

Healthy Choice Café Steamers Grilled Chicken Pesto with Vegetables

Walmart

If you’re turning to Healthy Choice because you want a light lunch that only takes around three minutes to make, the Grilled Chicken Pesto with Vegetables is the best Healthy Choice frozen meal out of the options we taste tested. The sauce is a little gloopy, but it has a bright fresh flavor we liked. Also, why don’t more of these meals include squash? The yellow squash and zucchini taste really good and absorb the sauce nicely. The chicken isn’t great, but the other elements make up for it. The “freshly made” rotini pasta has bounce and chew. Of all the Healthy Choice meals we tried, this was the most enjoyable overall.

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

8.5/10

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Other Healthy Choice Meals we tried: Barbeque Seasoned Steak with Potatoes, Beef Teriyaki, Honey Glazed Turkey & Potatoes, Salsa Verde Chicken, Lemon Parmesan Chicken, Grilled Chicken Marinara with Parmesan, Sweet Sesame Chicken

The post The Only 6 Healthy Choice Meals You Should Buy appeared first on Sporked.

And we have good news because two new Cheez-Its just dropped: Cheez-It Smoked Cheddar and Cheez-It Smoked Gouda. I know the saying is smoke ‘em if you got ‘em, but did Cheez-It nail it? We tasted both new flavors to find out.

New Product!

Smoked Cheddar Cheez-It

Instacart

If you like classic Cheez-Its—naked cheese crackers with a tasteful sprinkle of salt—these might be a bit much for you. As soon as you open the box, you can see they’re very coated in flavor dust—which, hey, some people probably love!

Pros: If someone handed me an unlabeled box of these, I would guess they are bacon-cheddar Cheez-Its. That flavor profile already exists in Duoz form and while I didn’t taste these head-to-head with those, I think it’s safe to say these have a similar vibe. 

Cons: As I mentioned, these are very flavor blasted. That might be a pro for some people (lookin’ at you, Jordan Myrick and Mythical Chef Josh), but for me it’s a bit much. I love the flavor of Cheez-It crackers and all that powder makes it tough to taste the cracker itself. These have a very powerful fake cheese flavor that settles a little as you eat. Sure, they taste like smoked cheddar, but they taste like that really fakey, squishy smoked cheddar you get in a Hickory Farms box that can inexplicably be stored at room temperature.

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

New Product!

Smoked Gouda Cheez-It

Instacart

These new Cheez-Its are also coated in flavor powder, but it’s a much more manageable amount. They’re a more subdued version of a smoked cheese Cheez-It—and they’re good.

Pros: These really taste like smoked gouda! The combo of the deep, cheesy flavor of the cracker with the dusting of flavor powder is absolutely addictive. They’re smoky, they’re a little funky. They would taste really good with some sliced-up summer sausage. The smoke is more restrained, but it’s definitely there. I had a friend over and we absolutely plowed through this box of crackers while we watched junk on TV. Oh, and the box we got had a lot of overcooked crackers (dream scenario!), which made them taste even more delicious.

Cons: If you’re a Cheez-It purist who does like flavor powder or the addition of smoke flavoring, these will probably be too weird for you. But if you like to mix things up, give these a shot.

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

The post We Tried 2 New Cheez-Its Flavors: Smoked Cheddar and Smoked Gouda appeared first on Sporked.