13 Oreo Dupes, Ranked Worst To Best

Sandwich cookies are the No. 1-selling cookie in the U.S. thanks to Oreo. Nearly every food manufacturer has thrown its cookie into the ring, but "America's Favorite Cookie" is the one to beat. Oddly enough, Oreos are actually a dupe of Hydrox cookies, America's original creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookie, which is no longer sold in stores and is rare to find in stock online.

No Oreo copycat cookie can dethrone the king of cookies, which has a strong foothold in advertising and nostalgia, but that doesn't mean there aren't some delicious dupes out there. The contrast of crunchy chocolate and creamy frosting is a classic fan favorite, but each brand has its own spin on texture, and there is a wide spectrum that runs from dark and bitter to sweet and rich. I taste-tested and ranked 13 brands of faux-reos, and none of them were the same. Except for three brands I hope to never eat again, most can passably substitute for the original in a dessert recipe — like the kid-favorite dirt pudding cup — but I'd stick with the top five if you just want to enjoy eating a stack of cookies with your milk.

Rip Van set out to flip the script on one of America's most beloved junk foods with its low-sugar knock-off Leos. The result is a reminder of why manufacturers should not try to healthify junk food: Remember Olestra's '90s snack failure when the brand tried to make fat-free potato chips? What makes Oreos so good is the sugary sweetness and the creamy fat. What makes Leos so bad is the addition of plant fiber and the removal of over 50% of the sugar. What sugar remains makes the creme filling overly sweet and abrasively grainy, but it isn't enough to mellow out the punishing jolt of bitter cocoa powder. Follow this cookie up with an entire glass of milk to counteract the aftertaste.

I've never eaten a cookie with chicory root fiber before, but I'm guessing that's the ingredient responsible for the cookie's vile flavor, which inspired some of my more imaginative children to comment, "It tastes like a magazine." I've never eaten a magazine, but that description does seem to capture the essence.

Leos are made in Spain, and they look worse for wear after the long journey — I guess that's just the way the cookie crumbles. To add insult to injury, Rip Van Leos are the worst-tasting, worst-looking, and most expensive of all the dupes — $5.99 for 16 cookies is a Rip Van rip-off at 37 cents per yuck-puck.

Bargain hunters know there are hidden gems to be found at Dollar Tree. But just like you've got to pan through a lot of dirt to find gold, you have to eat a lot of bad cookies to find the diamond in the rough. Sobisk chocolate sandwich creme cookies are not the diamond in this scenario.

Think of all the things that give store-bought cookies a bad rap, and that sums up this imitation Oreo. Sobisk cookies are ultra-processed, and contain artificial flavor and over 4 grams of sugar per cookie. After all that, the cookie doesn't even taste good. Once the initial burst of sugar hits the taste buds, you are left vulnerable to what my daughter describes as "wet bread," which is an offense to multiple senses. If blindfolded, you probably wouldn't even identify the cookie as chocolate-flavored because the harsh chemical taste is overwhelming.

Sobisk cookies are made in India and packaged in non-resealable foil. Dollar Tree sells them in a pack of 18 cookies for $1.25, which is the new Dollar Tree minimum.

Most grocers stock their store-brand cookies next to the name-brand ones, but you won't find Nabisco Oreos at Trader Joe's, which mainly carries private-label and custom-made products from small suppliers. TJ's Canada-made copycat Oreo cookies are called Joe-Joe's. Every December, I load up on the most divine Trader Joe's holiday treat — dark chocolate-covered peppermint Joe-Joe's — and hope they last until Christmas. Imagine my shock to discover I do not like the store's original chocolate-vanilla creme sandwich cookies.

The aroma of the cookies promises fragrant vanilla, but the reality is a bitter pill to swallow. Joe-Joe's have Oreo's same dark black hue, but the ingredients differ slightly. It may be the sea salt that gives Joe-Joe's a strong, bitter, and burnt flavor. And they may be insanely brittle and quick to crumble due to the inclusion of more powdered sugar than regular sugar. But where Joe-Joe's really fall short is in the middle, the creme is thin in consistency and thinly spread. TJ's promotes it as whipped creme filling, but it results in a gooey mess on the cookie and melts unsatisfactorily in the mouth. No specifics have been mentioned, but TJ's did make changes to the Joe-Joe's recipe and packaging in 2023. The current price is $3.49 for a package of 30 cookies.

Purchasing store-brand products is one of the money-saving secrets to shopping at Kroger, and here's another one to add to the list: Don't be duped by Kroger's Oreo dupe. The first three copycat cookies in this ranking are all Bad with a capital B, but Kroger's attempt, Kaleidos sandwich cookies, actually gives chocolate a bad name. The acrid flavor of the cocoa powder punches you in the mouth and then steals your lunch money. You just wasted $3.29 on a package of 36 cookies that bite back. 

Kaleidos should have been a slam dunk. What you need to understand is that there are two different kinds of cocoa powder used in baking, and cocoa needs to be partnered with sugar to balance out its bitter notes. Kaleidos have high potential since they are made with alkalized cocoa powder, the better-balanced and better-tasting type. They also list sugar as one of the top ingredients and are even one of the few imitations that contain real chocolate. And yet, somehow, Kroger still botches it. The 13 grams of sugar per serving aren't enough to control the cookie's overpoweringly sharp bitterness. And the filling, which is where all the sugar seems to have ended up, is too sweet, too squishy, too gritty, and too skimpy.

Even though Amazon closed all of its grocery stores, Amazon Grocery products can still be purchased online, including the company's attempt at Oreo cookies, which were previously sold under the Happy Belly brand. I was happy with the filling's texture in these faux-reos, which replicates Oreo's thick and sweet creme. Too bad the cookie tastes like nothing, which is odd since sugar is the first ingredient listed (on my package, but not on the product page, which is puzzling). I am also confused why black and white cookies contain caramel color, unless someone on the mixing line misread the bottle and thought it was caramel flavoring. That could have helped.

At $2.65 for three dozen cookies, Amazon's chocolate sandwich cookies are a budget-friendly choice if taste is not your top requirement. Ease of use should also not be a priority if you choose this brand. There's no way to extract the cookie tray without tears spreading through the flimsy foil package like a crack in a windshield, leaving you without a way to reinsert the treats. You'll have to repackage them; just avoid storing them in plastic containers.

Back to Nature's mission is to make healthier snacks and more sustainable choices. Its chocolate sandwich cookies exemplify that resolve with a vegan-friendly recipe free of artificial additives, GMO ingredients, and high fructose corn syrup. The manufacturer even donates a portion of the profits it gets from the $4.79 price tag you pay (for 20 cookies) to the nonprofit Trust for Public Land. The cookie made with simple ingredients even has a simple name — no clever spin on the Oreo name, just the descriptive label Classic Creme Sandwich Cookie. 

Despite the generic identity, the taste is anything but boring. The flavor begins with a bitter bite that hits deep in the taste buds. Then the sweet creme comes to the rescue to balance the cocoa so that it settles into a dark chocolate flavor. So why is this cookie sandwiched in the middle of this ranking? Unfortunately, the creme filling ruins the cookie's good vibes. Its off-putting texture is pasty, and it sticks to the teeth like wax, coating the mouth in a greasy mess.

Newman's Own brand — founded by Paul Newman, the Hollywood actor turned food entrepreneur — makes an Oreo look-alike called Newman O's. The "O" most likely stands for "organic" because the cookies were first introduced as part of the company's organic line. They include several organic ingredients and are vegan, non-GMO, and free of high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives.

What they do contain is both natural and alkalized cocoa, which sets them apart from some of the other dupes. Simply put, natural cocoa contributes a more intense flavor, a lighter color, and a finer grain to the chocolate cookies. Newman O's are noticeably brown when set side-by-side with other sandwich cookies, which are nearly black. Another difference is the amount of creme, which is similar to double-stuffed Oreo cookies. The filling is pleasantly sweet and applied generously; however, its thick and pasty texture was off-putting. The best comparison I can think of is oobleck, that part-liquid, part-solid concoction of corn starch and water that kids like to play with.

The cookies taste pretty good, but the real selling point is that all proceeds of Newman's Own products benefit children through the Newman's Own Foundation, which makes it easier to swallow the $6.99 price tag for 26 cookies.

For more than 100 years, Oreo has promoted its sandwich cookies with catchy ads and slogans, but the most enduring is "Twist, Lick, Dunk." Introduced in 1923, the campaign is often reimagined, like a recent U.K. giveaway that involved dunking a virtual Oreo. Walmart's Great Value Twist and Shout chocolate sandwich cookies' name draws on the appeal of that trademarked slogan.

When eating this Oreo doppelganger with the classic method, here is what happened: The cookie easily twists open. While Oreo's creme twist baffles researchers by twisting open with all the creme stuck to just one side, few other brands achieve that consistently. Being softer and stickier than Oreo creme, Twist and Shout's creme clings to both sides, but it's sweet and smooth. Dunked in milk for five seconds, the chocolate cookie takes on the milk without falling apart, but, unlike the real deal, the filling becomes slimy. This treat has just enough sugar to balance the bitterness into a good dark chocolate flavor. The price came out to $3.37 for 48 cookies.

Although sugar is listed as the first ingredient in these Whole Foods Market 365 cookies, they actually have less sugar than other brands, a total of 11 grams per serving. Interestingly, the ingredients include many types of sweeteners, such as powdered sugar, cane sugar, and invert cane sugar syrup, which all contribute different levels of flavor and texture. Cane sugar, which is less processed than granulated sugar, yields larger crystals that provide a good crunch and a hint of caramel flavor. It made the filling extra sweet and flavorful, but also slightly grainy. This supreme creme even passes the twist test — the filling remains intact on one side of the cookie. I was happy with the chocolate flavor of the cookie, too. These aren't as crunchy as other brands, but they don't fall apart when dunked in milk either. This was my first foray into the 365 brand of cookies, and I liked them a lot, but at $3.99 for just 26 cookies, they aren't my first choice.

They are pretty cookies, though. Each Oreo dupe has a unique design stamped on its cookies, careful not to drift too close to Oreo's design. The cookie giant mercilessly litigates imitations that are too similar, like when Mondelēz sued Aldi over copycat snack packaging. However, Mondelēz has mercifully left the Oreo cookie graphic etched on the grave of William Turnier alone, since he was the one who created the iconic design in 1952.

Private labels were selling vanilla cookie sandwiches long before Oreos introduced Golden Oreos in 2004. Walmart's Great Value sells an assorted option with vanilla and chocolate cookies. These chocolate sandwich cookies landed among the best on this list because they have a concentrated, milk chocolate taste and a slightly more satisfying crunch than other brands. Dunking these in milk is the best way to enjoy them because the creamy dairy boosts the rich chocolate. The creme filling is sweet, though somewhat grainy. Great Value sells its vanilla cookies separately, but you can't buy just a pack of chocolate unless you get the gluten-free version.

Great Value cookies also live up to their name as the cheapest cookie and the largest package on the list — $2.78, which works out to less than 5 cents per cookie. The treats are great, but I rank the packaging as "needs improvement". Like other products affected by poor packaging, once these cookies are open, there's no way to close them back up. Even worse, the plastic tray is too flimsy to hold the weight of the 57 cookies, so it requires two hands, quick reflexes, and juggling skills to carry the package anywhere.

This Oreo knock-off is a knock-out. Crav'n Flavor chocolate sandwich cookies with vanilla creme really do have a craveable taste. The chocolate cookie has a deep, dark chocolate flavor. But my favorite part of this cookie is the creme, thick and velvety smooth, with an indulgent marshmallow flavor. Even though each serving (three cookies) contains 14 grams of sugar, they don't taste that sugary and are the perfect ratio of bitterdark cocoa to sweet.

The resealable (yay!) package contains 36 cookies for $3.49 — just less than 10 cents per cookie. Now that I've discovered these cookies, I'm looking forward to trying some of the other varieties. The Crav'n lineup has sandwich cookie flavors I've never seen before — like graham churro and lemonade — along with some of my favorite flavors like candy cane and s'mores. And just when I think it can't get any better, those flavors are part of the double-stuffed line. (Yay! More creme!) Crav'n Flavor brand sandwich cookies are sold at Topco Associates' member stores.

One of the best Oreo cookie dupes is the one you'd least expect. Hy-Vee's That's Smart private label looks like the generic, budget-friendly store brand that it is. It's not a twin of an Oreo cookie, but it is its own kind of delicious sandwich cookie.

Eating That's Smart chocolate sandwich cookies, I found myself saying, "That's chocolatey," and "That's smooth," and "That's light." The cookie wafers are surprisingly rich in chocolate flavor. The creme filling is incredibly smooth. The cookies are noticeably lighter in color than most of the other brands. All these qualities create a flavorful, creamy, rich, and robust milk chocolate cookie. Fortunately, they come in a family-size package, and even though the package also includes vanilla sandwich cookies, That's Smart is really smart to offer two packaging options: one with two rows of chocolate and one row of vanilla, and the other with the opposite ratio of chocolate to vanilla.

That's Smart cookies are also a smart financial decision — 54 cookies for $2.99 — and a smart sugar choice, with 10 grams per two cookies.

Gluten-free Goodie Girl sandwich cookies are so sweet and chocolatey, crunchy and creamy. I would recommend them to anyone, regardless of whether they follow a gluten-free diet. I'm not claiming these are the most accurate imitation of an Oreo, but these are simply delectably delicious chocolate sandwich cookies. The creme filling is so richly creamy and smooth. Made with alternative flours like rice flour, oat flour, and tapioca starch, these cookies literally melt in the mouth like a pecan sandy but surprisingly don't fall to pieces when dunked in milk.

While wholesome, gluten-free ingredients are often considered "healthy", we're still talking about a treat that contains a whopping 18 grams of sugar per two cookies. These are absolutely the sweetest cookies on this list. Full disclosure, these are also the only double-stuffed cookies on the list.

These were also the most troublesome cookies to rank. We ranked Goodie Girl among the best gluten-free cookies, but this offering initially ranked low in my tasting because the creme filling had an off-putting, unexplainable raspberry flavor. It's a phenomenon that Redditors have also noted with Double Stuf Oreos, but I didn't find a conclusive explanation for why it happens. So I just bought a new box of 20 cookies (for $4.97) at a different store, and they were perfectly fine.

Oreos may dominate the market share, of sandwich cookies, but there is no shortage of delicious chocolate and creme cookies on the lower shelves. With the wide selection of wanna-be Oreos, I could have bought twice as many cookie brands as I did, but I limited it to well-known or locally available options.

I tasted the cookies as a whole unit and then sampled the creme and the chocolate wafer individually. Ratings are based on overall taste, the amount and flavor of chocolate, the wafer's texture, the ratio of creme to cookie, and the creme's taste and texture. Cookies lost points for odd flavors or for being overly bitter or overly sweet. Appearance and packaging were considered if they were particularly good or bad. I noted the prices, but it did not affect the ranking. I had a few other people taste the cookies to give their opinion, but I made the final call on each brand.