8 Pantry Staples Worth Buying At Dollar Tree

You may know of Dollar Tree as a cheap place to buy home essentials, personal care products, and even seasonal decor. But did you know that it's also one of the best grocery chains for budget shopping? Sure, it's not a whole grocery store, and you're not going to find a lot of essentials there, especially when it comes to fresh foods, like produce. But if you're looking for pantry staples, Dollar Tree will have you covered every time. Food at this store sometimes costs more per unit than it does at other grocery chains; however, it allows shoppers to buy smaller quantities. This can make it an excellent budget option when you don't have much money in the bank but need to get food on the table tonight.

Not everything at Dollar Tree is worth your money, but we're taking a closer look at the pantry staples that absolutely are worth buying at Dollar Tree. You can stock your pantry with these affordable items to ensure that you always have the basics on hand, so you can throw together a meal even when your fridge is bare. Once you stock up on the basics, make sure to check out these unexpectedly gourmet foods you can find at Dollar Tree, and then learn about some little-known facts about the chain so you can optimize your shopping experience the next time you're there.

Prices are as of the date of publication and may vary based on region.

One thing that a lot of people overlook when they're building up their pantry stash? Spices. You can have all the rice, pasta, beans, and canned tuna you want — if you don't have spices, your meals aren't going to taste very good. But at many grocery stores, spices can be wildly pricey. In fact, a 2.6-ounce container of garlic powder at my local Star Market can go for as much as $7.49 at the time of writing, and the cheapest option is still $2.79. That will really cut into some grocery shoppers' budgets, and it makes it difficult to buy several types of seasoning all at once.

But spices at Dollar Tree are quite competitively priced. You can get shakers of both salt and pepper in one pack for just $1.50, while many other spices and seasoning blends are available from $1.25 to $1.50 each. This allows shoppers to stock up on seasonings for their pantries in one or two trips, so you won't have to eat food seasoned the same way over and over again. Whether you're building your pantry from scratch or you're just trying to replace spices you've already used up, Dollar Tree has you covered.

One of the most essential pantry staples you should always have on hand is pasta. You barely need any other ingredients to turn pasta into a satisfying meal — some butter or olive oil and a few seasonings will do the trick when you don't have a lot else to choose from in the kitchen. Plus, it's shelf-stable and filling, making it the perfect food to keep stashed in your pantry for those days when you need to throw a quick dinner together.

Luckily, you can find a variety of pasta shapes at Dollar Tree that work for many different pasta-based recipes. (The gnocchi is especially popular amongst Redditors.) Many of these pasta boxes are available for $1.50. That might not be the absolute cheapest price, depending on where else you shop for groceries, but it's affordable enough to make Dollar Tree a viable place to stock up if you're already there shopping for other items.

But Dollar Tree offers more than just plain pasta — it also carries products like Knorr Pasta Sides and Betty Crocker Suddenly Pasta Salads, which eliminate the need for any seasoning or extra ingredients and provide a flavorful meal base all on their own. And at some Dollar Tree locations, you may even be able to find pre-cooked pasta that you can heat up in a microwave, which is perfect for those who may not have access to a stove.

You may not immediately think of pickles as an essential grocery staple, but they're actually a great food to keep in your pantry or fridge. Even though they're not fresh, pickles still allow you to add some veggies to your diet, which is always a good thing. Plus, they offer a freshness and bright, acidic flavor you can't get from many other ingredients. They're a great way to brighten up a dish that's otherwise pretty heavy or fatty. And then there's the fact that you can use the pickle juice in dressings, marinades, and beyond — why wouldn't you want to keep a steady pickle supply in your kitchen?

But you don't have to use a significant portion of your grocery budget to snag yourself some pickles if you're shopping at Dollar Tree. There are many jars of cucumber pickles at the store that cost just $1.50. Whether you prefer sweet bread and butter pickle chips or spicy pickle spears, you have an option at this discount store. Compared to the lowest price I found at my local Star Market, which comes in at $2.79, you're getting a great deal here.

These days, fresh meat is getting more expensive. While a pound of ground beef or package of chicken thighs used to be a relatively budget-friendly protein option, that's becoming less of a reality for many shoppers out there. This is where canned meat and seafood can come into play. Does it always taste as good as the fresh stuff? Maybe not. But it's more affordable, and it's shelf-stable, so you can keep some in your pantry until you're actually ready to use it.

Dollar Tree definitely delivers when it comes to canned meat and seafood. You can get canned chicken at Dollar Tree for significantly less than you'd find it at other grocery stores. It also offers competitive prices on canned tuna compared to the selections elsewhere. Plus, there's a decent selection at many Dollar Tree locations. In addition to canned chicken and tuna (which might just be the most versatile canned protein options), you may also come across Armour Vienna Sausages, luncheon loaves, sardines, and even mackerel, all canned for a maximized shelf life in your pantry. Whether you're trying to save money or you just don't want to bother cooking protein from scratch, these are Dollar Store pantry staples you'll want to take advantage of.

So, you're craving baked goods, but you don't want to buy the pricey cookies and cakes from your local grocery store's bakery section. Or, perhaps you want to whip up a quick batch of muffins whenever you get the craving for something sweet. Although you won't find a ton of fresh, premade baked goods at Dollar Tree, you can still snag a wide array of cookie, cake, and muffin mixes. These mixes generally require very few additional ingredients and yield baked treats that, in many cases, taste nearly as good as a homemade take on the same dish. And the best part? Because you don't have to buy the flour, baking powder, sugar, and other ingredients separately, you can make one of these mixes without spending a lot of money upfront.

A Pillsbury Traditional Yellow Cake at Dollar Tree sells for just $1.50 at the time of writing, as does the same brand of a chocolate cake. There are multiple brownie mixes to choose from, and you can even snag a box of Jiffy Cornbread Mix for just 75 cents. If that's not a good deal, we don't know what is.

Cooking oil is one of those pantry staples that basically everyone needs in their kitchen, no matter what kind of diet they follow. After all, if you're frying or sauteing anything, it's arguably one of the most important ingredients in the mix. But different types of oil can be pretty pricey, depending on where you buy them from. At Dollar Tree, though, you can find incredible deals on cooking oil. A 16-ounce bottle of vegetable oil, for instance, goes for just $1.50 at Dollar Tree. For a bottle of the same size at Star Market, you'd have to pay $3.49.

You can find olive oil at an incredible price; a bottle of Bertolli extra virgin olive oil costs considerably less per ounce than at Star Market. Even though you get less oil in a bottle at Dollar Tree, you don't have to pay quite as much upfront, which makes it easier to snag olive oil if you don't have a ton of cash in your checking account. And if you're really trying to save money, you can buy a bottle of mixed soybean and olive oil at Dollar Tree for just $1.50.  It may not be the most delicious oil you've ever tasted, but it can be a solid option when you're pinching pennies.

One category of food that Dollar Tree is especially good for is snacks. Many of the store's snacks are individually packaged (or just available in smaller packages than normal), which means you can get yourself a little treat without having to invest in a huge bag of munchies. For those of us who can finish a bag of snacks in a single sitting, that smaller portion size might be a good thing.

You can find basically any type of chips you're craving at Dollar Tree. Zapp's beloved Voodoo chips are there, as is the iconic and ultra-crunchy Cape Cod brand. There are chips made from sweet potatoes and plantains and corn, so even if you don't like traditional potato chips, there's still plenty to check out. El Sabroso's guacamole-flavored tortilla chips are an especially fun option if you're looking for extra flavor but don't want to buy an extra dip to go along with your chips.

Most of these chips can be found at Dollar Tree for just $1.25, making them an excellent deal for casual snacking. If you're the kind of person who always likes to have something to crunch on at home, these snacks can absolutely be considered a pantry staple.

Sure, pickles are an excellent way to add an acidic tang to your dishes, but they don't work in every dish. If you're looking for a slightly deeper, funkier, more complex form of acidity to incorporate into your dishes and include on your snack plates, olives are the way to go. The only problem? Olives can be pretty expensive at some grocery stores. The lowest price I found for jarred olives (which, in my opinion, taste better than the canned variety) at my local Star Market is $2.49. 

At Dollar Tree, though, you're looking at jarred olives for almost a full dollar cheaper, at just $1.50. And that's not just one variety of olive — you can even get a jar of pitted Kalamata olives for that same $1.50 price tag. Olives feel like a little bit of a luxury. Whether you want to eat some alongside a few pieces of cheese for a snack or chop them up to add to a simple pasta dish, they're a nice addition to your pantry.

The items listed here are truly pantry staples — foods that home cooks are likely to use regularly and that are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. I selected these staples by looking at price, first and foremost, but also considered the quality of the products at hand. These Dollar Tree staples might not be the cheapest option per unit, but the base prices are low enough to make them a good deal for shoppers who are trying to get out of the store without spending too much money all in one trip. I've tried many of these products myself and can attest to their quality, but I consulted Reddit in one case.