Every Flavor Of SkinnyPop, Ranked Worst To Best
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Whether it's in a classic red and white box at your local movie theater, or hot and fresh from a microwavable bag, popcorn is a well-loved snack that's great to munch on as you watch your favorite movies and shows. These perfectly-popped corn kernels are delicious on their own, but they also come in all sorts of flavors and seasonings, from salt and butter to sweet chocolate and caramel. With hundreds of delicious and unique takes on this iconic treat, there's a popcorn variation for everyone out there who can enjoy it. (Sorry, readers with braces.)
While popcorn is delicious when hot and drenched in melted butter, there's no denying that bagged store-bought popcorn is an incredibly convenient (and often lighter) option. One popular brand is SkinnyPop, a non-GMO, artificial flavor-free snack available in flavors both familiar and inventive, per its website. Not sure which option to start with? This is our ranking of 15 different SkinnyPop flavors, ordered from which ones to skip to which ones to reach for to solve all your hanger woes.
15. Real Butter
When you order a bag of popcorn at the movie theater, it's usually a bright yellow color, having been soaked in a helpful serving of butter or a butter-flavored seasoning. Either way, it tastes great. While it's not the most healthiest snack, we won't deny how tasty quality buttered popcorn is every once in a while. If we could have a healthier version of this popcorn, we certainly would, especially if it takes us right back to the front row seat of the theater. Unfortunately, we can't say that SkinnyPop's Real Butter Popped Popcorn does this for us, and tastes like popcorn that has been left sitting out on a kitchen counter for a couples of days.
This flavor of SkinnyPop popcorn comes in a striped light blue and white bag, and while it's the perfect snacking size, it's certainly not the perfect snack. We were hoping to taste a nice, buttery flavor, but were met with something that tasted more like a super processed, poor tasting cheese This flavor is incredibly unpopular on Amazon, with a 1.2 out of five stars. One reviewer writes that "This new concoction tastes more like a white cheddar popcorn! It's drier than the original." Not only does the brand already have cheddar popcorn snacks, but even the original tastes of more butter than this flavor. If you're looking for SkinnyPop flavors not to try, then this is the flavor you should try to avoid at all costs.
14. Everything Bagel Minicakes
Who doesn't love a hot, toasted bagel? Sometimes referred to as a "healthier donut," this round carb is perfect for breakfast sandwiches, and comes in a wide range of flavors, just as popcorn does. Among the different kinds of bagels are everything bagels, which are typically topped with ... well, everything! From poppy seeds to onions, these bagels are super flavorful, and when toasted, are one of the most satisfying breakfast items ever. If someone manages to capture this flavor in snack form, then they should receive some sort of food award. SkinnyPop tried to do this with their Everything Bagel Popcorn Mini Cakes, but we can't say they succeeded.
Everything bagels are able to balance all of the seasonings they're topped with, resulting in a tasty experience with every bite and leaving you completely satisfied. This SkinnyPop popcorn does none of those things, and the only reason we're even comparing this to an everything bagel is because of the name. This snack was overly salted, to the point that water was a necessity to take even a single bite. With nothing positive to say about this flavor, we can't recommend it to anyone who wants to keep themselves and their taste buds safe.
13. Aged White Cheddar
There's a common saying that with age comes wisdom, which not only can apply to people, but food as well. In terms of cheese, when a product has been aged longer, it tends to have a sharper, more pronounced flavor, which is perfect for macaroni and cheese dishes, grilled cheese sandwiches, and quesadillas — but we can't say that it works all that well for SkinnyPop's Aged White Cheddar popcorn. The Aged White Cheddar popcorn comes in a bright yellow and orange striped bag, as if trying to resemble the color of the yellow cheddar cheese that we all know and love. Despite this, we really wish this cheese product didn't exist.
Even though this claims to be made with real cheese, we've had much better products that don't have any real cheese, but taste ten times more delicious and cheesier than this product. While aged cheddar is supposed to be sharp, this product tasted bland, and we couldn't really taste any cheese on the popcorn. Not only that, but some reviewers on the SkinnyPop website claim that the flavor is somewhat sour, which is not how good cheddar cheese should taste. If you want something that's super cheesy and delicious, this popcorn product is far from that. We suggest you save yourself the hassle, and just make yourself some Kraft Mac and Cheese instead.
12. White Cheddar
Though the Aged White Cheddar Flavor was a complete failure in our books, there is also SkinnyPop's White Cheddar Popped Popcorn. While this was better than the aged white cheddar, it was far from the best SkinnyPop flavor we've had. Unlike the previous cheese flavor, the regular white cheddar SkinnyPop doesn't say that it is made with real cheese, which in this case, was probably for the best. There wasn't an incredibly sharp cheddar taste to this popcorn, though we weren't expecting it to be super cheesy, especially after the aged cheddar. What we certainly didn't expect, however, was a tasteless, bland popcorn snack.
This product has a surprisingly large following, with over 3,200 ratings on Amazon, at 4.6 stars. However, if you scroll down, you'll find a significant number of disgruntled customers writing more recent reviews, expressing their displeasure. This is not just due to poor shipping: one reviewer on the Amazon website writes, "There isn't even a hint of white cheddar on this popcorn and my taste buds are just fine. I felt the need to add flavor to it just to make it edible, I couldn't even taste salt." This popcorn left us unsatisfied, as though we just ate stale popcorn.
11. Twist of Lime
Who doesn't love a hint of lime in a pie or an ice cold soda? Lime is an excellent citrus that adds a nice tang to numerous beverages and various dishes. While it would be an acquired taste, we could see the popcorn and lime combo working for some people — if done right. SkinnyPop's Twist of Lime popcorn, unfortunately, is unable to balance this flavor combination out, and thus, we feel that it doesn't deserve the limelight.
Limes are a bitter fruit, and we just don't see how SkinnyPop thought it was a good idea to pair the flavor with a salty popcorn. If the popcorn wasn't as salty, and more like a kettle corn, we could see this working, but the Twist of Lime popcorn was pretty close to awful. Popcorn can get stuck between your teeth, but this snack had a tangy aftertaste that stayed in our mouths long after the popcorn did. Only the most avid lime lovers might enjoy the flavor of this SkinnyPop popcorn.
10. Sea Salt Chips and Minicakes
There's no denying that adding a little salt to a dish goes a long way. From pretzels to caramel and even chocolate, a bit of salt adds a whole lot of flavor. Popcorn itself is most commonly topped with salt and butter, which is likely why it's the incredibly binge-perfect snack we know and love today. While SkinnyPop doesn't have a popcorn flavor that is solely salt-flavored, they do have mini cakes and chips that are sea salt flavored. The mini cakes are smaller chips that are a lot like rice cakes, about the size of chips, while the chips themselves are the same size, but are made with tapioca starch, an ingredient the mini cakes lack.
Despite their differences, each of these products tasted pretty similar, and not in the best way. This wasn't the worst snack we've had, but both products tasted incredibly salty. It wasn't quite as salty as sea water, but it was definitely a bit overwhelming, and we couldn't really taste anything else. One review on Amazon even likens the product to sawdust, writing "Sawdust! Don't get sea salt." If you really like salty snacks, then you may enjoy this, but expect a salt overload.
9. Sharp Cheddar Popcorn Chips
All right, we know there are a lot of cheese-based flavors on this list, and none of them are particularly good. The next cheesy flavor is SkinnyPop's Sharp Cheddar mini cakes. This exact flavor only comes in mini cake form, though can be likened to the cheese flavors mentioned earlier in regards to its taste. There is no actual cheese in this snack, with the ingredient list containing natural non-dairy cheddar flavor instead, along with a bit of paprika extract. Knowing that, it should come as no surprise that these cakes didn't taste anything like cheddar, and were instead pretty bland.
We feel like we're beating a dead horse with this, but most of the SkinnyPop cheese flavors were not up to par with our standards, and we would definitely go with other brands if we want a decent cheese-popcorn combination. A shopper on Amazon backs this up, claiming, "These taste stale and plain. Almost no flavor and that spongy texture rice cakes get when they are stale however they were well before the expiration date." Most of the SkinnyPop cheese flavors, including these mini cakes, were rather stale and bland, and we wouldn't recommend them as a go-to snack.
8. Cheddar & Sour Cream Popcorn Chips
Sour cream is generally used to top tacos, chips, or baked potatoes. It's known for its creamy, sour taste (hence the name), and is a perfect addition to any meal or snack ... usually. This was a flavor of SkinnyPop that we aren't too keen on. SkinnyPop only manufactures the Cheddar & Sour Cream flavor as chips, and they weren't too bad, but not something we'd actively search for on store shelves. The bags come in a softer orange color, and show off a decent sized, crispy-looking popcorn chip. Because of the "cheddar" in the name of this flavor, we were a bit wary, and rightfully so.
These SkinnyPop chips weren't flavorless like some of the other flavors, but were incredibly salty, and we didn't taste a lot of sour cream or cheddar in each chip. There are people who enjoy these chips, and if you like this flavor, props to you, though many buyers' opinions of these chips range from them being incredibly salty or entirely tasteless. One Amazon reviewer writes, "These are great chips however, they are SUPER salty! I don't know if it's because they are made from popcorn or not. I like the chips but I just wish they had less salt." While we felt these were more on the bland side compared to other flavors, in general, these sour cream chips could have been better.
7. Salted Caramel Minicakes
This list may have taught you to fear any SkinnyPop products that have the word "salt" in their names, but when caramel comes right after, it makes everything a bit better. Caramel by itself is fantastic, pairing brilliantly with chocolate and standing just as deliciously on its own — especially when salted. That being said, with SkinnyPop, we take things with a grain of salt. The idea of a caramel popcorn snack is certainly appealing, though we'd expect it more from a kettle corn than a mini cake. That being said, the Salted Caramel Popcorn is another mini cake offering, comes in a bold purple packaging, and features salt and caramelized sugar as two of the simple, easy-to-read ingredients.
This snack wasn't bad. It wasn't overly salty, and we could definitely pick up a little sweetness from the sugar, though we didn't get a whole lot of caramel. There are some people who enjoy this product, though there are also lots of people who'd prefer any other snack. Some reviewers claim that the product tastes like cardboard, with an Amazon shopper saying, "I usually like skinny pop, but this tastes like cardboard. There was zero flavor." This flavor didn't make us want to instantly reach for a bottle of water, but it still somewhat disappointed us.
6. Sea Salt and Pepper
Some might feel that between salt or pepper, salt tends to add a lot more noticeable flavor to a dish. Peppercorns are not the most spicy or hot ingredient, though black pepper still is a ubiquitous seasoning on numerous recipes. However, when used right, this spice adds a nice kick to any dish or snack. SkinnyPop's Sea Salt & Pepper popcorn is described on its website as having an "intentionally subtle amount of black pepper," so at a first glance, you might see this snack as one that will fall into the "too salty," or "bland," categories of poor SkinnyPop flavors.
This flavor has had a pretty mixed reception. There's a decent number of SkinnyPop fans who enjoy the kick that the pepper adds to this snack, and there aren't as many complaints about this product being as overly-salted as other flavors, though many consumers wish there was more pepper on the popcorn. There are some critics, however, who had more unpleasant experiences with this flavor, with one reviewer writing on Amazon that "it tasted like it was table pepper (finely ground) sprinkled in the bag. I choked on the pepper a few times & finally decided to throw it out since no one in my family would eat it." Depending on where you stand with pepper, you may or may not really like this flavor.
5. Sweet and Salty Kettle
The issue we had with many of the lower ranked SkinnyPop flavors on this list was that they were either too bland or too salty. Salt is one of the greatest things to bless kitchens, though when used in excess amounts, it can become overwhelming, sometimes making you feel like you're biting into a block of salt instead of actual food! You don't need to be a culinary expert to know when and how much salt to add to a snack or dish to make it taste great. While most of the saltier SkinnyPop popcorns disappointed us, their Sweet and Salty Kettle Popped Popcorn blew us away with just how surprisingly good they tasted.
Because it is kettle corn, this snack is naturally sweeter than normal popcorn. Due to this, the sweet and salty flavors of this popped product, while prevalent, were surprisingly decent. While the sugar overtook the saltiness of this snack, it was rather refreshing compared to the other overly-salted popcorn. In terms of flavorful kettle corn, this might not be the best of the best, but in terms of SkinnyPop treats, don't bash it until you try it.
4. Sweet Vanilla Kettle
Just because it's usually salty and savory, sweeter popcorn treats are a unique snack or dessert. Kettle corn is a lot like regular popcorn, and is still made with a great salty crunch, though it is also combined with the wonderful sweetness of sugar in the form of a nice glazed coating. This next flavor of SkinnyPop is a kettle corn variation of their popped product: their Sweet Vanilla Kettle Popped Popcorn. This sweet snack is sold in a pretty pastel pink and white striped bag, and has real vanilla bean listed as one of the ingredients.
This vanilla flavored kettle corn is not only the sweetest of SkinnyPop's products, but also super tasty. There are only eight grams of sugar per serving, so it isn't the most unhealthy dessert you can have, yet it still manages to balance out the sweet and salty flavors any good kettle corn has. Because it was not overly drenched in sugar, we could definitely pick up the vanilla in this snack, though the flavor was more mild. If you prefer an overly prominent, more flavorful kettle corn, then you might have to look elsewhere, though we felt that this snack was a wonderful, healthier harmony of flavors.
3. Cinnamon Sugar Minicakes
Cinnamon might not be the sweetest of seasonings, but that's likely why we love to have it in pancakes, muffins, and even in savory dishes, as it does add a sweetness to any recipe in a non-overbearing way. You could add cinnamon to almost anything to make whatever you're having 50 times better. The same can be said about SkinnyPop's Cinnamon & Sugar Popcorn Mini Cakes, which are described as small popcorn cakes that are made with a hint of cinnamon and sugar. While sweeter popcorn is more synonymous with kettle corn, we found that these small rice cake-like chips were way more than a simple snack.
These mini cakes have a fantastic cinnamon aroma and taste. This SkinnyPop snack is made with not only sugar and cinnamon, which adds a nice, mildly sweet flavor, but also sea salt, which isn't too prevalent, but balances out the use of sugar in a brilliant way. There isn't too much sugar either, as the snack only contains three grams per serving. Because of this, the final result is a cinnamon-y chip that isn't overbearingly sweet, and full of flavor. If you're looking for a healthy, light cinnamon snack, then these popcorn chips are perfect for you.
2. BBQ Popcorn Chips
Who doesn't love a crisp pack of barbecue chips to pair with a burger or cold cut sandwich? Whether you get Lays, Kettle Brand, or Pringles BBQ flavored chips, there's no denying that the smoky kick of flavor that comes with these chips is binge-worthy. If you're looking to binge on something slightly healthier, but with the same barbecue taste, then look no further than SkinnyPop's BBQ Popcorn Chips. This airy snack food is a nice orange shade, reminiscent of the brilliant flames of a grill. Not only does the color match a quality BBQ chip, but the texture of the chip is surprisingly on point as well, albeit a bit more popcorn-like.
These chips don't seem to be too popular online, with less than 15 reviews on the products actual website. Despite this, those who have had the opportunity to try these chips know that each crisp packs a whole lot of flavor. Light, salty (but not too salty), and with a hint of spice, these were our favorite chips offered by the SkinnyPop brand. If you asked us to substitute our Lays BBQ chips with a bag of these, we would certainly be able to tell the difference, but we wouldn't mind the swap because we really enjoy this wonderfully smokey snack.
1. Original SkinnyPop Popcorn
Honestly, how could we not put this at the top of the list? SkinnyPop's Original Popped Popcorn is the snack that truly makes the brand what it is today, and with three simple, non-artificial ingredients, this popcorn is a gluten, dairy, and nut-free product that can be enjoyed by nearly everyone. Not only is it incredibly delicious, however, it's also pretty healthy. One serving of SkinnyPop popcorn, a whole three and three fourths a cup, is only 150 calories, and has no sugar or trans fat. If you're looking for a healthier popcorn to munch on while you watch a movie, then this is certainly one of the best choices out there.
The original SkinnyPop is only made with popcorn, sunflower oil, and salt, yet it manages to be just as filling and delicious as any other popped or puffed snack. It's a pretty common sentiment that this is the best of the best when it comes to SkinnyPop, and you'll find popcorn lovers singing praises about this snack. One Amazon shopper writes, "The salt level is just right ... Definitely something to keep on hand as a healthy snack for nighttime eating or for the kids' lunchbox." If we could only eat one SkinnyPop snack for the rest of our lives, we would definitely be completely satisfied with the original.