14 Dollar Tree Canned Goods To Pick Up On Your Next Shopping Trip

If your closest grocery store is a Dollar Tree, does this mean you live in a food desert? Technically, yes, if more standard supermarkets are over a mile away. (For urban areas, that is. In rural areas, the food desert radius extends to 10 or more miles.) Dollar Tree, at present, does not sell fresh meat or produce, and its dairy offerings are limited. Even so, the store has been making great strides with its selection. It's now my go-to destination for cheap chocolate that's actually worth grabbing, and I've discovered a surprising number of gourmet goodies hiding in the aisles. An expanded freezer case also means you can find hamburger patties, french fries, and ice cream — the makings of a complete meal, even if it isn't haute cuisine. These and other items are supplemented by a large selection of canned goods.

Canned food is the undisputed underdog of the food world. Chefs may sneer, but when storage space is limited and daily shopping trips are not on the agenda, "shelf stable" is not a dirty word. The canned goods on this list can all come in quite handy, with some being useful for baking, while others serve as snacks, side dishes, or even main entree ingredients.

A brief disclaimer for any vocabulary sticklers out there: Yes, two of these canned items actually come in glass jars. Dollar Tree counts them as canned, though, and this catch-all term is not infrequently used to encompass both types of packaging.

The adage "fresh is always best" only applies in certain circumstances, and baking a pineapple upside-down cake is not among them. While it's possible to bake with fresh pineapple, the fruit is just too acidic to yield the best results. Canned pineapple, however, works perfectly, and Dollar Tree sells three Libby's canned pineapple products: chunk pineapple, sliced pineapple, and pineapple tidbits. All three are packed in a light syrup that can also be incorporated into baking or saved to flavor a drink.

Purchase a 20-ounce can of Libby's Sliced Pineapple at Dollar Tree for $1.50.

We go through a lot of pickled jalapeños in my household, so one of my holy grail finds at Dollar Tree is jars of Breckenridge Farms Jalapeño Slices. It sometimes take a little hunting to locate them, and they aren't always in stock at each Dollar Tree I visit. When I do see them, though, I make sure to stock up, because they taste just like any name brand pickled jalapeños, but are quite a bit cheaper. Speaking of savings, here's a thrifty tip: Even the pickling liquid needn't go to waste, since it can be added to chili to wake up the flavor.

Purchase an 11.5-ounce jar of Breckenridge Farms Jalapeño Slices at Dollar Tree for $1.50.

The 20-teens and 2020s have been an era of unexpected culinary comebacks. Once reviled foods like Brussels sprouts and cottage cheese are now TikTok trendy, and the same thing seems to be happening with sardines. Well, why not? They may taste rather fishy, but they also compensate for it by having more calcium than a glass of milk. They can also be quite cheap, especially the Pampa Sardines in Brine or Tomato Sauce sold at Dollar Tree.

Purchase a 10-ounce can of Pampa Sardines at Dollar Tree for $1.50.

A mixture of corn, okra and tomatoes is a traditional southern side dish and also a signature product of the Georgia-based Margaret Holmes brand. The company has been making canned versions of southern vegetable dishes since the Great Depression, and now with Dollar Tree as one of its major retail partners, Margaret Holmes tomatoes, okra, and corn can be found at stores all across the nation.

Purchase a 14.5-ounce can of Margaret Holmes Tomatoes, Okra, and Corn at Dollar Tree for $1.50.

Dollar Tree has some true hidden gems that can make budget-friendly meals, one of them being Crider's canned Deluxe White Chicken. Chicken is a cheap canned protein you shouldn't sleep on, and not just because it makes a lousy pillow. Crider White Chicken is an excellent ingredient for tacos, pot pies, salads, or just about any recipe calling for a leftover rotisserie bird. Not only is the canned product far less expensive, but it's conveniently shelf-stable and won't go to waste if you don't get around to using it right away.

Purchase a 4.5-ounce can of Crider Deluxe White Chicken in Water at Dollar Tree for $1.50.

A quick glance at the reviews for La Sierra Refried Pinto Beans is all it takes to assure you that this is an exemplary product. Customers rave about the taste, nutrition, lack of animal ingredients, and generous can size, and all but one give it five stars. The one outlier is a complaint about an undelivered order, not the product itself, and the disgruntled shopper was only upset because they weren't able to get their hands on these beans, of which they're so fond.

Purchase a 20.5-ounce can of La Sierra Refried Pinto Beans at Dollar Tree for $1.50.

Canned pie filling is a versatile dessert ingredient that can do more than simply fill pie shells. Both Mother's Maid Apple and Cherry Pie Filling rate highly with Dollar Tree shoppers, and can be combined with boxed cake mix and butter for a three-ingredient cobbler or dump cake. You can also use them to upgrade store-bought donuts.

Purchase a 15-ounce can of Mother's Maid Pie Filling at Dollar Tree for $1.50.

Were sloppy Joe sandwiches a staple at your elementary school cafeteria? That's a meal that generations of Americans seem to have in common. If you're in a nostalgic mood, a can of Manwich Original Sloppy Joe Sauce can help you recreate the experience. For a more grown-up twist, the slightly spicier Manwich Bold Sloppy Joe Sauce can be used in a shortcut version of our sloppy Joe nachos.

Purchase a 15-ounce can of Manwich Original Sloppy Joe Sauce or a 16-ounce can of Manwich Bold Sloppy Joe Sauce at Dollar Tree for $1.50.

Asparagus fans may rhapsodize over this vegetable when it's fresh, but it's really at its best for just a few short months. Once springtime is over, do you really want to wait three more seasons? If not, a jar of McTrader Tender Green Asparagus Spears may be able to satisfy your craving. This product rates highly with Dollar Tree shoppers, with the lone unfavorable review coming from someone that was disappointed because the jar size isn't larger. (This would hardly be the case if they didn't like the taste.)

Purchase a 7-ounce jar of McTrader Tender Green Asparagus Spears at Dollar Tree for $1.50.

Although roasted peanuts may be the norm for snacking in the northern states, boiled peanuts have long been a southern food staple. I live in Wisconsin, and I've never seen them in a standard grocery store, and yet Peanut Patch Boiled Peanuts are always on the shelves at Dollar Tree. If you haven't tried boiled peanuts, the main difference between them and their roasted brethren is that they're soft and slightly squishy rather than being hard and crunchy. Boiling peanuts also seems to increase their nutritional value instead of decreasing it, as you might expect.

Purchase a 13.5-ounce can of Peanut Patch Boiled Peanuts at Dollar Tree for $1.50.

Gone are the days when Spam could be considered the poor person's ham. A 12-ounce can of Spam can cost almost $5 at the supermarket, and even at Dollar Tree, 2.5-ounce slices of Spam sell for $1.50. For a super-affordable alternative, however, there's Celebrity Luncheon Loaf, which is one of the many name brand dupes you'll find for cheap at Dollar Tree.

Purchase a 7-ounce can of Celebrity luncheon loaf at Dollar Tree for $1.50.

Here's an interesting new way to shake up Taco Tuesday: Instead of ground beef or chicken, try filling your tacos with canned smoked oysters. Even if it doesn't become your new favorite dish, you won't be out of a great deal of money if you use Dollar Tree's Pampa Smoked Oysters in Sunflower Oil. Not only are these oysters priced significantly lower than similar name-brand products, but each can also includes chiles, carrots, and onions.

Purchase a 3-ounce can of Pampa Smoked Oysters in Sunflower Oil at Dollar Tree for $1.50.

Canned fruit cocktail was once a main ingredient in old-school salads that hardly anyone eats anymore, but that doesn't mean it's entirely obsolete. Try using Island Choice Diced Fruit Cocktail to sweeten your chicken salad or level up your whiskey cocktail. It could also flavor baked goods, make a fruity ice cream topping, or even serve as a marinade for grilled chicken.

Purchase a 15-ounce can of Island Choice Diced Fruit Cocktail at Dollar Tree for $1.50.

Some foods are tasty enough to eat straight from the can, and Libby's Premium Mandarin Orange Segments in Light Syrup falls into that category. If you manage to restrain yourself and have some left over, it's also good in salads (fruit or green), in tropical flavored tacos, or on top of a fruity dessert pizza. (Try grilling the segments on skewers to add a sweet, smoky note.)

Purchase a 15-ounce can of Libby's Premium Mandarin Oranges at Dollar Tree for $1.50.