Popular Kraft Mac And Cheese Flavors Ranked From Worst To Best

There's something special about coming home after a long day of school, work, or whatever else keeps you busy, and having a freshly made bowl of mac and cheese. Whether it's made from scratch at home, topped with extra cheese and crackers, or has bits of bacon sprinkled throughout, it's almost impossible to go wrong with mac and cheese. Not all mac and cheese is homemade, however, and you can get some amazing boxed mac and cheeses at the store as well.

And perhaps one of the most beloved and iconic store bought mac and cheese brands is the one and only Kraft. Whenever you walk down the pasta section of the grocery store, you're sure to see shelves lined with their incredible macaroni products in many flavors and forms, whether they are spiral shaped or look like unicorns. From a three cheese blend to garlic and herb, and so many other spins on the classic flavor we all know and love, there's a surprising amount of options from this brand alone. Here are some of the most popular Kraft Mac and Cheese flavors ranked from worst to best, so the next time you need an easy mac and cheese fix, you'll know which of these are best worth your buck.

Who doesn't love a piece of garlic bread? Garlic sauce for their wings? Anything that has garlic on it seems to be 10 times better than it would be without it, and for good reason. You'd think that this would extend to mac and cheese, and for many a recipe garlic does help add a flavorful spin on the classic cheesy pasta dish. However, for Kraft's Deluxe White Cheddar Garlic and Herb mac and cheese, the garlic doesn't really improve the original dish. 

While you'd think a garlic mac and cheese would taste amazing, for many, this mac and cheese falls flat. The mac and cheese supposedly takes the taste of white cheddar cheese, along with herbs and garlic to create the pasta meal. However, one Amazon reviewer compared the cheese sauce to glue and claimed that there wasn't really a garlic and herb taste to the product. On the other hand, some shoppers feel as though the product has an overpoweringly tart ranch flavor, nothing like a fresh garlic. While this mac and cheese is definitely good in theory, and versions of it have been pulled off before by famous chefs, we don't feel as though Kraft did the best job with this flavor variety.

A huge part of any good mac and cheese is the kind of milk you use to make the incredible dish. You might just randomly grab a any carton of milk without a second thought just because you need something to pour into your cereal. However, there are many differences between the variety of store-bought milks out there, and each one brings a different taste and texture to your mac and cheese. While you'd hope that Kraft's Deluxe Mac and Cheese made with 2% milk cheese would make for a rich and creamy pasta, apparently this variety is far from a fan favorite.

This product may be appealing because it has half the amount of fat of a typical box of Kraft mac and cheese, but does its taste live up to the original? Well, it isn't the worst, but it definitely isn't one of the best. According to some reviewers who've tried it, it just doesn't live up to the original. This product has been described as "bland" and not very flavorful – and with that said, honestly, what's the point of even buying it? If you absolutely have to, this isn't the worst low-fat product out there, but if you don't have to, we say just enjoy mac and cheese in moderation instead of trying to cut corners with it.

The next flavor up on this list is the Deluxe White Cheddar and Cracked Black Peppercorn macaroni dinner. Pepper is typically added to food to elevate the flavor of dishes, though in the case of this particular pasta, it doesn't really do that. The product is branded as being made with real cheese, so it has that going for it. Other than that, however, the overall reception for this mac and cheese seems to be fairly mixed.

This macaroni product is described as being just like the usual Kraft flavor we all know and love, except with an extra note of cracked black peppercorn. And there are some out there who like the taste of this Kraft variety, and feel as though the amount of pepper within the pasta is well balanced. At the same time, there are those who tried the mac and cheese and felt as though a little more spice could have been used within the cheesy dish, as they couldn't really taste it. Depending on how peppery you like your pasta, you may find yourself pleased with this Kraft mac and cheese product, or feel as though you're missing something. It's not the worst, but it definitely isn't the best.

Who doesn't love bacon? Bacon for breakfast, bacon on sandwiches, bacon candy — bacon is everywhere, and we can't seem to get enough of it. Bacon is no stranger to mac and cheese either, from homemade recipes to restaurants favorites, like the popular meat-topped mac and cheese at Longhorn Steakhouse. And of course, Kraft also makes its own version of it with their Deluxe White Cheddar and Bacon mac and cheese.

Made out of real cheese and Oscar Meyer bacon, this mac and cheese definitely has a lot going for it, and while it doesn't taste exactly like an incredible order of mac and cheese from a restaurant, it is still pretty solid. But the bacon mac and cheese is admittedly not without flaws. Some consumers felt as though the product tasted a little watered down. Those reviews aren't too prevalent, though, and for the most part many people like this cheesy dinner. Other reviews call it rich, creamy, and cheesy, so we could definitely see why one might like this Kraft product. On the other hand, we could also see why it might not live up to your bacon standards, so we'd recommend having this mac and cheese as a side as opposed to a full dinner to curb your expectations.

When you were younger, you may have believed for a while that anything, even magic, was possible. Dragons could be found lurking around in caves and unicorns walked the earth. That childhood innocence is a wonderful thing, and even after growing up, few can admit that they don't sometimes crave for the days that they still believed in things like dragons, fairies, and unicorns. Even though this next Kraft mac and cheese product doesn't actually bring anything new to the table in terms of flavor, it's fun shapes aren't just enjoyable for kids. Kraft's Unicorn mac and cheese helps  bring back a joy to adults who may want to experience that fun, childlike feeling they get when eating a dinosaur shaped chicken nugget or a Unicorn Frappuccino from Starbucks.

As the name suggests, this box of pasta is filled with unicorns, stars, and magical shapes of all kinds. It isn't as consistent in terms of shape when compared to the original or spiral mac and cheeses Kraft offers. But if you were a little kid and your parents served you a bowl of this mac and cheese, then you'd probably taste a bit of magic with each bite regardless. And yes, it isn't a completely new flavor, but hey, it tastes like the original, and that's already amazing itself.

There's been a growing movement in recent years be more health-conscious and diet-sensitive with our food choices — which is amazing. Because of this, many low-fat, gluten free, and other variations of the foods we love have sprung up. For many bread-based products, this has also led to whole grain versions of the products that we are familiar with, including Kraft Mac and Cheese. Among the Kraft mac and cheese products, you'll find a Whole Grain mac and cheese box, which is supposedly the exact same as the brand's original mac and cheese, aside from the fact that it is made with whole grain pasta. And honestly, it checks out!

This pasta is pretty spot on in terms of taste. Many consumers say they are barely able to tell the difference between this version and the original pasta. It also doesn't have any odd aftertaste or strange wheaty taste that some whole grain or alternate products have, says one Amazon reviewer. The fact that it tastes so similar to the original, yet is healthier in terms of its ingredients, is the ultimate plus. And if this became as widespread as the other dark blue boxes that constantly line store shelves, we could easily see more people wanting to have this.

What's better than one kind of cheese? Two? How about three? While using one kind of cheese in a homemade mac and cheese offers some consistency in terms of taste, throwing together a blend of cheeses can lead to a wondrous combination of flavors. When it comes to Kraft's Three Cheese mac and cheese, you'll be met with a supposed blend of three different cheeses. You're probably wondering which three cheeses make up this product, but honestly, we couldn't tell you ourselves. If you look at the ingredients list, you won't find any particular cheese mentioned — just cheese sauce and cheese cultures. 

That doesn't mean this boxed mac and cheese doesn't taste good, though. In fact, people love it. Instead of the usual elbow macaroni that Kraft's original version is made with, this product uses pasta shells. This alone has hooked quite a few fans, who feel as though this pasta dish doesn't come out as powdery as the original sometimes does (via Influenster). If you're expecting it to taste just like a three-cheese mac and cheese blend that you'd make from scratch, you won't find that here, but the incredible taste and texture definitely overshadows that.

The Kraft Mac and Cheese Spirals variety is pretty much the exact same dish as the original mac and cheese, except that it is made with a spiral-shaped pasta. We can't rank this at the very top since it isn't anything new, but the spiral mac and cheese definitely deserves a solid spot on this list because is thoroughly enjoyable, and the pasta shape makes it great for soaking up the incredible taste of all that original Kraft mac and cheese sauce. 

Interestingly enough, even though this Kraft variety doesn't really have a different flavor, some people feel as though this particular flavor tastes better than the original mac and cheese. And maybe that's because of the special spiral shape. For those who want to try is ASAP,  you can skip the boxed pasta, where you have to prepare the macaroni with butter and milk, and opt for single-serving or family-style bowls as well, which involve nothing more than adding water and popping in the microwave. Overall, this is a wonderful addition to the Kraft Mac and Cheese line up, and we highly suggest you try out this product.

Regular mac and cheese is good, but sometimes, we want things creamier and thicker — and fortunately, Kraft has a mac and cheese that falls under this description. For the most part, this checks all of the boxes for a deliciously cheesy meal. The Thick and Creamy mac and cheese takes everything we love about mac and cheese, and adds to it, with thicker noodles, and a much creamier, cheesy base. It's definitely got comfort food written all over it. It does taste a bit different from the original Kraft mac and cheese — which, let's be honest, is the pinnacle of store-bought boxed mac and cheese — but the thicker mac and cheese isn't bad at all, and we can see why many people would call this their favorite.

In fact, some reviewers describe this mac and cheese as richer and more decadent than the original, and arguably better than many other Kraft mac and cheese products. While we may be team original Kraft at the end of the day, if you like your mac and cheese a little richer and creamier, then the Thick and Creamy edition is perfect for you.

You're probably most familiar with seeing the bright, orange-yellow color of the original Kraft Mac and Cheese, which is featured in so many of their marketing promotions and commercials. You also likely associate the macaroni shaped pasta with their original mac and cheese product, as well, but this article alone has proven Kraft can do far more than that. This next Kraft product, the White Cheddar mac and cheese, is not the poster mac and cheese that you may be familiar with seeing from Kraft, but boy, does it taste amazing. With shell-shaped pasta, and a sharp, creamy white sauce, this underrated macaroni is one that you are sure to enjoy.

You can get this unsung hero of a mac and cheese by the box, or you can get it in individual, microwavable packs, so you could easily have this as a quickly made lunch or dinner. And why wouldn't you? You'd be in good company, as many reviewers called this flavor delicious. And while it doesn't have the rich, golden color that we all know and expect from Kraft mac and cheese, this flavor is just as bold, just as creamy, and gets the job done in it's own tasty way. If you come across this mac and cheese in stores, give the White Cheddar mac and cheese a try, because you won't be disappointed.

How could we put anything other than the Original Kraft Mac and Cheese at the top of this Kraft mac and cheese list? This is the one that started it all and put boxed mac and cheese on the map, the iconic yellow pasta in a blue box that punctuated our childhoods and will probably continue to do so for generations. If you grew up on Kraft mac and cheese, there's a good chance that this was the kind of pasta that your parents threw together on weeknights, or you even whipped up yourself for an occasional midnight snack. Nostalgia paired with the unforgettable, unique, cheesy taste is what makes this beloved mac and cheese number one.

There's something comforting about a bowl of the Original Kraft Mac and Cheese. It doesn't taste like real cheese necessarily, nor does it name a specific cheese on the ingredients list, but there's something in there that makes it delicious, creamy, and overall a wonderful culinary experience in it's own right. The reviewers agree that this mac and cheese is incredibly delicious despite being a little mysterious, and assure that while it won't taste like some expert or homemade macaroni and cheese recipe, it is well-seasoned, perfectly filling, and just plain flavorful. There's a reason it's a hit in so many households across America.