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.