I Tried And Ranked 12 Cheez-It Flavors. This Was The Best

The words "Cheez-It" entered the American lexicon by at least March 1921, thanks to the fine folks over at the Green & Green Company of Dayton, Ohio. Ever since, the burnt orange, 1 x 1 inch, square cheesy cracker has continued to provide an unforgettable crunch for over a century, from the subsequent baked stewards of the Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company, Sunshine Biscuit Company, Keebler, and now Kellogg. There have been Cheez-It collaborations with Taco Bell and a stuffed Cheez-It pizza at Pizza Hut. The snack crackers have been rapped about poetically in songs by the likes of Lil Yachty, MF Doom, and 21 Savage, and name-dropped in shows such as "The Office," "Modern Family," and "This Is Us."

The question is, what is a Cheez-It? There are actually more kinds of Cheez-Its than one can imagine, like a bold line of Extra ones, a baked subset called Snap'd, the windowpane-looking Crunch crackers, the wavy Grooves, the airy Puff'd ones, the dynamic Duoz, a slew of various Snack Mixes, and even Cheez-It Pizza. It would take more stomach space than a human could ever muster to figure out which was the best of all those. The Takeout decided to focus on the core product — Original Cheez-Its — and several flavor variations that followed in its giant, tiny footsteps. After lots of handfuls, all can now be revealed in this definitive, ravishing ranking. Warning: Do try this at home.

In January 2026, I embarked on a journey to figure out the best Cheez-It flavor. At the time, 12 permanent flavors were readily available. They were initially taste-tested by me, in alphabetical order. Then they were tested with a group that ranged in age from 13 to 50, and one final round by my lonesome to solidify the rankings.

This ranking is a summation of my own personal tastes and opinions. It also takes into account my previous experiences with Cheez-It products, but gives each flavor a fresh review in these taste tests. The ultimate criteria considered for this ranking were flavor, appearance, smell, familiarity, originality, uniqueness, and overall level of Cheez-It-ocity. By the end, I had way too much cheesy residue stuck in my teeth, and was perhaps ready to take a long sabbatical from these crackers. Don't worry, I shall return, with White Cheddar ones in hand(ful).

When I was surveying which flavors to tackle in this taste test, I kept confusing Cheddar Jack and Pepper Jack. I assumed both were all about Monterey Jack, but I'll admit I didn't know jack about either. The Cheez-It Pepper Jack flavor came into this world back in 2009. Under the hood, it highlights both white cheddar and yes, Monterey Jack cheeses, as well as green and red bell peppers, natural jalapeño flavor, and unspecified spices.

These guys looked like plain crackers with a few browned tan lines to round out their square physiques. This lighter design allowed the grains of salt to pop more on the cracker's surface, and were further accented by flecks of the green and red peppers. They actually smelled like saltine crackers and had a bell-peppery flavor when having a quick lick of them.

Taking a full bite turned out to be more like a dull bite. While the peppers added a dash of pep to the affair, what's greatly missing is any iota of cheesiness. These are non-offensive crackers that amounted to nothing special. They had neither a standout, cheesy flavor nor a signature spice to break from the pack. These Pepper Jack ones taste like incomplete crackers, less Cheez-It, and more Cheez-Ain't.

In 1994, when still under the stewardship of Sunshine Biscuit Company — one of many old-school food brands — Cheez-It debuted a Reduced Fat version. It hit shelves alongside other reduced-fat snacks from Sunshine, like Hi Ho crackers, Vienna Fingers, Oh! Berry wafers, Golden Fruit biscuits, and Hydrox — the famous Oreo competitor. This Cheez-It offshoot is the last one standing today. If you look at the tale of nutritional facts between this and Original Cheez-Its, there is only a slight difference in numbers. In roughly 27 crackers, the reduced-fat ones have 10 fewer calories and 2 fewer grams of fat (including 1.5 grams less polyunsaturated fat and ½ gram less monounsaturated fat). Somehow, though, they up the ante in carbs with 2 additional grams and 20 additional milligrams of sodium.

Compared to the bona fide Original? Well, the Reduced Fat has a lighter, less orangey look but still proudly shows grains of salt. A bite revealed a Cheez-It-lite taste. It didn't taste too far off from the real thing, but you can tell the standard cheesy flavor you expect from the regular version just isn't coming in at full force here.

After going several rounds between the Original and the Reduced Fat, I honestly couldn't tell that much of a difference. If you're looking to cut your fat intake, but can sacrifice some additional carbs in the process, then these are for you. They're totally serviceable, but not essential. I'll stick with the originals.

The old adage was smoke 'em if you got 'em, and Cheez-It followed through when it smoked up its crackers in two different cheesy directions starting in 2024. One flavor is Smoke Cheddar, and the other is Smoked Gouda. Taking a look at the latter's ingredients, they do indeed have a dash of the famed Dutch cheese in their makeup, along with cheddar, buttermilk, onion powder, good old molasses, and a natural smoke flavor.

I really loved the color of these crackers. They're sort of a gradient where light orange meets yellow, not unlike the logo for Indiana Jones. A quick lick immediately revealed a Cheez-It that was perhaps not like any of the others, with its promised smokiness and Gouda-like attributes. A bite of the actual cracker didn't seem to hit as high a note as the lick did. Sure, there was a mix of creaminess and sweetness that's signature to the cheese it's trying to emulate, but the smokiness somehow got lost in the shuffle. I love Gouda as a cheese, but I'm not exactly sold on its uses as a flavoring to coat a Cheez-It. It's a totally fine cracker, but there are many better options, especially in the smoked department.

In the late 20th century, salsa became a huge condiment, and companies took that as a cue to spice up their products. That included Cheez-It, which dropped a Hot & Spicy rendition back in 1993. Its version leans on the flavor talents of paprika, jalapeños, and red pepper, to which the then-spokesperson for Sunshine Biscuit Inc., Alexander Nichols, noted to The Baltimore Sun would leave an "afterglow in your mouth." Those ingredients are still packed into today's version of Cheez-It Hot & Spicy, along with the likes of vinegar solids, unspecified spices, and garlic, onion, and tomato powders.

Borrowing the colorful look of Cool Ranch Doritos, these Cheez-Its were the most visibly seasoned of the bunch. A quick whiff of these crackers revealed a very faint hot sauce-like smell. Turns out, that faintness was a warning. A lick of the cracker was like a rollercoaster of flavor, with those onion, garlic, and tomato powders doing battle with the vinegar. Full bites reaffirmed the all-out flavor attack on the mouth, in a good way. The problem was that none of it was hot or spicy.

After eating a handful, one could maybe discern a lingering bit of heat in the mouth, but I feel these crackers couldn't fully back up their promised titular adjectives. They have great flavor, akin to Lay's All Dressed potato chips, but they lack that spiced bite. May we suggest a partnership with Frank's Red Hot or Tabasco Sauce? I don't think anyone would be upset by such a beautiful friendship.

Buffalo wing is another flavoring that has invaded many snack foods over the past few decades. Cheez-It sauced up its crackers with a natural flavored version of buffalo wings, just in time for the 2017 football season. These were originally a Walmart exclusive before winding up in grocery stores everywhere for everyone to enjoy. The secret sauce includes garlic powder, sugar, cayenne pepper sauce, blue cheese, buttermilk, and cheddar.

These crackers didn't have the most appealing of smells. There were no notes of chicken, buffalo wing sauce, or blue cheese — they almost had a stale aroma. They looked like regular Cheez-Its but were definitely dustier with all those additional seasonings. Like the Hot & Spicy ones, a lick emitted a cavalcade of flavors, which was fun for the mouth to decipher. A bite brought about its full flavor, which definitely had a buffalo wing essence. It's a punchy cracker that tastes like a smoky Dorito. It actually seemed to pack more heat than its like-minded Hot & Spicy brethren, making it an all-around better choice. I wouldn't be opposed to ratcheting the heat up on these Buffalo Wing Cheez-Its either, and then cooling them off in a dip of actual blue cheese dressing.

After not finding much to love about the Pepper Jack Cheez-Its, I was hoping the Cheddar Jack flavor would jack the snack crackers up to snuff. These joined the Cheez-It roster in 2002 and are still kicking it over two decades later. They contain cheddar, buttermilk, and tomato, garlic, and onion powders. A little further down the ingredient list, you'll find Monterey Jack cheese.

The Cheddar Jack crackers' appearance gave off vibes that they had been buried in a sandstorm of orange seasoning. It's no surprise that a lick of that sandy desert of seasonings had a lot to communicate to a tongue. To my tongue, it said, "Hey, I'm super cheesy, and I think you'll quickly grow to like me."

That's exactly what happened, especially when my teeth started breaking up the Cheddar Jack crackers into my mouth, delivering time and time again a beautiful cheesy onslaught. These overly seasoned Cheez-Its seem to be aligned with the Buffalo Wing and Hot & Spicy ones, but were far more approachable and boasted an enjoyable flavor more worthy of revisiting than the other two.

The term "whole grain" seems to be added to items to elicit a more wholesome, perhaps even healthier-sounding product than its standard version. Kellogg decided to give it the old college try when it added this flavor to the catalog in 2009, officially making Cheez-Its whole-y. The introduction came alongside other Kellogg's snacks such as Pop-Tarts Blueberry Muffin, Corn Flakes Touch of Honey, and Cinnabon Snack Bars.

Checking the nutritional footprints between Original Cheez-Its and the Whole Grain flavor, the numbers are practically identical. However, in bold, the whole grain crackers contain whole wheat flour, and the box further promotes that 8 grams of whole grains are packed into a serving of 26 crackers. Alas, they are still primarily made with enriched flour, which actually led to a lawsuit in 2016, where customers claimed the flavor's wholesome and grainy namesake was misleading.

Whole Grain Cheez-Its are still standing, trying to mimic the genuine article but delivering those whole grain additives for those who seek them. Outwardly, they look exactly like regular Cheez-Its. Lick and taste-wise, they are also pretty much on par. In fact, a blind taste tester wouldn't really be able to tell the difference. This is a great accomplishment, especially if you're looking to gain whole grains out of your snack time.

As a person who doesn't need to keep away from gluten-filled snacks, the thought of gluten-free Cheez-Its probably wouldn't have ever crossed my mind. Still, many out there have undoubtedly been wishing for such a product to exist, and it finally came to fruition in 2026. Instead of wheat-based flour, the flour blend here is made up of rice, sorghum, and degerminated yellow corn. In a statement, Cara Tragseiler, senior brand director for Cheez-It, noted, "We took the time to get it right, working carefully on the recipe and process to ensure gluten-free snackers can enjoy the same cheesy flavor and satisfying crunch without compromise."

I had recently come across the gluten-free snack crackers and did a direct one-to-one comparison with the original full-on gluten version. To my surprise and delight, the Gluten Free Cheez-Its passed with flying orange colors. While they may not hit the same Cheez-Ity notes one expects, they delivered something the originals don't — a super crackery crunch. Yep, if you're looking for the best crunch among all of Cheez-It's crackers, look no further than the gluten-free ones. That crunch alone made it worthy of a high ranking on this list. I expect more flavors to come under this new Gluten-Free banner. Might I suggest White Cheddar next, please?

When it comes to speakers, a volume knob that goes to 11 is far superior to one that stops at 10. Just ask the band Spinal Tap. The same seems to apply to cheeses. Why stop at a three-cheese blend when you can go large with four? Cheez-It took its cheesiness to the nth degree with the introduction of an Italian Four Cheese flavor starting in 2010.  It even threw in a Dean Martin CD along with the samples to help set the mood for reviewers. Shockingly, in the actual ingredients, there aren't four cheeses listed but actually SIX!! Yes, four of them are Italian-esque — romano, parmesan, mozzarella, and asiago — and white cheddar and Monterey Jack are also along for the ride.

These crackers diverge from the usual orange hue of Cheez-Its — or really any artificial color for that matter — and look like soda crackers. The white exterior also helps camouflage the seasoning that was sprinkled on top. A simple touch of the cracker will leave behind a dusty residue on the fingertips, and a lick of the cracker dropped many hints of the cheesy fun and yum to come. Chomp down on them, and it's hard to tell which of those six cheeses leads the way. After several chomps, their true identity started to take shape — a dry-aged flavoring, with notes of garlic, but parmesan leading this flavor race by a nose. It's a curiously complex cracker, proving that sometimes more is truly merrier, and when applied to Cheez-Its, that's amore!

For most of my life, I rarely strayed from Original Cheez-Its, and so to me, what the snack cracker tasted like was solely this flavor. I used to come home from middle school and down a box, while washing it down with a can of Coca-Cola Classic. To this day, that combo is one of my dearest food memories that I can still picture in my mind and mouth. When I started judging all these other Cheez-It iterations, the Original served as a litmus test. And yet, after trying a dozen more flavors, my relationship to the standard bearer had changed. Somehow, the Original Cheez-It didn't taste the same. It didn't have the same impact it once occupied in my head. That's not to say they lost their cache, because at the end of the day, Original Cheez-Its are the shiz-nit.

This Cheez-It is the reason all the other flavors exist, and thus allows this ranking to live as well. The cracker works simple magic with far fewer added ingredients in tow, just letting the main duo of salt and paprika spice things up. The originals still slay any mouth they enter, but it turns out that it is possible to improve upon a first ballot Hall of Fame snack.

Like its smoky Gouda brother, Cheez-It Smoked Cheddar joined the family in 2024. This one has a really interesting makeup. Sure, cheddar cheese is naturally on board, but so is garlic powder, onion powder, buttermilk, vanilla beans, sour cream, and natural flavors, including smoke.

The Cheez-It Smoked Cheddar crackers start with the usual darkened orange complexion but look dressed up with a spray of seasoning flakes. By appearance alone, they reminded me of barbecue potato chips, and in taste, they also contained a similar mesquite flavor. Where the smoked gouda crackers didn't work based on a lack of smokiness and a flavor profile that didn't lend itself to be a winning Cheez-It, the Smoked Cheddar one hit a no-doubter home run.

There are many seasoned Cheez-Its on the roster, but the Smoked Cheddar ended up one of the best. It had a well-balanced flavor, where the cheese and a dash of savory spice combined for an all-around fantastic cracker. Smoke this one if you got 'em.

White Cheddar is one of the oldest flavor variants of Cheez-Its, holding court on shelves, in homes, and in mouths since 1992. Ingredients obviously include white cheddar cheese, alongside regular cheddar and butter. These crackers also stand out by not being orange, boasting a beautiful plainness that brings a sense of calm to any eater. The white canvas here also hides its overloaded, seasoned complexion, where all the extra cheesiness lies.

A simple lick was a true taste treat — an explosion where tangy and creamy meet in harmony. A bite of the crackers confirms its smooth operator status. If you're into dairy products, this product is a real moo-ver and cheese shaker. The strong, but delicious cheese flavoring is buttressed by the rich butter, which turned out to be the X factor in this cracker, cementing it as the best of the best. Somehow, the overall flavoring of this variety didn't come off as heavy as an Original Cheez-It, basically giving an eater license to gobble as many as possible. If you were ever wondering what the "It" was in "Cheez-It," well, the answer may very well be White Cheddar. I'd love to have another box, pleaz.