The Best Midnight Snacks: Best Easy Midnight Snacks

We’ve all been there. You look up from the show you’ve been binge watching, and suddenly it’s 12 a.m. and you’re starving. Worse yet, you’re dead asleep and your stomach starts grumbling to remind you that dinner just … never happened. Sure, you could just ignore the pangs, pop some melatonin, and eat something that isn’t junk food when breakfast time rolls around, but that’s no fun.

We’ve put together a list of some snacks that are sure to scratch that itch for a late-night munch fest, without too much effort—no one needs to preheat an oven in the middle of the night. Let’s get snackin’ on the best midnight snacks.

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I know, I know, pretzels are kind of sort of healthy and I said not two seconds ago that that was no fun. Well, my friend, these may not be horrible for you but they sure are fun! Why? Because, as former staff writer Danny Palumbo said, these pretzels are “crunchy but not dry, and easy to eat”—and ease is key in the middle of the night. This is a bag of pretzels you can really go to town on. Now you may be thinking, why would I want to go to town on a bag of pretzels? Because, these particular pretzels are extremely salty, almost buttery, and come in grid form (great for dipping). Truly, an ideal midnight snack.

Straus Chocolate Ice Cream

My mom swears by Straus ice cream. It’s rich, creamy, and dense (in a fluffy way?), so it’s like you’re getting more ice cream than air in every bite. If you are going to hover over the sink at 2 a.m. with a spoon and a little tub of ice cream thinking happy ice cream thoughts and avoiding going to bed, this ice cream is your guy. Plus, their chocolate flavor is just so. Dang. Good. Editor-in-chief Justine Sterling had an Anton Ego back-in-time moment with this one, concluding that it “tasted like childhood.” This ice cream is a cocoa-y dream that’ll give you sweet dreams. Do yourself a flavor and give it a try!

Ruffles Baked Cheddar & Sour Cream

You might be tempted to reach for something like Takis or Doritos in the middle of the night—don’t do it! Heading to bed with a belly full of heartburn fuel is a hard no. These Baked Cheddar & Sour Cream Ruffles aren’t spicy or overly greasy, but still have a cheesy, satisfying flavor that’ll scratch that junk-food itch. “These baked chips have a light, crunchy texture that’s makes them a pure joy to munch on,” Danny wrote in his ranking of the best baked chips. “I definitely miss the fried-in-oil quality of other Frito-Lay chips, but these don’t skimp on flavor.”

Tate’s Bake Shop Chocolate Chip Cookies

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Tate’s. Cookies. Taste. Like. Homemade. They just do. And if all you want to keep you company in the middle of the night is a warm, homemade chocolate chip cookie, then a Tate’s Bake Shop cookie microwaved for a few seconds will satisfy that need. They even have the caramelized bottoms of homemade cookies, with Danny describing it like “when you bake cookies in an oven and the bottoms get a little dark, and thus nutty and deeply flavorful.” Heat up a little milk for dunking, and you’re in business.

In college, I was something of a late-night microwave popcorn connoisseur. My friends and I would grab a single bag of Pop Secret Movie Theater Butter at 11 p.m. (before the local convenience store closed), bring it back to the dorm, and heat it up in the microwave in the basement (I’m still not sure why colleges don’t trust legal adults to have microwaves in their dorms rooms, but I digress). Believe me when I say that this popcorn is positively exploding with buttery flavor. Danny pointed out how it “has the perfect balance of salt and butter that we’re looking for in the best microwave popcorn. It mimics the alchemy of delicious movie theater popcorn so incredibly well.” And what more can you ask for in a popcorn you can make at home?

Sun-Maid Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread

Sometimes a piece of toast is exactly what you need to settle your stomach, but a plain ol’ piece of toast would be boring as hell. We suggest a toasty slice of Sun-Maid Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread. It’s sweet, it’s spiced, and it’s exactly the sort of thing your mom would fix you if you woke up in the middle of the night after a bad dream. Slather it in butter or, if you’re dealing with a serious hunger, smear some peanut butter on that B. Why wait till morning for something this enjoyable?

Related: Best Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Kraft Original Macaroni & Cheese Dinner

If you’re lucid enough to press a few buttons on the ol’ microwave in the dead of night, a macaroni and cheese dinner is just minutes away. This exists somewhere between snack and meal, which makes it one of the best midnight snacks to have in the pantry. And the best part? Senior writer Jordan Myrick says the cup version tastes just as good as the stuff you cook the stovetop. It’s the perfect thing if you’re looking for “cheesy flavor, a creamy texture, and an overall sense of nostalgia.”

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