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.
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