Back in the days of gold stars and recess, every kid had a favorite lunchtime or after-school snack. Some enjoyed Fruit Roll-Ups, others stuck with classic Goldfish, but I loved Quaker Chewy Granola Bars. They were the perfect size to eat quickly, and they were loaded with sweet chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or raisins. Though I’ve moved on from these glorified candy bars to healthier granola bars, I still snack on one of these classics every now and then to remind myself of simpler times.
In the name of research and nostalgia, I decided to taste and rank these chewy delights. Here are some of the best flavors, ranked from least awesome to the best of the best.
10. Oatmeal Raisin
Though Quaker Oats is known for their oatmeal, everyone knows that oatmeal raisin is a disappointing replacement for chocolate chip. These bars may have been your mom’s favorite, but they were the first to be traded in the lunchroom.
9. Caramel Apple
This flavor is a fall favorite and translates perfectly into popcorn. However, I don’t think that this bar is a winner, as the apple flavor is too artificial for my taste.
8. Chocolate Strawberries
Chocolate and strawberry is a perfect marriage of flavor, and it worked out well in granola bar form. The all natural strawberry pieces reminded me of the dried strawberries in Special K cereal, and were a fruity complement to the chocolate chips.
7. Chocolate Chip
Chocolate chip is the classic granola bar flavor. It’s simple and delicious. Though unexciting compared to the other bars Quaker offers, it’s always a crowd favorite.
6. Dark Chocolate Chunk
Dark chocolate is milk chocolate’s fancier cousin. Though this bar is basically the same as the classic chocolate chip, the extra richness of the chocolate chunks makes this bar a little more special.
5. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
Peanut butter and chocolate is the ultimate dessert combo, and these two flavors work perfectly in this granola bar. The sweet chocolate perfectly balances out the nutty peanut flavor. If you’re craving one of these right now, try making your own!
4. Chocolate Chip Dipps
Quaker’s Chewy Dipps combine a regular granola bar with a thick coating of chocolate. Though it’s delicious, it’s more of a candy bar than a granola bar, and the chocolate coating overwhelms the granola flavor. But let’s get real, more chocolate is never a bad thing.
3. Dark Chocolate Dipps
Just as the dark chocolate Chewy bar is slightly better than the regular chocolate chip, the dark chocolate Dipps bar is better than the chocolate chip Dipps. The dark chocolate coating is decadent, but not as dark as I would’ve hoped for.
2. Peanut Butter Dipps
The chocolate coating on these bars is replaced with a peanut butter coating that is reminiscent of Reese’s Pieces filling. Though it’s super rich, the taste of this bar brings me back to eating Reese’s Pieces at the movies.
1. S’mores
The undisputed king of Quaker Chewy granola bars, the S’mores flavor combines chocolate chunks and marshmallow bits for a summertime treat, no matter the season. As a kid, I always reached for one after school to give me a sweet fix and a tasty snack.
The next time you’re in the grocery store, pick up a box of one of these iconic bars. You can reminisce about days spent in crowded lunchrooms and playgrounds while enjoying a sweet snack. Your inner kid will thank you!