10 Kroger Store-Brand Foods That Beat Name Brands

Have you ever been grocery shopping and, as soon as you are about to reach for your go-to name-brand item, pause and glance at the generic lookalike next to it? It appears to be the same item, but it is less expensive and promises the same great taste. You wonder, "Can I trust it, or am I going to take one bite, hate it, and have wasted my hard-earned money?" I've been there myself, and if I am being honest, the only reason I even consider the store brand is because it's usually priced much better than the name-brand items I love. I have strongly disliked some of the generic products I took a chance on, but I have also been fortunate to find some winners. 

That said, store brands like Kroger have really gone out of their way to step up their game. I have tried many Kroger-branded products as a regular shopper at the store, and I used my personal experience to assemble this list of some of my favorite Kroger-branded products I've tried. They taste as good as, if not better than, name-brand products, and who doesn't like saving some money when it comes time to checkout?

At first, I wasn't quite sure whether Kroger's Kaleidos were trying to be Oreos or if they were something completely different. But when I saw that Kaleidos came in Oreo-like varieties, including Double Filled, Gluten-Free, and Mint variations, I knew I had to try them and see how they compared to the iconic chocolate sandwich cookie.

Throwing caution to the wind, I picked up a package of the Double Filled Kaleidos and haven't looked back since. I was delightfully surprised the first time I tried them, as there were some mixed reviews about the quality of the cookie, but I thought it was on point with Oreo. The cookies are delightfully crunchy, just like the signature Oreo. The cream filling was generous, to say the least, and met the double-filled standard. Now for the ultimate test: Did it dunk and still keep its cookie shape like an Oreo? The cookie did seem to soften in the milk a little faster than Oreos, but then again, I eat them quickly after the dunk, so it isn't an issue for me.

Kroger's Double Filled Kaleidos have every bit the crunchy, chocolatey cookie crunch and an equal amount of velvety, vanilla cream as Oreos. You can be proud to dunk Kaleidos in your next glass of cold milk.

Your first thought may be "Brauns'whater?" Braunschweiger is a German word for sausage made from pork or beef liver that originated in Brunswick. I know, I know, it's not for everyone, and liverwurst-like products as a whole are starting to become an unknown option in the deli. If I'm being honest, it isn't pretty; it looks like a large bologna sausage. The color is pinkish-brown, and it is smooth in texture, so it's hard to visually distinguish one brand from another. However, each brand has its own unique flavor. 

For a long time, Koegel was my go-to brand, but one day Kroger had its Braunschweiger out, so I gave it a whirl. When I sliced off a piece, I noticed immediately that the Kroger brand was softer. It was easier to spread, though I wouldn't call it spreadable. It breaks up more easily than Koegel's Braunschweiger. It also has a much milder flavor, which I prefer. Based on that experience, I now consider Kroger's Braunschweiger my favorite brand.

Thinking of giving Braunschweiger a try but not sure how to start? I would recommend cutting a ½-inch slice, smearing it around on one slice of rye bread as best you can. Then add a Vidalia onion slice, yellow mustard, and top it with another slice of rye.

Orville Redenbacher is synonymous with popcorn, is plenty buttery and crunchy, and produces nicely sized popped kernels. But I love to save a few dollars so I bought its store-brand competitor: Kroger's Movie Theater Butter Microwave Popcorn.

Knowing what popcorn to buy for movie night can be nerve-racking, so I took to the reviews. The reviews on the Kroger website were split; half love it and the other half doesn't. However, the good reviews were great, so it did seem like a chance worth taking. Some of the reviews mentioned burning while popping, so I stood and watched it pop (since nothing's worse than a burned bag of popcorn — you'll smell it for a week). Thankfully, there was no burning. Others complained of a lot of leftover unpopped kernels. I did have a few of those, but this is a common occurrence for most microwave popcorn brands. 

The kernels were large, crunchy, and coated generously in butter. I had no problem eating the whole bag and consider Kroger's Movie Theater Butter Popcorn my first choice of microwave popcorn, especially compared to more expensive name brands like Orville Redenbacher.

Whether it's the star of the recipe or the backup ingredient, the smooth creaminess and tang of cream cheese make all the difference. For many, there is only one name in cream cheese, and that's Philadelphia. In fact, until the day I learned otherwise, I thought Philadelphia was the only cream cheese brand. Apparently I don't get out much. But I was excited to find out that Kroger has its own cream cheese and I wanted to give it a try, especially because it's priced significantly less than name-brand Philadelphia.

I am not a cream cheese snob, but it does need to be tangy and creamy — yet firm. It must also whip up nicely, as I love to use it for buttercream. This cream cheese checks all of those boxes. The tanginess and texture are perfect.

There are two defining things that make this a better cream cheese choice than Philadelphia. Firstly, it's a little softer than the name brand, and since I like a good spread of it on my bagel and in buttercream, it's exactly what I need. Second, Kroger Cream Cheese is much cheaper — and that matters. So whether you're after quality cream cheese or a cheaper option, Kroger Cream Cheese is worth the buy.

Kellogg's introduced its Nutri-Grain Bar more than 30 years ago. It was the perfect product for folks looking for simple breakfast ideas for busy mornings. Kroger offers its own version, called Fruit & Grain. Each bar has 8 grams of whole grains and is not made with high-fructose corn syrup. The outside of the bar has a soft, muffin-like texture. The filling is generous and adds a nice sweetness to this breakfast treat. In fact, I find Kroger's bar to have a better fruit flavor than Nutri-Grain's, making the Fruit & Grain my No. 1 choice overall. 

My favorite way to eat the Kroger Fruit & Grain bars is with my black coffee in the morning. They also make a great snack option; I love that I can throw one in my purse and go.

Usually, I'm a "Choosy moms choose Jif" kinda gal, but now I am endeared to Kroger's Creamy Peanut Butter. The peanut butter experience for me starts when I pull off the safety seal and see the smooth, glossy, glass-like surface. This store-brand peanut butter has it, and I almost feel guilty sticking a spoon in it. 

Now to the nuts — pun intended — and bolts of the peanut butter experience. Texture is everything in a peanut butter. I prefer creamy peanut butter, and the texture of the Kroger peanut butter is perfectly smooth and thick. It stays in place on the spoon, but can easily be mixed into recipes. 

The flavor is not to be overshadowed by the texture. I find the flavor to be a notch above Jif. What makes the difference? Molasses. Kroger uses more molasses, which provides a richer flavor profile that enhances the peanut flavor. Sorry, Jif; I was a lifelong fan, but Kroger stole my heart on this one. From making peanut butter banana sandwiches and homemade peanut butter cups to Thai chicken peanut salad, Kroger's Creamy Peanut Butter has what it takes.

Quaker corners the market on oat products. It has been making a variety of chewy granola bars (which our taster tried and ranked) since the 1980s. But Kroger's Chewy Dipped Chocolate Granola Bars give Quaker's Chewy Dipps some stiff competition.

I never had an interest in granola bars, but one day, my daughter begged me to get her the granola bars like her friends had in their lunches. A kid after my own heart, she chose the chocolate-covered variety, and we both loved them. I eventually decided to try the less expensive version: Kroger's Chewy Dipped Granola Bars. I was expecting the same taste as Quaker, but something was different with the Kroger version. It took me two bites in to figure it out: Kroger uses dried coconut. It's not overpowering, but comes through just enough.

Every bite of the Kroger Chewy Dipped Granola Bar is as oaty, sweet, and chocolatey as the name-brand bars, but is elevated with the coconut. The Kroger-branded bars are a favorite snack in our household and are great refrigerated, which gives the chocolate a slight snap.

I would never have known maple crème-filled cookie was even a thing if it weren't for my grandparents. They would always bring a package of Butternut Mountain Farm Maple Leaf Cookies over every fall, and my dad would hide them so us kids didn't eat them all. The adults in my family considered these cookies very special, probably because they were seasonal and hard to find.

Fast forward to adulthood, and I got a hankering for these cookies and found them difficult to find at major grocery store chains. Kroger has its own version, though I was skeptical. How do you go from trusting a classic from your grandparents to taking a chance on the Kroger Maple Crème Cookies instead?

The chance I took paid off. The Kroger cookies feature a rich, maple cream center made with real maple syrup. It's sandwiched by two buttery, crumbly, and shortbread-style cookies. They taste like fall wrapped up in a cookie — just like I remembered. 

So what sets them apart from the Butternut Mountain Farm cookies I grew up with? The price. The Butternut Mountain Farm cookies are more than $2.50 extra per package — not including shipping. That's a lot of extra money for a cookie. As such, Kroger's Maple Crème Sandwich Cookies are my go-to brand, thanks to their low cost and authentic maple taste.

How many variations of butter can I count? I used to think butter was just butter, but not anymore. We have European-style butter, butter from Ireland that gets its color and flavor from the grass the cows eat, and so on and so forth. Each variety has its own perks and its own high price tag.

I'm not against fancy butters; in fact, I love trying them all. For a long time, my favorite sweet cream butter was from Tillamook. Tillamook has marketed itself as the go-to dairy brand, and I believed it. With a name as cute as Tillamook, who wouldn't? So I splurged on it. How much of a splurge? To the tune of an extra $2.70 per pound.

Here's the thing: I use a lot of butter. As someone who spreads it on thick, sautés with it, bakes with it, and uses it on sourdough toast, I need dependable, consistently priced butter for everyday living. Kroger Sweet Cream Butter is just that. It's my secret weapon to delicious, on-budget bites, as it's reliably creamy, ready for the pan, and holds up in a delightful buttercream. I like to use the unsalted version so I can add extra salt as needed. 

Ruffles — with their rigid lines, salty finish, and fried potato crunch — are hard to compete with. Kroger tried with its Wavy Potato Chips. I first tried the Kroger-branded chips at a party. They weren't identical to Ruffles — these chips had waves, not ridges — but they still felt like a copycat. I didn't want anyone to see my inside cringe show, so I politely grabbed a few and popped one in my mouth. The heavy salt coating dissolved on my tongue before I noticed the amazing fried potato flavor and the crunch. Those few polite chips turned into multiple trips to the bowl to load up. I will admit my napkin had a little more grease on it than the other chips I ate that night, but if it weren't for the napkin, I wouldn't have noticed.

Why choose Kroger's Wavy Potato Chips over Ruffles? Well, as an avid salt lover, I appreciate that the Wavy chips had more of it than Ruffles. And while it may sound strange to some, I appreciate that the Kroger chips are gentler on the roof of my mouth. Ruffles are also crunchier, which I don't like as much as the Kroger Wavy Chips, which dissolve more delicately. 

The Kroger brand items on this list are the ones that I personally purchase often. I live in a small town, and Kroger is the biggest grocery store we have in a 20-mile radius. Trying store-brand items is one way I get to continue my quest for great-tasting, price-competitive foods.

These items regularly surpass my expectations. I find that they are better than name-brand items for several reasons, including price, taste, texture, versatility, and/or because my family likes them.