Gwynedd Stuart
If you grew up in the U.S. (and your parents were too busy to micromanage your sugar consumption), you’ve probably eaten a lot of Little Debbie snack cakes in your day. I have. In grade school, Star Crunch was THE post-game snack to bring to intramural softball games (I played left field and NO I wasn’t very good). In high school, I regularly purchased a Cosmic Brownie in the school cafeteria to accompany my healthy lunch of taco fixins scooped up with Cool Ranch Doritos. Little Debbie is part of the FABRIC OF AMERICA—she walked so Giant Deborah could run.
What we learned during this taste test: People down unda’ don’t know from Little Debbie! My colleague Jordan Myrick and I were joined by Aussie podcasters Toni and Ryan, who were largely unfamils with what Little Debbie has been layin’ down here in the States since the 1960s (and before). Without the benefit of nostalgia, some of our personal favorites couldn’t quite hold up to the scrutiny of grown-up palates. (Justice for Star Crunch, for real!) Here’s how our ranking of the best Little Debbie snacks shook out.
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- Little Debbie Star Crunch
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This was a big “no” for our guests, who thought the coating was too waxy. Fair. But, woof, there’s just something about the irresistible chew of the caramel center combined with the crunch of the puffed rice. It’s like a Hundred Grand bar, but flat and round. I’ll go to bat for these things for life—like, literally. Put me on your softball team and I’ll bring a box as the post-game snack!
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Little Debbie Zebra Cakes
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Zebra Cakes—incidentally, pronounced like “Deborah Cakes” if you’re Australian—aren’t as good as Christmas Tree Cakes because they don’t have the crunchy little bits of green sugar on top, but still. You get that same soft yellow cake, waxy coating, and creamy frosting layer and you don’t have to wait for Christmas to roll around.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Little Debbie Glazed Donut Sticks
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These are SWEET. Like really, really sweet. Still, the cakey doughnut is nice and soft and people who like icing will like these. Dip them in your coffee, especially if you drink your coffee black.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Little Debbie Strawberry Shortcake Rolls
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This isn’t for me, but our guests liked it! The strawberry jam is SERIOUSLY sweet and artificial tasting—it’s more like that liquid candy that comes in a tube than it’s like jam. But the cake is soft and squishy and the whipped cream layer is nice. Try freezing them—we have a hunch it would be delicious.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies
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These still taste like school. You can almost smell the pencil shavings and chalkboard dust in the air. Are they the fudgiest brownies in the world? No. But they’re ultra chewy and chocolatey in the most nostalgic way possible—unless you’re Australian, in which case you’ll mostly enjoy the nearly DayGlo candy coated chocolate chips nestled in the layer of frosting on top.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Little Debbie Honey Buns
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“This slaps,” Toni said after she took a bite of a Little Debbie Honey Bun. It’s true! It’s much more of a sweet bread than a cake—kind of like King Cake (which, yeah, is a cake, but more like a bread, too). The layer of glaze is sweet but the whole thing works because the bun itself isn’t cloying. This is the best Little Debbie snack for grownups who want something to go with their morning coffee.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Little Debbie Fudge Rounds
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I still love Cosmic Brownies, but if you want more fudgy flavor, get Fudge Rounds instead. The chocolate cookies are psychotically moist and the layer of filling between them tastes like chocolate cake frosting. AND there’s a fudgy drizzle on top for good measure.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Little Debbie Nutty Buddy
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The sheer creaminess of the peanut butter smooshed between the layers of wafer is something to behold. You get crispy crunch and an ultra creamy filling, all in a chocolaty coating—the best of many snack worlds! These get dinged for being so damn melty so damn easily, but if you can keep these puppies in the fridge, you’re set (and your fingers won’t be smeared with oily chocolate).
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Little Debbie Swiss Rolls
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This is Jordan’s personal pick for the best Little Debbie snack. The chocolate cake is moist, the cream is light and fluffy (but also sticky and junk food-y in the best way possible), and the coating has that nostalgic waxiness we all love.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Little Debbie Nutty Buddy Creme Pies
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Okay, this is one of the newer Little Debbie snack cakes and—holy shit! I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I didn’t expect what’s basically an oatmeal creme pie made with soft-and-chewy peanut butter cookies stuffed with peanut butter filling and dunked in a chocolate coating. It’s the most decadent Little Debbie snack I’ve ever had and it rules. If you haven’t tried these yet, TRY THEM.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies
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Perfection in a little plastic packet. The oatmeal cookies are sweet, lightly spiced and so, so chewy. The creme is fluffy but sticky in a marshmallow fluff sort of way. So simple, but so good. Our Australian friends agreed that Oatmeal Creme Pies are the best Little Debbie snacks.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
Little Debbie!
Little Debbie!
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Little Debbie!
Litte Debbie!
Little Debbie!
Little Debbie!
Little Debbie!
Little Debbie!
Little Debbie!
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