We’re Declaring These the Best Road Trip Snacks of All Time (Did Your Faves Make the Cut?!)

Every great road trip starts with three things: a good playlist, a comfy driving outfit, and lots of delicious snacks. But not all snacks are created equal. You need something easy to grab with one hand, sturdy enough to survive the cupholder abyss, and satisfying enough to make you forget you’ve been trapped in the car for five hours. And tasty treats are a perfect distraction from the fact that you’ve had to pee for the last 30 minutes.

As someone who goes to college a 6-hour drive from home, I have plenty of experience with long car rides. In an effort to curate the ultimate list of the best road trip snacks, I tapped my personal experience and polled my friends who have long drives home from college to arrive at this compilation of the MVPs of car nibbles. These have all been chewed, crunched, approved, and slightly obsessed over by college students over many, many miles.

Some of the best road trip snacks are ones that satisfy your sweet tooth, from dried fruit you can chew on to peanut butter cups you can share with everyone in the car. 

You call it childish, I call it genius. You don’t need a spoon, you don’t make a mess, and you get to eat applesauce like it’s 2008 again. The “Gimmie 5” flavor is a peak fruity mega blend in the best way possible.

I can’t stop buying these treats from Trader Joe’s because of the elite combination of rich cocoa and creamy peanut butter, with no sugar crash. They’re sweet, snackable, and you *will* accidentally-on-purpose eat six in a row.

Eating these in the car makes you feel like you’re on a plane instead — one that actually serves good snacks. They’re sweet, chewy, a little fancy, and you can buy them at Trader Joe’s or even order them online.

A crunchy snack packed with nostalgia, animal crackers are cute, a touch sweet, and they make your car smell vaguely like a carnival. I especially love the frosted ones! 

Made with fruit purée and fruit juice, these are a refreshing change of pace from rich cookies and chocolate. Plus, they’re great for sharing if you’re road tripping with pals. 

I always have a bag of dried mango or pineapple on my drives. They’re so flavorful but not too sticky, and they double as a source of Vitamin C and a sweet treat. 

These are the best underrated, sweet-salty road trip snacks. The yogurt coating tastes like icing while the crunch and salt keeps the overall flavor interesting. 

When you need an energy boost, this dose of peanutty protein and fresh crunch will keep you going. (This snack is best for passengers since it requires two hands. If you want to be the hero of the drive, you could assemble the apple slices for the driver and hand them over.)   

The best way to eat a sandwich. These soft, crustless ready-made sandwiches hit harder on the highway than they ever did at lunchtime in elementary school. I love the strawberry jam version. 

These are easy to stash in your glove compartment for when you run out of other snacks and really need something more filling. Larabars and RXBars are both great options! They’re great for those “we said we’d stop for a meal an hour ago” moments! 

These thin, crunchy cookies are perfect for early departures when you can’t be bothered to cook a hot breakfast.

When you’ve oversaturated on sugary snacks or are just craving something salty and satisfying, try some of these picks on for size, from Goldfish to trail mix. 

These are so easy to grab that I’ve eaten an entire family-sized bag of them over the course of a long drive. They have such a satisfying crunch! 

A classic for a reason! Super portable, super poppable, and super yum. Goldfish are my ultimate emotional support snack.

Crumb-free and filling, cashews are one of the best road trip snacks. 

These mini cheese wheels are so satisfying, and wrapped in fun wax that makes you feel like a kid again. (If you’re driving, you might want to pre-open some wheels or have a passenger open them for you on the road.) When I’m not driving, I like to pair it with apples or little slices of turkey to make a delicious two-ingredient snack. 

They’re not for everyone (including me), but my friend swears by these jerky snacks that are filling, low-effort, and very road trip-core. 

A crunchy-fresh break from the chips and chocolates. If you’re a passenger in the car, you can totally dip your carrots in individual hummus cups — and maybe even dip a few and hand them to the driver. 

Trail mix is the OG road snack. It’s sweet, salty, and customizable enough to keep everyone happy (you can make your own perfect bite, after all). You can of course buy premade trail mix, but I prefer to make mine with stuff I have at home, so it usually includes craisins, granola, and white chocolate chips.

Okay, a beverage is not a snack, but still, is a road trip really complete without something fun in the cupholder? Of course, you’ll want to pack your trusty water tumbler and make sure you’re staying well hydrated, but it doesn’t hurt to bring a second option packed with a little more flavor. 

Cold, crisp, and reliable, Diet Coke is in a class of its own, for me — a comfort beverage if there ever was one (I’m obsessed with the Holiday Creamy Vanilla version). That first sip always wakes me right up.

This iced tea is lightly sweet and refreshing, and it contains some caffeine if you want a pick-me-up but don’t want any carbonation or coffee. There are also tons of flavors to choose from — my favorite is Red Raspberry. 

Everyone has their own favorite brand of sparkling water, from Polar to La Croix. Whichever is your favorite, packing a can or two for a long drive is always a good idea. The water keeps you hydrated and the bubbles make it a little more fun.