13 Buc-Ee's Snacks That Are Worth Buying And 4 To Skip

If you're driving through the South, especially in Texas, Buc-ee's is an essential road trip pit stop. You can fill your tank, use the restroom, feast on a plethora of Buc-ee's food options, and shop from a selection of snacks that will have you wandering the aisles in a trance, unsure of which ones to buy. The selection at the chain ranges from healthy (containers of fresh-cut fruit, pickles, and boiled eggs) to heavy (fudge, brisket, and an entire wall of candy), with a lot of options in between. There's something for everyone when it comes to snacks.

On my latest trip to the chain, I picked up a selection of 17 snacks from different categories to see which ones I loved and which ones I'd be skipping the next time around. My criteria were simple: Do the snacks taste good? Do the flavors match what they're labeled as? Would I buy them again? As it turns out, Buc-ee's does snacks pretty well. There were only a few I'd skip, and many I'd be eager to buy the next time around.

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I took for granted that cinnamon bear candies were available at every gas station and convenience store. But now, living on the East Coast, I've discovered that this candy is unheard of on this side of the country. Thankfully, Buc-ee's has the South (and parts of the Midwest) covered with its Cinnamon Juju Bears, and they're just as good as the ones I grew up eating.

The cinnamon bears were about the size of a baby carrot and soft enough to not hurt my jaw while chewing. They were spicy, too. Eat too many of these and your mouth will be burning — which is why I love them. Juju bears aren't the kind of candy you're likely to binge on and eat the whole bag, because you'd burn your tongue from trying. One or two will do the trick, and the resealable bag allows you to conveniently take your time with snacking.

Snackable flavored popcorns have been everywhere in recent years, and I understand why. Compared to potato chips or other savory options, a flavored popcorn feels light and is a lower-calorie alternative, while still being flavorful and crunchy. Buc-ee's has several creative flavors of its Tip Top popcorn, including ranch, butter, chili limón, and jalapeño white cheddar, just to name a few, but I was most intrigued by the dill pickle. 

As a pickle enthusiast, this is one of my favorite flavors of snack, and Buc-ee's version hit the nail right on the head. From the first bite, this popcorn smacked my senses with pickle flavor. The vinegar was bold and acidic, the dill was herbaceous and citrusy, and the popcorn was light and crunchy. It was easily one of my favorite snacks from Buc-ee's, and one I'll be returning to often.

In search of a slightly healthier snack with more flavor than just a fruit cup, I visited the cold island merchandiser at Buc-ee's, which was at the far end of the food section closest to the clothes. A sharp contrast to the rest of Buc-ee's calorie-loaded options, this section is reserved for lighter fare like cheese sticks, boiled eggs, fresh-cut fruits and veggies, and various flavors of pickle chips served in small bags. The Bold'N Hot flavor called to me, and it was as spicy and delicious as I'd hoped for.

The pickle chips were crunchy and tangy, with an unmistakable heat that lingered in my mouth for a while after. They may not be the most convenient to eat (I'd suggest grabbing a plastic fork to use), but they are just as fun as a spicy bag of chips.

Buc-ee's has a few flavors of saltwater taffy adorning its wall of snacks, including a classic assorted mix and some single-flavor bags. What I was most intrigued by was the bag of Sour Salt Water Taffy. It's not an item I see often, so I had to try it, but the results were a bit disappointing.

The candies were wrapped in brightly colored papers, and the taffies themselves were monochromatic. Visually, they didn't look nearly as appealing as the colorful designs of regular saltwater taffy. Flavorwise, they were also less than interesting. The sourness wasn't as punchy and mouth-puckering as I'd hoped, and the fruit flavors of the taffy were a bit simple. The yellow ones tasted like lemon, the purple ones like grape, the red ones like strawberry or some equivalent, but all in a very basic way. Overall, they felt like a dumbed-down version of saltwater taffy that wasn't even notably sour.

Out of all the Buc-ee's snacks I tried, these were the most boring, underwhelming, and poorly flavored. I would skip them in favor of the classic assorted taffy mix.

There's no shortage of candy-coated nuts at Buc-ee's. You can buy resealable bags of them in various flavors, or find freshly roasted glazed nuts kept in a hot hold and served in cute paper cones. Struggling to decide between the numerous options available, I opted for an assortment of freshly glazed nuts that are sold in a resealable sampler pack with cashews, pecans, and almonds.

The nuts were coated in a generous amount of sugar and, unsurprisingly, tasted very sweet — but isn't that how a glazed nut should be? They're crunchy like candy on the outside and soft on the inside, and the sugar tastes perfect when paired with that nutty, roasted flavor. 

The smell of fresh roasted nuts wafting through the air at the Buc-ee's I visited was enough to convince me they're a must-try, but tasting them sealed the deal. The assorted flavor pack is the perfect option for when you can't decide between flavors.

If the fudge counter at Buc-ee's (where massive blocks of fudge are displayed) seems intimidating, know that there are small boxes of assorted flavors available on the shelves. This way, you can snack on tiny portions of 11 different flavors without having to wait for them to be cut and packaged.

The flavors in the box I purchased were banana cream pie, chocolate (two pieces), salted caramel, chocolate pecan, chewy praline, mochaccino, blueberry, M&M, key lime, dark chocolate salted caramel, and butter pecan. The banana cream pie was by far my favorite of the selection. It tasted just like its name and had crunchy pieces of Nilla wafer spread throughout. Other close favorites were the dark chocolate salted caramel, which was deliciously gooey, and the mochaccino with its bold coffee flavor.

There were only a couple of flavors in the box that I didn't love (key lime and blueberry), but overall, this was a fun way to sample everything. Whether you have so many favorite Buc-ee's fudge flavors that you can't decide which to choose, or you're trying them for the first time, the assorted box is a great snack.

I wasn't quite sure what I was getting into with Buc-ee's Pecan Log. There's no other explanation on the wrapper, and through the plastic, it does just look like a log of chopped pecans held together by some mystery substance. Once I bit into it, I discovered something like marshmallow fluff in the center, generously coated with pecans to form the log-like shape. It was probably one of the most Southern things I have ever eaten — and I liked it.

While the filling had the consistency of marshmallow, it didn't necessarily taste like marshmallow. It was slightly sweet, with a hint of vanilla, but the overwhelming flavor of the log was that of pecans. The filling inside served more as a binder to hold everything together. 

I wish that the pecans had been toasted to retain more crunch, as they were quite soft. But overall, I thought this snack was unique and fun, and I know I'll be looking for it on my next road trip.

Sweet and salty is one of my favorite flavor combinations. Salted caramel, salt on chocolate chip cookies, salty peanut butter paired with chocolate — there are so many great ways to make a sweet treat all the more mouth-watering by pairing it with salt. These Buc-ee's mini cookies, though, didn't complete the task.

They came in an 8-oz plastic cup and are about the size of a quarter. The cookies had a lot of air bubbles, which made the texture light and crunchy. The flavor, though, was a bit indiscernible. I didn't taste any more salt than a cookie would normally have, and the dough seemed like an average cookie dough with a slightly darker, richer flavor. The ingredients list includes maple syrup and rum, a combination that sounds delicious, but doesn't really shine.

Overall, the Sweet & Salty cookies weren't bad, but they didn't live up to the title. Next time, I'd skip them in favor of one of Buc-ee's truly salty snacks.

The best part of getting an ice cream from a convenience store is always at the end, when you reach the bottom of the waffle cone and can enjoy that last chocolate-filled bite. More than one brand has decided we shouldn't have to wait to enjoy that bite, packaging chocolate-filled waffle cone tips in snack bags to be enjoyed at any time. I've had a few different versions of these, but Buc-ee's milk chocolate and cookie butter flavor is a real game changer.

Combining the two flavors into one small waffle cone bite is a great move. The cookie butter was super creamy and soft, with a baking spice flavor, and the chocolate on top was just firm enough to hold it in place. The waffle cone exterior was crunchy and flaky, providing the perfect shell for its sweet filling. These were delicious to snack on.

Were Buc-ee's to sell its snacks outside its own store, it would be giving Cheetos a run for its money. The chain has several flavors of cheesy puffs or their crunchy counterparts, the Chee-see curl. Both of which have the same general design as a Cheeto with slightly different flavors, including loaded nacho, jalapeño cheddar, original, and hot 'n spicy. 

I opted for the Jalapeño Cheddar Cheese-ee Puffs, which were fantastic. They were incredibly cheesy, quickly coating my fingers in a nice layer of orange dust that tasted a bit richer than similar styles of chips. The spice level was also perfect. It was a very bright, herbaceous kind of spice that was unmistakably jalapeño, and perfect for cutting through the richness of the cheddar. I'd buy these again in a heartbeat.

Pork rinds are the perfect, crunchy, keto-friendly snack to enjoy when you're looking for something low in carbohydrates. They're also a great snack whether you're dieting or not, and Buc-ee's has got you covered with several different flavors (as per usual). The available options are original, chili limón, barbecue, dill, and habanero. I chose the habanero and was more than pleased.

Interestingly enough, the Habanero Pork Rinds weren't nearly as spicy as the Jalapeño Cheddar Cheese-ee Puffs. This may be disappointing to some, but I found that I still loved the flavor of the pork rinds despite the mildness of the spice. Garlic and onion powder gave them some complexity, while citric acid added tangy acidity. There was a hint of smoke flavoring in the background as well.

Overall, I loved these pork rinds, although they tasted different to what I expected. Perhaps they could use a different name, but either way, I'll be buying them again.

Popular Cajun dishes are known for being bold, hearty, and heavy with flavor. So when I saw these Cajun Southern Fried Peanuts at Buc-ee's, I had high hopes for a snack that would bring all that flavor to one small bag. But alas, I found myself disappointed. 

The Cajun peanuts are dusted with salt, tomato powder, garlic, paprika, and other spices. Together, these ingredients might be the perfect recipe for a flavorful, delicious snack, but despite the ingredients list, these fried peanuts really just tasted like fried peanuts. The problem here may be that the flavor of peanuts is so strong on its own, applying a spice blend that can stand up to it is difficult to pull off. They were good fried peanuts, but not nearly Cajun enough for me to want to buy them again.

Whereas the Cajun Southern Fried Peanuts left me disappointed by their lack of flavor, the Cajun Boil Potato Sticks had me smiling from ear to ear. This is a great road trip (or anytime) snack to buy next time you're stopping at Buc-ee's.

The bag is labeled as "sorta spicy," which is accurate. There was a nice level of heat, but I didn't find it to be too overwhelming. The spice blend was fantastic, boasting all the Cajun complexity I was hoping for, and the potato sticks had the perfect light, crunchy texture.

This wasn't the tidiest snack to eat, as the small potato sticks were spilling out of my hand while trying to eat them, so be careful if eating any in your vehicle. But the flavor was fantastic, and next time I visit Buc-ee's, I'll be stocking up on a few bags for the road.

Not all trail mixes are created equal. The worst ones are those that make you pick through the bag to find only the best pieces, and the best are those that you can eat by the handful without picking and choosing. Buc-ee's Trail Blazin' Crunch Trail Mix falls into the latter category.

This trail mix is made with spicy peanuts, churritos, chili lemon corn nuggets, hot Cajun corn sticks, and chili cheese corn twists. The seasoning was fantastic. It was spicy with cayenne, but also had an underlying complexity thanks to onion powder, paprika, garlic, and other spices. The corn twists, sticks, and nuggets were super crunchy, and the peanuts were perfectly roasted. The whole mix was delicious, easy to snack on, and it came in a resealable bag for easy storage. This is a truly excellent road trip snack.

When I first picked up the Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter OverBite Bar, I was mortified. It weighs ¼ of a pound and feels like a hockey puck. I envisioned gnawing my way through a dense hunk of chocolate until my jaw (and stomach) ached, but I was very pleasantly surprised. The chocolate was actually quite soft to bite through and was the perfect thickness. The peanut butter filling was smooth and creamy and paired perfectly with the rich, dark chocolate.

The whole thing eats like a giant Reese's cup, but with an even better flavor. I will say that this was a snack I would prefer to take home and cut into pieces to eat. Bringing one on a road trip could turn into a bit of a predicament if the chocolate might melt in the car and become a mess. But that wouldn't stop me from buying it again.

Buc-ee's has three different flavors of Drizzled Caramel Popcorn to choose from (black and white, birthday cake, and cookies n' cream). The birthday cake flavor stood out to me. It seemed like an interesting combination of flavors, and I wanted to know if it really tasted like birthday cake. Turns out, it did, but the texture of the popcorn is where it lost me.

Caramel popcorn can be tricky to package. The caramel tends to soak into the popcorn and become chewy, which is exactly what happened with this one. Texturally, I found it a bit too gummy and became frustrated with kernels sticking to my teeth. On the plus side, the birthday cake drizzle over the popcorn did taste just like birthday cake, and the colorful sprinkles were a festive touch. But these factors didn't save this snack from becoming tiring to chew.

This may not be a worst-to-best ranking, but if it were, Buc-ee's Beaver Nuggets would definitely be taking first place. Of all the snacks I tried from the chain, this was the one bag I couldn't put down.

The caramel-coated corn pops are naturally gluten-free and utterly delicious. The outer shell of caramel was sweet and super crunchy, but that sweetness faded into a buttery, salty flavor that made my mouth water. It's a cycle of flavors that I wanted to keep repeating, and these Beaver Nuggets seemed to get better and better with each new bite.

It's safe to say the Beaver Nuggets will remain one of my favorite crunchy road trip snacks, but next time, I may need to explore some of the other flavors the chain sells, like White Cheddar, Cinnamon Sweet, or Sea Salted Caramel. If there's one thing Buc-ee's will always do, it's give you a lot of options.

In creating this list of Buc-ee's snacks to try, I looked for a broad variety of the available products and opted for one flavor out of several options. I then personally visited Buc-ee's to buy and taste them for myself. The products labeled as "buy" are those that I thoroughly enjoyed and would personally buy again, while the ones labeled as "skip" were texturally off-putting, poorly flavored, or low quality. Flavor, freshness, and texture were my main criteria. Price didn't play a role, as many of these snacks are very similar in price.