Cheetos Simply Puffs Belong in the Snack Hall of Fame
As a kid I loved crunchy Cheetos (didn’t care much for the puffs—I found them fine but never gravitated toward them). Every time a new variety of Cheetos came out, I needed to try them. So, yeah, I’m a fan—past, present, and future.
Sometimes commercials would mock Cheetos for leaving that weird orange dust on your fingers. Every time I saw one, I’d think, “But that’s one of the best parts! You get to lick the dust off your fingers when you’re done!” Even as an adult Cheetos hold a special place in my heart.
Love at First Bite: Discovering Cheetos Simply Puffs
So when I spotted Simply Cheetos Puffs at a gas station, I knew I needed to give them a shot. I was blown away. Simple Cheetos Puffs made a very quick ascent to Snacks Hall of Fame status—and they have stood the test of time.
Why Cheetos Simply Puffs Are So Good
Here’s the thing about mass-produced “cheese” snacks: for the most part they’re not actually made with cheese. They’re made with ingredients that, when combined, simulate cheese. Well, sort of. Often mustard powder is included to create a “bite” in products labeled “cheddar flavored”. The result usually tastes cheese-ish but not like real cheese.
How Cheetos Simply Puffs Actually Taste Like Real Cheese
And this is what makes Simply Cheetos Puffs so special: they’re made with real cheese—and, just as importantly, they taste like real cheese! The cheese gives these puffs a wonderful creaminess reminiscent of real cheese. Also, the seasoning level is spot on: there’s enough cheese powder to assert the cheesiness of this snack, but not so much that the seasoning feels overdone.
This flavor sits on a foundation of cornmeal. While the cornmeal Frito-Lay uses isn’t anything to write home about, it’s a pleasant, mild corn flavor. Good enough to let the cheese shine and to help create a good snack.
Then there’s the puffiness: delightfully airy and crispy at the same time. They’re not quite as cloud-like as high-quality chicharrones, but they get close (Snacklins get even closer, though).
The salt level is also just right: not super salty, but perfectly tuned to amplify the cheese and corn flavors.
All told, these elements add up to a wonderfully cheesy corn puff that’s airy, crispy, creamy, and balanced.
Why I Choose Simply Over Regular Cheetos
So despite my love for regular Cheetos, I’m now fully on Team Simply Cheetos. If given the choice, I’ll pick Cheetos Simply every time. I particularly love having a few puffs before lunch—it’s like sneaking in a little pretend cheese course. And, honestly, there are very few contexts where Simply Cheetos Puffs don’t fit: movie night, mid-afternoon snack, wandering around town…
A Quick Note on Cheetos Simply Crunchy
Considering my preference for regular Cheetos Crunchy, I expected to love Simply Crunchy even more than the puffs. And yet…I’m not crazy about them. I vastly prefer Simply Puffs. Your mileage may vary, of course—you may end up firmly in the Crunchy camp. Either way, both are worth trying!
Cheetos Simply Puffs vs Regular Cheetos
But wait—Regular Cheetos Also Use Real Cheese!
That said, something about Simply Cheetos tastes different from regular Cheetos: cheesier, creamier, almost more “real”. Which got me wondering: why? Both contain real cheese and whey, and yet Simply Puffs taste like real cheese, while regular Cheetos taste “cheesy” but not like cheese.
The Cheese Factor
Here’s where things get interesting (and Simply sets itself apart): regular Cheetos contain more whey than cheese, whereas Simply products are the reverse. Ingredients lists descend from most to least so, while we can’t know exact proportions, it’s clear that Simply products include more real cheese than the originals.
The Secret Ingredients
Regular Cheetos contain both natural and artificial flavors; in contrast, Simply Cheetos sticks to natural flavors only. My hunch is that those artificial flavors contribute to the less “real” flavor of regular Cheetos, despite being made with actual cheese.
Another key difference: Simply Cheetos include sour cream. This is a brilliant choice: it boosts the creaminess of the cheese powder, which in turn helps the cheese powder seem more cheesy (and provides depth of character). It’s also likely why Simply Cheetos taste more authentically cheesy than other “real cheese” snacks.
Finally, Simply Cheetos contain torula yeast as an ingredient. Dried yeast has a naturally cheesy-ish, umami character (next time you’re at a store check the ingredients on vegan cheese-flavored snacks: yeast is typically the star). By adding torula yeast, Frito-Lay layered in another “cheesy” note that likely enhances the flavor and adds complexity.
The Real Difference
All in all, Frito-Lay really covered their bases: real cheese as a foundation, whey for a touch of milkiness, natural flavors to fill in the gaps, sour cream to boost the creaminess, and torula yeast for extra cheesiness and depth.
What About Cheetos Simply NKD?
In what can only be described as a brilliant marketing move, Frito-Lay released two very similarly named products: Simply Cheetos Puffs and Cheetos Simply NKD Puffs. To make things even more confusing, both are free from artificial dyes—and their ingredient lists are nearly identical.
To try to get a better idea of the difference I checked the ingredients list and could only find one key difference: Simply Cheetos Puffs include buttermilk, while Simply NKD puffs do not.
So which is better?
Both are solid, but I definitely prefer Cheetos Simply Puffs. They’re cheesier. creamier, and have a subtle tang—likely from the buttermilk—that makes the seasoning taste more like real cheese.
Cheetos Simply NKD Puffs, on the other hand, seem designed to mimic the flavor of original Cheetos Puffs—just without the artificial dyes. If you’re a fan of classic Cheetos Puffs but want a cleaner ingredients list, these are worth trying.
Hall of Fame Material
In case it’s not obvious, I’m a huge fan of this product. It’s one of the best snacks to come out in years. And since it doesn’t contain artificial colors, they’re MAHA-approved. Just remember: because these snacks don’t contain artificial colors or flavorings or ingredients that are garbage, they’re totally healthy. Right?
Who Should Try Cheetos Simply Puffs
- Fans of Cheetos
- People looking to reduce the amount of “junk” ingredients in their snacks
- Anyone who loves cheesy snacks
The Snacks Guy’s Score: 10/10
Hall of Fame. I’m not sure there’s anything I would change about this snack. If there was a way to make it healthy and be just as delicious, that would be great but…that’s not realistic.
A legend enters the The Snacks Guy’s Hall of Fame.
Snack at ya later!
