8 Smartfood Popcorn Flavors, Ranked

Growing up, popcorn was generally a special occasion treat made on the stovetop, reserved for trips to the movie theater, or, if we were lucky, arrived in brightly decorated tins as a holiday gift. And it was a big deal to get one of those three-flavored (butter, cheese, and caramel) tins of popcorn! Flavored popcorn only came once a year, and it had to be shared.

But today, there are so many different kinds of popcorn readily available that it has become an easily accessible and highly consumed treat, no sharing required. Early afternoon, after dinner, or late at night, with its high fiber and low calorie content, popcorn can be a pretty light noshing option.

So, that's what I went looking for in the Smartfood popcorn flavors — a low-calorie, tasty snack that I could eat as much of as I wanted without feeling weighed down. I'm not saying I'm going to eat a whole bag, but if it happens, I'd rather feel okay about it. And who doesn't love a snack that is so satisfying, you just can't stop?

Sweet, savory, cheesy, and more, I've tried a large assortment of Smartfood popcorn flavors looking for that specific anytime treat. And ranked from "I'm going to pass" to "better get two bags," here are the results.

Smartfood Simply popcorn contains no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. The white cheddar flavor has only 50 calories per cup and is cleverly delivered in a clean white bag, which is a stark difference from the brand's general black packaging. While the Simply packaging gives off a very natural and healthy feel, the flavor is sadly lacking.

I've been a fan of Smartfood regular white cheddar popcorn for years and assumed the Simply popcorn would taste very similar. I was so wrong! Upon popping just one piece in my mouth, my tongue was met by a powdery whang that was immediately off-putting. During further inspection, my palate was able to discern that cheese was not the dominant taste, but more so something akin to butter.

On the aftertaste, there was a hint of cheddar, but not the delightful white cheddar I am accustomed to. In fact, it was a very powdery cheddar that could only be tasted on the breath. I am not sure what deviation was taken in making this popcorn, but I'm going to stick to the old faithful flavor I know instead of this one.

Being a big fan of Doritos, I was very excited about the prospect of having the Doritos flavor in a lower-calorie snacking option. Coming in at only 70 calories per cup, and looking delightfully Doritos orange, I really had high hopes for this one. But those hopes were quickly dashed.

When I threw a few morsels in my mouth, I was incredibly surprised that the first flavor that came in — with a punch to the palate, I might add — was garlic. Upon popping another couple of pieces, I noted that there was a spicy level building on my tongue that I don't associate with regular Doritos. This popcorn, sadly, tasted nothing like my favorite nacho cheese chip.

It definitely had a flavor profile that I could at least understand — unlike the Simply flavor — just not one that I expected. I don't think Dorito fans are going to be pleased with this option. Once again, I'm going to pass on this one and stick to the original on both fronts.

Just like the Dorito flavor, I was equally excited to try the Cheetos. I think the prospect of having a great flavor you love in a lower-calorie option (80 per cup here) is a highly marketable product. However, it rarely seems the lower calorie options deliver on taste and satisfaction, and I found that to be the case here.

This flavor's color was exactly what you expect from a Cheetos-flavored product. The taste, on the other hand, was quite strange. While the powdered flavoring did give the aspect of Cheetos, the popcorn itself was very present in taste and seemed to compete with the cheese flavor. Throughout each bite, there was a discernible detachment between the tastes that kept this flavor from melding into a solid snackable option.

The Cheetos flavoring is hard to beat, but when paired with popcorn, it just doesn't seem to want to mesh. Regardless of calories, I think I would prefer choosing to just have one of these options — popcorn or regular Cheetos.

The first thing I noticed about this popcorn was the color — a bright, flaming red. And while the color is very accurate to the Flamin' Hot brand, my brain started associating the colorful splashes on the popcorn to a cinnamon-sweet flavor I've seen before in gourmet popcorn shops. So, there was an immediate disconnect for me in what I was expecting to taste.

I decided to close my eyes for this one and threw in a small handful of puffy pieces. And let me tell you, in Flamin' Hot style, this popcorn got really hot, really fast. The flamin' flavors of garlic, salt, and spice mixed together nicely, but I noticed there was something sour in the background that I couldn't put my finger on. In the end, it seemed inconsequential, as the flavor and heat dissipated as quickly as they came.

As far as Flamin' Hot, the flavor seems to be very close to par on this one, although I just don't think this is going to be my preferred delivery method of the classic spice. I want to be able to put more chew into my Flamin' Hot choices and this only gives a glimpse of that. I don't think fans of the flavor will dislike this 70-calorie option, but they may feel the same way I do about wanting something equally substantial to sink their teeth into.

Kettle corn is not a new taste for popcorn. Traditionally, it's made in big cast iron kettles with sugar added to the popping corn at just the right time to give it a sticky, sweet coating. While I am not a big fan of it, it is a highly popular popcorn flavor. And Smartfood does a good job in recreating this nostalgic popcorn profile at only 90 calories per cup.

The first taste that hit my tongue when popping a piece of this snack was the sugar. It's very sweet with a crisp, tacky texture that kettle corn should have. It didn't, however, have a melt-in-the-mouth feel that I have gotten with other kettle corns, and I have to say I missed that aesthetic. I also missed the salty aspect that was supposed to be there, per the name. Although I will say there is a hint of butter on the backend.

Overall, the taste of this flavor is sweet, clean, and fresh, giving kettle corn lovers something to easily pick from the shelves at the local store. I lean more toward salty and savory in my popcorn, so this option falls lower on the list for me personally.

As an avid baker, I'm very familiar with the look and taste of browned butter. And I can't say that I got that from this popcorn. What I can say is, this is such a lovely, sweet treat that it was hard to put the bag down. And that's coming from someone who is not a fan of kettle corn.

This tasted like a rich, buttery caramel popcorn, both sweet and salty. The texture had the right amount of crunch on the outside and gave way to a puffy, salty popcorn. The sweetness had a depth of flavor that went beyond sugar, allowing the butter to complement both the sweet and savory aspects.

At 90 calories per cup, this is one of the higher-calorie options. And I could have eaten the entire bag! But I think this option would make a great base to add nuts or pretzels to in order to extend the quantity of flavor and satisfaction. In fact, adding warm nuts to this in the wintertime would make this popcorn almost impossible to resist.

My all-time favorite Smartfood White Cheddar flavor did not disappoint when compared to its sibling flavors. While there is a powdery aesthetic to this popcorn, it's delightfully silky, rich, and salty, giving this option the perfect white cheddar flavor I've always enjoyed. I will admit that the aroma of this popcorn has never been incredibly pleasing, but the taste is still a great combination of salty and savory.

The white cheddar paired with the natural flavor of the popcorn is a delightful combo. The potency of the cheese matches the richness of the butter at a precisely well-balanced level. The flavoring easily melts away as does the popcorn itself, giving the palate a glossy sensation that leaves a mellow aftertaste.

At 70 calories per cup, this is a snack I don't feel bad about going back for seconds or thirds. And while it is incredibly easy to eat, airy and indulgent, it also has a level of filling that leaves me satisfied. Had I not experienced the next flavor in this group, this would have easily stayed my number one choice in popcorn snacking.

Movie theater popcorn is probably one of my all-time favorite things to eat. I will go see a movie that I really don't care about, just to happily enjoy a bag (or possibly bucket) of buttered popcorn. And I have looked high and low for a store-bought option that could compare to that tantalizing taste. I've tried numerous bagged, microwaveable, and stove-top options. I have purchased kits, salts, and bottled butters. But never have I come close to satisfying that very particular craving — until now.

I didn't expect much when I opened this bag, especially when I saw it was only 45 calories per cup. Buttered popcorn at the movies can easily go over 1,000 calories! And like I said, I've tried so many other "movie theater" options. However, when the first piece of this popcorn hit my tongue, I was utterly floored. I tasted another, then another. I looked at my fingers for the tell-tell signs of butter, but there was nothing there. But my palate held the flavor; the flavor of silky-smooth, buttery, salty, movie theater popcorn.

I don't know how Smartfood has done it — black magic perhaps. I honestly don't know if I want to know. I just want to enjoy this newfound discovery that I would have sworn could never exist. This movie theater butter popcorn hits all the flavorful buttons of movie theater popcorn. And with such a low calorie count, I can eat the whole bag. I honestly plan on it. Now I can just go to see the movies I'm really interested in because any concession stand craving I have can be satisfied at home.

When tasting these Smartfood popcorn flavors, I started with the simplest flavors and built up to the more complex, as not to confuse my palate. I waited an ample amount of time and cleaned my palate thoroughly between each popcorn and tried at least a small handful of each, popping a few pieces one at a time in order to really savor the flavor.

I don't truly understand what Smartfood is trying to achieve with the Simply brand. I feel like the difference in calories is negligible compared with the difference in taste. And I have to admit I was very disappointed in the Cheetos and Doritos flavors. Fans of Flamin' Hot will probably eat that spice on anything, and I think this popcorn is a good indication of that fact. But the top four are definitely ones that I would suggest snacking on, based on your favorite popcorn flavors.

If you are a kettle corn lover, I would choose the brown butter flavor over the more traditional sweet and salty. For the same number of calories, the brown butter far exceeds flavor expectations. And for those who have been on the same movie theater popcorn journey as me, get your hands on a bag of the number one STAT! I promise you will not be disappointed. And as for the white cheddar offering, it's as good as it's always been.