12 Cheetos Snacks, Ranked Worst To Best

Cheetos represent the absolute epitome of snack food. They're crunchy, covered in mysterious cheese dust, and packed full of less-than-natural-tasting albeit deeply delicious flavors. They're the kind of snacks you can easily eat straight out of the bag — as long as you don't mind having dirty fingers once you've finished your munching, that is. But these days, there are seemingly limitless Cheetos options when you go to the grocery store. At one point in time, it seems like you just had to choose between puffs and the crunchy variety, regular and Flamin' Hot. Now, you'll be met with a wealth of Cheetos flavors that can be hard to sort through.

But no worries. I've done the heavy lifting of trying out 12 different Cheetos snacks, so you don't have to. And I'm here to deliver the important info on which of these snacks are worth the purchase and which aren't. The criteria for this ranking include flavor and texture where applicable and adherence to the name of the product in question. Although we may not have the same faves, this ranking may just help guide you to the next Cheetos snack you want to try. These are Cheetos snacks, ranked worst to best.

I'd never seen the Crunchy Buffalo flavor of Cheetos before working on this article, so I was super excited to try it out. After all, I love buffalo wing sauce, so I thought that they would be a clear winner. Turns out I was wrong. The Crunchy Buffalo flavor has that same crunch you know and love from other Cheetos products, so that's not an issue here. However, this snack fell flat for me when it came to flavor.

Calling these Cheetos buffalo-flavored is, in my opinion, a stretch. If the word buffalo hadn't been on the bag, that's not what I would have assumed the creators of this product were going for. There's a slight tanginess and a heat that's significantly more subtle than any of the other spicy varieties on this list, but you're mostly going to taste that same Cheetos cheese flavor you're already accustomed to, although it's thinner and more watered down. These Cheetos definitely don't taste anything like a chicken wing, and it kind of feels like the company's attempt to make a different-flavored variety of the product for those who can't handle the Flamin' Hot level of heat. You're better off just going with classic Crunchy Cheetos.

Go down the snack aisle at your local grocery store, and it feels like every snack is trying to be something it's not. When I buy Cheetos, it's because I want Cheetos. If I'm craving chicken wings or cheese pizza, I'll just get the real thing instead. That being said, Cheetos Puffs Cheese Pizza legitimately tastes like pizza. However, it is like the worst-quality pizza you can find in the frozen section of the grocery store, not the artisanal pizza you buy from the second-generation Italian family that owns a legit pizza shop down the street. If you want to feel like you're digging into a slice of basic cheese Tombstone, then this may be the flavor for you. Otherwise, you'll want to stay far away.

Something about the puffed version of Cheetos is also a turn-off, flavor aside. You don't get any of the craveable crunch you expect from crunchy Cheetos — instead, it's more of an anemic crisp that feels far less satisfying. That puffed texture isn't the worst if you want to feel like you're eating a ton of food in one sitting, but it definitely doesn't offer the most interesting textural experience.

For those who like it hot (and crispy), it seems like Cheetos' Flamin' Hot Puffs would be a no-brainer snack. Yet, somehow, it falls short. The crispy texture of these puffs is just not pleasant, offering too little crunch while forcing you to chomp down on a piece of food that's truly just too big. But that's an issue with all of the puff Cheetos varieties. The real issue, texture-wise, is that there are no nooks and crannies for that spicy, powdery dust to settle into, meaning that each puff is simply doused in a uniform layer of flavor. It may not seem like that would make much of a difference in the overall experience of this snack, but it really does.

Then, there's the flavor. Somehow, Flamin' Hot Puffs just do not taste the same as their crunchy counterparts. I'm not sure if the recipe is somehow different or if the texture just affects my perception of the flavor overall, but they don't have that same addictive stackability that you would expect if you'd only experienced the original. Ultimately, this is a Cheetos snack I'll skip from here on out.

Based on my less-than-enthusiastic reviews of the other puff Cheeto snack flavors, it shouldn't come as a surprise that I'm not too fond of the original flavor, either. However, this ranking mostly just comes down to texture — that light crispness just feels cheap and disappointing after the satisfying crunch the crunchy varieties promise.

On the flavor front, though, Cheetos Puffs aren't bad as long as you tend to enjoy original Cheetos. There's not quite as much flavor in this variety as there is in the original crunchy flavor, but it's similar enough that I can't complain too much. If anything, the flavor just seems a bit more diluted, so you don't get that intense cheesiness in every bite. The cheesy quality is still appealing, and these puffs make for an excellent add-in to a snack mix that features a variety of different flavors and textures. It's just not really a snack I would want to eat all on its own.

I get it. Some people are absolutely obsessed with spicy food, and if you fall into that camp, then it just makes sense that you would want to seek out the spiciest possible version of all your favorite snacks. If you think that regular Flamin' Hot Cheetos just aren't spicy enough, then you may be attracted to Xxtra Flamin' Hot Crunchy Cheetos instead. Is this snack actively bad? No. But it just seems unnecessary to make an already spicy snack slightly spicier just to sell it under a different SKU.

Is this product spicier than the original Flamin' Hot variety? If you serve them side by side, yes. However, I don't think I would've really noticed a significant difference had I tasted them independently from one another. If anything, the spiciness in this version is just slightly too pronounced, creating an unnecessary sting that doesn't contribute much to the snack in terms of flavor. Unless you really think that Flamin' Hot Cheetos aren't spicy enough, I wouldn't encourage you to specifically seek out this slightly hotter version of what's essentially the same snack.

If you snack a lot, then you've probably noticed that there has been an explosion of dill pickle-flavored snacks over the last several years. Suddenly, everything that could ever possibly be infused with the flavor of a pickle has been — for better and for worse. When it comes to Flamin' Hot Dill Pickle Crunchy Cheetos, I fall somewhere in the middle. Is this the best Cheetos flavor out there? No. It's much heavier on the dill pickle flavor than it is on the heat, which kind of just makes you want to eat a fresh, crunchy dill pickle instead of something that's merely a corn-based shadow of an actual pickle. Of course, there's definitely a slight spiciness there, but it doesn't seem nearly as pronounced as it is in the original Flamin' Hot version of the snack.

Ultimately, whether you decide to try this snack for yourself should really depend on how much you like pickle-flavored snacks. If you seek them out whenever they drop, then these Cheetos are a must-try — they really do taste just like dill pickles. On the other hand, if you — like me — are ambivalent about these snacks in general, you're probably not going to be wowed by this one specifically.

Sometimes, it just makes sense to stick to the classics, which is definitely the case when it comes to Crunchy Cheetos. This is the most basic iteration of the snack. There is no weird puffy crispness, no wild flavors gunking up that simple cheesy baseline, and no spiciness to upset the more delicate snackers' palates out there. It's just crispy corn snacks covered in a layer of powdery cheese that settles into the cracks in each individual piece. It's nothing wild or complicated, just good old-fashioned crunchy cheesiness.

Admittedly, these basic Crunchy Cheetos are not the best of the lineup, considering their flavor is so basic. There are definitely more interesting, more flavorful options out there to choose from on the Cheetos landscape. But all that being said, when you just want the classic with no strange, unfamiliar additions, this snack almost always hits the spot. If you're looking for an easy, unfussy snack that's basically always going to taste good, then Crunchy Cheetos will have you covered.

One of the more creative Cheetos flavors of this lineup is the brand's Mexican Street Corn snack. This one actually makes a lot of sense since Cheetos are made from corn anyway. Adding the flavors that Mexican street corn is already known for is fitting, and it actually works pretty well in practice. They're made in the crunchy, not the puffed style, of Cheetos, which is already a win in my book regarding the snack's texture.

Now, do these Cheetos taste particularly like actual Mexican street corn? Not totally, but you have to keep your expectations in check — you're not getting any fresh ingredients here, after all. But there is a pronounced tang to the snack that tastes quite lime-y, and there's an element of smokiness there, too. It's definitely missing that fresh quality you'd normally get from cilantro, and the cheesiness in the snack is more cheddar-flavored than it is cotija-flavored. However, all things considered, the flavor is relatively similar to the actual dish. Of course, I'd rather have a real elote, but when that's not available, this snack works as a stand-in that features many of those same flavors you already know and love.

If there's one element a lot of commercially produced snacks are missing, it has to be acidity. After all, when you're working with carb-based ingredients that don't include anything even relatively fresh in the ingredients list, it's hard to create a meaningful tang that doesn't get covered up by fat or any other flavor elements at play. That's why I was so impressed to taste Flamin' Hot Limon Crunchy Cheetos. The lime flavor in this snack is very pronounced, giving it a brighter, more mouth-watering flavor than a lot of the other products on this list.

Even though you're getting that bold tang in this snack, that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice the spice. Because these are Flamin' Hot Cheetos, you're still going to get a lot of that heat. And unlike the dill pickle version, it doesn't really seem like that heat is tamped down by the other ingredients at all. In fact, the tang does the opposite of tamping down the heat: It actually might make it more pronounced. All that being said, after eating a handful of these Cheetos, that intense lime flavor can start to taste slightly overwhelming. But considering how easy it is to overeat Cheetos, it may not be a bad thing that this snack makes you more naturally inclined to stop when you've been satisfied.

Out of all the Cheetos snacks on this list, the Cheddar Jalapeno Popcorn is the only one that doesn't fall into the traditional Cheetos category. In this case, you're not getting crunchy corn snacks. Rather, you're getting actual, pre-popped popcorn. However, since it's coated in a layer of Cheetos-flavored cheddar jalapeno seasoning, it definitely tastes like an actual Cheetos snack, so you don't have to worry about it not scratching your taste buds the way it should.

This snack is actually a really nice departure from the others on this list because it's lighter than the crunchy version but lacks the weird artificial crispness of the puffed version of the snack. Rather, you get a delicious cheddar jalapeno flavor without texture being an issue at all. However, you have to keep in mind that since you're working with pre-popped popcorn, the popcorn itself doesn't have the freshest texture or flavor. However, since it's covered in so much of that cheddar jalapeno powder, it's really not that big of an issue. Overall, if you love the flavor of Cheetos but want to opt for a snack that's a bit lighter than traditional Cheetos, then this may be the product you've been searching for.

As much as I love Cheetos' Cheddar Jalapeno Popcorn, I ultimately have to admit that the actual crunchy Cheeto version is slightly better. That's because you're not getting any of that stale texture here at all. Rather, you can just enjoy the simple crunch of this iconic snack. The cheddar jalapeno flavor just makes sense since it's not a huge departure from the original Cheetos but still has an interesting spin to it. That jalapeno flavor is more green than spicy, so this stuff doesn't compete with the Flamin' Hot varieties, although it may have a touch more spice than some of its milder competitors.

And although most Cheetos have a cheddar-like quality to them, these Cheddar Jalapeno Crunchy Cheetos taste like actual, good-quality cheddar in a way that seems a lot more natural than the standard flavor can offer. Overall, it's a simple combo, but it's one that works because it's not trying too hard. If you're trying to branch out from the typical Cheetos flavors you've always enjoyed, this snack is the perfect next step.

We arrive at the greatest Cheetos snack of them all: Flamin' Hot Crunchy Cheetos. All too often, snacks advertised as spicy are anything but. That is absolutely not the case here. Flamin' Hot Crunchy Cheetos aren't unbearably hot, of course, but they're spicy enough that you're going to want to keep a glass of water (or even milk) nearby while you eat them. The corn snacks themselves have lots of little nooks into which you'll get a more concentrated flavor from where that spicy dust collects, making each and every piece something new and unknown.

There are no competing flavors that get in the way of the spicy cheesiness of this snack. And when it comes to a food that you're probably going to eat a lot of, it doesn't need to have any wild flavors — pure simplicity will do. Of course, if you're the kind of person who can't handle spicy foods at all, then this Cheetos variety is one you're going to want to skip completely. But if, like me, you can't wait to get your hands on a snack with a little bit of heat, then you know that Flamin' Hot Crunchy Cheetos are absolutely elite.

I chose these varieties of Cheetos snacks based on availability at my local grocery store, and I ranked them based on texture, where applicable, along with overall flavor, plus how well the flavor matched what the snack is supposed to taste like. I tasted all of them at the same time, in a row, making sure to drink almond milk in between taste-tests to ensure my palate was clean enough to distinguish one from the other — this was especially important when it came to the spicier varieties on this lineup.