19 Hostess Snacks, Ranked Worst To Best

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Hostess snacks were a part of many of our childhoods. The first Hostess CupCake was sold in 1919, according to the Daily Union. Every kid since then has grown up craving their treats. Nothing was more exciting than realizing your mom has purchased one of their products at the grocery store. Hostess snacks are known for being sugary, soft, and downright delicious.

These snacks are also something we never outgrew as college students or adults. Many long study sessions or stressful workdays have been saved by a trip to the vending machine for a Zinger or sleeve of Donettes. And this brand is more than the beloved Twinkie, too.

That being said, not all Hostess snacks are created equal. Some products have been huge hits while others miss the mark. So, we've rounded up every currently available Hostess snack and ranked them from worst to best. The next time you're at the grocery store or vending machine, you'll know the best one to choose.

In an apparent effort to capitalize on the success of their mini muffins, Hostess released Muff'n Stix in June 2021 (via Brand Eating). Per Hostess, these are "the perfect muffin for on the go" because of their rectangular shape. We're not really sure why a rectangle is easier to carry around than a regular muffin, but that's not the real issue here.

You would think these muffins would taste the same as Hostess's other muffin products, but they somehow have less flavor than their sister snacks and don't bring anything new to the table. The blueberry variety has an overly sweet profile and the chocolate chip flavor has an artificial aftertaste. Both have a chemical taste that doesn't leave us wanting another bite. They're also sticky on the outside and disappointingly dry on the inside. We'll stick with Hostess's other muffin products when we have a craving.

The Hostess Danish comes in six different varieties: cherry cheese, cream cheese round, berries and cream cheese, blueberry cheese, apple cinnamon, and cream cheese. Now, a good Danish, with tangy cream cheese and fruit filling, is a fantastic addition to any breakfast.

These Danishes are fine but we wish there was more filling and less bread. All the pastries are surprisingly dry as well. The Danish only tastes good when you get a bite of pastry, filling, and icing together, which gives the whole thing enough flavor and texture to be enjoyable. Unfortunately, that means the sides and corners often leave us disappointed.

We should also note that these Danishes are pretty darn messy, too. Be prepared for sticky fingers if you want to eat these with your hands. That's not always a bad thing, but we don't believe that the flavor really makes up for the mess here.

One of the newest additions to the Hostess lineup are Crispy Minis, essentially bite-sized wafer cookies with sweet filling and a crunchy topping. They come in two flavors: strawberries and creme, as well as cookies and creme. The strawberry variety has a more prominent fruity taste while the cookies and creme snack has only a vague sweet flavor. Each wafer cookie packs enough crunch to keep you satisfied, although we don't really care for the crispy bits on top. We can't deny their dangerously addictive quality either.

While these treats are tasty, they just aren't as unique as many Hostess treats we love. Really, we could cut a layered wafer cookie into thirds and have about the same product. We have to give credit to Hostess for the portability (and snack-ability) of these, but we'd rather choose a fun baked good when we head to the grocery store.

Hostess currently has one brownie flavor: Triple Chocolate. It's so named because of the brownie itself and the addition of chocolate chips and chocolate icing. If you're a chocolate fan, this snack will hit the spot. These brownies are super chocolatey and decadent, which makes sense considering how much chocolate is packed into a single cube.

That said, this isn't anything close to a fresh-from-the-oven gooey brownie that melts in your mouth. Many mass-produced brownies tend to be dry, and Hostess is no exception here. "Overall, these are a nice, inexpensive hit of chocolate, if that is what you are after. Not the best, but certainly not terrible," says Sugar Pressure. We do have to give these brownies credit for being conveniently packed and not too messy to eat. They're a great snack to bring with you to work or class, but don't expect homemade brownie flavor or texture.

These super sticky snacks are essentially cinnamon rolls with a pecan topping that look and smell amazing. They're pretty messy, too, so be sure to have some napkins on hand when you dig in. As for their flavor, Pecan Spins are certainly yummy for cinnamon and pecan fans. The glazed topping is super sweet and the pecans bring a nice nutty flavor to the table. However, the pecans are soft and don't really add any texture to the snack.

The dough here is pretty dry as well and there isn't enough glaze to make up for the issue. We're not unhappy eating these, but we find the experience most enjoyable accompanied by a cup of coffee or glass of milk. We think more cinnamon flavor in the dough would be fantastic. Overall, we like this treat a lot but we can't put it any higher on the list.

Sorry, but Twinkies aren't all that good. They earn a relatively high spot on the list because of nostalgia, but don't get too excited. The sponge cake is weirdly moist and the cream filling tastes more like oil, leaving a strange film on the roof of our mouths.

"I had a Twinkie for the first time after hearing about how popular it was," one person wrote on Reddit. "But when I tasted it, it's just really oily, greasy yellow, artificially tasting cake-like pastry with a cream filling. It is not appetizing at all and this is supposed to be a snack that you are supposed enjoy."

Overall, Twinkies have little flavor and a lot of weirdness. Sure, we'll eat one every year or so, but we almost always regret it. Some limited-edition flavors aren't awful, so we'll give them a few points for those versions. Hostess will always be remembered for the Twinkie, but that isn't necessarily a good thing.

Hostess did an excellent job with their take on the cinnamon roll. Unlike many of their treats, the dough is super moist and flavorful. The rich cinnamon-sugar filling is rolled into every layer and the icing on top adds an extra dose of sweetness. When warmed up in the microwave for a few seconds, these are ideal for breakfast.

"They have a great amount of cinnamon on the inside of each side," said one reviewer. "You can microwave them to get the fresh hot flavor but I can't wait that long. Once I open it, it's usually gone within a minute."

These snacks are pretty sticky on their own and become very messy when heated up. Because of that, they don't make the best sort of treat when you're on the go. That said, feel free to enjoy them at home with a fork or perhaps a moist towelette nearby.

It's impossible to walk through a college campus without seeing a few students munching on Hostess mini muffins, which come in blueberry and chocolate chip flavors.

There's a certain amount of nostalgia associated with these muffins that undeniably adds to their flavor. They're a little dry and have an artificial flavor, sure, but that doesn't take away from how tasty these are. We find ourselves craving these often and we're not alone. "Blueberry muffins are the bomb! They are so soft and full of flavor," wrote one reviewer. "My kids eat this almost every day before school. They are always super moist and delicious," another claimed.

Whether you grab the blueberry or chocolate chip flavor, these muffins are one of the best portable snacks around. Of course, that's assuming you're fine with the occasional artificial flavor notes contained within the package and perhaps also carrying a beverage like coffee to account for the slight dryness.

Ding Dongs are shaped like hockey pucks and have been a Hostess staple for many years. Today they come in chocolate, white fudge, and caramel. The chocolate and white fudge cake both have a vanilla crème center. The chocolate features a chocolate cake and coating, while the white fudge has a vanilla cake and white fudge coating. The caramel variety has a creamy caramel filling, yellow cake, and chocolate coating.

It's hard not to love at least one of the flavors. "These Hostess snacks pair perfectly with milk or a cold drink. I used to love eating these and still do because they have the perfect filling to pastry ratio," one Influenster reviewer wrote. We agree. Ding Dongs are exactly what we're looking for in a snack cake. They just barely lose the number one spot on our list, but they'll always have a special place in our hearts.