Tropical Trix

Name: Tropical Trix
Variation: Trix
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: In conjunction with Disney's new live action adaptation of Moana, comes this new tropical version of Trix! One can't help thinking of that time that Froot Loops did a tropical version of their cereal; I only wish I'd liked it better. This isn't the first time we've seen a Moana cereal - about 10 years ago, when the original movie came out, Kellogg's had a whole line of Disney cereals out on the shelves. But I wasn't fully into my cereal obsession phase yet, and I only had eyes for Ariel (part of the Disney Princesses lineup) - another animated icon that has since gotten the live action treatment.

Also missed: Frozen, Finding Dory, and Despicable Me.

But, let's get back to the cereal at hand. I'm not super well-versed on my tropical fruits, so I'm having trouble identifying the flavor(s) at play here. The smell seems to suggest some sort of mixed drink. The colors look a little faded, but definitely favor the warm end of the spectrum, with a lot of oranges and yellows. It doesn't knock you over the head with its fruity flavor; I still predominantly taste corn. There's a hint of something acidic, maybe pineapple. It's not terribly refreshing, and it doesn't make me feel like I'm lounging on a tropical beach. I think I'll just stick to my Welch's Island Fruits fruit snacks, after all.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: A lingering hint of whatever flavor this cereal is.

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.

Toy Story 5

Name: Toy Story 5
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: I was a kid when the first Toy Story movie came out (over thirty years ago...), but I haven't really followed the franchise since then. But judging from the cereal tie-in, there's a fifth one coming out this year. I saw a trailer for it in the theater recently, and the premise resonated with me: on the dangers of tech devices, which prioritize screen time over real world interactions and exercising imagination. I must be getting old, if I'm complaining about modern technology ruining kids' brains. Although there are real issues involved here.

But this is a cereal blog, so what about the cereal? I'm concerned that it will be another one of Kellogg's opportunistic marketing blunders, like the endless remixes of their terrible berry stars cereal. These pale, "vanilla-flavored loops" couldn't look blander. They're white as a ghost, with the merest hint of sprinkles. If these were cupcakes, what a paltry celebration they would inspire. This cereal is in desperate need of some marshmallows. I don't hate it, but I'm struggling to find a reason to enjoy it. I certainly won't be buying it again, not even to "grab all four boxes" (who is Kellogg's kidding?). I think I got lucky and got the best one on my first try (with apologies to both Woody and Buzz), featuring Jessie the cowgirl rag doll.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Vanilla-flavored.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Root Beer Float

Name: Cinnamon Toast Crunch Root Beer Float
Variation: Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Here's a novel flavor for the summer - and coming on the heels of Mystery Crunch, which I suspect was cream soda-flavored. What's next, Fruity Pebbles Orange Soda? Although I'd prefer grape soda. I used to drink root beer when I was a kid, but that's not really a habit that followed me into adulthood. I like the fireworks design on the box - it's festive, without being too patriotic (sadly, on the 250th anniversary of the United States' founding, there's very little about this country to be proud of). Eaten dry, this cereal has that unmistakable root beer flavor. I'm not sure how much of a "float" sensation there is, beyond simply adding cold milk. But the flavor is kind of subdued in milk, and the cereal isn't as sweet or cinnamon-y as Cinnamon Toast Crunch usually is. Honestly, I'm not crazy about it. I'd sooner pick up another box of Mystery Crunch, and I never liked cream soda half as much as root beer - so that's saying something.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: More of a root beer float than the cereal itself.

Mott's Very Berry

Name: Mott's Very Berry
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: I had to take a break after trying Mott's new applesauce-inspired Apple Cinnamon cereal, but I couldn't avoid trying its companion flavor, Very Berry. Honestly, I'd be more excited it it were just classic strawberry, instead of this generic conglomerate of berry flavors. The puffs are dark pink and purple, and smell very fruity. The cereal still isn't sweet enough, and tastes too corn-y, but it's marginally better than Apple Cinnamon was. Which isn't saying much. And it's not enough for me to recommend it.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Barely berry...

Glazed Donut Holes - Blueberry

Name: Glazed Donut Holes - Blueberry
Variation: Glazed Donut Holes, Froot Loops
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: This year, Kellogg's is adding a new flavor to their Glazed Donut Holes lineup, and it's such a natural fit, it's a wonder it wasn't released with the first wave! Being a fruity cereal, blueberry is a great choice for the Froot Loops banner. Now, you might recall that Froot Loops is a lemon-flavored cereal (somewhat surprisingly), but anything in the lemonade family seems appropriate to me. The pink box even accurately depicts the way blueberry lemonade turns red and not blue (again, somewhat surprisingly)!

The cereal smells very blueberry-y. In fact, I think it smells more strongly of blueberries than it tastes. Obviously, it's improved by adding fresh blueberries, which is a natural pairing. The puffs are glazed and crunchy, with a good mouthfeel, but the more bites I take, the plainer it tastes. I like donuts, but I don't know that I'm crazy about donut holes in particular. I don't hate this cereal, but would I buy it again? I doubt it. At this point, I think my enthusiasm for this lineup is pretty much played out.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: You do get blueberry milk at the end.

Mott's Apple Cinnamon

Name: Mott's Apple Cinnamon
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Mott's enters the cereal market! I have to wonder if this is General Mills' bid to compete with Kellogg's Apple Jacks. If so, they're going to have to try a little harder, because this cereal just isn't doing it. It's plain, it doesn't have a very strong apple flavor (who puts corn in their applesauce, anyway?), and it isn't sweet enough. There have been some good apple cinnamon cereals on the market - like Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, and even TMNT Mutant Mayhem. Mott's is the king of applesauce. So how did they mess this one up? Were they trying too hard to be "healthy"? Yet, despite being "made with apple puree", their cereal is "not intended to replace fruit in the diet". I did see, after picking up this box, that there is a Very Berry flavor available, so I hope it fares better. But in the meantime, if I want to dig into a bowl of Mott's, I'm just going to have some applesauce.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Kinda plain, but flavored with cinnamon & apple.

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.

The Spongebob Movie

Name: The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: SpongeBob debuted at a time in my life when I was graduating to more mature animated fare, so I never really got into it. (However, I did recently make Krabby Patty cupcakes for a kid's birthday party). But there's apparently a new movie out, because here's the associated cereal tie-in. As if you couldn't tell. Gotta say, I hate the name of this cereal. I know it's just a glorified commercial for the movie, but it pays no respect to the medium. Do I really have to call this cereal "The SpongeBob Movie"? At least Froot Loops Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory had a recognizable cereal in its name! It tells me they're not even pretending to create a decent product, they're just banking on parents (and obsessed fans) wasting their money on name recognition. I know this is how capitalism works, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

Krabby Patty cupcakes

It doesn't bode well that this cereal doesn't have any flavor beyond "corn". There aren't even any marshmallows! Wouldn't it be great if it had some little pink Patrick marshmallows? Every time I start to pour a bowl, I look at it and find myself wishing it was Peanut Butter Crunch. The one thing I'll say for it is that it has an interesting mouthfeel. The puffs are dense, and soften up considerably in milk. It almost gives me the impression that I'm eating SpongeBob, cut up into little pieces. There is just a hint of sweetness, which is more than I can say for last years' dreadful Bluey cereal. It's marginally better than I expected it to be, but I still won't say that I like it. At the very least, I should be able to get through the box without having to give it away.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: A little sweet and corny.

Cinnamon Pebbles

Name: Cinnamon Pebbles
Variation: Fruity Pebbles
Manufacturer: Post

Review: Look at this new "cinna-riffic" variation on Fruity Pebbles - it's blasted with cinnamon! Opening the box, it looks and smells strongly of cinnamon. Although the initial flavor is strong, after the Pebbles start to absorb milk, it kinda loses its edge. The closest comparison is Cinnamon Sugar Krispies, and while I would rate this cereal as being marginally better, I'm coming to the same conclusion - that I'd rather have a small bowl on the side. (Also, although I do like the flavor of cinnamon, as a spice, there can be a point at which it's simply too much). I think I'm just not that fond of the texture and mouthfeel of the Pebbles' cereals. Cinnamon Toast Crunch, for example, gives you something substantial to chew on. I'd really much rather have a bowl of Cinnabon.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Whatever milk is left will be oversaturated with cinnamon.

The Grinch

Name: The Grinch Dr. Seuss
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: For some reason, The Grinch is super popular this year. I don't know what it is, but I'll take any excuse to try a new cereal. Though it's vanilla, so I don't know how well I'll like it. But at least it has marshmallows! They're cute, too - little pink hearts. It all comes in a pretty green box that is very Christmas-y. Incidentally, I was just listening to a new Christmas song by rock band The Pretty Reckless, featuring Taylor Momsen who played Cindy Lou Who in the Grinch movie (25 years ago!).

I like the green puffs - they're very Grinchy. But the flavor is kind of off-putting. I taste more corn than vanilla. Looking at the nutrition facts, the sugar content is expectedly on the low side. Usually, General Mills nails their tie-ins; this tastes more like a Kellogg's promotional cereal. Did somebody turn the breakfast table upside-down? Or has the Grinch stolen all the flavor? I mean, it wouldn't be uncharacteristic of him. But of cereals based on characters likely to prank the public, I much prefer Wednesday's cereal from last year.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Corn milk. Yum.

Wednesday (Howlin' Confetti Cake)

Name: Wednesday Howlin' Confetti Cake
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: I was excited to see that they've brought back Wednesday cereal again this year (no doubt in promotion of the second season of the TV show starring Jenna Ortega) - it was a little bit kooky, but I liked it. I was even more excited to see that this year they've given Enid her own flavor - Howlin' Confetti Cake! Her bright and colorful personality makes an excellent contrast to Wednesday's dark and morbid mood.

But then I realized that these are Kellogg's cereals, and the confetti-coated loops look an awful lot like Froot Loops Wonka (I still hate that name), which was just the latest in a long line of bad cereals predicated on Kellogg's trying to force their bland "berry stars" down our throats. In this case, it sounds like it's a birthday cake flavor (instead of "berry-licious"), but it does also advertise turning the milk purple.

Upon opening the box, my immediate impression is that the colors are really bland. They're just a faded orange and yellow, with (oddly) a few token red loops. It's not even as colorful as Froot Loops. Enid would NOT be impressed. The flavor is also bland. Like, really bland. Is this just Wednesday masquerading as Enid? There's barely even a birthday cake flavor! It just tastes like corn. There's no "celebration" in this cereal - it's like they forgot to put the icing on the cake.

And the purple milk? It's not even that impressive. It's just a pale, grayish color. I get that Wednesday is the star of the show, but this cereal pales in comparison to hers. What an utter disappointment. I feel bad for Enid. Kellogg's has done her dirty. If I were choosing a cereal to represent her, I'd pick Fruity Pebbles over the one with her name and face on the box. And that's just disgraceful...

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Pale and underwhelming.

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.

Frosted Mini Wheats

Name: Frosted Mini Wheats
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: This review is another formality. I already know I don't like Frosted Mini Wheats, but I've tried a lot of their different flavors (and they've had some interesting ones) - just not the original yet. And to be fair, I've always been impressed with the flavors. Even this one - plain though it may be, at least the biscuits are frosted. This isn't a bad cereal, I'm just not especially fond of the taste and texture of shredded wheat. It's so tedious to chew... So, your mileage may vary, but this cereal isn't for me.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: More wheat than sweet.

Frosted Flakes Cookies & Creme Milkshake

Name: Frosted Flakes Cookies & Creme Milkshake
Variation: Frosted Flakes
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: After Strawberry Milkshake and Chocolate Milkshake, I predicted that Frosted Flakes would come out with a Vanilla Milkshake variety. This isn't quite the same thing, but it's pretty close. After all, cookies & creme is more "creme" than cookies. And it's a better idea, anyway. Oreo milkshakes are pretty popular. That said, it's not the milkshake I would order at the local diner.

The flakes don't look all that appealing, with their sickly-looking black flecks. It does have a faint cookie flavor, but I don't understand all these "token" chocolate flavors. If you like chocolate, you want a lot of it, not just a sprinkle. And the "creme" doesn't do anything for me. This cereal is marginally more interesting than plain Frosted Flakes, but you should know that's not saying much.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Don't worry, you'll get the milkshake you were promised.

Krave Cinnamon Sugar Churro

Name: Krave Cinnamon Sugar Churro
Variation: Krave
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: Here's an interesting new flavor from Krave - the color of the box and the flavors involved remind me of Cinnabon cereal. Imitating cinnamon sugar churros, but with an intriguing chocolate-filled center, it's kind of a bridge between Cinnamon Toast Crunch's Churros and Chocolate Churros. But, it doesn't have as good a mouthfeel, and the flavors leave something to be desired. It's kind of plainish; I find myself wishing this was a LOADED cereal. It's not unpleasant to eat (and it has grown on me), but I can't see myself buying it again. I think I'll stick with Double Chocolate Brownie Batter.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Only a faint hint of cinnamon and sugar.

Corn Pops

Name: Corn Pops
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: It didn't hit me until I poured out a bowl, but this is basically popcorn in the form of a cereal (yeah, it seems stupidly obvious to me now). That said, while I was expecting something plain like Corn Flakes, these golden nuggets of puffed corn have a moderate amount of sugar (though they're fat free). Yet they don't live up to the box's boast of a "sweet crispy crunch". Any crispiness is softened by the addition of milk, giving an impression of staleness. And the flavor is not all that sweet. But if they added any more sugar, it'd be getting into Honey Smacks/Golden Crisp territory. I can't honestly say I like it very much. However, to be emulating popcorn, I think a caramel version of this cereal could be really good.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: First time I've seen a cereal turn the milk yellow.

Frosted Flakes

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

Review: I've had an opportunity to try a lot of cereals that I don't like for this blog, but while I still maintain a low opinion of Rice Krispies, I've learned to appreciate Frosted Flakes. The flakes themselves still aren't my favorite cereal shape, but at least they have a sweet flavor. If forced to eat this cereal, I could tolerate it. The frosting alone offers a world of improvement over plain Corn Flakes. But you'd have to add marshmallows, or make it chocolate (or both :-p), to actually get me to say I like it.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Sweet like frosting.