Golden Grahams Retro Recipe

Name: Golden Grahams Retro Recipe
Variation: Golden Grahams
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Boasting "the delicious taste of graham crackers in milk" (I'm not so sure about that), Golden Grahams Retro Recipe is "taking you back to the best part of the '80s" with "the taste of your childhood". Actually, I never ate Golden Grahams as a child, so I can't judge the integrity of this "retro recipe". I just hope it tastes better than CinnaGraham Toast Crunch (and half of that cereal was Cinnamon Toast Crunch...).

Dry, it tastes like graham crackers. It's reminiscent of having a S'mores cereal, but without the chocolate or marshmallow (i.e., the best parts). It tastes slightly better in milk, but honestly, it's still dry and quite plain. I'm sorry, but this cereal is gonna need something more than just honey-dipped graham crackers for me to recommend it...

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Has a sweet, honey graham flavor - it's better than the cereal itself!

Crumbl Cereal (Chocolatey Chip Cookie)

Name: Crumbl Cereal (Chocolatey Chip Cookie)
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: To preface, I've had a love/hate relationship with Crumbl Cookies ever since one opened up in my town last year. I love their cookies, but I hate the way the company profits from psychologically manipulating its customer base (with rotating flavors - spelled F-O-M-O) and hijacking their health (by marketing dangerous levels of butter and sugar via hyperpalatability). And then there are the claims of child labor exploitation. Personally, I'm not concerned about that - if a kid wants to work, let them work. It's what the law allows them to do that bothers me. It's a perfect example of how unregulated capitalism feeds the obesity epidemic. My ethical conscience is stronger than my sweet tooth (and I have a powerful sweet tooth), so I stopped eating their cookies. But I guess I can make an exception for this new cereal - as fast as the novelty cereal market is (and it's faster than I ever imagined it could be), I don't expect to see new flavors weekly, or even monthly. Maybe yearly, but we'll see.

Opening the box, the cereal emits an aroma suggestive of fried dough. Visually, it's reminiscent of Cookie Crisp, but with a very pale overall impression. The box promises not just chocolate chips, but "chocolatey" chips, yet these are practically specks. The picture of the cookie on the box only emphasizes how pitiful the cereal pieces look by comparison. They're crunchy, and soften up considerably in milk, recalling the soft center of a Crumbl cookie. But the flavor is pretty lacking. Without the unhealthy amounts of butter and sugar (the nutritive value of this cereal actually isn't so bad), there's not much to enjoy. It surely isn't any competition for Chips Ahoy. I'm gonna call this product a media cash-in. People are gonna buy it because the box is pink and says "crumbl". Well, I fell for it. Now you don't have to.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Tastes like... fried dough?

Froot Loops Rainbow Sherbet Scoops

Name: Rainbow Sherbet Scoops
Variation: Froot Loops
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: New, and in time for pride month - it's Froot Loops Rainbow Sherbet Scoops! And, perfect for the heat wave we're currently experiencing, it "cools your mouth" as you eat. Honestly, I'm surprised Kellogg's is still hawking that trick. I think they should cool it already, but I spotted ICEE cereal on the shelves again this year, so I guess we're stuck with it for a while. This cereal is very similar to that one; it's just more colorful. The fruity flavor is suppressed by the "cooling" effect, which really just feels like a slight burning sensation in the roof of your mouth. I think Rainbow Sherbet cereal is a good idea in theory, but it's not my favorite flavor of ice cream, and it just makes me miss all the more the neapolitan Ice Cream Scoops cereal (I believe it was a variation of Cocoa Puffs) I've had in the not too distant past.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Cool and menthol-y...

Mega Stuf Oreo O's

Name: Mega Stuf Oreo O's
Variation: Oreo O's
Manufacturer: Post

Review: Skipping over Double Stuf and jumping straight to Mega Stuf, here's an exciting new version of Oreo O's! Can I just say, I hate the way companies intentionally misspell words in their product names. I know they do it so they can protect their trademark (you can't own regular words), but it's not cute. It looks ignorant, and it stunts children's educations. Is it really worth it to make yourself (and by extension, your consumers) look like idiots for commercial profit? The answer is obviously yes, and that disgusts me.

Anyway, this appears to be nothing more than regular Oreo O's, but with marshmallows. I guess the "stuf" fell out. But you know what I say - marshmallows make any cereal better! I feel like there were a lot of Oreo loops stuck together in my box, but that may just be a coincidence. The cereal itself is kinda plain, but the marshmallows are good. It's a definite improvement over original Oreo O's. I would just be mindful of the high sugar content, rivaling even Raisin Bran itself.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: A bit like an Oreo cookies 'n' cream milkshake.

Chips Ahoy

Name: Chips Ahoy
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: Post

Review: This new year, I was very excited to see Chips Ahoy cereal back on the shelves, so I could give it a proper review (I can only hope the return of Nutter Butter cereal is on the horizon, too). And, I was excited to be able to compare it to Cookie Crisp (that other chocolate chip cookie cereal), to see which one comes out on top. Sadly, Cookie Crisp doesn't get many novelty variations, or even promotional tie-ins, so I haven't had an excuse to pick up a box since I started this blog - until now.

Visually, this cereal is very similar to Cookie Crisp. Only by direct comparison can I tell that the cookie saucers in Chips Ahoy are a little bit bigger, and a little bit lighter in color. They taste less sweet, but have a richer cookie flavor. Rather than crispy, I would say that they are very crunchy, although they do soften up some after soaking in milk. And though the chocolate flavor is subtle, I think I can taste it better here than in Cookie Crisp. All in all, I think this is the superior chocolate chip cookie cereal; which is appropriate, given the reputation of the Chips Ahoy brand. Can we get a Chips Ahoy Chewy next? Maybe with some cookie dough bites? Or how about Chocolate Chunk? Chunks are way better than chips.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Mildly cookie-flavored.

Cookie Crisp

Name: Cookie Crisp
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Featuring "the great taste of chocolate chip cookies & milk". I like chocolate chip cookies. I like them more than Oreos. And milk and cookies are a natural match (although I prefer cookies in ice cream). But while it's a staple, I'm surprised that this cereal isn't more popular. It seems to be the most overlooked of Big G's flagship cereals (alongside Honey Nut Cheerios, Reese's Puffs, Cocoa Puffs, Lucky Charms, Trix, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch), and is the one that gets the least novelty variations, despite there being a lot of potential in terms of different kinds of cookies you could use. I still want my Sugar Cookie Crisp, and that's just the tip of the iceberg of what they could create - Double Chocolate Cookie Crisp, Brookie Crisp, Peanut Butter Cookie Crisp, Snickerdoodle Crisp, Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Crisp, Red Velvet Cookie Crisp, and the collaboration with Panera Bread - Kitchen Sink Cookie Crisp! The list of missed opportunities just goes on and on...

Anyway, the cereal consists of cute little saucers that resemble chocolate chip cookies - and the visual impression is quite enticing. They have a sweet, doughy taste with a hint of chocolate, and are crisp and crunchy. Even in milk, they only soften up a little bit - and that might be my only complaint. Some people like crispy cookies. I prefer it when they're soft. But it's a good cereal, with surprisingly little competition. And you can't beat the thrill of having cookies for breakfast!

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: It's not strong, but you can definitely taste the chocolate chip cookie flavor.

Reese's Puffs Peanut Butter Lovers

Name: Reese's Puffs Peanut Butter Lovers
Variation: Reese's Puffs
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: I always love it when the big companies take my suggestions for new novelty cereals. I just wish they would pay me for it. Or at least give me some credit. :-p

Welcome to Peanut Butter Town!

This cereal is pretty self-explanatory - it's Reese's Puffs but with nothing but peanut butter puffs. That's right, no chocolate. Visually, it's very reminiscent of Peanut Butter Crunch, but with a softer, maybe even a little bit richer bite. Both are excellent peanut butter cereals, but I think PB Crunch might have some competition if this cereal sticks around. As you would predict, it also tastes great with fresh banana cut up into it. Even though Reese's is known for their peanut butter, and a chocolate cereal would compete with General Mills' own Cocoa Puffs, I would still love to see a Chocolate Lovers version of Reese's Puffs in the future. Imagine mixing them together! XD

Rating: 🥣🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Only mildly peanut buttery.

Cocoa Puffs/Trix/Cinnamon Toast Crunch LOADED

This Memorial Day weekend you're getting not one, not even two, but three cereal reviews! It's a threefer!

General Mills is taking a page from the Kellogg's Krave playbook this year, by stuffing three of its flagship cereals with vanilla crème. As an aside, I wish we could agree on whether to call it "cream" or "crème", because I never know whether to use the American or the French pronunciation. (Also, is it "crescent" or "croissant"? I studied French, so it's weird for me not to use the French pronunciation). A quick search of their differences would reveal that "crème" is just the French word for "cream", but the most plausible explanation I came across (no idea whether it's true), is that US law forbids non-dairy substitutes from being called "cream" - hence, "crème". It's like the difference between "cheese" and "cheese-flavored product". You know, that would make a lot of sense.

Anyway, as a chocolate lover, I don't really get excited about vanilla. I feel like it would be a good companion to Cinnamon Toast Crunch, but shouldn't Trix be loaded with a fruity filling, and Cocoa Puffs a chocolatey one? Maybe that would be too redundant, but doubling up isn't necessarily a bad thing. After all, it worked for Kellogg's Krave Double Chocolate Brownie Batter. Regardless, it sounds like a fun novelty, so let's give them a try!

Name: Cocoa Puffs Loaded
Variation: Cocoa Puffs
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: These crème-filled biscuit shapes are definitely reminiscent of Kellogg's Krave cereal. You know, it's not bad. The chocolate shell is good, and even though the filling is vanilla, it adds a smoothness or a softness to each bite. It's kind of like a chocolate cupcake with vanilla icing. Certainly not the worst combination in the world. The leftover milk has the same problem as Krave or Frosted Mini Wheats, though. I don't know what it is about biscuit-shaped cereal, but somebody needs to learn how to get some flavor into that milk.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Looks chocolatey, but the flavor's more "biscuit-y".

Name: Trix Loaded
Variation: Trix
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Well, these colors are not very impressive. They look worn and faded, and they can't even separate the red from the blue from the purple. Trix may not be as vivid as Fruity Pebbles, but I expect it to have a bright and colorful appearance (Exhibit A: Trix Minis). This isn't just disappointing, it's depressing! It's worse than Froot Loops Color Mix-Ups. Regardless, it has a decent fruity flavor, and once again, the vanilla "crème" filling gives the impression that you're eating cupcakes with frosting. I can't say that I love it, but I do appreciate that it's the most unique version of Trix I've ever seen. I like a novelty cereal that dares to experiment.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Speckled with some color, but still biscuit-flavored...

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

Review: It looks like Cinnamon Toast Crunch - albeit in biscuit-form. The texture and mouthfeel is very different from the usual crunchy toasties - it's softer. But the buttery, cinnamon toast flavor is retained. And the filling is a good companion, as I suspected. I don't think I've ever spread vanilla frosting over a slice of cinnamon sugar toast, but that's basically what you're getting here. And I like it. Now, can you imagine a version of French Toast Crunch loaded with fruit filling? I don't know why General Mills hasn't recruited me yet...

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Good luck tasting the cinnamon over that biscuit flavor.

And, of course, I had to try them together. The biscuits are too big to really mix together and create an amalgamated flavor, so you get a different combination of flavors in every bite. Trix's fruity flavor definitely stands out the most. It's not unpleasant to eat, but it's an odd combination. I think I got better results mixing the Minis together.

Maple Cinnamon Cheerios Hearty Nut Medley

Name: Maple Cinnamon Cheerios Hearty Nut Medley
Variation: Cheerios
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: That's a mouthful of a name, isn't it? I spotted this cereal at the end of last year. I generally steer clear of the overly healthy-sounding cereals, but something convinced me to give this one a try. Maybe it was the "maple cinnamon". Anyway, I had to draw the line at Cheerios Veggie Blends, advertised side-by-side with this cereal. Veggies in my cereal? Hard pass.

Except a single thing to warrant recommending it.

With the mix of loops and flakes, along with additional add-ins (almonds and, curiously, pumpkin seeds) this cereal medley superficially recalls Honey Nut Cheerios Medley Crunch (one of my newer favorite cereals of all time), but I hesitate to make that comparison, because I don't want to get my hopes up. Upon opening the box and pouring a bowl, it smells very maple-y, and looks awfully brown. Shall we dig in?

The taste is subtle. Honestly, it's very plain. I mean, it's not as bland as Rice Krispies - it has some flavor. But it's not sweet at all. And it's a chore to chew. After a few bites, I'm already regretting going all in and not starting with a smaller bowl. What was I thinking? I can't believe they got rid of Honey Nut Cheerios Medley Crunch, and thought this would be an acceptible substitute! I might have been better off with Veggie Blends, after all. At least they sound fruity.

Available in Blueberry Banana and Apple Strawberry.

I feel like this is the kind of cereal they show in commercials next to a plate of bacon and eggs, when they say "part of a complete breakfast". You know, the kind of cereal nobody in the real world ever actually eats. If this is what it takes to keep your heart healthy, then it's no wonder our country is in a state of health emergency right now. At least you have me to suffer through these bad cereals so you don't have to. I just wish I had a box of Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs so I could pour a bowl and wash my mouth out with it...

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Tastes like maple, cinnamon, and nuts. Yay.

Frosted Flakes Chocolate Milkshake

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

Review: This appears to be a companion to Frosted Flakes' recent Strawberry Milkshake variety, which - in itself - is a great idea. I'm just wondering, how will it differ from Chocolate Frosted Flakes, which already "makes delicious chocolate flavored milk"? Will it be creamier? Or is this just a clever re-branding? (Though the box says it's a new flavor). I'm curious to find out.

Sure enough, it looks just like regular Chocolate Frosted Flakes. Without direct comparison it's hard to tell, but I want to say that it has a subtle-y creamy flavor. Regardless, the difference is negligible. Going by Frosted Flakes standards, it's pleasant enough to eat, and definitely better (in my opinion) than Strawberry Milkshake was. Can we expect a Vanilla Milkshake to come in the near future? We've seen Frosted Flakes with Vanilla-Flavored Marshmallows, so I think it's a distinct possibility.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Who knew chocolate creamed corn could taste so good?

Cinnamoji Toast Crunch (Cruising Edition)

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

Review: When Cinnamoji Toast Crunch first appeared on shelves, I thought it was a fun novelty, despite being only a cosmetic variation of regular Cinnamon Toast Crunch. When the Luchador Edition came out the following year, I hesitated to treat it as a separate cereal, but ultimately felt it was a novel enough concept. Now, a year later, yet another version of Cinnamoji Toast Crunch has turned up, and it doesn't even have a witty subtitle. The box features a car motif, and the Cinnamojis are decked out in sunglasses. I'm not opposed to General Mills mixing it up and releasing new Cinnamojis each year with different faces (although, honestly, I barely notice the faces), but I might have to draw the line on reviewing it every single time. I guess I'll wait and see what happens next year. In the meantime, you can refer to my previous review(s) for a rating.

Very Berry Cheerios

Name: Very Berry Cheerios
Variation: Cheerios
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: With "the taste of real berries in every bite", these Cheerios are pink with visible bits of fruit mashed into them. Surprisingly, it's not that generic, amalgamated "berry" flavor you usually get in these cereals - you can detect individual notes of strawberries and raspberries. It's good in milk; more refreshing and not quite as dry as Blueberry Cheerios.

Honestly, I wasn't expecting to like it, but I'm impressed with how pleasant and fruity it is, even without adding fresh fruit to it. I tried adding strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, but there was too much going on in the bowl. You're better off sticking with just strawberries; or you could try supplementing the included flavors with something that's missing - like banana. But even without add-ins, I can recommend it.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Blue, speckled, and very fruity.

Blueberry Cheerios

Name: Blueberry Cheerios
Variation: Cheerios
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Isn't it interesting how much trouble we have making truly blue foods? These blueberry Cheerios are more purple. They smell and taste distinctly of blueberry, but are very dry - they don't have the sweet, juicy bite that real blueberries have. Although the milk helps to add a cool, refreshing note to the flavor. It's definitely improved by adding fresh blueberries (maybe even enough to raise its rating by one bowl, but how often am I going to make that effort?). Not being a blueberry cereal fanatic (Boo Berry has marshmallows, and I'm not even very fond of that cereal), I'd honestly rather have a box of Strawberry Banana Cheerios. But your opinion may differ.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Berry blue.

Apple Jacks

Name: Apple Jacks
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: Having recently had both Apple Cinnamon Cheerios and TMNT Mutant Mayhem, I think I can say with confidence that I don't dislike cinnamon and apples as a cereal flavor. So if I'm not especially fond of Apple Jacks, it can only be because Kellogg's formula is too bland. Which is saying something, given that Cheerios is more or less the General Mills cereal with the blandest reputation (although I'll concede that if you branch out from the original flavor, there's a lot of value to discover).

Apple Jacks aren't as soft as Cheerios - the texture is more akin to Froot Loops (which makes sense). I don't dislike the mouthfeel, but the taste is just too subtle. It's not sweet enough, and there's too much of that base corn flavor (in comparison, Cheerios is an oat-based cereal). I'm gonna have to say, it's not for me. But throw in some marshmallows, and I'm game.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Actually pretty sweet.

Apple Cinnamon Cheerios

Name: Apple Cinnamon Cheerios
Variation: Cheerios
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: I feel like "apple" is maybe a bit of an underrated fruit flavor in cereals. You've got the citrus family, and you've got the berry family, and then you have apple just sitting out there all alone. And it's not like apples aren't popular.

Anyway, apple cinnamon is definitely an improvement over just cinnamon. That sweet, fruity taste gives the cereal more of an actual flavor. And while I said that TMNT Mutant Mayhem tastes like applesauce in cereal form, I feel like this cereal tastes more like whole apples. As far as Cheerios flavors go, it's pretty good.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Sweet and apple-y.

Honey Nut Cheerios Minis

Name: Honey Nut Cheerios Minis
Variation: Honey Nut Cheerios
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Didn't I tell you we'd be seeing this cereal before long? So far, all the Minis cereals have been in the form of puffs (with only Lucky Charms standing out, with its mini marshmallows); despite being nothing more than a smaller version of the regular cereal (unlike Cinnamon Toast Crunch, which changed size and shape), these Minis are unique in that they come in the form of shrunken loops. And they are predictably adorable.

How does it taste? Just as you would expect. The only difference is that the smaller loops give it a different mouthfeel, and absorb the milk faster. It's softer, and not as crunchy, with more of a continuous texture, as opposed to being distinct bites of flavor. In graphical terms, a higher resolution yields a smoother picture. But in terms of taste, I feel like there's less character. It's a cute novelty, but I still prefer the original size.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Tastes of sweet, nutty honey.

Now, will we ever see Cookie Crisp Minis? I doubt it, just going by how rarely Cookie Crisp entertains novelty concepts (last year's Guardians of the Galaxy promotion was a rare exception). But I hope so! I'll be keeping my eyes open.

Spring Edition Trix

Name: Spring Edition Trix
Variation: Trix
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: I almost didn't buy this cereal. I had just tried another new version of Trix that I thought would pair well with Easter, and then they spring this on me? Here I am, trying to work through my backlog of reviews of cereals I bought during a dry spell, before the annual New Years haul (currently sitting on top of my fridge, begging for attention) put me back in the red. Meanwhile, these spring-branded cereals keep popping up, demanding advance placement. It just feels rude for a brand new cereal to come in and jump the line ahead of a bunch of other boxes that have been waiting patiently for their turn in the spotlight. But, some cereal varieties feature more timely themes than others...

Anyway, this is just Trix, but with all flower shapes instead of fruit shapes - so you know what you're getting. The differently-colored flowers do look nice all together, and it seems like there are some Trix Minis mixed in (unless they're just detached flower petals). Interestingly, the first couple bites taste almost like you're eating fruity popcorn (it's a corn-based cereal), although the cereal pieces don't stay crunchy in milk for very long. It's not bad, but I still prefer the version of Trix that has marshmallows.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Fruitier than I was expecting.

Trix with Marshmallows

Name: Trix with Marshmallows
Variation: Trix
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: After having not one, not two - not even three, but four! different versions of Trix with marshmallows, I was getting kind of tired of it. But now that I've had a bit of a break, I got excited when I saw this cereal on the shelf, because it's the first one I've tried with the regular fruit-shaped cereal pieces (and not, as in three of the four cases, the swirled puffs).

Plus, those bunny marshmallows ("look what hopped into Trix!") are adorable as heck. And their simple, white design is the perfect contrast to the vibrant colors of the rest of the cereal. It's fruity, with a hint of marshmallow. The cereal pieces are firm and crunchy. It's good. But I feel like the fruity flavor doesn't linger long enough, and you can really taste the corn base. I still wouldn't pick this cereal over Froot Loops with Marshmallows.

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

Spring Fruity Pebbles

Name: Spring Fruity Pebbles
Variation: Fruity Pebbles
Manufacturer: Post

Review: I didn't realize Fruity Pebbles had such a strong holiday game, but after Halloween and WinterFest, here we are with Spring Fruity Pebbles. Not quite on the level of Rice Krispies, but getting there. And, like Rice Krispies, the holiday varieties feature the "same [fruity] taste!" Well, at least in Fruity Pebbles' case, there is a taste. Even if it's one I'm still not too fond of. The pebbles appear in pretty pastel colors - visually reminiscent of Birthday Cake Pebbles, but with more green (and also prettier than Spring Krispies, thanks to the pink). But I'll stick with my holiday varieties of Cap'n Crunch and Reese's Puffs, thank you very much.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Very sweet and fruity.

Berry Swirl Lucky Charms

Name: Berry Swirl Lucky Charms
Variation: Lucky Charms
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: This year's new Berry Swirl Lucky Charms would seem to be our replacement for long lost Fruity Lucky Charms, and it looks like an upgraded model! Not only are there new berry marshmallows - and mmm, they're almost juicy! - but the "oat" pieces (I noticed with interest that this version of Lucky Charms uses a corn base) are vibrantly colored in rainbow shades, as if you'd added Lucky Charms marshmallows to a bowl of Trix. It's the most colorful cereal since Fruity Pebbles! And while it's not quite as fruity-flavored as that cereal (although I like it better than Berry Pebbles), it is noticeably fruity. Like a bit of sunshine at the end of the rainbow, this cereal is poised to brighten your mornings. I predict it will be popular.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Pink, and mildly berry-flavored.

Cinnamon Cheerios

Name: Cinnamon Cheerios
Variation: Cheerios
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: This cereal is pretty straightforward. It's dominated by the flavor of cinnamon. Just cinnamon. Which still makes it taste kind of plain. I feel like it needs something else in addition to the cinnamon - like apple (but not vanilla). Or even a creamy frosting! That said, it's still better than Oat Crunch Cinnamon. Probably because it's sweeter. But I don't think Cinnamon Toast Crunch has anything to fear from this cereal. One thing I will say in its favor - which is a testament to the Cheerios brand - is that this cereal manages to be better than Minecraft Creeper Crunch, even without having any marshmallows.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Very cinnamon-y.

[Experiment] CinnaRaisin Toast Crunch

Description: I'm embarrassed to admit that it was only recently that I realized Cinnamon Toast Crunch is basically designed to imitate a real toast treat - cinnamon toast. I'm more familiar with cinnamon raisin bread, so the second I figured that out, I thought to myself, I wonder how this cereal would taste with raisins in it? After all, it's not like raisins in a cereal are unheard of - take Raisin Bran, for example. That's a cereal I used to like to eat as a kid, despite the plainness of the bran flakes, all on account of the sweet bites of raisin.

I don't eat it much anymore, though, because a survey of nutritional content I conducted revealed that it's one of the cereals on the market with the highest sugar content, due to the raisins. Which makes me think that adding raisins to an already sweetened cereal (and not just plain bran flakes) isn't the brightest idea. Nor did it help that when I stirred the cereal, the raisins all sank to the bottom, and I had to put more on top just to get a good picture!

In any case, the cereal itself tastes great, and it almost perfectly emulates the flavor of biting into a piece of cinnamon raisin toast, with that occasional burst of sweetness. I would just recommend a light touch - think of the raisins as more of a garnish, rather than a mix-in. It's not that Cinnamon Toast Crunch isn't perfectly good enough all on its own, but I'd have to call this experiment a success.

Rating: 🥣🥣

Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Name: Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: In the pantheon of classic breakfast cereals, Cinnamon Toast Crunch is a relative newcomer, debuting in the '80s when many of the standards (e.g., Lucky Charms, Froot Loops, Cocoa Puffs) debuted in the '50s or '60s. Could that be why I don't recall having it as a kid? Or was it just because the idea of cinnamon toast didn't really speak to me? After all, Reese's Puffs is one of my all-time favorites, and it debuted in the '90s. Regardless, that mistake has certainly been rectified since the start of this blog - given the sheer volume of novelty variations this brand puts out.

I've never really given it much thought until now, but Cinnamon Toast Crunch is more than just a plain cinnamon cereal. What makes it so good is that it's not just cinnamon, there's... I want to say a buttery flavor, that serves the impression that you're eating toast. The cereal pieces have an unusual shape - wide and flat, with ridges and a slight curve - but they're not unwieldy, and they have a pleasant crunch. I think that if I'd had more of a history with this cereal, I might have given it a three bowl rating, but for now I'll reserve that rating for the Chocolate alternative, which I like even better.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Sweet and cinnamon-y.

[Flashback] Jolly Rancher

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: Jolly Rancher
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: I don't know if it was because ensuing events would take such prominence in my mind, but this was one of several novelty cereals I picked up in the early months of 2020, just before the COVID lockdowns hit, that I have but very little memory of trying. I like Jolly Rancher candies - they have a good, fruity flavor (their jelly beans are my favorite to pick up around Easter, too). But, like Sour Patch Kids (another candy I like), I don't recall this cereal being especially good.

Rating: 🥣

Reese's Puffs

I was excited to see Goku appear on boxes of Reese's Puffs recently (is anime mainstream now or what?); it's a perfect union of color schemes (and on the subject of popular anime characters who wear orange, I would not be opposed to seeing Naruto on boxes in the future, either). It's not truly a novelty cereal, just a new box design - and of many I've seen from the brand, the first one I actually like. So I thought it would be a good opportunity to review OG Reese's Puffs.

Name: Reese's Puffs
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: If pressed, I would say that my favorite candy (and my favorite thing to eat on both Halloween and Easter) is Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, so it's no surprise that I love Reese's Puffs cereal. Chocolate and peanut butter is probably my favorite combination in the world (either that or jalapeño and cheddar). And this is one of those cereals that I tend to shovel into my mouth, and can never get enough of. My only real complaint is that the milk is too plain. Upon further consideration, I think the milk is actually a little bit peanut butter-y, which is kind of novel - I guess I'm just expecting a level of chocolatiness to rival the likes of Cocoa Puffs, Cocoa Pebbles, Chocolate Frosted Flakes, or even Chocolate Cheerios. But even in spite of that, this is one of my all-time favorite cereals to eat.

Rating: 🥣🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: A little bit peanut butter-y, after all.

Pick your fighter!

Update: As of mid-March, I've seen the DBZ designs available in Family Size boxes, and the side panel reveals all 7 fighters you can collect!

[Flashback] Twinkies

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: Hostess Twinkies
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: Post

Review: Before Little Debbie entered the cereal market, there was a time when Hostess was trying out cereal versions of some of their products. I had this cereal about a year after I tried Hostess' Donettes cereal, in the early months of 2020. It was part of my last big novelty cereal haul before the COVID lockdowns hit. The fact that I don't remember much about this cereal says a lot. I like Twinkies, but I don't love them. I go for candy bars over snack cakes anyway.

Rating: 🥣

Frosted Mini Wheats Strawberry

Name: Frosted Mini Wheats Strawberry
Variation: Frosted Mini Wheats
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: I'll tell you straight out, I don't have much to say about this cereal. As has been set by precedent, this is another example of Frosted Mini Wheats having a good added flavor, but me not being able to get past the shredded wheat. In this case, the flavor is strawberry (although the box says "juicy", I think it's more creamy). There are no surprises here - you know what you're getting, and you probably have a good idea whether you'll like it or not. As for me, I'll pass.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Slightly strawberry, mostly wheaty.

[Flashback] Reese's Puffs Hearts

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: Reese's Puffs Hearts
Variation: Reese's Puffs
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: When I started this blog almost two and a half years ago, there were three seasonal varieties of Reese's Puffs I'd had previously, that I was hoping to find again. Thankfully, Bunnies and Bats have proven to be somewhat resilient. But this is the third year in a row that I've looked high and low for the Valentine's Day version of Reese's Puffs (last spotted in early 2019), in vain. Which is why I'm finally resorting to writing a flashback review. It's not a difficult task, however - just a disappointing one. Like the other holiday specials, this is just Reese's Puffs with a slightly different shape. And like every purely cosmetic variation of Reese's Puffs I've had so far, I love it! Could there be a more perfect pair than chocolate and peanut butter?

Rating: 🥣🥣🥣

[Experiment] Strawberry Cocoa Pebbles

Description: New, and in time for Valentine's Day - it's... Strawberry Cocoa Pebbles! Except, not really. But I'm surprised I haven't seen this yet. Mixing Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles is such a simple idea. And I had the perfect opportunity to try it with this winter's WinterFest Fruity Pebbles; I separated out the red pebbles, and added them to a bowl of Cocoa Pebbles. It's not bad. And it looks great. I think it could maybe have a little more strawberry flavor (I've actually never thought about what flavor Fruity Pebbles are, or if the different colors are even the same flavor), but I'm sure that's something Post could tweak if they ever tried making this. I would buy it and try it if they did!

Rating: 🥣🥣

[Flashback] Hershey's Kisses

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: Hershey's Kisses
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Remember when General Mills released a cereal based on Hershey's Kisses? Surprisingly, I barely remember it myself. This was one of several novelty cereals I picked up in the early months of 2020, just before the COVID lockdowns hit. And I can't even tell you if I liked it or not. I think I may have been disappointed because I was expecting it to be better than it turned out to be. But I could be misremembering. I'd give it another try if I saw it again, but the fact that I've had this cereal and barely remember it does not bode well.

Rating: (withheld)

Honey Nut Cheerios

Name: Honey Nut Cheerios
Variation: Cheerios
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: This is a cereal I haven't had in a very long time, despite it being one of my regular staples. It's just that Honey Nut Cheerios Medley Crunch came out, which is basically this cereal but even better. So much so, that I consider it a real contender for "greatest of all time", despite not featuring chocolate or marshmallows. Which is why I'm concerned that I'm not seeing it on shelves anymore. Please don't discontinue Medley Crunch, General Mills! Especially not in favor of the far inferior Oat Crunch lineup...

Anyway, back to the oft-imitated but never rivaled original Honey Nut Cheerios. If you ask me, the sweet and tasty "honey nut" flavor is the only thing that makes boring, bland Cheerios a palatable cereal. And it's pretty good on its own, if relatively plain. But where this cereal really shines is how well it acts as a base for fresh fruit add-ins. Bananas are my favorite, but strawberries are also good, and I've more recently discovered the joy of putting fresh blueberries in my cereal. Honey Nut Cheerios is a classic, and has long been one of my favorites.

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

Dulce de Leche Toast Crunch

Name: Dulce de Leche Toast Crunch
Variation: Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Fancy though it sounds, this is essentially Cinnamon Toast Crunch with a caramel flavor - and it's quite good. Much better than that abomination that was Tres Leches Toast Crunch. I'm not surprised you can find it year-round, and have been able to for some time now. It might even be my favorite alternate version of Cinnamon Toast Crunch - besides Chocolate Toast Crunch, of course. And if you have some Apple Pie Toast Crunch on hand to mix in, all the better! If I have this cereal a few more times, I might consider bumping its rating up to three bowls in the future, but for now, I'll just let it coast where it's at.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Sweet and caramelicious!

Swiss Rolls

Name: Swiss Rolls
Variation: Little Debbie
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: Considering Little Debbie's lackluster showing so far - after their forgettable Cosmic Brownies, and my ambivalence toward even Nutty Buddy Cereal - I wasn't too enthused to try their new flavor for this year. Not being very familiar with Swiss Rolls, I was intrigued when I learned that they're basically chocolate with a marshmallow filling. Perfect for a cereal, right? And, for once, I'm happy with the result!

The cereal consists of big, crunchy swirls that look like chocolate cinnamon rolls. And they do indeed have a chocolatey, marshmallowy flavor. And the leftover milk at the end? It's not the most indulgent on the market, but it does leave swirls of chocolate creme. I think this might be my favorite Little Debbie cereal yet!

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Swirled with chocolate creme.

Frosted Cheerios

Name: Frosted Cheerios
Variation: Cheerios
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: I can't avoid drawing a parallel to Frosted Krispies, another example of one of the dullest cereals on the market doing the absolute minimum to sweeten up their cereal and make it more palatable (remember, even plain Frosted Flakes are still frosted - unfrosted Frosted Flakes are just Corn Flakes...).

The difference is Krispies are dull across the board (Cocoa Krispies is okay, but still rendered obsolete by Cocoa Pebbles, which is very similar but superior in every way), while Cheerios actually has a lot of good flavors, if you just avoid the plain-as-white-bread original. So where does Frosted Cheerios stand?

They're sweet. The box is pretty. I have no doubt it's a huge improvement over regular, unfrosted Cheerios (to be honest, I'm not brave enough to try). And you know what? From the outset, I was fully prepared to give this cereal a one bowl rating. But even though there are many good flavors of Cheerios to choose from, and the only real flavor this one has is "sweet", the truth is, I've got a sweet tooth, and I find myself enjoying eating these. So chalk one more point up to Cheerios - the cereal I never thought I'd learn to respect this much.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Has a sweet, frosted flavor.

Frosted Mini Wheats Little Bites (Original & Chocolate)

Name: Frosted Mini Wheats Little Bites Original
Variation: Frosted Mini Wheats
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: I think it's safe to assume that this cereal is going to taste just like regular Frosted Mini Wheats (which you shouldn't be surprised to learn that I don't like). The point of this review, then, will be to determine how I feel about the smaller size of the biscuits (as well as lay a groundwork for me to review the chocolate version of Little Bites, which is what I really wanted to do).

I don't have a lot of experience eating Frosted Mini Wheats, so when I see the size of these biscuits, to me they look like pretty standard size cereal biscuits. So I think that maybe regular Frosted Mini Wheats are just too big. As far as fitting them in your mouth, I think these Little Bites are an improvement. Unfortunately, it's still Frosted Mini Wheats, so I can't say that I like it. I mean, the frosting is actually good, but it's not worth eating shredded wheat when there are other frosted cereals on the market.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Plain and wheat-y.

Name: Frosted Mini Wheats Little Bites Chocolate
Variation: Frosted Mini Wheats
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: If ever there will be a version of Frosted Mini Wheats that I rate higher than one bowl, I imagine it would be this one. That's what I'm thinking going in to this. It's do or die.

The chocolate and frosting looks pleasant. Almost like a dusting of snow on the ground. But it's still just a flavor covering up a base of shredded wheat. I like the flavor - as I have with pretty much every variety of Frosted Mini Wheats I've tried so far. But I don't like the shredded wheat. And I haven't tried a flavor yet that I liked so much it was worth eating shredded wheat for, especially when you can get those flavors (even things like Cinnamon Roll and Pumpkin Pie Spice) in other cereals. Chocolate is certainly no exception.

If I were being forced under duress to eat Frosted Mini Wheats, this is probably the flavor I would prefer to have. But it's not an experience I would initiate voluntarily. Even Chocolate Frosted Flakes is better than this cereal - and that cereal has the benefit of actually turning the milk chocolate.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: not as wheat-y as other flavors of this cereal, but still very plain.