Gwynedd Stuart
Danny Palumbo
The best Cheetos flavors aren’t regular Cheetos cheese or Flamin’ Hot. We know this because over the course of three separate taste tests, we tried every single Cheetos flavor we could get our hands on here in the good ol’ U.S. of A.. Chester Cheetah doesn’t always knock it out of the park, but when he does, it’s a beautiful thing.
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Cheetos, more than any other snack, nail the combo of crunchy and cheesy. And the Flamin’ Hot variety has become so iconic that you can even watch a movie about their creation (we’ll let you do your own research about its veracity). For these taste tests, we looked for big, bold flavors that work well with the corny flavor of the Cheetos themselves, big-time crunch, and innovation—original Cheetos are great, but there are some other Cheetos flavors that deserve your attention ASAP.
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- Flamin’ Hot Limón
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The bright, acidic lime flavor of these Flamin’ Hot Cheetos teamed up with the spicy heat is just spectacular. The cheese flavor isn’t front and center, but you do get it on the finish. When it comes to the best Cheetos flavors, this is one of the best Flamin’ Hot varieties you can buy. They have more depth and balance than regular Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Sweet Southern Heat Barbecue Cheetos
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These are part of a new lineup of limited edition Flavor Swap snacks from Frito Lay and, to be honest, we wish they would stick around for good. Even though we firmly believe Cheetos should be cheesy, we’ll make an exception for these because they’re such a fun novelty. They have a sweet-spicy BBQ flavor that really works well with the flavor of a crunchy Cheeto. —Gwynedd Stuart
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Dill Pickle Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Crunchy
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Dill pickle flavor is trending pret-ty hard right now, but not all the brands that take it on do it correctly. Sometimes, it’s just all dill, no pickle. Sometimes, it’s all pickle, no dill. Somehow, these Cheetos manage to taste like dill and pickles and the Flamin’ Hot seasoning you know and love. Warning: These are SERIOUSLY spicy, but they’re so interesting you’ll want to push through the pain to keep eating them. Good luck tomorrow morning! —Gwynedd Stuart
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Cheetos Bolitas Chile & Cheese
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Crying. Screaming. Throwing up. That was my reaction to this Cheetos flavor when we tried it in our second in-office taste test. The Bolitas (sort of like the Cheetos Minis) are so light that they kind of dissolve in your mouth—it’s an excellent eating experience. And the flavoring is a revelation. It tastes like a bowl of chili topped with cheese. You get lots of chili powder, a little bit of smokiness, a little bit of tang (sort of like BBQ sauce), a little bit of heat, and then a lovely undercurrent of cheese flavor. If you’re dubious of snacks that are too flavor blasted, like our editor-in-chief Justine Sterling, you’re still going to be into these. She liked that the flavor is present but mild enough that you want to keep digging into the bag for another handful. This is one of the best flavors of Cheetos. I’m in love. —Gwynedd Stuart
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Flamin’ Hot Crunchy
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Flamin’ Hot is an iconic flavor. Plus, like all good snacks, it’s rooted in controversy. This inexplicably popular flavor has been imitated by just about every other chip company out there. Everything is Flamin’ Hot now. You could argue that this needs to be higher on the list, but flavor-wise, we just think other Cheetos flavors have more appeal. Personally, I prefer the Ruffles Flamin’ Hot Cheddar & Sour Cream to these, since you get a better balance of cheese and spice. Still, this is a good product, if not a bit overrated. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Simply NKD Cheetos Puffs
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These new Cheetos are free of artificial dyes and artificial flavors to please our MAHA overlords, but they actually taste pretty great. We like these because, in terms of texture, they’re slightly different from regular Cheetos Puffs, so they don’t get jammed in your teeth as easily. And they do still taste good, minus the additives. —Gwynedd Stuart
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Cheetos Puffs
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Cheese puffs deserve more love, especially the Cheetos variety. These are delightfully crunchy, airy, and thick. The cheese flavor is less saturated than it is on Crunchy Cheetos, but the overall aesthetic of a cheese puff is hard to beat. These are big cheese puffs, too. Some coworkers started dipping these in Coke, which feels psychotic to me, but hey, to each their own (just kidding, don’t dip Cheetos in Coke, you monster). —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Crunchy Cheetos
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Classic Crunchy Cheetos are perhaps the best straight-up cheese snack out there. They’re saturated with cheese flavor and are finger-licking good like fried chicken. Plus, the crunch is one of the most satisfying experiences in the snacking world. Crunchy, airy, and fried in oil, these are deliciously fatty and will stand the test of time. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Crunchy Cheddar Jalapeño
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Cheddar Jalapeño Cheetos are the perfect combination of cheesy and spicy. Where classic Cheetos lack spice and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos lack cheese flavor, Cheddar Jalapeño Cheetos are the best of both worlds, making them far and away the most balanced and delicious Cheetos product. These Cheetos just hit you with crunchy and cheesy heat all at once. Truly, a flavor-blasted, flat-out-addictive snack product. There’s no contest: These are the best Cheetos, hands down, and I would say one of the top five snacks in existence. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
Cheetos!
Cheetos!
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Cheetos!
Cheetos!
Cheetos!
Cheetos!
Cheetos!
Griffin Parker
Jordan Myrick
