Birthday Cake Cheerios

Name: Birthday Cake Cheerios
Variation: Cheerios
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: I almost missed this cereal, because I had it confused with Confetti Cheerios. How many different "celebration" varieties of Cheerios do we need in one year? Even then, it was with with some reluctance that I grabbed it - you should know my feelings on the "birthday cake" trend by now. Still, I've tried other birthday cake cereals (including Cap'n Crunch and Fruity Pebbles), so why not Cheerios? Besides, the dark blue box with the fireworks design (reminiscent of Trix Fireworks, or was it Trix Firecracker?) is a perfect companion to our nation's birthday, which is celebrating its 250th anniversary this year. (Although I've never been less proud to be an American; but I'm not going to get political in this breakfast cereal review :-p).

Anyway, the cereal smells kind of cardboard-y right out of the box. It looks like regular Cheerios, but with tiny red and blue sprinkles. Honestly, it could have a more impressive visual appearance - like Team Cheerios, which was released in conjunction with the Olympics two years back. That cereal was good; they should have just brought that one back. This cereal has only the faintest hint of a birthday cake flavor. It mostly just tastes of oats, and a little bit of frosting. It's pretty bland. But, in that way, it's a perfect metaphor for this year's Independence Day celebrations - what should have been an exciting, once-in-a-lifetime event... has turned out to be a huge disappointment.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: A disappointing finish to what started out as a bold experiment.

Confetti Cheerios

Name: Confetti Cheerios
Variation: Cheerios
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: There's not a whole lot to celebrate in this country right now, but General Mills is trying its damnedest to keep us in good spirits - with vanilla Cheerios coated in confetti! (Although you have to look really closely to appreciate the visual flair the confetti adds). Honestly, when I'm looking to celebrate, I don't grab for the vanilla Cheerios. Regarding the daily affirmation (are we cheery enough yet?), if "you deserve joy", then why are you eating this cereal, when you could be having Dark Chocolate Reese's Puffs instead? Look, it's not terrible - as long you're not expecting a party in your cereal bowl (and what would give you that idea? :-p) - but I'm not gonna say it's good, either. I'll be sure to celebrate when I get to the bottom of the box.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Like somebody fired a confetti popper over a bowl of vanilla milk.

Jettas Mix

Name: Justin Jefferson's Jettas Mix
Variation: Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cheerios
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Like with the Kelce Mix from last year, I have no idea who Justin Jefferson is - but it's a pretty box, with holographic lettering. Unlike that other mix, this cereal combines limited edition varieties (new Cinnamon Toast Crunch Strawberry, and Frosted Lemon Cheerios) instead of a bunch of staples. But it's an intriguing combination of flavors - like a strawberry lemonade, but with a hint of buttery cinnamon. It tastes very refreshing. I think the lemon is more prominent than the strawberry, and the cinnamon adds an interesting flourish. The box says Justin Jefferson has a "sweet tooth" - but while this cereal is sweet, it runs fruity rather than chocolatey. As such, it's not what I would choose for my signature cereal, but I do like it. Makes a great dry snack, too.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Like a horchata mixed with strawberry lemonade!

Cheerios Protein (Cookies & Creme)

Name: Cookies & Creme Cheerios Protein
Variation: Cheerios
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Although I don't love cookies & "creme", I've been looking forward to trying this flavor from Cheerios' new protein-packed lineup, because it's the most candy-adjacent, and I don't think I've ever seen a cookies & creme flavor of Cheerios before. But if you can imagine a health-conscious version of Oreo O's, this would be it. Each bite initially greets you with the flavor of cookies & creme, then gives over to an unmistakable impression of oats. This time, the "spot the differences" puzzle on the back of the box features a lively city park scene.

In fairness, these cereals have grown on me - as varieties of Cheerios usually do, once your palate adjusts to their relative plainness compared to other cereals on the market. I took some of this cereal dry to eat while camping and it was perfectly appetizing (unlike Honey Bunches of Oats with Real Strawberries, which I thought would be a good dry snack, but very much wasn't). I think they do pretty well for what they are. I don't know that I would call them a "health food" - they're neither low sugar nor fat free. But, if you're looking for a protein supplement in your diet, I feel like you could probably do a lot worse than this.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Tastes like cookies & creme!

Cheerios Protein (Strawberry)

Name: Strawberry Cheerios Protein
Variation: Cheerios
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: This version of Cheerios' new protein-packed cereals doesn't have a bad strawberry flavor. Really, it just has the same problems as the last one I tried - the Cheerios are really dense (as if they were muscle-bound - I'm not sure if it would be hilarious or disturbing if this cereal were called Muscle Rings), and there's a hint of a vegetable-y flavor. The cereal is improved by the addition of fresh strawberries, as you could imagine. But I still see it as something you would add to a deliberate, protein-focused diet, and not something I would pick up to eat otherwise, especially considering how many great flavors of regular Cheerios are out there. The back of the box features a "spot the differences" puzzle with a pretty strawberry orchard scene.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Pink and fruity (what is this, Trix?).

Cheerios Protein (Cinnamon)

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

Review: I initially ignored these new protein-packed varieties of Cheerios, but I was looking to fill out a few empty slots on my blog (that's a first!) through the end of the year, so I'm giving them a try, after all. Starting with... Cinnamon! (Comparisons to regular Cinnamon Cheerios would be appropriate).

Fortified with pea protein, these Cheerios appear slightly smaller and denser than normal Cheerios. They smell and taste strongly of cinnamon - and I also happened to notice that brown sugar is listed among the ingredients. They taste alright, but I don't love them. Maybe this is just my imagination, but I daresay I detect a hint of a vegetable-y flavor.

If I were making a concentrated effort to increase protein in my diet (and I'm not the bodybuilding type), I could stomach this cereal (it's a lot better than Veggie Blends), but I don't think I would go out of my way to eat it again. Though, the back of the box has a "spot the differences" puzzle featuring a mountain scene that makes me feel right at home.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Very sweet and cinnamon-y.

Cheerios Oat Crunch Chocolate

Name: Cheerios Oat Crunch Chocolate
Variation: Cheerios
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Whether by coincidence or marketing strategy, just after Honey Bunches of Oats put a Chocolate variation on the shelves, the one cereal I've compared that line to the most - Cheerios Oat Crunch - puts out a new version that's chocolate! I haven't had a good experience with the Oat Crunch cereals (too plain, too "healthy"), but this one holds the most promise yet. I know Cheerios can do chocolate well; let's see how the Oat Crunch version holds up.

With 14g of sugar and 5g of fat per 1 cup serving (surprisingly, more than regular Chocolate Cheerios, and by a fair margin - not sure what they're trying to pull here), it might very well be good. Although it's roaming a little far from the "healthy" range. The box says it "helps keep you full through the morning (3 1/2 hours)" which isn't super important to me. I like a light breakfast - just something to tide me over 2-3 hours (usually) until lunch time.

And the verdict is? It's good. The oats give it an awkward texture for chewing, but help fill out the loops and provide substance. The chocolate flavor is decent. I don't hate it. This is, without a doubt, the best Oat Crunch cereal I've had yet. I bet it would be really good with fresh strawberries or bananas cut up into it. Like with Honey Bunches of Oats, I think this chocolate cereal has also redeemed its line.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: A lot of it is absorbed by the oats, but what's left is very chocolatey.

Cheerios

Name: Cheerios
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: So, I've been contemplating trying some of the classic - basic - cereals I don't expect to like, so I can review them for my blog, just for the sake of completion. And I found a great way to try one without committing to a whole box - just buy a little pouch at the dollar store! That said, for a cereal like this, it's still too much. It tastes like cardboard! I think I might like it even less than plain Rice Krispies (at least they have a fun popping effect). I took inspiration from the box art and cut up fresh strawberries into it, to give it some semblance of flavor. It was still a slog getting through the bowl. It's not just that it's bland, the taste is actually off-putting. It's like the cereal version of drinking soda water. I know there are people out there who like soda water (as there are probably people who like plain Cheerios), but no thanks. Hard pass.

Rating: 🥣 (if that)
Leftover Milk: I was so eager to be done with the bowl once I finished the Cheerios, I didn't even take the time to taste the milk.

Fruity Cheerios

Name: Fruity Cheerios
Variation: Cheerios
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: You'd think something with a generic name like "Fruity Cheerios" would have been done before, but the box says it's new. Ignoring the green Cheerios, this cereal makes a much better impression of "red, white, and blue" than Team Cheerios did (ironically). The only fruit mentioned by name on the box (on the back, and in the ingredients) is pear - which is intriguing. However, the flavor is a little underwhelming. After having Team Cheerios (which was good), and Peach Mango Cheerios (which I liked better than I expected to), this is a bit of a letdown. It's too bad that both of those cereals are "limited editions", and this is the one that's "new" (and therefore, more likely to stick around). That said, it's been growing on me, and it does taste good with fresh fruit added in. I think I could learn to like it.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Pink and pear-y.

Peach Mango Cheerios

Name: Peach Mango Cheerios
Variation: Cheerios
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: I wasn't sure how I was going to like this new flavor of Cheerios, but I know somebody who was very excited to see it. The Cheerios are lightly-colored, and slightly yellowish. They taste kind of plain dry, but that's because the flavor only really comes out in milk. And I can distinctly taste the peach and mango. It's actually quite refreshing. Turns out, peach and mango complement each other really well. It reminds me of a mango colada drink I had recently. I know I don't have great memories of Toasted Coconut Cheerios (although I wonder if my opinion would change if I tried it again), aside from the beautiful teal green box, but this cereal makes me think a Pina Colada Cheerios would be really good. In any case, this is another resounding success for the Cheerios brand. It's almost a shame it's a limited edition. Imagine having all the flavors of Cheerios at your disposal - like from a big cereal vending machine - and being able to mix and match. I bet a tropical medley of Cheerios flavors would be better than Froot Loops Tropical was...

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Fancy a peach mango smoothie?

Cheerios Veggie Blends

Name: Cheerios Veggie Blends (Apple Strawberry & Blueberry Banana)
Variation: Cheerios
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: I know I said I wasn't going to bother trying these - as it's my experience that foods blended with veggies don't usually taste very good (V8, I'm looking at you). But I've been a little more health-conscious lately, and I was looking at the possibility of eating some less sugary alternatives to my usual Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs for a change. Plus, I was sure Maple Cinnamon Cheerios Hearty Nut Medley would be better than these, but that cereal turned out to be a total trainwreck. And these? Well, at least they're edible...

They have a dull, multigrain-like coloring. I can definitely taste that veggie-like flavor (1/4 cup of veggies per serving!), but also with a hint of fruitiness - but only a hint. However, with about half the sugar (or less) of the sugariest cereals on the market, they are not sweet. Are they improved by adding fresh fruit? Well, marginally. Even with fresh fruit, they're still not sweet enough for my palate. I think I'll be able to stomach these two boxes, but there are better flavors of Cheerios out there - in the mid-range for sugar and with low fat content - that I would rather eat.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Just a little sweet and fruity, with an unmistakable veggie undernote.

Team Cheerios

Name: Team Cheerios (Frosted Berry)
Variation: Cheerios
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Although curiously not including the word "Olympics" anywhere on its packaging (I'm sure there are major copyright and royalty issues involved), this new variety of Cheerios seems obviously poised as a tie-in. I didn't even realize this was an Olympics year, so I guess it did its job. I'm intrigued by the combination of strawberry, frosted, and blueberry Cheerios to simulate the colors of the American flag (although it's more of a pink, yellow, and purple, than a red, white, and blue) - and I like that the different colors actually have different flavors for once. Let's open it up!

The muted colors definitely don't make much of a visual impression (especially compared to a cereal like Summer Fruity Pebbles), but it smells fruity. As expected from a Cheerios cereal, it doesn't blast you with sweetness, but it does have a pleasant taste. And I think it's a great combination of flavors. The strawberry and blueberry Cheerios complement each other well, and the frosted Cheerios make for a nice bridge. I like it. And it's good with fresh fruit cut up into it, too. Despite looking and sounding like a cheap cash-in novelty to advertise the Olympics, it's actually a good cereal. I would eat "Frosted Berry" Cheerios even if it had nothing to do with the Olympics.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Blue, and very berry-flavored.

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.

Available in Blueberry Banana and Apple Strawberry.

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.

Except a single thing to warrant recommending it.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.