The Short Answer
Pirate's Booty is an avoid. While it skips the artificial colors found in traditional chips, it relies heavily on highly refined seed oils and empty carbohydrates.
Worse, independent lab tests from September 2024 found concerning levels of arsenic linked to its primary ingredient: rice flour. If you're looking for a daily crunch for your kids, there are significantly cleaner options on the market.
Why This Matters
Pirate's Booty gained its massive cult following by positioning itself as the healthy alternative to Are Cheese Puffs Bad|Neon Orange Cheese Puffs. Parents love that it's baked, gluten-free, and leaves no orange dust behind, but "better than Cheetos" doesn't mean healthy.
The base of these puffs is simply extruded corn and rice flour—two heavily refined carbohydrates. These empty calories spike blood sugar and offer almost zero nutritional value. When you coat them in inflammatory seed oils and conventional dairy, you get a snack that leaves kids hungry and hyperactive.
The biggest red flag is the heavy metal content. Independent lab testing in September 2024 by Lead Safe Mama found positive tests for arsenic in Pirate's Booty Aged White Cheddar puffs. Rice is notorious for absorbing heavy metals from soil, making rice-based toddler snacks a major concern for cumulative exposure. Arsenic In Rice Cakes
What's Actually In Pirate's Booty
- Cornmeal & Rice Flour — Highly processed grains stripped of their fiber. The rice flour is particularly concerning due to heavy metal contamination. Are Rice Cakes Healthy
- Sunflower and/or Canola Oil — Highly refined, inflammatory seed oils used to adhere the cheese powder to the puffs. Oils In Chips
- Cheddar Cheese & Whey — Conventional dairy from cows likely treated with antibiotics and growth hormones, rather than organic or grass-fed sources.
- Natural Flavor — A catch-all term that can hide up to 100 different chemical compounds used to make the puffs hyper-palatable.
- Citric & Lactic Acid — Synthetic preservatives. Hershey faced an August 2024 class-action lawsuit for claiming "no artificial preservatives" while using these exact ingredients.
What to Look For
Green Flags:
- Organic corn or cassava — Reduces exposure to glyphosate and avoids the heavy metal risks associated with rice.
- Avocado or coconut oil — Heat-stable oils that don't drive inflammation like industrial seed oils. Chips No Seed Oils
- Real, organic cheese — Dairy from grass-fed cows without hidden "natural flavors" to fake the taste.
Red Flags:
- Rice flour — The leading source of arsenic in children's snacks.
- Canola and sunflower oil — Cheap, highly processed oils that dominate the snack aisle.
- Natural flavors — Proprietary chemical mixtures designed to make you crave more.
The Best Options
If you want that cheesy crunch without the seed oils and heavy metals, swap Pirate's Booty for cleaner alternatives. Check out our guide on the Healthiest Cheese Snack|Healthiest Cheese Snacks for more.
| Brand | Product | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| LesserEvil | Space Balls | ✅ | Organic corn, avocado oil, and no artificial flavors. |
| Serenity Kids | Grain Free Puffs | ✅ | Cassava base, olive oil, and grass-fed bone broth. |
| Hippeas | Organic Chickpea Puffs | ⚠️ | Organic and fiber-rich, but uses sunflower oil. Is Hippeas Clean |
| Pirate's Booty | Aged White Cheddar | 🚫 | Inflammatory seed oils, natural flavors, and arsenic concerns. |
The Bottom Line
1. Ditch the rice flour. — The arsenic risk in rice-based puffs is too high for an everyday kids' snack.
2. Avoid the seed oils. — Look for puffs baked or fried in avocado, coconut, or olive oil instead.
3. Upgrade your puffs. — Brands like LesserEvil and Serenity Kids offer the exact same crunch with vastly superior ingredients.
FAQ
Is Pirate's Booty healthier than Cheetos?
Yes, but that's an extremely low bar. While it avoids the artificial food dyes found in Cheetos, Pirate's Booty still relies on inflammatory seed oils and refined carbs. Are Cheese Puffs Bad
Why is there arsenic in Pirate's Booty?
Pirate's Booty uses rice flour as a primary ingredient. Rice naturally absorbs high levels of heavy metals from soil and water, making rice-based snacks a known source of arsenic exposure for children. Arsenic In Rice Cakes
Is Pirate's Booty or Annie's better?
Both brands rely heavily on processed grains and seed oils. If you are choosing between the two, neither is considered a clean option, but you can read our full comparison here: Pirates Booty Vs Annies Bunnies.
Does Pirate's Booty have real cheese?
Yes, it contains real cheddar cheese, whey, and buttermilk. However, it uses conventional dairy from non-organic sources, and the flavor is artificially boosted with hidden "natural flavors."