15 Best Pop-Tart Flavors

Debuting in 1964, the Pop-Tarts brand is older than most of its customers. But, despite its advanced age and solid spot in America’s cultural zeitgeist, the brand is having a moment.

2024 marked the first time that a college football bowl, the Pop-Tarts Bowl, had an edible strawberry Pop-Tart mascot. Jerry Seinfeld is releasing a movie about the breakfast pastry later this year. It’s also the year that we decided to put our Pop-Tart nostalgia to the test.

Buy a Pop-Tart sampler from Amazon if you’re nostalgic for Pop-Tarts too.

A Pop-Tart is essentially a portable breakfast pastry with a sweet filling. Many Pop-Tart fillings are fruity while other Pop-Tarts feature ingredients like chocolate and cinnamon sugar. Also important – most Pop-Tarts are topped with icing and decorated with sprinkles

It’s debatable whether Pop-Tarts taste better toasted or straight out of the package. Don’t get us started on people who eat frozen Pop-Tarts. However, there’s no debate that the rectangular treat has evolved the realm of breakfast and is a great snack choice at 2am or any time time of the day or night.

Discover more great snack choices.

The history of the Pop-Tart is no mystery. The Kellanova company (formerly Kellogg’s) proudly displays the breakfast pastry’s timeline on its website. This history started in 1963 when Kellogg employee “Doc” Joe Thompson and his team invented the Pop-Tart or, as he called it, the Fruit Scone. Unlike the pastry itself, Thompson’s original name was a dud and never hit the market.

Kellogg’s launched Pop-Tarts in 1964 but they weren’t the Pop-Tarts we know today. There were just four flavors (Strawberry, Blueberry, Brown Cinnamon Sugar, and Apple Currant) and those original Pop-Tarts didn’t have either frosting or sprinkles.

Frosting came a few years laters in 1967 along with new flavors – Dutch-Apple, Concord Grape, Raspberry and Brown Sugar-Cinnamon. Sprinkles debuted a little over two more years later.

Various new Pop-Tart flavors have come and gone over the past decades. Milton the Toaster was the beloved mascot when we were kids. While he’s gone, the “Crazy Good” Pop-Tarts tagline has survived since 2004. The same goes for miniature Pop-Tart Bites which debuted in 2018.

Fast forward to the present and Pop-Tarts are more popular than ever. But, proving that oldies can be goodies, the two most popular popular flavors, Frosted Strawberry and Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon, date back to the 1960s.

While Pop-Tarts are difficult to find in most countries around the world, they’re sold in practically every American supermarket and convenience store. They’re even sold in American vending machines. That’s how popular they are.

Like many, we have nostalgia for the Pop-Tart flavors that we grew up eating. Some, though not all, of those Pop-Tarts were fruity. However, just like us, the folks at Kellanova have been busy over the past few decades. While there were just four Pop-Tart flavors in 1964 and more than double that when we were kids, there are now more than 20 different flavors.

We were curious about the new Pop-Tart flavors and started to wonder if our childhood favorites had stood the test of time. That’s when we decided to buy and taste more than a dozen Pop-Tart flavors, both old and new, to find our favorites.

Based on our in-the-mouth research, these are our picks for the best Pop-Tart flavors:

Year Introduced: 1967
Calories in a Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tart: 170

Notable for its sweet fruity filling (which ironcically includes dried apples and dried pears in addition to dried strawberries), white frosting and rainbow sprinkles, Frosted Strawberry is the most popular Pop-Tart flavor. This status is nothing new – it’s held this ranking since 1967.

You may wonder if the Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tart’s popularity is due to nostalgia or marketing. However, the most important factor for us is that this über-popular Pop-Tart tastes great.

Our Take on Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tarts
The Pop-Tart sets the bar for all Pop-Tarts. Eating one makes us smile – especially when its hot out of the toaster.

Year Introduced: 1967
Calories in a Frosted Cherry Pop-Tart: 185

Frosted Cherry Pop-Tarts have been making kids of all ages smile since they first appeared on shelves more than five decades ago. Most of these ‘kids’ don’t realize that the cherry filling is made with both dried cherries and dried apples. The others don’t care since they’re too busy eating Frosted Cherry Pop-Tarts topped with both pink frosting and red sprinkles.

Our Take on Frosted Cherry Pop-Tarts
We’re partial to all types of cherries whether they’re in jams or they’re candied liked Luxardo cherries. With its pretty-in-pink appearance and cherry-flavored filling, the Frosted Cherry Pop-Tart is no exception to this rule.

Year Introduced: 1967
Calories in a Frosted Raspberry Pop-Tart: 185

The Frosted Raspberry Pop-Tart is ideal for fans of the red fruit of the forest since it’s the only Pop-Tart with dried raspberries in its filling. However, to be clear, the Raspberry Pop-Tart’s filling also has dried pears and dried apples. Equally important – this OG Pop-Tart is topped with both white frosting and red sprinkles.

Our Take on Frosted Raspberry Pop-Tarts
It helps that we’re raspberry fans since that’s what the filling tastes like. We’d be just as happy eating a Frosted Raspberry Pop-Tart as we’d be eating a Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tart or a Frosted Cherry Pop-Tart.

Year Introduced: 1967
Calories in a Frosted Blueberry Pop-Tart: 185

The filling in Frosted Blueberry Pop-Tarts is made with three different fruits – dried apples, dried blueberries and dried grapes. But, probably due to much lab testing, this beloved Pop-Tart flavor tastes, as labeled, like blueberries. Pop-Tarts also sells an Unfrosted Blueberry flavor for people who don’t like frosting and rainbow sprinkles. Needless, to say, we’re not those people.

Our Take on Frosted Blueberry Pop-Tarts
Although we liked the flavor of the this Pop-Tart, we were distracted by the fact that all of its rainbow sprinkles were purple. It still tasted good but the experience was a bit odd.

Year Introduced: 1967
Calories in a Frosted Brown Cinnamon Pop-Tart: 170

The Frosted Brown Cinnamon Pop-Tart clocks in as both the most beloved non-fruit Pop-Tart flavor as well as the number two overall favorite. We’re guessing that many Frosted Brown Cinnamon Pop-Tart fans are also cinnamon bun fans. And, since all elements of the iconic cinnamon-flavored Pop-Tart fall within the brown family, it’s proof that taste trumps color when it comes to Pop-Tart popularity.

Our Take on Frosted Brown Cinnamon Pop-Tarts
We might have ranked this classic Pop Tart flavor higher if it had sprinkles. But it doesn’t so we didn’t.

Year Introduced: 1967
Calories in a Frosted Chocolate Fudge Pop-Tart: 185

Continuing the brown theme, Frosted Chocolate Fudge Pop-Tarts have brown chocolate crust, brown chocolate-flavored filling and brown chocolate frosting. White sprinkles keep the toaster treat from being completely monotone.

Apparently some people like to eat the ultra-chocolate Pop-Tart with a glass of milk – an approach that we get and respect. Others choose to eat them for dessert which we also get and respect.

Our Take on Frosted Chocolate Fudge Pop-Tarts
This is our favorite chocolate-flavored Pop-Tart since it fully embraces the chocolate theme from the first bite to the last. We like to eat this flavor lightly toasted for a more intense chocolate experience.

Year Introduced: 2003
Calories in a Hot Fudge Sundae Pop-Tart: 185

Hot Fudge Sundae joined the Pop-Tart flavor family in 2005 and currently ranks among the brand’s top flavors. It seems like one of the weirdest Pop-Tart flavors on the surface yet the concept works with its combination of chocolate crust, vanilla filling, vanilla/chocolate frosting and rainbow sprinkles.

We’d love to know the story behind the Hot Fudge Sundae Pop-Tart. Were the creators on an all-night bender or simply craving ice cream in the morning? Either way, ice cream fans will want to eat this flavor straight out of the freezer to best replicate the sundae experience.

Our Take on Hot Fudge Sundae Pop-Tarts
We were excited to try this Pop-Tart flavor since it’s not one that we grew up eating. Plus, like most people, ice cream sundaes are one of our favorite desserts. While we love the concept, we didn’t love how sweet it tasted. We’re talking majorly sweet – a flavor for kids only.

Year Introduced: 2022
Calories in a Frosted Grape Pop-Tart: 190

You might think that the Frosted Grape Pop-Tart is a relatively new flavor since it hit the shelves in 2022. However, grape is far from a new addition to the Pop-Tart family. Not only is the purple fruit included in the Frosted Blueberry Pop-Tart ingredient list, but Concord Grape was one of the original four Pop-Tart flavors sold in 1967. Unlike that old-school Pop-Tart, the modern version has white frosting and colorful sprinkles in addition to its grape jelly filling.

Our Take on Frosted Grape Pop Tarts
We just had one thought when we bit into this Pop- Tart and that thought was that it would taste even better with peanut butter. We’re not sure how that would work and worry that adding peanut butter could get messy. However, considering that the Pop-Tart creators replicated an ice cream sundae, they surely could replicate a PB&J sandwich too.

Year Introduced: 1992
Calories in a Frosted S’Mores Pop-Tart: 185

Who doesn’t love eating S’Mores made with graham crackers, chocolate bars and marshmallows? The sweet sandwich is a summer dessert favorite associated with campouts and bonfires. But not everybody camps out and it’s not always summer. That’s when it’s time to crack open a box of Frosted S’Mores Pop-Tarts. Made with graham cracker crust, chocolate/marshmallow filling and chocolate frosting, they’re the next best thing to eating real-deal S’Mores.

Our Take on Frosted S’Mores Pop-Tarts
Toasting this Pop-Tart is the way to go and not just because that’s the best way to eat actual S’Mores. The Frosted S’Mores Pop-Tart simply tastes better when its chocolate and marshmallow fillings are hot.

Year Introduced: 2021
Calories in a Eggo Frosted Maple Flavor Pop-Tart: 190

The marketing slogan “L’eggo my Eggo” debuted in 1972 and quickly became a catch phrase during the 1970s. Since that’s the decade when we were in our prime Pop-Tart eating years, combining the Eggo and Pop-Tarts brands is a concept that we fully support. We also support this Pop-Tart’s drizzle of yellow icing and its maple-flavored filling.

Our Take on Eggo Frosted Maple Flavor Pop-Tarts
We’re not going to pretend that we like eating Eggo Frosted Maple Flavor Pop-Tarts as much as we enjoy eating Belgian waffles topped with grade A maple syrup. However, it’s still a fun Pop-Tart flavor both in terms of taste and appearance.

Year Introduced: 2023
Calories in a Frosted Apple Cinnamon Apple Jacks Pop-Tart: 185

Frosted Apple Cinnamon Apple Jacks is another Pop-Tarts flavor that reminds of our childhoods – especially Daryl who still considers Apple Jacks to be one of the best cereals sold in America. This Pop-Tart / Apple Jacks hybrid has apple cinnamon filling and white frosting plus green and orange sprinkles.

Our Take on Frosted Apple Cinnamon Apple Jacks Pop-Tarts
While we appreciate the creativity of this Pop-Tart, it’s easily the weirdest Pop-Tart flavor on our list. It’s a fun idea that doesn’t quite translate to Pop-Tart glory.

Year Introduced: 2006
Calories in a Frosted Cookies & Crème Pop-Tart: 180

The Frosted Cookies & Crème Pop-Tart isn’t the only food inspired by Oreo cookies. The popular sandwich cookie also inspired one of the world’s best ice cream flavors. As for the Pop-Tart, it channels the sandwich cookie’s inspiration with its chocolate cookie crust, vanilla cream filling, white frosting and cookie crumbles. And, unlike cookies & cream ice cream, the Pop-Top version doesn’t melt.

Our Take on Frosted Cookies & Crème Pop-Tarts
While Cookies & Cream ice cream is one of our favorite ice cream flavors, the Frosted Cookies & Crème flavor doesn’t crack our top ten Pop-Tart flavors. We found it too sweet for breakfast though less sweet than the Frosted Hot Fudge Sundae Pop-Tart.

Year Introduced: 2023
Calories in a Frosted Banana Bread Pop-Tart: 180

Banana bread is different from typical breads like sourdough and rye. It’s actually a quick bread baked with mashed bananas, brown sugar and, occasionally, chocolate chips. The best banana breads are moist and chock full of banana flavor. Pop-Tarts’ Frosted Banana Bread flavor attempts to replicate the banana bread experience with its cinnamon-spiced banana filling and banana-flavored frosting.

Our Take on Frosted Banana Bread Pop-Tarts
Frosted Banana is another Pop-Tart flavor that tastes better when heated. However, it misses the mark in replicating the real banana bread experience. Maybe it’s because it’s made with banana powder instead of mashed bananas. Or maybe it’s because there are no chocolate chips.

Year Introduced: 1995
Calories in a Frosted Wild Berry Pop-Tart : 185

Based on its box, you might think that Frosted wild Berry Pop-Tarts are made with blueberries, raspberries and strawberries but that’s not the case. Instead, this wildlicious Pop-Tart’s fruit ingredients include dried pears, dried apples, dried strawberries and natural wild berry flavor (whatever that is). Purple and blue frosting complete the pastry package.

Our Take on Frosted Wild Berry Pop-Tarts
Frosted Wild Berry is our least favorite fruit-flavored Pop-Tart flavor. Maybe we’d like the popular Pop-Tart flavor more if it had blueberries and raspberries in the filling. Plus, we find its vivid frosting colors to be a bit jarring.

Year Introduced: 2022
Calories in a Snickerdoodle Pop-Tart: 190

The word snickerdoodle is almost as fun to say as a snickerdoodle cookie is fun to eat. Inspired by German schneckennudel pastries, each buttery snickerdoodle cookie is baked with plenty of cinnamon and sugar. The same can be said of the Snickerdoodle Pop-Tart which has both cinnamon and sugar in its ingredient roster.

Our Take on Snickerdoodle Pop-Tarts
The Snickerdoodle Pop-Tart’s lack of frosting and sprinkles kept it from ranking higher on our list. Maybe it’s just us but a Pop-Tart without frosting or sprinkles is an incomplete Pop-Tart.

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