Best Snacks at Hy-Vee, According to a Midwesterner

At face value, Hy-Vee isn’t the coolest regional grocery chain. They don’t have fancy subs that you can grab on the go like Publix. They also don’t have $19 smoothies and a wall of fancy drinks like Erewhon. But Hy-Vee does have one thing going for it: classic and trusty snacks that you can’t find anywhere outside of the Midwest! I recently took a trip home to Minnesota, mainly for the State Fair, but I also made time to browse the aisles of Hy-Vee to see what snacks I miss out on when I’m in L.A.. Here are the best snacks at Hy-Vee, according to an honest-to-god Midwesterner.

Old Dutch Dill Pickle Flavored Chips

I’m a little biased because these once served as my introduction to pickle-flavored potato chips, but I firmly believe that Old Dutch does dill pickle chips best. I actually despise pickles, but I can’t get enough of these. I would gladly eat an entire bag in one sitting if my mouth didn’t pucker up from all the vinegar. Old Dutch does chips right, and I’d say these could hold their own in a head-to-head battle with other beloved regional chips, like Herr’s. That’s right, I’m willing to wage war with this one! The Hy-Vee snacks aisle has a wide array of Old Dutch flavors in stock, but you have to try their dill pickle chips, even if you’re staunchly anti-pickle like I am.

Read our ranking of the best pickle chips

Mid-America Farms “The Original” Top the Tater

As you can probably guess by the name, Top the Tater originated as a baked potato topping. However, it has quickly mutated into an unstoppable and addictive dip with a variety of of uses. Across the Midwest, you’ll now find it eaten with pretzels, veggies, or in one sitting with a bag of chips. I don’t quite know what’s in here. The label says sour cream, onion, and chives but I suspect there’s something far more nefarious hiding in it to make it so damn hard to put down! Anyone visiting the Midwest needs to try a taste of Top the Tater from Hy-Vee but just be warned—you might need to check yourself into rehab the day after if you can’t quick cold turkey.

Read our roundup of all the best dips from our taste tests

Old Dutch Caramel Puffcorn

Old Dutch doesn’t just do chips—they make sweet snacks, too. I actually have to limit how frequently I’m in close proximity to Old Dutch Caramel Puffcorn because it’s so good. How can corn puffs covered in caramel be so damn good? I truly cannot tell you, but they’re sugary and salty, and they’re a must-buy Hy-Vee snack. Promise.

Read our ranking of the best caramel corn

Hidden Valley Ranch Bugles

Loyal Sporked readers will recognize these Hidden Valley Ranch Bugles from our article about their launch a couple of years ago. So why are they on this list? Because the Midwest owns ranch. We put it on everything: pizza, wings, fried cheese curds, “veggies” (mostly baby carrots we use as vehicles for dressing so we don’t look nuts guzzling it straight from the bottle). So yes, while these Bugles were once available everywhere, I haven’t seen them in Los Angeles for months, but you best believe Hy-Vee has them in stock. If you had a bag of these before, fell in love, and are now wondering where to get your next fix, just take a trip to the good ol’ ranch-loving Midwest.

Read our ranking of every Hidden Valley Ranch product

Kemps Moose Tracks Ice Cream

The Midwest knows dairy, so there had to be an ice cream on this list. If you’re not familiar, “Moose tracks” is just a cutesy name for vanilla ice cream with fudge swirls and peanut butter cups in the mix. I’m a cookies and cream boy through and through, but I can’t resist grabbing a tub of Kemps Moose Tracks when I’m back home. Quirky ice cream flavors feel very “Midwest” to me, so add this to your list of the best Hy-Vee snacks.

Read our roundup of all the best ice cream from our taste tests

Post Waffle Crisp Cereal

On paper, Waffle Crisp is not a Midwest-exclusive cereal. Anecdotally though, I cannot find it in any stores outside of the Midwest. In every city I’ve been to, I’ve checked grocery stores for Waffle Crisp. Someone explain why the only two places I can find Waffle Crisp is are in my hometown of 2,000 people and in freaking Hy-Vee! All that said, I can’t put it into words how much I love the crispy, maple-y cereal, but I’ll just sum it up by saying I spent $25 on one box of the stuff when it slowly crept back into stores, and I would have paid ten times as much for the same experience.

Ellsworth White Cheddar Cheese Curds

Lose my number if you set foot in the Midwest and don’t enjoy a few cheese curds during your stay. (Unless you like listening to Hozier and watching Survivor, in which case please call me.) You need to experience biting into a curd that squeaks back at you. For the skeptical, yes, it does actually happen! Ellsworth is a favorite of curd-lovers across the Midwest, so grab a bag when you stop into Hy-Vee. Really want the Midwest snack experience? Bread and fry these babies.

Read our ranking of the best cheddar cheese

Scotcheroos

Rice Krispies released a recipe for Scotcheroos back in the 1960s and forever changed the landscape of potluck tables across the Midwest. Scotcheroos (or as Hy-Vee spells them, Scotcharoos) are made of a bottom layer of Rice Krispies and sugar (in two forms) and topped with melted chocolate and butterscotch chips. They are incredibly simple to make, but why not just buy them at Hy-Vee? We love a shortcut.

Pearson’s Nut Goodies

I won’t lie to you: Pearson’s Nut Goodies won’t knock your socks off. But as we discuss the best snacks to buy at Hy-Vee, I have to shout out these classic Midwestern candies, even they are awfully similar to Snickers. They consist of peanuts and nougat enrobed in milk chocolate. No, they don’t have caramel, but these things have been beloved for 100 years for a reason.

1919 Root Beer

We’ve covered quite an array of Midwest snacks at Hy-Vee—now we need something to wash ’em all down. 1919 Root Beer is made close to my hometown and is about as Midwestern as a pop (not soda!) can get. One sip of this stuff will have you yearning for an afternoon in the cornfields. Okay, maybe that’s not exactly true, but it’s a must-buy for root beer fans.

Read our ranking of the best root beer


About the Author

Vinz Karl

Vinz Karl is a freelance contributor to Sporked and self-proclaimed Guy Fieri superfan. He believes in breakfast supremacy and is on a never-ending mission to try every flavor of Oreo out there. Originally from the Midwest, Vinz now resides in Los Angeles, where you can find him going on hikes, checking out new restaurants, and preparing for his eventual casting on CBS's Survivor.