21 Snacks You Should Absolutely Buy at the Gas Station

Before The Kitchn editors hit the road, we fuel up on our go-to road-trip munchies. How else will we make it to our destinations ready to relax? Luckily, the petrol stations peppering America’s highways offer a lot more than fuel pumps. (If you’ve ever passed by a Buc-ee’s gas station, you know.)  

Gas stations sell personal-size portions of chips, crackers, and candies, plus fridges full of refreshing beverages to wash it all down. Whether you’re driving across the country or just across town, gas stations have loads of sweet, salty, and satiating snacks ready to tag along for the ride. These are The Kitchn editors’ picks for the 21 best gas station snacks and what we love about them. 

“Arizona’s classic canned iced tea is perfect,” says Associate Food Editor Andrea Wawrzyn. “It’s sweet but not too sweet. It’s the platonic ideal of premade iced tea. Plus, those classic gigantic cans are perhaps a bit too much, but what better time to have them than a road trip?

Lindsay Funston, The Kitchn’s editor-in-chief, always looks for packages of pink and red Starburst candies when she stops to fuel up. She’s convinced that finding a bag of the strawberry-, fruit punch-, watermelon-, and cherry-flavored candies at a gas station is a positive omen for the trip. We say, “What better way to start a vacation?”

Assistant Recipe Producer Jan Valdez, says that she always picks up a bag of Corn Nuts when she hits the road. She’s not sure why, but she’s convinced that the crunchy kernels taste better on long car rides. Senior Recipe Editor Christine Gallary agrees and personally loves the ranch-flavored Corn Nuts best. They bring back childhood memories of riding in the back seat of her family’s car Plus. Who can resist that ultra-satisfying crunch?

It’s tough to beat the combo of chocolate and caramel, unless you’re adding ice cream. Andrea chooses TWIX ice cream bars when she’s traveling because they’re a refreshing (read: chill) way to break up the road trip. These bars are a familiar shape but feature vanilla ice cream, crunchy cookie pieces, and creamy caramel covered in milk chocolate.

Peanut butter is one of our most-loved flavors for road trip snacks. Culinary Producer Kelli Foster says, “Peanut butter pretzels are a must in my book for any and all road trips!  I’m all about crunchy, salty snacks and love the contrast of creamy peanut butter tucked in the center.” Same Kelli. Same.

The Kitchn’s senior editor of news and features, Paulina Hilton, immediately called out her love for sour gummy worms. She says that she especially loves them for long car rides because the chewy sour gummies make the trip go by more quickly.

Another sour gummy recommendation comes from Quinn Fish, The Kitchn’s lifestyle editor. Her pick are the fruit-shaped Sour Patch Kids watermelons. She loves the chewy texture and the sweet-and-sour kick of this classic candy.

Reese’s fans, take note: Senior Editor of Groceries Mara Weinraub has found the superior Reese’s treat for car trips. Reese’s Nutrageous are “peanut butter covered in caramel, topped with peanuts, then covered in chocolate and in bar form — what’s not to love? It’s got sweetness, saltiness, crunch, and creamy chocolate. I can’t always find them in every gas station (which is a travesty), but when I do it’s a thrill and a treat. Way easier to eat than PB cups while driving, BTW.” One word: Whoa.

Culinary Producer Rachel Perlmutter always picks up a bag of Gardetto’s when she hits the road. She says they “have an unparalleled crunch factor and salty flavor.” She gets particularly excited if she spots a bag filled with just the rye chips.

I can always count on Rachel to sing the praises of foods I’d never thought to try. (I mean, she’s the one who put salad on a sheet pan, after all.) One of her favorite road-trip snacks are Nerds Clusters. These are bite-size gummy candies coated in colorful nerds, and they are as delightful as they sound. Rachel loves the texture and the surprisingly sour flavor.

Chex mix isn’t just a homemade party snack — it’s also perfect for road trips. Mara loves to munch on Chex Mix (any one of the flavors will do) in the car, and I have to agree. Something about the variety of the snack mix keeps things interesting even when the highway looks the same.

The honey mustard pretzel pieces are another favorite of Jan’s. She makes sure to pick up this super-crunchy and savory snack whenever she hits the road, and she’s not alone. These crunchy pretzels are one of my favorites, too.

“This was one of the first candies I ate as a kid, so there’s a major nostalgia factor there,” says Editorial Shopping Director Jada Wong. “It’s also usually at the counter or at the end of an aisle, so it’s wildly convenient to grab and go.”

Deputy Food Editor Kristina Razon’s pick was also a childhood favorite. Cool Ranch Doritos were her go-to as a kid, but now she’s sure that “Nacho Cheese is far and away the best flavor. It hits those savory notes and is all crunch.” (If you’re still looking for your favorite variety, read our ranking of the best Dorito flavors before your next road trip.) She loves the nacho cheese dust so much that she admits to triaging the bag for the triangles covered in the most dust. 

It wasn’t long before our Executive Editor Lauren Miyashiro piped up with her pick of the classic cheesy cracker, Cheez-Its. She likes that they’re not too salty and always seem to have the perfect amount of toastiness. Plus, they won’t leave her hands too greasy or covered in cheese dust. (Sorry, Kristina!)

And because most road trips require more than one snack, Lauren also picks up a pack of peanut butter M&Ms. Melty chocolate may be a no-no for some highway warriors, but Lauren reminded us that “they’re not as melty as, say, a chocolate bar.” Plus, “because there’s peanut butter involved, they’re a bit more satisfying.”

A road-trip impulse buy changed everything for Mara because that’s when she tried Rips for the very first time. She loves the sweet-and-sour candy so much that she has a ritual for eating Rips on the road. Mara recommends letting it rest on your tongue for the first few seconds for peak puckering effect. Strawberry-green apple flavor is the one she finds most often, but rest assured, you can’t go wrong with any flavor. 

Swedish Fish reminds Charli Penn, our executive lifestyle director, of the best summers of her life. The chewy, fruity fish have been her “go-to road trip and movie theater snack” since childhood. Simply put, they are “absolutely delicious from the first bite.”

Bugles are the cone-shaped corn chips that are a classic road-trip snack. After all, this edible finger hat is as much a snack as it is a toy, and what better way to pass the time? The corn chips are satisfyingly salty with a crispy texture unlike the other chips and crackers you’ll find at the rest stop.

My 8-year-old son introduced me to Fritos Flavor Twists, and several other editors agreed that they are the sleeper hit of gas station snacks. The honey BBQ flavor is part sweet, part spicy, part savory, and 100% crunchy. Now whenever we hit the road, I make sure to pick up a pack of these crunchy chips.

No roundup of gas-station snacks is complete without mentioning Combos. Senior Recipe Editor Christine Gallary said what we all were thinking: “There’s just something about those little nuggets filled with salty cheese (or pizza flavoring) that gets me every time, and reminds me of childhood road trips.” While you might not spot Combos in your local grocery store, rest assured that gas stations are always well-stocked.

Did your favorite gas-station snack make the list? Tell us about it in the comments below.