8 Worst Great Value Products You Should Never Buy at Walmart

While store brands can be an excellent way to save money shopping, not all are created equal.

Take Walmart's Great Value brand, for example. While it offers a wide variety of budget-friendly grocery items, some selections might not live up to your expectations.

Here are a few Great Value products you might want to skip on your next shopping trip.

Editor's note: Prices are subject to change and may vary by location.

Great Value Peanut Butter is packed with sugar, vegetable oil, and other unnecessary ingredients.

You can make peanut butter at home with salt and peanuts in a food processor for an easy, natural option.

A six-pack of 4-ounce containers of Great Value Cinnamon Applesauce has 20 grams of sugar per serving compared to just 11 grams for each serving of the organic non-cinnamon version.

However, the healthier option does come at a cost. Great Value Cinnamon Applesauce costs $2.24, while the unsweetened option, Great Value Organic Applesauce, is $3.82.

Great Value Maple Syrup includes corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup. It also has traces of milk, eggs, and anchovies.

On the other hand, Great Value Pure Maple Syrup has maple syrup listed as its one ingredient.

This is another situation where you pay more for the healthier choice. The “pure” maple syrup costs $7.98 for a 12.5-ounce bottle or 63.8 cents per fluid ounce. That compares with the regular version, which has a price tag of $2.36 for 24 ounces, or 9.8 cents per fluid ounce. 

Neither Walmart buys are worth it. You can get the same size pure maple syrup at Aldi for $6.05, so head over there for your quality maple syrup rather than Walmart. 

Great Value Sliced Strawberries with Sugar can be found in the frozen-food aisle and may be good for desserts or pancake toppings. But the added sugar in an already sweet fruit may be too much for some recipes, and it certainly isn’t good for you.

You also aren’t likely to save money, as the cost per ounce for fresh strawberries from the produce section is cheaper.

Great Value Frozen Pizza may not be as great a value as you think. You might find other frozen pizza offerings at Walmart that are cheaper.

Great Value Thin Crust Pepperoni Frozen Pizza sells for 27.1 cents per ounce. Meanwhile, a Jack's version of the same pizza costs 26.8 cents per ounce.

Any baker can tell you that pure vanilla extract can be expensive. So, you might think the Great Value version is a good way to save money.

But Great Value Pure Vanilla Extract isn’t so cheap after all. It costs $2.86 per fluid ounce. At Costco, that price is $1.06.

Costco also beats Walmart on price when it comes to frozen shrimp.

Both stores offer tail-on peeled frozen shrimp under their store brands. However, Costco’s Kirkland Signature version is 51 cents per ounce, while Great Value Frozen Shrimp is 55.3 cents per ounce.

Canned fruit can be a good shelf-stable item compared to fresh produce. However, canned fruit can also have added sweeteners and might be packed in light or heavy syrup.

It may be a bit more expensive, but buying fresh produce can be healthier, especially if you plan on eating it soon or have a family that enjoys it.

This is one time it makes sense to pay more rather than trying to keep more cash in your wallet.

Many of Walmart’s Great Value products offer a great way to save money on groceries. But others are not worth purchasing.

So, skip some of the products on this list and look for other ways to save money. For example, check out the Walmart app to see if you can find extra discounts and deals.