We Tried Every Popular Goldfish Flavor & This Is Definitively The Best

As much as we love pizza, this Goldfish flavor just doesn’t do the inspiration justice. Every bite is a blast of jarred tomato sauce with an overwhelming sprinkle of oregano. Several tasters likened these to pizza-flavored Combos—but worse. “I don’t need it in my life,” one said.

When we were younger, multicolored Goldfish were the star of the brand’s lineup. But now that we’ve grown up and no longer snack based on color, these crackers have lost their luster.

We love the commitment to natural ingredients—each color is derived from natural sources like beet, spinach, and turmeric—but we can’t say the same for the vegetal aftertaste they leave behind. “The red tastes like straight-up beet, and the green tastes like one of those styrofoam-esque veggie straws,” one taster said. “I’ll stick to the OG cheddar.”

This rendition of the beloved cheddar crackers opts for whole grain flour over the standard enriched wheat flour, which doubles the amount of fiber per serving. But is the swap worth the splurge (of a whopping 35 cents extra)? Our team’s thoughts were mixed.

Some tasters noted that these taste indistinguishable from the standard Cheddar. Associate Editor Amanda Mactas even prefers these, saying they’re her “all time fave.” On the other hand, some whole grain skeptics say they’re “healthier tasting” with an inferior taste and texture to the classic recipe.

Parmesan is the most grown-up and sophisticated flavor in the Goldfish portfolio, even if the cheese flavor is less pronounced than many of us hoped. That didn’t deter some of our testers, who loved the “subtle Parm funk” and flavors evocative of Annie’s boxed mac and cheese.

Still, some of our team found that the understated cheese flavor fell flat. If you want to maximize cheesiness, you’re better off with a different Goldfish variety.

Goldfish offers three sweet flavors in their standard lineup, and Strawberry Shortcake was our team’s least favorite of the three—but that’s not to say that we disliked it. The brand uses natural flavors, including real strawberry juice, in their recipe. But it still manages to have the same nostalgic, artificial-tasting berry flavor you’d find in a strawberry shortcake ice cream bar.

That went over well with some of our tasters, but many of us found it to be just a little overboard. One said they “could taste the fumes before even eating it.”

Baby Cheddar Goldfish are the same as the classic recipe, only smaller. Some of our tasters found the smaller size to be pointless, but there are some clear benefits. For one, you get .6 more ounces of product per bag for the same price as the standard Cheddar—that’s almost 10% more. The smaller cracker size also maximizes the surface area, so each handful comes with more of that savory seasoning.

“I didn’t know these existed and wouldn’t think to buy them, but they do have an extra spice to them,” one of our tasters said. Another said that baby Goldfish are “way more addicting, texture-wise.” But some Goldfish purists didn’t think the smaller size is necessary, especially for adult snackers.

This flavor looks starkly different from the other varieties for obvious reasons. And when it comes to pretzels, you can’t beat this shape. One of our tasters described them as “SO cute” and fun to eat. The small fish shape also means you get more of that golden brown, salt-crusted exterior with each bite. That being said, the consensus is best summed up by one of our taster’s thoughts: “They’re yum, but I don’t come to Goldfish for pretzels.”

These are some of the best pretzels on the market by far, but they’re not the best Goldfish—which is why they sit comfortably in the middle of the pack.

Flavor Blasted Goldfish defined our childhoods, and some of our team still love the nostalgic snack. But now that we’re all adults, many of us can admit that there’s such a thing as too much flavor.

“It tastes like I’m playing Xbox,” one of our tasters said. Another said that these are “good, but I don’t want more than three of them.” Our opinions on the Flavor Blasted powder itself varied, but we almost all agreed that there is simply too much of it on each cracker.

When you think of Original Goldfish, odds are your mind goes straight to Cheddar. But surprise! The real OG is cheese free. Original Goldfish are virtually born to float in a bowl of soup as a cute swap for oyster crackers. But they’re also delicious enough to eat by the handful. (We even use them as a substitute for the squiggly breadsticks in our homemade Chex Mix.)

Our tasters loved the simplicity of these Goldfish, calling them “simple but satisfying.” We all enjoyed this version, but let’s be real: in a crowded race, the Original is easily overshadowed by the other Goldfish offerings.

You know them; you love them. Cheddar Goldfish are the star of the savory lineup for good reason. Our tasters described this flavor as “classically delicious,” “nostalgic,” and “consistently good.” We grew up on these crackers and continue to reach for them as one of our favorite easy, cheesy snacks.

To be completely honest, we fully expected Cheddar Goldfish to be our team’s top pick. But the fan-favorite flavor was toppled by not one, but two sweet Goldfish varieties. Coming in at a close second is Vanilla Cupcake.

Our tasters say that Goldfish nails the vanilla flavor without being overly sweet. Most notably, the grahams are flavored with real vanilla extract—and you can taste it.

To be completely honest, we fully expected Cheddar Goldfish to be our team’s top pick. But the fan-favorite flavor was toppled by not one but two sweet Goldfish varieties. Coming in at a close second is Vanilla Cupcake. Our tasters say that Goldfish nails the vanilla flavor without being overly sweet. Most notably, the grahams are flavored with real vanilla extract—and you can taste it.