Pop Tarts is one of Kellogg’s most popular brands that have been made by the company since the early 1960s. Great Value is the store brand of Walmart that began in 1993. It produces an off-brand of Pop Tarts, among many other products as even the occasional Walmart shopper knows.
Here we compare iconic Pop Tarts to Great Value toaster pastries. We think you will be surprised about what we think is the superior product.
Pop Tarts vs Great Value Toaster Pastries
Taste Test
This is one of the rare times when an off-brand has won our taste test.
Great Value Toaster Pastries were fruitier with a taste of real strawberry jelly and a perfect level of sweetness. Its pastry was fluffier with more filling than Pop Tarts.
The Pop Tarts were too sweet according to the taste testers. One test commented that the taste was so sugary that any kind of distinct fruit flavor could not be determined. Another taste tester stated that the flavor was more like blackberry with only a hint of strawberry.
Overall, the Great Value pastry and filling were superior to Pop Tarts. The frosting was comparable for each, although, inconsistently spread on top of the Great Value pastries we cooked as you can see below. At $1.00 a box, you may wish to give Great Value a try as a potential alternative to Pop Tarts.
Appearance
A Pop Tart is pictured left whereas Great Value is pictured right. Both products were toasted prior to being photographed.
Pop Tart unquestionably wins on appearance. Its frosting was somewhat nicely placed on the pastry surface unlike the sloppy frosting job on Great Value. It’s almost like something got dragged over the top portion of the Great Value frosting where the frosting is lacking. The whole box was like this so it wasn’t isolated to one pastry.
Price
We paid $2.08 for Pop Tarts versus $1.00 for Great Value toaster pastries. However, the Pop Tarts came in an 8-pack whereas Great Value was purchased as a 6-pack.
The price per one Pop Tart was $0.26 compared to approximately $0.17 for Great Value. Great Value toaster pastries are the more budget-friendly option.
Nutrition
We would opt for Pop Tarts over Great Value toaster pastries if we were simply basing our decision to purchase one of these products based on nutrition facts. Pop Tarts have fewer calories, total fat, carbs, and sugars. However, review the full nutrition facts because Great Value does have its advantages in other areas.
| Pop Tarts (Frosted Strawberry) | Great Value (Frosted Strawberry) | |
| Serving Size | 2 Pastries | 2 Pastries |
| Calories | 370 | 400 |
| Total Fat | 9g | 10g |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 5g |
| Trans Fat | 0g | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 0mg | 0mg |
| Sodium | 320mg | 240mg |
| Total Carbs | 70g | 74g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1g | 1g |
| Total Sugars | 30g | 39g |
| incl. added sugars | 30g | 37g |
| Protein | 3g | 4g |
| Vitamin D | 0 mcg, 0% DV | 0 mcg, 0% DV |
| Calcium | 10 mg, 0% | 30mg, 2% |
| Iron | 1.5mg, 8% | 6mg, 35% |
| Potassium | 50mg, 0% | 310mg, 6% |
| Thiamin | 4% | 35% |
| Riboflavin | 10% | 40% |
| Niacin | 10% | 15% |
| Folate | 10% | 30% |
Ingredients
There is a long list of ingredients for each product as you can see below. One notable difference is the fruit. Pop Tarts uses dried strawberry, dried pears, and dried apples. However, Great Value uses fruit from concentrate with the flavors of white grape and strawberry.
Pop Tarts (Frosted Strawberry) -Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Vitamin B1 [thiamin Mononitrate], Vitamin B2 [riboflavin], Folic Acid), Corn Syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Dextrose, Soybean And Palm Oil (With Tbhq For Freshness), Sugar, Bleached Wheat Flour.contains 2% Or Less Of Wheat Starch, Salt, Dried Strawberries, Dried Pears, Dried Apples, Leavening (Baking Soda, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Citric Acid, Gelatin, Modified Wheat Starch, Yellow Corn Flour, Caramel Color, Xanthan Gum, Cornstarch, Turmeric Extract Color, Soy Lecithin, Red 40, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Color Added.
Great Value (Frosted Strawberry) – Enriched Wheat Flour [wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Folic Acid], Corn Syrup, Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Palm And/or Canola Oil, Fruit From Concentrate(White Grape ,strawberry),glycerine, Modified Corn Starch, Whey Permeate, Precooked Yellow Corn Meal, Salt, Leavening (Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Baking Soda), Color Added (Includes Red 40, Blue 1), Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Natural And Artificial Flavor, Potassium Sorbate (A Preservative), Gelatin, Yellow Corn Flour, Modified Soy Protein, Vitamin A Palmitate, Reduced Iron, Niacinamide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B1).
Conclusion
You really can’t go wrong with either of these toaster pastry brands. However, Great Value is not only cheaper but a viable alternative to Pop Tarts. We suspect that loyal Pop Tart eaters won’t switch to Great Value but for those without a preference, Great Value is worth sampling at $1.00 a box.
*View the product labels at the store for the most accurate product information.*