We Tried 6 Great Value Candy Bars… And The Results Were Frightening!
Great Value candy bars might ring up at nearly half the price, but it will cost ya half the taste, too! 😝
If you were considering cutting back a few dollars this spooky season and trying Walmart’s Great Value candy bars instead, here’s your friendly reminder that cost doesn’t always beat quality.
My kiddos & I compared the top 6 candy bars to their Great Value counterpart and here’s our honest feedback:
1. KitKat vs. Great Value Milk Chocolate Crispy Wafer Bar
Price difference: 54¢
Although the GV crispy wafer bar was the most similar in packaging and shape, also giving the classic 4-stick bar, the chocolate had almost a ‘greasy’ appearance. And, while the wafer was tolerable, the milk chocolate was too rich.
My 6-year-old daughter said it perfectly that this chocolate was “too sour”.
2. Twix vs. Great Value Cookie & Caramel Bars
- Twix 1.79 oz. bars – $1.32
- Great Value Cookie & Caramel 1.79 oz. bars – 78¢
Price difference: 54¢
Somehow, these cookie bars are the same weight, and yet the GV bars look smaller in person. The chocolate is also more ‘grayish’ in color, with almost a dusting layer over it. These bars gave a similar crunch from the cookie center but lacked the smooth and chewy caramel finish, leaving it overall unsatisfying.
3. Snickers vs. Great Value Peanut, Caramel, & Nougat Bar
Price difference: 54¢
If you crave the irresistible crunch of a peanut-y Snickers bar, you’ll want to skip the GV version, as the peanut layer is practically nonexistent. 😭 Not only is the iconic peanut and caramel layer thinner than a classic Snickers, but the peanuts are also significantly smaller, chopped pieces, unlike the large peanut texture we’re used to.
You won’t get that crunch, and you’ll be adding 10 extra calories and 2g of extra fat to your midday snack – no thanks!
4. Hershey’s vs. Great Value Milk Chocolate Bar
Price difference: 20¢
You might think you’re getting a bigger bar for less money, plus fewer calories, fat, and sodium per bar, but after tasting, I couldn’t even bring myself to melt this chocolate to recycle into other treats. 👎
Maybe it’s that the GV bar is sweetened with vanilla or the chocolate liquor that’s also in the ingredient list, but either way, this chocolate had a very ‘artificial-y’ taste, and all the added “benefits” can’t beat the creaminess of true Hershey’s.
5. Miky Way vs Great Value Caramel & Nougat Bar
- Milk Way King Size 3.6oz. Bar 2-Pack – $1.97 OR 98¢ per bar
- Great Value Caramel & Nougat 1.84oz. Bar – 78¢
Price difference: 20¢
The GV caramel & nougat bar is another great example where you might be paying less, but you’re also getting less – just look at the difference in thickness in the two candy bars above.
You’re also submitting yourself to 20 extra calories and 2g of extra fat per bar, along with undesirable ingredients like glucose and fructose syrup, sorbitol, and mono– and diglycerides. 🫠
6. 3 Musketeers vs. Great Value Nougat Bar
- 3 Musketeers Sharing Size 3.82oz. bar – $1.97 (51¢ per oz.)
- Great Value Fluffy Nougat 1.92oz. bar – 78¢ (40¢ per oz.)
Price difference: 11¢ per ounce
Not only does this GV candy bar have some of the worst (and most comical 😂) reviews, but even after just unwrapping, it almost looks too unappetizing to eat. The nougat is more brownish in color, feels chewy instead of fluffy, and has a whopping 40 more calories than the original!
And don’t just take my word for it! None of these bars have more than a 3-star rating and here is what customers have to say…
Tastes nothing like a 3 Musketeer you can drive a nail with how hard these are.
It was sweet but not very flavorful. Definitely doesn’t compare to other caramel and nougat candy bars. Great Value products are usually closer to the brand, but this wasn’t even worth considering.
Just pay the extra for the name-brand version. I don’t mind generics but this one didn’t make the cut. :/
Bought it cause it was 78 cents and instead of tasting what I thought would be an off-brand 3 Musketeers bar I tasted something that felt like a sin.
Here at Hip, we’re typically big fans of all things Great Value. The taste is usually very close if not better than, and you can’t beat the price! But this reviewer said it best:
“Great Value products are usually closer to the brand, but this wasn’t even worth considering.”
However, while this taste test didn’t turn out how we were expecting, you’ll still find us shopping these Great Value favorites:
- Teenager–approved chicken tenders
- Fall baking favorites
- And these 13 Great Value staples that WIN every time!
Have you tried these Great Value candy bars? Let us know if your taste buds approved! 😜
Since eating candy is such a “treat” going for the generic brands to save a bit of money doesn’t make any sense if I’m giving up known quality and taste. Thanks, but no thanks. I do think your kids honest reviews were very helpful.
Thanks for the feedback, Stella! Glad you found these reviews helpful! 🤗❤️🍫
That’s a great post, thank you! I was wondering how they’d compare.
You’re most welcome, Mimi! 💞 So glad to hear you enjoyed this post!
You guys are always going out of your way to save us money and I ♥️ that you try things out to save us even more money by not having us waste ours on less than quality products I’m so spoiled with being able to shop name brand quality products for cheap thanks to you guys I’ve come to trust your opinion greatly and so grateful that I’ve been able to adopt the life motto I won’t buy anything unless it’s on sale thanks to hip2save and now my family even has a wish list that they sens me and tell me to keep a lookout for And I am able to confidently say it will eventually go on sale and when it does my friend Hip2Save will tell me 🙂 thanks for these post and really just the app and community that you’ve built sorry for being long-winded
We’re SO glad to hear that we’ve helped you score deals and save money on quality products, Monique! 🤗 It’s awesome that even your family has adopted the “wait for a sale” motto—sounds like you’re a pro deal spotter now! We love being your go-to for finding the best sales, and we’re grateful for YOU and the whole Hip2Save community. Thanks for the sweet words, they mean the world to us! 🥰
GV quality seems to be lacking lately. When going for generic chocolate, Aldi definitely has amazing ones. Thank you for that comparison as well!
You’re welcome, zack lee! Good to know that Aldi has some amazing chocolate too! 🙌 I’ll have to check out those options on my next shopping trip! 💗
We tried these all a year or so ago….agree with your reviews! They are not good at all!
Thanks for sharing your honest feedback on how these compared when you tried them too, Jennifer! ❣️
I have tried the Walmart Milky Way and the 3 musketeer and they both were awful tasting. Been there and won’t do that again😂
Thanks for sharing which ones you tried, Joyce! Such a bummer that they didn’t taste good! 🤗
The Great Value version of Twix is good. Twix is still better, but the Great Value version isn’t bad like everyone is making it out to be. The rest are trash. Their versions of Snickers and Milky Way taste the same. I haven’t tried their version of 3 Musketeers because I hate 3 Musketeers.
Thanks for sharing which ones you tried and liked best, Sara! 💕
Not sure how you feel about Kinder Bueno bars (I LOVE them), but if you can, try Lidl’s version. I don’t count calories, so, I can’t make a comparison, but the taste is amazing and they’re a much-better value!
Thanks so much for the recommendation, Ric! ❤️
I tired the kit kat knock off and was no impressed…
Good to know your honest thoughts on that GV option, Sbh15!