The Plum Market Good Crisp is the cousin to the pringle. Photo by Lauren Gdowski.

ABIGAIL RUBLE | OPINION COLUMNIST | amruble@butler.edu

As a hungry gal, snack time is the best time of the day. I love shopping for the best snacks, but unfortunately there is a limited selection at Butler. Plum Market is the main snack shop on campus with its aisles and freezer section providing a little grocery store right on campus. The only problem is that almost all of the food there is a dupe of a name brand, whether it’s Keebler fudge cookies or Pringles or Swedish Fish. 

Oreos vs. Nature Smart Double Crème Cookies

One of my favorite sweet treats at Plum is the Double Crème Cookies, Butler’s back alley Oreos. I really like these cookies honestly; they are delectable and taste more like a triple-stuffed Oreo than a double. It has a rich and crunchy chocolate cookie on the outside, and the inside is filled with white icing that brings a nice sweetness to the cookie and is just delightful to bite into.

John Cunningham, a sophomore international business and accounting double major, talked about how the Oreo dupes at Plum are some of his top snacks. John said that the cookies are akin to the real thing and taste pretty similar as well. 

I agree with Cunningham that the double crème cookies are pretty good, but they are no real Oreo even if they are triple stuffed. Though they are definitely a contender for an Oreo replacement, they really can’t compare, and to be honest, the packaging of the Nature Smart Double Créme Cookies just doesn’t compare to the cathartic and riveting feeling of ripping open the classic Oreo pack. Even though the dupe doesn’t taste exactly like an Oreo, I would definitely say that the Plum dupe is delightful, and I would recommend purchasing them if you have a few flex dollars to spare and you’re craving a good cookie.

Overall Rating: 8/10

Swedish Fish vs. Surf Sweets DelishFish candy

I myself enjoy a sweet candy every once in a while, and Swedish Fish is one of my go-tos. They’re nice and chewy but still have that almost fruit snack-like quality; they’re just delightful. The Plum dupes, however, are subpar. They all clump and congeal together, making them a big block of melted fish. While I do appreciate the chewy quality of some candies, if I have to chew for over a minute on one fish, I’m not going to be happy with my sweet.

When I want candy now, I have to find something new to try. Emma Young, a sophomore dance major, agrees.

“I don’t like them,” Young said. “[The Swedish Fish dupes] are terrible … They’re just, like, not sweet. If you’re gonna sell sweet candy, make it sweet.”

Young’s sentiments do not go unnoticed. I too find them less than sweet and a lot gummier than your classic Swedish Fish treat. If the company could make them less sticky, I think that they would thrive among the ranks of slightly odd-tasting dupes, but where they sit now they are less than superb.

Overall Rating: 2/10

Pringles vs. The Good Crisp Potato Crisps

Salty snacks are one of my favorites. There is nothing like something salty and a nice refreshing drink. Delish! Or throwing in something sweet like a fruity candy or chocolate gives the salt a great counterpart. I love a good Pringle-and-chocolate combination for a night in, and that always satisfies the salty and the sweet for me. Pringles are a top-five chip for me, and there is a pretty solid dupe at Plum. Cunningham really enjoys the Good Crisp chips.

“Considering the limited options [at Plum Market], I think that [the Good Crisps are] a good place to sort of get a flavor, crisp and all that,” Cunningham said. “Obviously, [the dupe] doesn’t compare.”

The Good Crisps chips have a head start on the Nature Smart brand of dupes when it comes to packaging. The Oreos and dupe packaging is nothing alike, but the Good Crisps come in a tube with a lid just like Pringles. The packaging really helps build the illusion that these chips are really Pringles and catches my eye when I go into Plum to get some salty snacks.

One of the nice things about Pringles is their thin crisp shape. There is nothing quite like biting down and the Pringle exploding in your mouth. Their stackability is also something that people enjoy, choosing to eat two or three chips at a time. Young however thinks the Plum Pringles are less than adequate.

“The Pringles [in Plum Market] are thicker … [but] the fun part of the Pringles is that they are so thin.” Young said. “I don’t like [the dupe] as much.”

While the chips are a little bit of a different recipe than the original Pringles, I think that they can stand their ground as a sufficient dupe. Plum has multiple flavors on their shelves of the chips that can satisfy most people in the Pringle department — my favorite flavor of the dupes in Plum is the cheddar and sour cream. And while they definitely taste different, they are a good grab. I would recommend picking them up if you find yourself down in Plum.

Overall Rating: 7/10

Keebler Fudge Stripes vs. Nature Smart Fudge Striped Cookies

I told y’all that I was snack gal, and that won’t stop now. I also love myself some fudge striped cookies. They bring back the nostalgia of my mom packing my lunch for me in elementary school. There is nothing like those Keebler elves inviting me to eat their scrumptious cookies. Plum Market also sells fudge striped cookies but they — of course — are the Nature Smart brand.

Giselle Varre, a junior strategic communications major, finds the duped cookies delightful, especially since they are vegan.

“I know for a fact that the one with the fudge stripes [in Plum] are vegan, so it’s actually a lot lighter,” Varre said. “I have to limit how many I eat because I don’t realize how much I’m eating, but they’re really good. I like [the Plum fudge stripes] a lot better than the mainstream brand.”

Varre does not go unnoticed in her attempts to find vegan food on campus. Since the cookies are vegan, they aren’t as dense of a cookie because of their lack of dairy products which adds to their draw on snackability. Finding yummy snacks that are able to satisfy dietary requirements can be hard on a college campus.

Having the taste be even better than the original is a big positive for its overall rating. The cookies are scrumptious with an almost flaky biscuit cookie and chocolate bottom with drizzle over the top of the cookie. I can’t lie — I am a big fan of these cookies. 

Overall Rating: 10/10

While Plum sometimes misses the spot when it comes to their snacks, overall they’re pretty good at providing good dupes for popular snacks. I get that we can’t always have the on-brand items in our university shop, but I do appreciate the effort to provide solid replacements for favorite snacks of mine. All in all, Plum is a pretty good spot to shop if you know what to look for, but be careful, or you could end up with a brick of gummy Swedish Fish in your digestive tract.