Cinnamon Toast Crunch Rolls

Name: Cinnamon Toast Crunch Rolls
Variation: Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: I'm a fan of cinnamon rolls (or buns - is there even a difference?), and while no cereal can ever capture that warm and gooey, fresh-from-the-oven experience of eating them, Cinnamon Toast Crunch is probably best poised to try. And, in my experience, they certainly get closer than Frosted Mini Wheats did. The first thing you notice upon opening the box is the cute bun-shaped pieces. Eating a few of them dry, I taste a mixture of cinnamon (expected) and cream (appropriate). The flavor is actually a little subdued in milk - and I think it could be stronger - but what sells this cereal is its texture. It doesn't have the crunchiness of regular Cinnamon Toast Crunch, but instead there's a soft, almost doughy flavor. I think I like them.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Cinna-creamy.

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer

Name: Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: This year, the classic stop-motion Christmas movie about everybody's favorite reindeer gets a cereal tribute! As another hot cocoa-flavored cereal with marshmallows, I was very excited to try this cereal - even more so than The Elf on the Shelf's North Pole Snow Creme (notwithstanding its curious cooling effect). I won't be the first one to note that the "Flying Reindeer" look like Reese's Puffs Bunnies, but they're flatter and crisper (a bit like the cookies in Cookie Crisp). And there is, of course, no peanut butter.

How does it compare to other hot cocoa cereals? The bold and colorful marshmallows (representing Rudolph's red nose, green Christmas trees, and Hermey's blue hat) are where it excels - indeed, the splash of primary colors recalls the glow of Christmas lights. But it doesn't have the satisfying mouthfeel of Elf on the Shelf's Hot Cocoa cereal, and I don't think I would rate it as high as Hot Cocoa Puffs (why is this cereal so hard to find?). But that's not to say that I don't like it. I'd love to see General Mills expand on this property, like Kellogg's has done with the Elf on the Shelf cereals. Imagine Hermey's Sugar Cookies Cereal, or The Bumble's Snowball Blast!

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: It may not be hot cocoa, but it is cold chocolate milk!

The Elf on the Shelf (North Pole Snow Creme)

Name: North Pole Snow Creme
Variation: The Elf on the Shelf
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: Kellogg's has unveiled a new flavor of The Elf on the Shelf cereal this year! It's called North Pole Snow Creme, and it "magically cools your mouth while you eat". I like the snowball motif, and the color profile of the box carves a complimentary niche between the other two flavors (since Sugar Cookie switched from blue to a green box this year).

Elves on the [cereal] shelves.

Disappointingly, the cereal pieces themselves aren't as pretty as they are on the box, and once again the marshmallows leave something to be desired. They're already tiny to begin with, and the way they settle at the bottom of the bag, they may as well not be there (you might want to store this box upside-down). I noted with interest that the star-shaped cereal pieces resemble those used in Hocus Pocus 2 cereal (and another cereal that I'll be posting a review of in the future), however as with the other Elf on the Shelf cereals, the texture and mouthfeel of these is of a premium quality.

So, how does it taste? Vanilla-y, I think. The cooling effect is peculiar - it produces a kind of mild tingling sensation on your tongue (quite different from the popping effect of Rice Krispies). It's a curious novelty; I'm not sure it's necessary when you're pouring cold milk over the cereal anyway. And after a few bites, it turns into a somewhat off-putting aftertaste (menthol?). I think I'd just as soon stick to the other two flavors of Elf on the Shelf cereals in the future - Hot Cocoa & Sugar Cookie. I liked them better.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Cool and creamy.

Rice Krispies with Holiday Colors

Name: Rice Krispies with Holiday Colors
Variation: Rice Krispies
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: At this point, I'm just collecting the different seasonal varieties of Rice Krispies to complete the set, so I can have them documented for posterity on my blog. In fact, I didn't even eat that whole bowl you see in the picture. I poured most of it back into the box before adding a splash of milk, and ate only enough to confirm that it tastes just like every other box of plain Rice Krispies I've had so far - which is to say on the dull side of plain. The red and green Krispies are certainly appreciated for Christmas, but at this point, I'm not even sure I like Rice Krispies Treats enough to keep buying these...

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Nothing to write home about.

Frosted Krispies

Name: Frosted Krispies
Variation: Rice Krispies
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: After trying regular Rice Krispies (in both Shocking Orange and Red & Blue) and being completely turned off from how bland the cereal was, I was very curious to try these Frosted Krispies to see how they compare. Some people like to make a big deal about how sweet and sugary breakfast cereals are, but my opinion is that it's par for the course. After all, you wouldn't drink unsweetened lemonade, would you? As expected, these Frosted Krispies are much sweeter than plain Rice Krispies, which is to their benefit. I'd say that it makes them palatable (I was actually able to finish the bowl I'd poured this time!), but they're still quite plain in the grand scheme of things. They're not as good as Cinnamon Sugar Krispies were, which have a flavor beyond just being "sweet". I definitely won't be in a hurry to have this cereal again.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: What little milk is left after the cereal is gone tastes very sweet.

Frosted Flakes with Vanilla Flavored Marshmallows

This weekend I'm trying something a little different - the introduction of occasional Sunday morning reviews! I think posting double reviews every week is a little clunky, so I figure I can accomplish the same thing by just posting the second review on Sunday (which is still part of the weekend, after all). Certain cereals demand to be paired up, and will still be posted together - so this isn't the death of the "twofer" review. But in other cases, even when the cereals are related, it seems cleaner to post them separately. Think of it as a themed weekend! I've already amended some of my past reviews.

Name: Frosted Flakes with Vanilla Flavored Marshmallows
Variation: Frosted Flakes
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: So, this is Frosted Flakes with marshmallows. But not just any marshmallows - vanilla-flavored marshmallows! (Which makes me wonder what flavor marshmallows regularly are?). Anyway, the "school mascot shapes" (lions, tigers, bears, bulldogs, and cougars) are a pretty neat idea, and totally on-theme for the brand. Plus, they add a nice splash of colors - blue, green, orange, yellow, and purple. I wasn't expecting to like this cereal very much, because you know, it's Frosted Flakes; and even with the marshmallows - why vanilla? But actually, it's not terrible. The marshmallows counter the dullness of the flakes, and the hint of vanilla is actually a little bit refreshing. I doubt I would go out of my way to have this cereal again, but at least I won't dread finishing the box...too much.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Sweet and slightly vanilla-y.

Pandora Flakes

Name: Pandora Flakes
Variation: Frosted Flakes
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: For this tie-in with the new Avatar movie (but don't ask me about it, I still haven't seen the first one), Frosted Flakes is adding colorful "blue moons" to its cereal, which have a pleasant aroma and a noticeably blueberry flavor (not just the generic "berry" flavor you frequently get). Can you imagine how good Crunch Berries would be with these added in? Adding puffs to flakes (as opposed to, say, marshmallows) is an uncommon combination (though reminiscent of Crispy Cinnamon Basketballs), but it works here. I wasn't expecting to like this cereal. But I think I do.

Same box, front and back covers - notice the backdrop.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: It's true blueberry milk!

Frosted Mini Wheats Blueberry Muffin & Cinnamon Roll

Name: Frosted Mini Wheats Blueberry Muffin & Cinnamon Roll
Variation: Frosted Mini Wheats
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: We're going to the bakery for breakfast this morning! I've been trying out a lot of cereals I've never touched before thanks to this blog (e.g., Frosted Flakes, Rice Krispies, Apple Jacks, Cinnamon Toast Crunch) - for better and worse. Frosted Mini Wheats isn't a cereal that really appeals to me. It's probably better for you than the "candy-in-a-bowl" stuff I like, but I don't enjoy the fiber-y texture. That said, there were a couple of intriguing flavors on the shelves that I had to try. And I'm pretty impressed. Blueberry Muffin really has that hint of blueberry muffin flavor. Although Cinnamon Roll has a long way to go to match my enjoyment of the bakery treat. Reviewing a cereal like this is tough for me because I don't think it's a bad cereal, and I love the novelty element, but honestly I have no real desire to eat it again. But then, my comments are more important than the ratings anyway.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Plain. Maybe a little fiber-y.

Cinnamoji Toast Crunch

I like to spread out my reviews in order to keep a steady pace of reliable content flowing, but I'm starting to get seriously backed up with unposted reviews, and I hate to leave cereals lingering in my queue, losing their relevance week by week. So grab your spoon, we're pouring another bowl!

Name: Cinnamoji Toast Crunch
Variation: Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: I assume this cereal tastes just like regular Cinnamon Toast Crunch. The only cosmetic change is that some (not all) of the cinnamon toast pieces have faces, imitating the cereal's mischievous mascot. They're cute, and I imagine that a kid could have a lot of fun with these little guys - like conversation hearts, but with emojis. I only wonder why more of them don't have faces. I'd also like to see more variety in their facial expressions, as the different smiling faces all tend to blend together. In any case, it's Cinnamon Toast Crunch - a cereal that, amazingly, I only started eating this past year, but has quickly become one of my new favorites.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Cinnamon-y.

Sugar Cookie Toast Crunch

Name: Sugar Cookie Toast Crunch
Variation: Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: I looked for this cereal last Christmas but couldn't find it, leading me to wonder if I had imagined that it even existed. But then I found a box of it (in the middle of summer, ironically) at Ollie's, where you can find a lot of rare leftovers sold out of season*. It's nice and sweet, like a sugar cookie should be. Although, I feel like, without the cinnamon swirls, you get the impression that you're eating Cinnamon Toast Crunch, but it's a little plain... Still, I like it, and it's a fun holiday variation on a classic. Now, I just need to find some Sugar Cookie Crisp! (That's a thing, right?)

General Mills' 2022 holiday lineup.

*I couldn't have known this then - and I hate to leave these things up to chance, on the possibility that I could miss out on a cereal completely - but I could have just waited six months, because this cereal has been popping up all over the place this holiday season!

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Sweet and sugary.

Pumpkin Spice Cheerios

Name: Pumpkin Spice Cheerios
Variation: Cheerios
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: I may not be a pumpkin spice fanatic in general, but this is probably my favorite autumn cereal that's not specifically branded for Halloween (I mean, yeah, pumpkins are a critical component of the holiday, but without a "spooky" angle, it really reads more "general fall"). It's also probably my favorite seasonal variety of Cheerios, so I'm very happy I was able to find some to review for this blog. The cereal is very straightforward - it's cheerios flavored with pumpkin spice - and it tastes great. Plus, you get a little bit of pumpkin spice milk to sip (or gulp - take your pick) at the end! I make a point to grab a box every year if I can find it.

Rating: 🥣🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Pumpkin spice flavored!

Anniversary Post

They say that you have your whole life to write your first album, but only 12 months to write your second - and you have to do it while you're on tour. If that's true, then I had the equivalent of two or three albums' worth of material when I released my debut. By the time I started my cereal blog last year, I already had a long list of cereals I'd encountered, never mind the new ones popping up. I thought one year would be enough time to catch up; that by now my load would have begun to lighten. Yet there are just as many boxes of novelty cereals on top of my fridge now as there were a year ago! (And not the same ones).

I think by next year I'll know for sure whether I'll ever be able to catch up, or if novelty cereals really are that much of a booming industry. (I suspect it's the latter). Without exaggerating, if you average it out (because they tend to cluster around the holidays), I wouldn't be surprised if a new novelty cereal hit the shelves every single week of the year. I've been throwing out double reviews left and right, and I still can't keep up!

I have at least a dozen reviews waiting in the wings at any given time, and weekly slots filled up months in advance (always with a little wiggle room, to account for unexpected finds). Putting everything into place, and juggling which cereals I buy and when I eat them, is a puzzle I'm constantly turning over in the back of my mind. But you know what? It's a problem with low stakes, and a generous yield; working on it is a pleasant distraction that brings me comfort and joy.

Sure, it's a little stressful at times. I get positively exasperated when I spot an unexpected newcomer on the shelves when I'm already booked solid for a given season. Or when I can't find a cereal I'm specifically looking for that's proving to be elusive. But in the end, it is always with delight that I grab a box and cradle it on my way to the register. Because I know it means I have another cereal experiment to look forward to.

And with that, let me invite you to the sophomore year of my blog!

[Flashback] Chocolatey Peanut Butter Crunch

Notice: Flashback reviews have been written from memory, without having the cereal in front of me. I started taking pictures of notable cereal varieties several years before I decided to start a blog reviewing them. As such, details beyond whether I simply liked the cereal or not may be hazy, especially regarding the quality of the leftover milk. Whenever possible, I have made an effort to procure another box of the cereal for a proper review (even the ones I didn't like), but due to the ephemeral nature of many of these novelty cereals, this is not always possible.

Name: Chocolatey/Peanut Butter Crunch
Variation: Cap'n Crunch
Manufacturer: Quaker Oats

Review: I wanted to do something special for the one year anniversary of this blog, so I'm taking a look back at the very first cereal I ever photographed following the renaissance of my interest in breakfast cereals. Not only does this photo document two different varieties of Cap'n Crunch, but represents a homebrew experiment involving mixing different cereal ingredients together in one bowl - something I'd like to document more of on this blog if the onslaught of new novelty cereals ever lets up. I've also still got a handful of flashbacks to post featuring cereals I've taken pictures of from before I started this blog. But I'm quickly learning that novelty cereals are a surprisingly lucrative industry (no doubt thanks to suckers like me, who'll buy anything just because it says "new" or "limited edition" on the box); I'm struggling to keep up!

This flashback takes us back ten years(!), to the end of 2012. Back then, I was taking matters into my own hands, mixing Chocolatey and Peanut Butter versions of Cap'n Crunch together. Although Reese's Puffs is one of my favorite cereals, it has a particular taste and texture, and this is more of a distinct mixture than a homogeneous combination of the two flavors. I haven't seen Chocolatey Crunch around for a while (though Chocolate Caramel Crunch has been making the rounds of late), and there is a dearth of peanut butter cereals on the market. I was disappointed when Cheerios recalled their Peanut Butter flavor due to peanut allergy concerns (although it buttered me up for the later release of their Chocolate Peanut Butter flavor), leaving a conspicuous vacuum of good cereals in which to cut up bananas - something I hardly ever do anymore. But this is a winning combination; I'm surprised I've never seen these two cereals marketed together in the same box, considering that the chocolatey crunch pieces and the peanut butter puffs complement each other as perfectly as Cap'n Crunch with Crunch Berries!

Rating: 🥣🥣🥣

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheerios

Name: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheerios
Variation: Cheerios
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: I first spotted this cereal on the shelves back in late 2017. The first bowl I had, I was expecting something indulgent like Reese's Puffs. Naturally, being a type of Cheerios, the flavor I got was a lot blander. But here's the thing. I kept eating it (even when I pull a box I end up not liking, I still try to soldier through and finish it, so as not to be wasteful), and it really grew on me. Knowing what to expect (and what not to expect), this has actually become one of my favorite cereals. I'm glad it appears to be sticking around, especially since you can't find Peanut Butter Cheerios anymore.

December 2017

Rating: 🥣🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Retains the subtle, but not unpleasant flavor of the cereal itself.

Froot Loops & Apple Jacks with Spooky Marshmallows

Review: I don't know how long this has been going on, but lately around Halloween, I've seen a trio of Kellogg's cereals on store shelves that I can only imagine are poised to rival General Mills' hallowed Monster Cereals. These are regular cereals you can find year-round - Froot Loops, Apple Jacks, and Chocolate Frosted Flakes (note the symmetry of having two fruity cereals and one chocolate one) - but marketed with the seasonal addition of "spooky" marshmallows ("bewitched bats", "mischievous monsters", and "ghoulish ghosts"). As much as I hate to split the trio up, I already reviewed Chocolate Frosted Flakes with Spooky Marshmallows last year, so this year I'm focusing on the other two.

The "spooky marshmallows" trio.

As fate would have it, I've already had both Froot Loops and Apple Jacks with marshmallows (recently!), so you're not going to find any surprises here. The only differences are cosmetic; in addition to the Halloween branding, and the shape of the marshmallows, the Froot Loops appear only in orange and purple - like a subdued, autumn version of the cereal's brighter "summer" colors. (Apple Jacks are already a seasonally-appropriate orange and green). Owing to my preference for Froot Loops over Apple Jacks, previous ratings of these cereals (with marshmallows) shall stand. That is, two bowls for Apple Jacks, and three bowls for Froot Loops. As for the Chocolate Frosted Flakes (with Spooky Marshmallows), I'm strongly considering bumping its rating up to three bowls, now that I've had it a second time.

In conclusion, these are fun, festive cereals, and I actually like all three - which is something that I can't say about the Monster Cereals. (Count Chocula is good, but I don't care much for the fruity ones - except Frute Brute, which I tried just this year). Usually, in my opinion, General Mills cereals come out on top, but I think my preference is for Kellogg's in this case. It feels sacrilegious to bet against the Monster Cereals in the season when their strength is at its peak, but I gotta give credit where it's due.

Pour all three into one bowl, and you get a nice mix of Halloween colors!

Name: Froot Loops with Spooky Marshmallows
Variation: Froot Loops
Manufacturer: Kellogg's
Rating: 🥣🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: A little sweet.

Name: Apple Jacks with Spooky Marshmallows
Variation: Apple Jacks
Manufacturer: Kellogg's
Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Barely cinnamon-y.

Ghostbusters Afterlife

This weekend I'm reviewing two cereals that serve primarily as movie promotions - one from this year, and one from last year.

Name: Ghostbusters Afterlife
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: I was excited when I spotted this box last fall, in the same shipment as Monster Mash cereal; it touched a nostalgic nerve. I can't say for sure if I ate Ghostbusters cereal as a kid (I might just be remembering the marketing for all the toys I had), but I feel like I did. So I wanted to like this cereal. But, like Monster Mash, it turned out to be a disappointment. It's a fruity cereal with marshmallows, but it tastes bland in comparison to many better cereals on the market (like JoJo Siwa's Strawberry Bop!, Pokémon Berry Bolt, or even Froot Loops with Marshmallows). And you're telling me there's no fun, color-changing milk effect, like with Halloween Crunch's ghostberries? What a wasted opportunity.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Plain...

Hocus Pocus 2

This weekend I'm reviewing two cereals that serve primarily as movie promotions - one from this year, and one from last year.

Name: Disney Hocus Pocus 2
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: Boasting a "berry brew" flavor, Hocus Pocus 2 smells fruity right out of the box, and looks a bit like Apple Jacks, but in purple, yellow, and orange star shapes, with tiny green and purple flecks. But here's the trick. There's no magic, color-changing milk effect, but the secret of the "berry brew" is that the stars hold almost no flavor, and all that flavor just goes straight to the milk. So you're stuck with a bowl of plain-tasting stars. It's a bit reminiscent of Peeps cereal - but without the marshmallows. The taste isn't unpleasant (it's just plain), and the texture is fine. I think some marshmallows would have really helped. As it is, this cereal is very middle-of-the-road. Given that its primary purpose is to promote a movie, it's actually not terrible like I was expecting, but it's not particularly good, either. I have no strong desire to eat it again.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: So this is where all the flavor went!

Frute Brute

Name: Frute Brute
Variation: Monster Cereals
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: It occurred to me last year when I tried Monster Mash, that apart from Count Chocula, all the Monster Cereals are fruity. In their defense, they do all have marshmallows, but that's why Count Chocula is my favorite. Still, I was excited to see Frute Brute on the shelves this year, because it's one of the forgotten Monster Cereals that's hard to find, and I don't think I've ever tried it before (unless I was too young to remember). I was even more intrigued when I picked up the box and noticed that it's a cherry-flavored cereal*. Franken Berry suffers in that it has a lot of competition from other strawberry cereals on the market, and I think part of Boo Berry's appeal is the novelty of blueberry as a cereal flavor. Well, cherry has that novelty (maybe even more so), but it suffers from not being very distinguishable - at least visually - from strawberry.

As a matter of fact, when I opened my box of Frute Brute, I thought for a second that there had been a manufacturing error, because it looked exactly like Franken Berry. I guess I thought it would be a different shade of pink. Upon closer inspection, the marshmallows are different (orange, yellow, pink, and purple), and the cereal has a distinct cherry flavor. I like it better than Franken Berry. In fact, excluding Count Chocula, this might just be my favorite fruity Monster Cereal. I'm surprised it's not more popular*. To my disappointment, I saw stacks of boxes on clearance before the end of September (don't get me started on stores displaying Halloween products in August and liquidating them before even the start of October). For a second-tier Monster Cereal, I wasn't expecting Frute Brute to be very good, but it has exceeded my expectations!

Now I just need to get my hands on a box of Fruity Yummy Mummy...

*Some quick research has revealed that Fruit Brute (it used to be styled without the quirky misspelling) originally featured lime marshmallows, instead of being cherry-flavored. I daresay this may have contributed to it being the first Monster Cereal to be discontinued. Which is unfortunate; I suspect it would have been more popular in its current formulation - but how will people know it's been improved? Besides, Frute Brute will never be able to compete with the name recognition of Franken Berry. If I were in charge of Monster Cereals, I would change Franken Berry to Franken Cherry, but I don't know how the rest of the cereal-loving world would feel about that.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: It's pink, but I was hoping for a stronger cherry flavor.

Shocking Orange Krispies

Name: Rice Krispies Shocking Orange Colored Cereal
Variation: Rice Krispies
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: After trying Red & Blue Krispies, I felt a bit like a sucker buying this cereal, knowing full well that I wasn't going to like it. Although you can't say that I'm not dedicated to the mission statement of this blog, which is to document and try novelty cereal varieties. At least I can still make them into Rice Krispies Treats. Which, I'm convinced at this point, is all that plain Rice Krispies are really good for. I'm pretty sure even Kellogg's acknowledges this, as the treats are pictured right on the front of the box, with the recipe on the side. I have to give them credit for coloring the Krispies orange for Halloween. But it's not enough to make me actually like the cereal. Maybe if they mixed it with half Cocoa Krispies, it would taste better - and it would still be visually on theme for the holiday!

I'd still rather they were all chocolate...

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Blander than plain.

Apple Jacks Nickelodeon Slime

Name: Apple Jacks Nickelodeon Slime
Variation: Apple Jacks
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: This has got to be one of my favorite concepts for a novelty cereal that I've seen all year. We start with Apple Jacks, but they've got green flecks in them instead of red ones, which no doubt reflects the distinctive "green apple" flavor (a natural choice for an Apple Jacks alternative) in place of cinnamon. And when you stir it up, the milk turns green!

How does the milk turn green? "I don't know." XD

As this is still Apple Jacks, I'm not going to say that I'm in love with the way the cereal tastes, but the theme is so much fun. And it's great timing, too - as we're heading in to Halloween. I feel like this cereal would sit comfortably on top of the fridge between a box of Halloween Crunch and Shocking Orange Krispies.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: More green than apple.

Reese's Puffs Cluster Crunch

Name: Reese's Puffs Cluster Crunch
Variation: Reese's Puffs
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: So far, my experience with novelty editions of Reese's Puffs have mostly been holiday exclusives, in which the change is merely cosmetic. I guess there's not a lot you can do to change the flavor without subverting people's expectations of what they're getting when it says "Reese's" on the box. Then again, there are a surprising number of different types of Reese's candy out there, with a mixture of shapes and textures and balance of ingredients. Maybe there's some untapped potential after all. At the very least, they could do a limited run of Chocolate Lovers and Peanut Butter Lovers varieties. Or add in actual clusters of chocolate and peanuts, like what Cheerios is doing these days.

I was kind of hoping that's what I would be getting here, so I was a little disappointed when it turned out to be another mostly cosmetic variation. The clusters are larger and flatter than the usual spherical puffs, and they do indeed pack a bit of a crunch. I don't think they're going to render the puffs obsolete, but it's nice to have a little variety on occasion. And they've still got that Reese's Puffs flavor you'd expect. But just because I already love this cereal doesn't mean I want Reese's to rest on their laurels and not keep experimenting. Show me what else you can come up with, Reese's!

Rating: 🥣🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Kind of mild for a cereal that's based on an indulgent chocolate and peanut butter candy...

Trix Trolls World Tour with Marshmallows

Name: Trix Trolls World Tour with Marshmallows
Variation: Trix
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: There are two alterations to this version of Trix. First, the puffs have a swirled design which looks cool. And second, there are marshmallows added (which are also swirled). It's very colorful. As a fruity cereal, I can't help comparing Trix to Froot Loops (although in their defense, these two cereals taste very different). So I wanted to post this review side-by-side with my review of Froot Loops with Marshmallows. Between the two, I do prefer Froot Loops. I like to have Trix on occasion, for the sake of variety, but I can't say that I like it as much as Froot Loops (a rare case where Kellogg's beats General Mills for my preference). Adding marshmallows boosts each cereal a little bit for me, but Froot Loops still comes out on top. But I like Trix's marketing!

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Pretty plain.

Froot Loops with Marshmallows

Name: Froot Loops with Marshmallows
Variation: Froot Loops
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: I like Froot Loops, and I like marshmallows, so this cereal is a pretty sure bet. And the marshmallows add just a little bit of variety to an otherwise uniform cereal (in flavor, not appearance). The description of the marshmallows' origin in "Froot Loops World" on the back of the box is fun, too - crystals cut from frozen milk, flowers falling from the heavens, and stones tumbling down the "Singing Mountains". And the little Toucan Sam marshmallow is just adorable! I have nothing bad to say about this cereal.

Rating: 🥣🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Sweet and marshmallowy.

Chocolate Frosted Flakes

BONUS! I'm throwing in an extra review of Chocolate Frosted Flakes this weekend because both this cereal and Apple Jacks with Star Marshmallows feature a Sing 2 promotion.

Name: Chocolate Frosted Flakes
Variation: Frosted Flakes
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: I have mixed feelings about this cereal. The chocolate flavor is definitely appreciated, but it's still not as good as the one that had marshmallows, too. And I can't get past the flakes. People joke about how hard Cap'n Crunch is on your mouth, but I think Frosted Flakes are even worse. The chocolatey milk you're left with at the end is great - I'm not gonna lie - but if you like the milk the cereal leaves behind better than the cereal itself, that's a red flag. Still, there probably aren't going to be a lot of varieties of Frosted Flakes that score higher than one bowl, and I do genuinely enjoy the chocolate flavor of this cereal. I think that if I found myself in possession of another box, I would enjoy eating it again.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Satisfyingly chocolatey.

Apple Jacks with Star Marshmallows

Name: Apple Jacks with Star Marshmallows
Variation: Apple Jacks
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: Apple Jacks is another cereal that's not in my regular roster of usual suspects, so my familiarity with it is not great. I feel like maybe the flavor is a little weak to grab my attention. I see green and orange loops, and I guess I'm expecting the vibrant flavor of Froot Loops. However, this is another situation where the addition of marshmallows gives the cereal new life in my eyes. I guess, if you think about how much I love Lucky Charms, and how dull that cereal would be if you took out the marshmallows, it makes sense. I'd eat this cereal again.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: A little green, but not very flavorful.

Red & Blue Krispies

Name: Rice Krispies with Red & Blue Krispies
Variation: Rice Krispies
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: I assume this cereal tastes exactly like regular Rice Krispies, just with some of the Krispies turned red or blue. Which is admittedly a good idea. Think of the different colors and color combinations they could use for a variety of purposes? But wow. This cereal is so bland. It's like eating plain, unseasoned rice. I will be using the rest of this box (mixed with butter and marshmallow, of course) to make Rice Krispies Treats for sure. I couldn't even finish eating the bowl I'd poured (and frankly, that's a first for me - I had to go wash my mouth out with some Chocolate Toast Crunch). I'm surprised this cereal has such a fun popping effect, because otherwise, I could totally see this porridge being the product Kellogg originally invented, as the legend goes, to dull the passions of asylum inmates...

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: A pasty sludge.

Pokémon Berry Bolt

Name: Pokémon Berry Bolt
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Pop culture tie-in cereals are always a gamble, as they can sometimes rely on brand recognition for sales instead of taste. I've had some misses in my day, but I consider this one a hit. Boasting a "Berry Bolt" flavor, the red and blue puffs (blueberry? strawberry? raspberry? I honestly can't tell) aren't as vibrant (in appearance or flavor) as JoJo Siwa's Strawberry Bop!, but the orange and yellow lightning bolt and Pikachu-shaped marshmallows bring it all together. Give it a try if you like fruity cereals.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Barely berry...

CinnaGraham Toast Crunch

Name: CinnaGraham Toast Crunch
Variation: Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Of all the standard classics on the shelf, Cinnamon Toast Crunch is a cereal I'm not that familiar with (although after having Churros, I've been wondering if that's a mistake). So it's hard for me to compare this to the taste of plain Cinnamon Toast Crunch, but I think it actually tastes kind of dull. Like, imagine Honey Maid S'mores (which I love), but take out the marshmallows AND the chocolate puffs. Maybe there needs to be more cinnamon? Or maybe the graham flavor just isn't doing this cereal any favors. It's like ordering a sandwich at Subway, but putting it on wheat bread by mistake...

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: More graham flavor than cinnamon.

Cinnamon Sugar Krispies

Name: Cinnamon Sugar Krispies
Variation: Rice Krispies
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: It's ironic (although probably not unusual) that I love Rice Krispies Treats, but never eat Rice Krispies cereal. (Have they ever made a Rice Krispies cereal with marshmallows? Because they totally should). It just seems too plain. Who gets excited for crisped rice? I'll grant you that the popping effect is a lot of fun, but like Pebbles, this is another cereal that absorbs the milk and turns into a crunchy sludge. Adding a cinnamon sugar flavor is a brilliant idea - the taste is very reminiscent of cinnamon sugar toast (and I feel like an idiot, but I'm just realizing this is what Cinnamon Toast Crunch is supposed to be emulating), but perhaps the flavor could be a bit stronger. As the focal point of my breakfast, I got bored with it very quick, but I was much more impressed with both the flavor and the texture when eating a smaller bowl on the side with my lunch. So, better in smaller doses? There are probably not going to be a lot of varieties of Rice Krispies that I like, so I'm going to give this one the benefit of the doubt and give it a rating of two bowls.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: What milk?

[Flashback] Birthday Cake Pebbles

Notice: Flashback reviews have been written from memory, without having the cereal in front of me. I started taking pictures of notable cereal varieties several years before I decided to start a blog reviewing them. As such, details beyond whether I simply liked the cereal or not may be hazy, especially regarding the quality of the leftover milk. Whenever possible, I have made an effort to procure another box of the cereal for a proper review (even the ones I didn't like), but due to the ephemeral nature of many of these novelty cereals, this is not always possible.

Name: Birthday Cake Pebbles
Variation: Fruity Pebbles
Manufacturer: Post

Review: While we've got the Pebbles cereals on our minds, I wanted to take a moment to remember this cereal from last year. It's flavored like birthday cake, in celebration of Pebbles cereals' 50th anniversary. All merriment aside, though, I didn't actually like it very much. It's pretty, with a bit of a pastel look - birthday cake flavored items are always so colorful. Even so, it can't beat the brilliant color explosion that is regular Fruity Pebbles. And if I'm being honest, "birthday cake" isn't one of my favorite flavors (personally, I'd rather have a brownie sundae on my birthday). But I can't fault Post for exploiting the perfect opportunity to try out what is, at least conceptually, a great idea.

Rating: 🥣

Marshmallow Fruity/Cocoa Pebbles

Name: Marshmallow Fruity/Cocoa Pebbles
Variation: Fruity/Cocoa Pebbles
Manufacturer: Post

Review: This is going to sound weird, but Fruity Pebbles might be my favorite cereal that I don't actually like. It's just so colorful; and it smells good, too! But, it's fruity, and I don't love the way the pebbles soak up the milk and turn into an amalgamated sludge. I mean, I like flavored milk at the end of a bowl of cereal, I just don't like having to chew it. But apparently, adding marshmallows (in cute, fruity shapes) is just what it takes to get me to genuinely enjoy eating Fruity Pebbles. And adding them to Cocoa Pebbles? That's a no-brainer! And not just any marshmallows, either. They're doubling up the chocolate with cocoa marshmallows. Perfect for a chocolate lover like me. I'm not in the habit of giving a cereal a three bowl rating until I've had more than one box of it, but this is definitely a contender for a future promotion.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: A fruity/chocolatey sludge.

Froot Loops Tropical

Name: Froot Loops Tropical
Variation: Froot Loops
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: I first came across this novel version of Froot Loops last summer, when the box still had a "limited edition" tag in the corner. Featuring orange, yellow, and green loops that boast pineapple, banana, orange, and mango flavors that seem right at home in the toucan's natural habitat, this variation of Froot Loops would seem to be a no brainer. I just wish I liked it more. Granted, "fruity" isn't my first choice in cereals, but Froot Loops is one of my favorites, and I usually like tropical variations of fruit snacks. But in this case, I just find myself missing the flavor of regular Froot Loops. I'm going to chalk this up to being another cereal idea that looks better on paper.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: A little fruity.

Honey Maid S'mores

This weekend I'm pitting two S'mores-themed cereals against each other in a head-to-head competition!

Name: Honey Maid S'mores
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: Post

Review: One of my fondest cereal memories from childhood is being on summer vacation with my family, and waking up to a bowl (or three) of S'mores Grahams cereal. Sadly, I haven't seen the cereal since my resurgence of interest, but I've noticed two modern contenders on the shelves. Kellogg's Smorz was not very good, but Honey Maid S'mores was just what I was looking for. The taste is even reminiscent of S'mores Grahams. I like that it doesn't cop out with chocolate-coated graham crackers (hello, Kellogg's Smorz). S'mores are a perfect balance of three ingredients - graham cracker, chocolate, and marshmallow - and that's the trifecta you get here. S'mores may be a summery treat, but I'll eat this cereal any time of year.

Rating: 🥣🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: A S'morey blend of flavors.

Kellogg's Smorz

This weekend I'm pitting two S'mores-themed cereals against each other in a head-to-head competition!

Name: Kellogg's Smorz
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: I love S'mores. But it's a flavor that's hard to imitate in other forms. I'm always tempted to try S'mores-related desserts, but they never live up to the promise of a real S'more. This cereal has that "chocolate-coated graham cracker" flavor that just screams "shortcut". The marshmallows (now swirled with chocolate) are fine. Honestly, judged on its own merits, this would be a decent cereal - it's still chocolate and marshmallows. But as a facsimile of S'mores, it comes up short, and when there's the far superior Honey Maid S'mores on the market, there's just no competition.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: For all the swirling chocolate that's left in the bowl when the cereal is gone, the milk tastes disappointingly plain...

Trix Fireworks

Name: Trix Fireworks
Variation: Trix
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: The cynical side of me wants to say that this is just another version of Trix with marshmallows. But that's probably because this isn't the first one I've had, recently. I actually really like the idea for this one, and although Red, White & Blue Crunch is my preferred 4th of July cereal, I'm excited to see another one on the shelves. The puffs are swirled with red and blue (actually, more like purple), and the white marshmallows form starbursts reminiscent of fireworks (although they're not as perfect as they look on the box). Part of me thinks the fireworks would look great in different colors, but then you'd lose the "red, white & blue" aesthetic. I'll give Trix points for a great idea with this cereal, but, not being my favorite fruity cereal on the market, I'm not gonna say that I love eating it.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Looks pink, but tastes plain...