Walmart Shoppers Find This Pop-Tarts Copycat To Be Even Better Than The Real Deal

If your mornings are synonymous with Pop-Tarts, listen up: There is a copycat out there that might just be better than the original — cheaper, too. Walmart has several copycats that shoppers say surpass the name brands, and its Great Value Frosted Toaster Pastries seem to have cracked the code of the "crazy good" rectangular pastry, receiving high reviews from thousands of happy customers who have made the switch from the name brand.

Since they popped onto the scene in 1963, many Pop-Tarts impostors have come and gone, all seeking to dethrone the original toaster pastry. But beyond being a convenient breakfast-on-the-go hack, customers fell in love with the flavor, even driving modern-day artisanal bakers to try their hand at gourmet interpretations. The Great Value version doesn't offer nearly the range of flavors that Pop-Tarts does — sticking to tried-and-true varieties like brown sugar cinnamon, chocolate fudge, cookies and cream, cherry, and its most popular, strawberry. Walmart also doesn't have any unfrosted varieties. Still, Great Value 12-count boxes of Toaster Pastries ring up at $2.18, compared to $4.97 for a pack of 16 Pop-Tarts. Now, that's a cheap breakfast, no matter which way you go, but it's worth noting that Great Value's brand works out to be 36 cents per serving of two pastries, compared to 62 cents for Pop-Tarts. If you're a Pop-Tarts every morning type of person, those savings will add up.

Of course, price savings only go so far if the dupe's taste, texture, and overall experience are subpar to the original. Walmart's website shows Great Value's Strawberry Toaster Pastries have a rating of 4.7 stars from just under 3,000 reviews, compared to Kellogg's Strawberry Pop-Tarts, which have the same rating with over 10,000 reviews. Many Great Value reviewers say that once they tried the copycat version, they were never going back to the name brand. "They're delicious, and when toasted, they're absolutely mouthwatering," one reviewer wrote. Another said the Walmart brand pastries were "affordable and kids love them, especially the strawberry and cherry frosted pastries." Others echo this sentiment, adding that they've liked every Great Value flavor they've tried. 

Reviewers also appreciate that the Great Value packaging is very similar to Pop-Tarts, with two pastries in each individually-wrapped serving, offering the same convenience and freshness. Great Value even gets praise under the Pop-Tarts product's reviews. One wrote, "I did a side-by-side taste test with the store brand. The store brand: the crust is better, smells like strawberry, tastes a million times better." Still, some quick-breakfast connoisseurs take issue with the store brand pastries, saying they don't have enough frosting or filling. At least one reviewer was unhappy with the texture, saying the pastry crumbled and broke as they tried to eat it. Overall, the consensus among Pop-Tart fans is that Great Value's version is worth trying for the better bargain. If you're not a Walmart shopper, don't worry. There's another cheaper Pop-Tart copycat that Aldi shoppers prefer over the original. Whichever toaster pastry you're loyal to, try preparing them with a simple twist that makes Pop-Tarts way more decadent.