Nostalgic Breakfast Cereals We Wish Would Return

Cereal has been one of the most popular breakfast options in the United States since the end of World War II when cereal manufacturers began marketing products to children. By the early 2000s, cereal was so popular, that Americans bought more than 2.7 million boxes a year. The formulas may have changed significantly since its inception. What was once a health food morphed into a highly processed, sugar-laden product, but with tastes changing, options have shifted again to health and the once beloved treats of our childhood have gone missing. We know they weren’t that good for us, but these are nostalgic breakfast cereals we wish would return.

24/7 Tempo compiled a list of nostalgic breakfast cereals we wish would return. While it is not a complete archive of discontinued flavors, it includes many cereals released in conjunction with a popular movie or cartoon and disappeared when the hype died down. Also listed are cereals that have since been reformulated to appeal to changing tastes or, interestingly, to address parental concerns over the color of their children’s stool.

We contacted customer relations representatives to confirm when each cereal was removed from the market. For cereals without an exact end year, we listed the decade. (Here are 40 popular discontinued snack foods we really miss .)

Vanilly Crunch

• On the market: 1971 – early 1980s
• Manufacturer: Quaker
• What they were: Birthday cake-flavored Cap’n Crunch balls

Pink Panther Flakes

• On the market: 1972 – 1974
• Manufacturer: Post
• What they were: Neon pink frosted corn cereal

Fruit Brute

• On the market: 1975 – 1983
• Manufacturer: General Mills
• What they were: Fruit-flavored cereal pieces with lime-flavored marshmallows

Moonstones

• On the market: 1976 – 1977
• Manufacturer: Ralston
• What they were: Fruit-flavored, space-shaped cereal of stars, half-moons, and planets

Donkey Kong Crunch

• On the market: 1982 – 1984
• Manufacturer: Ralston
• What they were: Barrel-shaped crunchy corn cereal

Strawberry Honeycomb

• On the market: 1983 – 2002
• Manufacturer: Post
• What they were: Strawberry flavored, honeycomb-shaped cereal *Temporarily made a come-back in 2015

Pac-Man

• On the market: 1983 – 1988
• Manufacturer: General Mills
• What they were: Corn cereal with Pac-Man-shaped marshmallows

Smurf Berry Crunch

• On the market: 1983 – 1988
• Manufacturer: Post
• What they were: Red and blue corn puffs in berry flavor

C3POs

• On the market: 1984 – 1986
• Manufacturer: Kellogg’s
• What they were: Infinity-shaped, honey-sweetened oat, wheat, and corn cereal, that tasted like Lucky Charms but without the marshmallows

Ghostbusters Cereal

• On the market: 1985 – 1990
• Manufacturer: Ralston
• What they were: Oat cereal shaped like the Ghostbusters logo with ghost-shaped marshmallows in a glow-in-the-dark box

Nerds

• On the market: 1985 – late 1980s
• Manufacturer: Ralston
• What they were: Featured two separate tangy flavors divided in one box, like the candies

Rainbow Brite Cereal

• On the market: 1985 – 1990
• Manufacturer: Ralston
• What they were: Fruit-flavored, rainbow-shaped cereal pieces in multiple colors

Spiderman Cereal

• On the market: 1985 – 1990s
• Manufacturer: Ralston
• What they were: Spiderweb-shaped cereal with marshmallows

Yummy Mummy

• On the market: 1987 – 1993
• Manufacturer: General Mills
• What they were: Fruit-flavored cereal with vanilla-flavored marshmallows

Smurf Magic Berries

• On the market: 1987 – early 1990s
• Manufacturer: Post
• What they were: Fruit-flavored multigrain cereal with marshmallow stars

Morning Funnies

• On the market: 1988 – 1989
• Manufacturer: Ralston
• What they were: Fruit-flavored cereal shaped like goofy faces, in a box covered in comics

Dunkin’ Donuts Cereal

• On the market: 1988 – late 1980s
• Manufacturer: Ralston
• What they were: Shaped like donuts, came in glazed donut and chocolate flavors

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Cereal

• On the market: 1989 – 1995
• Manufacturer: Ralston
• What they were: Net-shaped cereal with crunchy marshmallows that left your milk green

Batman Cereal

• On the market: 1989 – 1990
• Manufacturer: Ralston
• What they were: Bat-shaped corn cereal

Breakfast with Barbie

• On the market: 1989 – early 1990s
• Manufacturer: Ralston
• What they were: Multigrain fruit-flavored cereal in the shape of hearts, bows, cars, stars, and the letter B

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Cereal

• On the market: 1990 – 1991
• Manufacturer: Ralston
• What they were: Toasted oat squares with music note-shaped marshmallows

Cinnamon Mini-Buns

• On the market: 1991 – 1993
• Manufacturer: Kellogg’s
• What they were: Corn and oat cereal shaped and flavored like a swirled cinnamon bun

The Addams Family Cereal

• On the market: 1991 – early 1990s
• Manufacturer: Ralston
• What they were: Spooky-shaped cereal with a memorable lack of flavor

WWF Superstars

• On the market: 1991 – early 1990s
• Manufacturer: Ralston
• What they were: Vanilla-flavored, star-shaped cereal

Reptar Crunch

• On the market: 1999 – 1999
• Manufacturer: Post
• What they were: Purple rice crisps with green Reptar-shaped pieces

Homer’s Cinnamon Donut Cereal

• On the market: 2001 – 2002
• Manufacturer: Kellogg’s
• What they were: Donut-shaped cinnamon-flavored cereal

Bart’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch

• On the market: 2001 – 2002
• Manufacturer: Kellogg’s
• What they were: Peanut butter chocolate-flavored orbs

Monopoly Cereal

• On the market: 2003 – mid-2000s
• Manufacturer: General Mills
• What they were: Cinnamon-flavored cereal with marshmallow houses, hotels, and deeds

FiberPlus Berry Yogurt Crunch

• On the market: 2010 – 2013
• Manufacturer: Kellogg’s
• What they were: Wheat and rice flakes with berry yogurt-flavored clusters

Cupcake Pebbles

• On the market: 2010 – 2011
• Manufacturer: Post
• What they were: Cake batter-flavored rice cereal

Sesame Street C is for Cereal

• On the market: 2011 – 2014
• Manufacturer: Post
• What they were: Apple-flavored oat and corn cereal pieces shaped like Xs and Os, made for toddlers

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