Intro
Whether you're a diehard Cosmic Brownie fan or lover of Zebra cakes, Little Debbie is a brand you've probably seen time and time again on many grocery store shelves. While finding a box of your favorite treats can prove to be an elusive hunt (prompting a 2017 rumor the company was going out of business), rest assured they aren't going anywhere. Since its humble origins in 1933 by founder O.K McKee delivering pastries in his car, the brand has been going strong for over 63 years. The face of this iconic line of treats is no fictional character either –– "Little Debbie" is actually Deborah McKee-Fowler, the granddaughter of the founder and the current Executive Vice President.
Even though the number of snacks has evolved over the years to include 75 different treats, but which ones are worth hunting down with the brand's store locator, and which are a hard pass? This guide is here to be your Little Debbie source of truth, straight from a Little Debbie superfan. Let's start with the worst items and work our way up to the top-tier snacks.
Chocolate Chip Creme Pies©Little Debbie
Good idea, flawed execution is the best way to describe this product.–The Chocolate Chip Creme Pie is comprised of two cookies sandwiching a creme center, which is pretty standard for Little Debbie creme pies. But where did it go wrong? Key word: Flavor. The consensus amongst reviewers, including this TikTok review and Good Mythical Morning roundup, call it "soft batch Chips Ahoy" with an "artificial taste." In another review on the YouTube show Ladies and Lattes, the hosts echoed these sentiments, stating that this creme pie "tastes artificial." For those that cherish the sacred experience that is warm chocolate chip cookies with a glass of milk, this may not be the Little Debbie treat for you
Unicorn Cakes©Little Debbie
You might get serious side eye if you're reaching for Unicorn Cakes at the grocery store. Unicorn Cakes were brought to market in 2020 after the 2019 unicorn craze and sport unnaturally bright colors. Unfortunately, this concoction of pink strawberry cake, purple creme, blue icing, and purple sprinkles may not be as magical as it visually seems. While this product is geared towards kids and unicorn fans, it's a complete sugar bomb packed with artificial flavoring. In a review by YouTuber Bri Gai, the Unicorn Cake "gives Zebra Cake vibes with a strawberry taste" with the aftertaste being a bit "bitter." Points for creativity, Little Debbie, but this may not be worth the stomachache.
Cherry Pie©Little Debbie
Sometimes you're just craving a slice of cherry pie, but that's not always readily available. The convenience of Little Debbie's pies lets you get a slice of the action, but in this case, you may say, "no thanks" to one. The gelatinous "cherry" filling is fire-engine red thanks to the generous amount of food coloring. It does use cherries, but it's supplemented with artificial flavoring and sugar (16 grams per serving, to be exact) to help boost the taste of the fruit. The pastry "crust" is soft and covered with glaze to balance out the tartness of the cherries, but this dessert is more sweet than sour, and, ultimately, a pass.
Peanut Butter Crunch Bars©Little Debbie
Peanut butter, chocolate, crunchy cookie –– what could go wrong? As it turns out, a lot. Whereas Little Debbie's other peanut butter products like Nutty Buddy and Peanut Butter Pie are superstars, the Peanut Butter Crunch Bar doesn't even come close. It's not quite as lightweight or with a crunchy texture as a Nutty Buddy, or as soft as the Peanut Butter Pie. As this TikTok review points out, the texture is pretty dry, with the cookie crumbling into sand as its broken apart and the peanut butter looking shriveled inside. If you still are a chocolate and peanut butter lover and willing to try it out, by all means go for it. If you're on the fence, you're probably not missing much.
Banana Marshmallow Pies©Little Debbie
At first glance, this treat may strike some consumers as a Moon Pie wannabe, down to the artificial yellow coloring and banana flavoring. People either go crazy for them or hate them with a vengeance. While it uses natural flavors to achieve a strong banana taste, the yellow glaze most definitely is not naturally-made. Candidly, if you're eating any Little Debbie product chances are artificial flavors and colors do not bother you, but the highlighter yellow can be a bit off-putting. In a taste test done by YouTuber Megan McCullough, she describes the taste and texture as, "dry banana crackers" that "smell like banana Laffy Taffy." Sorry, but hard pass.
Easter Basket Cakes©Little Debbie
These cakes are another seasonal item that make their rounds during the spring. The yellow Easter Basket is a repackaged version of both Fancy Cakes and Zebra cakes. There's also a chocolate version, but it tastes pretty artificial as far as chocolate goes. The aftertaste of both is pretty strong, with the flavors very much presenting as artificial chocolate and cheap vanilla imitation extract. These products are pretty identical to other top performers, just with pastel sprinkles and bright packaging. If you need a spring-themed sugar fix, there's no arguing that the Easter Baskets were made for this very purpose.
Jelly Creme Pie©Little Debbie
Just like you would imagine how a jelly donut meets Boston cream would taste, the Jelly Creme Pie is two soft vanilla cookies with a creme-jelly center, enrobed in chocolate. The combination of jelly and creme isn't great, but it isn't bad either. Like other fruit-focused Little Debbie products, the jelly creme pie contains a strong artificial strawberry jelly that's more goopy than anything else. A more surefire approach Little Debbie could've taken is opting for one filling component over the other, but regardless, that's feedback for future iterations of this product. A deep dive of Influenster reviews show a barrage of comments that applaud the nostalgia this treat gives them, while others hate on the "fake, not very fresh" flavor (via Influenster).
Chocolate Cupcakes©Little Debbie
Let's take a deep dive on Chocolate Cupcakes. You'll notice that Little Debbie's version is eerily similar to that of the Hostess and Tastykake chocolate cupcakes, down to the swirly white icing pattern running straight down the middle of all three. Since these brands are market competitors, each brand produces their own rendition of the other brands' bestsellers. When it comes to Little Debbie's version, it's pretty neck-and-neck with the competition in terms of the product. In a head-to-head showdown by YouTuber FoodFights, Little Debbie had a more moist cake and better icing than Hostess, but was lacking in chocolate flavor. Overall, the Chocolate Cupcakes are a nice to have, but not a need.
Fancy Cakes©Little Debbie
We're not sure what puts the "fancy" in Fancy Cakes, but it's the closest thing you can get to a slice of wedding cake readily available at the grocery store. Looks-wise, it's pretty identical to the Devil Squares, from its shape to its swirled drizzle. The only difference is, it uses white cake and icing as opposed to chocolate. There isn't too much that sets this cake apart from the Little Debbie crew, as it is a basic recipe that will no doubt send a sugar shock to the system. The cake isn't dry, and the creme center layer adds some nice texture.
Mini Apple Fruit Pies©Little Debbie
Little Debbie's Mini Apple Fruit Pies are here to give McDonald's Apple Pie a run for its money. These square hand pies have a generous glaze and docking-like crust, almost resembling what your grandma does with a fork to seal up pies and pastries. Inside, it's chock-full of a filling containing apple pieces and cinnamon. When Little Debbie comes to mind, you probably don't think immediately of pie, but the brand's Mini Apple Fruit Pies is actually pretty decent. As Collin and Michael explain on their YouTube channel, these pies are pretty on par with the McDonald's version, but could use some more apple pie filling to really up the ante.
Whether you're a diehard Cosmic Brownie fan or lover of Zebra cakes, Little Debbie is a brand you've probably seen time and time again on many grocery store shelves. While finding a box of your favorite treats can prove to be an elusive hunt (prompting a 2017 rumor the company was going out of business), rest assured they aren't going anywhere. Since its humble origins in 1933 by founder O.K McKee delivering pastries in his car, the brand has been going strong for over 63 years. The face of this iconic line of treats is no fictional character either –– "Little Debbie" is actually Deborah McKee-Fowler, the granddaughter of the founder and the current Executive Vice President.
Even though the number of snacks has evolved over the years to include 75 different treats, but which ones are worth hunting down with the brand's store locator, and which are a hard pass? This guide is here to be your Little Debbie source of truth, straight from a Little Debbie superfan. Let's start with the worst items and work our way up to the top-tier snacks.
Chocolate Chip Creme Pies©Little Debbie
Good idea, flawed execution is the best way to describe this product.–The Chocolate Chip Creme Pie is comprised of two cookies sandwiching a creme center, which is pretty standard for Little Debbie creme pies. But where did it go wrong? Key word: Flavor. The consensus amongst reviewers, including this TikTok review and Good Mythical Morning roundup, call it "soft batch Chips Ahoy" with an "artificial taste." In another review on the YouTube show Ladies and Lattes, the hosts echoed these sentiments, stating that this creme pie "tastes artificial." For those that cherish the sacred experience that is warm chocolate chip cookies with a glass of milk, this may not be the Little Debbie treat for you
Unicorn Cakes©Little Debbie
You might get serious side eye if you're reaching for Unicorn Cakes at the grocery store. Unicorn Cakes were brought to market in 2020 after the 2019 unicorn craze and sport unnaturally bright colors. Unfortunately, this concoction of pink strawberry cake, purple creme, blue icing, and purple sprinkles may not be as magical as it visually seems. While this product is geared towards kids and unicorn fans, it's a complete sugar bomb packed with artificial flavoring. In a review by YouTuber Bri Gai, the Unicorn Cake "gives Zebra Cake vibes with a strawberry taste" with the aftertaste being a bit "bitter." Points for creativity, Little Debbie, but this may not be worth the stomachache.
Cherry Pie©Little Debbie
Sometimes you're just craving a slice of cherry pie, but that's not always readily available. The convenience of Little Debbie's pies lets you get a slice of the action, but in this case, you may say, "no thanks" to one. The gelatinous "cherry" filling is fire-engine red thanks to the generous amount of food coloring. It does use cherries, but it's supplemented with artificial flavoring and sugar (16 grams per serving, to be exact) to help boost the taste of the fruit. The pastry "crust" is soft and covered with glaze to balance out the tartness of the cherries, but this dessert is more sweet than sour, and, ultimately, a pass.
Peanut Butter Crunch Bars©Little Debbie
Peanut butter, chocolate, crunchy cookie –– what could go wrong? As it turns out, a lot. Whereas Little Debbie's other peanut butter products like Nutty Buddy and Peanut Butter Pie are superstars, the Peanut Butter Crunch Bar doesn't even come close. It's not quite as lightweight or with a crunchy texture as a Nutty Buddy, or as soft as the Peanut Butter Pie. As this TikTok review points out, the texture is pretty dry, with the cookie crumbling into sand as its broken apart and the peanut butter looking shriveled inside. If you still are a chocolate and peanut butter lover and willing to try it out, by all means go for it. If you're on the fence, you're probably not missing much.
Banana Marshmallow Pies©Little Debbie
At first glance, this treat may strike some consumers as a Moon Pie wannabe, down to the artificial yellow coloring and banana flavoring. People either go crazy for them or hate them with a vengeance. While it uses natural flavors to achieve a strong banana taste, the yellow glaze most definitely is not naturally-made. Candidly, if you're eating any Little Debbie product chances are artificial flavors and colors do not bother you, but the highlighter yellow can be a bit off-putting. In a taste test done by YouTuber Megan McCullough, she describes the taste and texture as, "dry banana crackers" that "smell like banana Laffy Taffy." Sorry, but hard pass.
Easter Basket Cakes©Little Debbie
These cakes are another seasonal item that make their rounds during the spring. The yellow Easter Basket is a repackaged version of both Fancy Cakes and Zebra cakes. There's also a chocolate version, but it tastes pretty artificial as far as chocolate goes. The aftertaste of both is pretty strong, with the flavors very much presenting as artificial chocolate and cheap vanilla imitation extract. These products are pretty identical to other top performers, just with pastel sprinkles and bright packaging. If you need a spring-themed sugar fix, there's no arguing that the Easter Baskets were made for this very purpose.
Jelly Creme Pie©Little Debbie
Just like you would imagine how a jelly donut meets Boston cream would taste, the Jelly Creme Pie is two soft vanilla cookies with a creme-jelly center, enrobed in chocolate. The combination of jelly and creme isn't great, but it isn't bad either. Like other fruit-focused Little Debbie products, the jelly creme pie contains a strong artificial strawberry jelly that's more goopy than anything else. A more surefire approach Little Debbie could've taken is opting for one filling component over the other, but regardless, that's feedback for future iterations of this product. A deep dive of Influenster reviews show a barrage of comments that applaud the nostalgia this treat gives them, while others hate on the "fake, not very fresh" flavor (via Influenster).
Chocolate Cupcakes©Little Debbie
Let's take a deep dive on Chocolate Cupcakes. You'll notice that Little Debbie's version is eerily similar to that of the Hostess and Tastykake chocolate cupcakes, down to the swirly white icing pattern running straight down the middle of all three. Since these brands are market competitors, each brand produces their own rendition of the other brands' bestsellers. When it comes to Little Debbie's version, it's pretty neck-and-neck with the competition in terms of the product. In a head-to-head showdown by YouTuber FoodFights, Little Debbie had a more moist cake and better icing than Hostess, but was lacking in chocolate flavor. Overall, the Chocolate Cupcakes are a nice to have, but not a need.
Fancy Cakes©Little Debbie
We're not sure what puts the "fancy" in Fancy Cakes, but it's the closest thing you can get to a slice of wedding cake readily available at the grocery store. Looks-wise, it's pretty identical to the Devil Squares, from its shape to its swirled drizzle. The only difference is, it uses white cake and icing as opposed to chocolate. There isn't too much that sets this cake apart from the Little Debbie crew, as it is a basic recipe that will no doubt send a sugar shock to the system. The cake isn't dry, and the creme center layer adds some nice texture.
Mini Apple Fruit Pies©Little Debbie
Little Debbie's Mini Apple Fruit Pies are here to give McDonald's Apple Pie a run for its money. These square hand pies have a generous glaze and docking-like crust, almost resembling what your grandma does with a fork to seal up pies and pastries. Inside, it's chock-full of a filling containing apple pieces and cinnamon. When Little Debbie comes to mind, you probably don't think immediately of pie, but the brand's Mini Apple Fruit Pies is actually pretty decent. As Collin and Michael explain on their YouTube channel, these pies are pretty on par with the McDonald's version, but could use some more apple pie filling to really up the ante.