The Best & Worst Cookies on Shelves in 2021—Ranked!
Grabbing a bag of cookies before leaving the grocery store usually means breaking them open in the car before you even pull out of the parking spot. Everyone has a favorite cookie brand—whether it's a classic stack or filled with fruit. There's absolutely nothing wrong with grabbing a sweet snack every now and then, but know that most cookie brands on shelves right now are loaded with sugar and preservatives, making them less than stellar in the nutrition category.
As you're walking the aisles of the grocery store trying to figure out what treats to throw into your basket next, keep in mind this list of the most common cookies found across America—ranked from worst to best for your health. And, if you want to dig deeper into the dark side of the cookie world, check out The 30 Worst Supermarket Cookies in America.
Keebler E.L.Fudge Elfwich Double Stuffed Cookies
One of the most unhealthy cookies on shelves right now is the Keebler E.L.Fudge Elfwich Double Stuffed Cookies. They pack a punch at 180 calories and over a quarter of your daily sugar intake per two cookies.
Related: Sign up for our newsletter for the latest healthy eating news.
OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
OREO Chocolate Sandwich cookies are often thought of when people think of grocery store treats. The classic cookie is a favorite dunked in milk, but its high sugar content and calorie count make this an iconic choice you should probably eat sparingly.
Related: The Best & Worst Oreos in 2021—Ranked!
Chips Ahoy! Original Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chips Ahoy! Original Chocolate Chip Cookies are a lunchbox staple for many adults and kids. They're a slightly better choice than OREOS since they have less sodium and sugar, but you should still have a bit of self-control when these are in your grocery cart.
Vanilla Creme Wafer Cookies
Creme wafer cookies are an afternoon snack that most kids and adults love reaching for in the pantry. While they're light in texture, they're heavy in sugar and calories, so try not to overindulge in these.
Related: We Tasted 5 Fast-Food Vanilla Ice Creams and This Is the Best One
Lotus Biscoff Cookies
Lotus Biscoff Cookies are a tasty treat, and you do get quite a few cookies per serving. Just be sure to watch how many you grab, because at 150 calories for four, snacking on more can add up quickly.
Nutter Butter Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
If you absolutely must have a classic lunch box sweet, then consider Nutter Butter Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies. The serving size is smaller, but that means these also have fewer calories than other Nabisco options. Plus, they have slightly more protein because of the peanut butter.
Related: What Happens to Your Body When You Eat Peanut Butter Every Day
Archway Cookies, Iced Oatmeal Soft
Iced Oatmeal Archway Cookies have 140 calories per cookie, which is a lot for a small, two-bite serving. If you're looking for something to curb your sweet tooth this may be it, but just watch how many actually make it out of the box in one sitting.
Nilla Wafers Vanilla Wafer Cookies
Nilla Wafers? You either love or hate 'em. One plus is that you get a larger amount per serving than many other options that are similarly sized. Be careful with these though, because 11 grams of sugar can be overkill if you're adding these wafers to something like banana pudding.
Pepperidge Farm Milano Double Dark Chocolate Cookies
Milano cookies are iconic treats, and, luckily, contain fewer milligrams of sodium than other grocery store options (only 35 mg).
Related: 15 Things You Don't Know About Pepperidge Farm
Pepperidge Farm Verona Strawberry Thumbprint Cookies
Fruit-filled cookies like Pepperidge Farm Verona Strawberry Thumbprint Cookies are a sweet bite at 130 calories per serving and 10 grams sugar.
Teddy Grahams Chocolate Graham Snacks
Teddy Grahams Chocolate Graham Snacks are a decent choice in the cookie and snack aisle. The serving size of 24 cookies is quite large, and there are just 130 calories and four grams of fat per serving. After one portion, your hankering for something sweet will have been squashed.
Walkers Pure Butter Shortbread
Walkers Pure Butter Shortbread can be part of a healthy cookie diet, as long as you only have one. Each cookie has 100 calories and just six grams of fat.
Newtons Soft and Chewy Fig Cookies
One of the best cookies you can add to your cart right now is Newtons Soft and Chewy Fig Cookies. Two cookies are only 100 calories and the serving size is very low in fat. Plus, they don't contain high fructose corn syrup—an added sugar that's been linked to diabetes and obesity.
Stauffer's Animal Crackers, Original
Animal Crackers can evoke a feeling of nostalgia in adults (and get kids to do just about anything for these as a prize). The sweet cookie-like crackers have 120 calories per 16-cracker serving, two grams of fat, and only 7 grams of sugar. Talk about a healthy snack!
Read more:
