Do you think you know the best Popcorners flavors? Well, maybe you do, maybe you don’t—but after trying all Popcorners flavors side by side, we think we have a pretty good idea of which Popcorner chips really pop, pop, pop to the top. *Cue the High School Musical soundtrack.*
Popcorners: You either love ‘em, or… well, you’re pretty indifferent to them. Before this taste test, I fell into the latter category. What can I say? I was ignorant. I couldn’t understand the craving for a snack that, to me, tasted like stale, puffy tortilla chips. But now that I’ve tried all the Popcorners flavors I could find, I have to say—they’ve grown on me. I appreciate these weird salty styrofoam chips more than ever before. In fact, as far as I’m concerned, there’s really no such thing as a bad Popcorners flavor. Each one has its own charm and appeal. Still, not all Popcorners flavors are created equal! Thankfully. Or I’d be out of a job.
Before we get into it, I have to air one grievance: What happened to Cinema-Style Butter Popcorners?! I simply do not get why they discontinued this flavor. We’re talking about a snack food that’s popcorn in chip form. How can we have a spicy queso flavor and not movie theater butter? Make it make sense, Popcorners!!! Argh. Anyway, here’s the best Popcorners flavors, ranked.
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- Sea Salt Popcorners
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I’ll say what we’re all thinking: I’m bored. For the most part, even though most Popcorner chips aren’t coated in layers and layers of flavor dust like other guilty pleasure snacks, the flavors are never boring. But Sea Salt just isn’t very memorable. That being said, it’s good for what it is. Since it’s lacking a bold seasoning, the emphasis becomes the chip’s puffy, unique texture and the bright note of salt you get mid-chew. It’s pleasant, but lined up next to all Popcorners flavors, these get old fast.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Sweet Chili Popcorners
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While there are no bad Popcorners flavors, Sweet Chili underwhelmed me. It’s on the mild side of spicy, and each bite ends on a maize-y corn flavor, not the sweet chili flavor, so I’m not exactly itching to go back for another chip. Still, if you like Sweet Chili Doritos, you’ll probably like these. In the pluses column, these Popcorner chips have the perfect amount of sweetness—noticeable, but not cloying.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- White Cheddar Popcorners
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White Cheddar Popcorners fans are probably not going to be happy to see this Popcorners flavor in the middle of the pack. But really, these aren’t bad by any means. White cheddar popcorn is my favorite type of popcorn, and while I would totally devour a bag of these in 15 minutes, I can’t deny that the flavor is lacking, not packing. It’s missing the sharp, extra cheesy oomph that I’m used to from white cheddar popcorn out of a bag. That’s probably what makes them so appealing to some—they taste like a healthier, pared-back version of popcorn smothered in white cheddar flavor dust. But in my opinion, these Popcorner chips fall just a little shy of my expectations.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Cinnamon Crunch Popcorners
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Maybe it’s just my bag of Cinnamon Crunch Popcorners, or maybe I’ve finally cracked, but these chips seem thinner and crisper than the other Popcorners flavors—and I love it. Even though I’d always opt for a salty snack over sweet, I just know there are people out there who will eat an entire bag of these Popcorner chips in one sitting. It reminds me of a less intense Cinnamon Sugar Dot’s Pretzel—or, dare I say, those Old El Paso Cinnamon Toast Crunch dessert taco shells, which I found weirdly delicious. Corn and cinnamon really do bring out the best of each other. Who knew?
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Sour Cream & Onion Popcorners
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Sour Cream & Onion Popcorners pack the punchy flavor I really wanted from the white cheddar. The zest and sour tang hits immediately; you won’t find yourself searching for chips from the bottom of the bag, where all that extra seasoning powder lives. While I do think sour cream and onion potato chips will always be superior (sour cream and chives were made for potatoes, y’all), these flavorful Popcorners popcorn chips definitely hit the pop. I mean the spop. I mean…the spot.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Spicy Queso Popcorners
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Spicy Queso Popcorners were such a fun surprise. When you open them up, you immediately smell queso—and they actually taste like queso, not just spicy nacho cheese. You get spices like red pepper, black pepper, and a kick of chili powder. With a pretty authentic queso flavor, these Popcorners are their own unique snacking experience—they don’t need a dip, because you feel like you’re already getting it. I really haven’t seen much like this out there. Toss some in a serving bowl for a party, and I bet guests will marvel at them, too.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn Popcorners
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Kettle Corn is one of the original Popcorners flavors (if not the OG—someone investigate that and report back in the comments, please), and it’s perfect. It almost makes up for them discontinuing Cinema-Style Butter (almost). Instead of sitting down at a movie theater, I feel like I’m roaming the county fair with cotton candy in one hand and a bucket of crunchy, lightly sweet, deliciously salty kettle corn in the other. Since kettle corn can be a little more dense than buttered popcorn (thanks to the coated sugar), it really works as a puffy chip. This is Popcorner perfection, and I have no notes.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
Popcorners!
Popcorners!
Popcorners!
Popcorners!
Popcorners!
Runner Up
Best of the Best
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!