Every Wheat Thins Flavor, Ranked Worst To Best

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I think we all go through phases with food. I know I do. There are times when I will hyper-fixate on a specific meal or snack. Then, I'll go through dry spells where I don't buy it or eat it for months. Wheat Thins, specifically, are a prime example of this. Those crunchy, whole-grain squares from Nabisco have been around since 1947, yet sometimes I completely forget they even exist — until the day comes when I pick them up again, and the cycle repeats itself.

My most recent rediscovery of Wheat Thins actually came with a bit of a surprise. There are now seven different kinds of Wheat Thins to choose from? I'm not sure when this development occurred. Of course, I'm familiar with the classics like Original, Reduced-Fat, and Low-Sodium. But now there are new faces like Ranch, Spicy Sweet Chili, and even Big Wheat Thins — because why reinvent the cracker when you can just make it larger? It's an interesting evolution, to be sure. But it's just the kind of assortment that calls for a good old taste test.

I hunted down all seven boxes in the lineup and crunched my way through every single one. They're all made from 100% whole grain wheat and follow the same thin format (if they didn't, they couldn't be called "Thins," could they?). So ranking them came down to their subtle nuances in flavor and, ultimately, how much I wanted to keep eating them.

Running the risk of seriously offending my people (aka Midwesterners), I have to say that I don't think the Ranch Wheat Thins are all that. They do, at least, look the part. The thin squares come coated in an off-white powder with green specks. It's the kind of powder that clumps more and more onto your fingers as you continue reaching back into the box.

I thought they would taste like the dry Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning packets (the secret weapon that can elevate anything from burgers to roasted broccoli), and they're made with many of the classic ingredients you would expect — such as buttermilk, garlic powder, and cheddar cheese powder. However, the taste doesn't have the tangy punch I was hoping for. It's on the milder side, with just a touch of a creamy, cooling flavor and some muted herbal notes. The puff of aroma you get when you first open the box may just be stronger than the taste itself. I found myself wishing for a heavier dusting of seasonings.

So on their own, they're just okay. I even liked the brand's ultra-basic flavors more. That doesn't mean they wouldn't make a great vessel for a zesty dill dip or creamy Buffalo chicken dip, though.

The name of this flavor only makes sense if you know that Original Wheat Thins do have a bit of added salt. Therefore, "Hint" of Salt means that these crackers have less sodium than the Original. I think "reduced-sodium" or "low-sodium" would have been a clearer naming convention, but maybe that's just me.

Naming woes aside, the thins themselves didn't give me much to complain about. They're not too far off from their predecessors, save for the reduction of salt, of course. The Original has about 200 milligrams of sodium per serving (a serving is a whopping 16 crackers, by the way), while these contain 55 milligrams. The lower salt is pretty obvious. Some squares even taste as though they're completely unsalted. However, you still get a satisfyingly crunchy texture and toasty, whole-grain flavor. A light honeyed sweetness also becomes more prominent due to the lack of salt, making them taste a bit like graham crackers.

Really, these are Wheat Thins in their most stripped-down state. They're not showy or anything particularly special, but that light kiss of sweetness made them more appealing to me than the ranch variety. They're a respectable pick, especially for those looking to cut back on salt.

The fact that these crackers achieve a spicy sweet chili flavor without the use of artificial flavors or colors was an immediate check in the pros column. It sounds like a simple thing, but that's not always easy to find in packaged snacks.

You'll find real spices, including chili pepper, on the ingredient list, as well as brown sugar, garlic powder, and onion powder. The result is a Wheat Thin with a subtle Asian flair. The flavor really explains itself. It starts off a touch sweet, then finishes with the smallest of peppery kicks. Just imagine a Spicy Sweet Chili Dorito (our favorite Doritos flavor here at Tasting Table), but more toned down on all fronts. It's very possible that the wheat cracker mellows out the seasonings. At the same time, the seasonings seem to mellow out the cracker, giving it a slightly softer bite. What wasn't mellow were the garlicky notes that popped up in the aftertaste.

I wouldn't say the Spicy Sweet Chili Wheat Thins fully live up to their name. I would have liked a bolder seasoning mix. But I still appreciated the balance of sweet, savory, and spice. And if given the choice, I'd reach for these over the Hint of Salt variety.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I still think it's hard to beat the Original Wheat Thins recipe. I tried them first as a baseline, and I had a hard time stopping after just one or two. I forgot how dangerously snackable they are — which is odd because they don't sound like they would be. They're just little masses of whole-grain wheat pressed so thin that you can hardly see them when turned on their side. But there's something about the saltiness paired with that snappy texture and nutty flavor that makes you always want to reach for just one more.

I do find them to be just a bit sweet as well. It doesn't come through as much here as it did in the Hint of Salt flavor, but it's definitely still there and only adds to the charm. You can reimagine the Wheat Thin with other flavors, and maybe even make it a little bit better. But the Original box will always have a place on the shelf for all those times you just want something simple and nostalgic.

See, this is the appropriate name for this variation. You don't see them being referred to as "Hint of Fat" Wheat Thins, do you? The Reduced Fat name makes it much more obvious what you're getting: crackers with less overall fat content. They offer 25% less fat than Original Wheat Thins, to be exact. So each serving of 16 crackers contains just 3.5 grams of total fat instead of 5 grams.

If there's a difference in flavor between these and the originals, it's mighty subtle. You still get that same wheaty flavor profile paired with just as much sweetness and the same amount of salt. Just because they're low-fat doesn't mean those salt crystals went anywhere. The texture is just as crunchy as ever; they may even be crunchier than other flavors.

The only small deviation I can see between these and the original is that they come off just a touch drier. But it's not enough to put me off. Plus, by the time you top them with charcuterie or dip them into a bowl of homemade hummus, you'd never be able to tell. So between the Original and Reduced Fat, I have to give the upper hand to Reduced Fat, as it's nearly the same taste experience with less fat. It's a win-win.

I'll admit that I scoffed at these at first. I thought, "Does the world really need oversized Wheat Thins? What purpose are they serving if you can just pair together two normal Wheat Thins and end up with roughly the same snacking surface area?"

However, it didn't take long for me to see the potential. If you're planning to dress up your Wheat Thins in any way, shape, or form, these are the way to go. A standard-sized Wheat Thin doesn't give you much room to work with. But a Big provides ample space for a stack of goat cheese and prosciutto, cheddar and apple slices, or even something like chicken salad. It becomes a crostini-like landing pad for all your favorite ingredients. And on top of its size advantages, the Bigs still have that same beloved and familiar flavor. All the classic notes are accounted for, including the nuttiness, saltiness, and sweetness. They're plenty crispy, and some of the enlarged squares even felt a bit toastier than the Original. As a big fan of snacks like Extra Toasty Cheez-Its, the roasty-toasty flavor was yet another selling point for me.

Ultimately, the choice between Original, Reduced Fat, and Big depends on your cracker needs. But I found the Bigs to be more versatile and even a bit tastier, so you do the math.

Sprucing up its crackers with bright and fresh flavors was the smartest thing the Wheat Thins brand ever did. Compared to Ranch and Spicy Sweet Chili, which promised heavier, richer flavors but didn't quite deliver, this box does a complete 180. The Sundried Tomato & Basil Wheat Thins are easily the most flavorful of the bunch. But they somehow pull it off without completely washing out the toasty whole-wheat taste of the cracker underneath.

The zesty tomato powder was the first to hit my palate, and it did manage to mimic the stronger, sweeter flavor of the sun-dried version of the fruit. I also picked up on light notes of garlic and even bell peppers in the seasoning blend. As for the second part of the equation, the taste boils down to more of a generic herb flavor than true basil. But it's still a well-rounded flavor and one that seamlessly pairs with the wheat cracker.

If we're judging Wheat Thins purely by how they taste on their own, with no toppings or other adornments, the Sundried Tomato & Basil variety is the way to go. But there's also plenty of potential to build on what's already there. That garden-fresh blend of tomatoes, veggies, and herbs gives you ample opportunities for creative pairings.

It's not difficult to track down a box of Wheat Thins. At the very least, you'll find the Original at nearly any grocery store you visit. I've even seen them at drugstores and gas stations. Getting your hands on all seven varieties? Now, that is admittedly more of a challenge. But luckily, I was able to find them all sitting on the shelf together at my local Meijer.

As I mentioned, every single one of these flavors is pretty similar. The brand isn't breaking the mold too much on each new product rollout. You can always count on 100% whole-grain wheat, a satisfyingly crunchy texture, and that lightly nutty, salty-sweet flavor — sometimes it's just more hidden. So ranking each box came down to the small things that made each one different. I honed in on seasonings, looking for real ingredients that produced authentic tastes. However, in some cases, simpler was better. Wheat Thins that were even more stripped down than usual still fared well, and in a surprising turn of events, Big actually proved better than many other varieties. I took all this into consideration as I made my decisions, but the most important factor was each cracker's snackability and how likely I'd be to polish off the box.