The Best Cheez-It Flavor Is Also One Of The Oldest

It seems like every salty snack has dozens of versions in all sorts of shapes, textures, and flavors. From thin, ridged Cheez-It Grooves Loaded Nacho to Snap'd Honey BBQ Chips, the brand that makes the best cheese crackers has so many varieties beyond its classic offering. Even among the original style of Cheez-It crackers, there are 16 different flavors ranging from Smoked Gouda to Buffalo Wing (and four more kinds that combine two different types of crackers in one box). But of the 12 Cheez-It flavors we tried and ranked here at The Takeout, a classic — though not the most classic — topped the list.

Cheez-It White Cheddar was our taste tester's favorite. The earliest version of Cheez-It crackers was created in 1921. The Original flavor was modeled after Welsh rarebit, a food with a misleading name that's actually just made up of a cheese sauce on toast. Although that remained the only flavor for several decades, White Cheddar was the first variation — it debuted in the 1990s.

The Takeout's tester described the taste as "an explosion where tangy and creamy meet in harmony" and highlighted the sheer amount of cheesy seasoning covering each and every cracker. Just as you would hope, butter and real white cheddar cheese dominate the flavor profile. They're just punchy enough, and the hit of MSG keeps you coming back for salty, cheesy cracker after salty, cheesy cracker. Though they were well deserving of a gold medal, Cheez-It Originals weren't far behind in a respectable third place.

In the many Cheez-It rankings out there on the World Wide Web, White Cheddar is generally pretty close to the top. If you, too, are a Cheez-It White Cheddar stan, the brand has many options for you to indulge your craving. If the classic style of crackers is your go-to but you want to add some variety, Cheez-It makes a couple of different snack mixes that feature them — depending on which one you get, they're paired with other salty treats like pretzels, toast chips, and other flavors of Cheez-Its. Reach for Cheez-It Puff'd for a light and crisp take, or grab a bag of Gripz if you're into a miniature version.

The biggest critique that folks tend to have about the White Cheddar variety is that it's a bit too subtle. If that resonates with you, the brand also makes a sharper version. The puffed, four-square-shaped Cheez-It Crunch snacks come in a Sharp White Cheddar flavor. The crunchy and thin Cheez-It Snap'd chips and texturally enticing Cheez-It Grooves also come in this bolder version. White Cheddar makes regular appearances in limited releases as well, like the basketball-inspired Kon's Double Double Cheez-It Bundle — this mix featured White Cheddar and Extra Toasty crackers — and the cacio e pepe-like Black Pepper Cheddar Cheez-Its.