13 Discontinued Breakfast Cereals We Still Think About
These breakfast cereals were more than just food; they were part of the ritual and joy of growing up.
- Alyana Aguja
- 4 min read
In the colorful world of childhood breakfasts, cereals were often more than just a quick meal — they were identity markers, marketing marvels, and edible fun. Many of them didn’t last, falling victim to changing health trends, marketing missteps, or waning interest. However, their legacy lives on in nostalgia-fueled Reddit threads, eBay listings, and wistful morning memories.
1. Waffle Crisp (Post, 1996–2018)
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Waffle Crisp tasted like Saturday mornings and cartoons, with tiny waffle-shaped bits drenched in maple syrup flavor. It had a loyal following that clung to the idea of breakfast as a treat, not just a routine. Post briefly revived it in 2021, but it didn’t stick around for long.
2. Oreo O’s (Post, 1997–2007)
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Oreo O’s were unapologetically sugary, essentially a cookie in cereal form. It was the dream of every kid whose parents said no to dessert for breakfast. Though it saw limited re-releases, its original run left a black-and-white cookie-shaped hole in our hearts.
3. French Toast Crunch (General Mills, 1995–2006)
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Tiny toast-shaped pieces and a cinnamon-maple flavor made French Toast Crunch a standout. It vanished in the mid-2000s, prompting a nostalgia-fueled outcry online. General Mills eventually brought it back, but the original recipe remains a sweet memory for many.
4. Pop-Tarts Crunch (Kellogg’s, 1994–1995)
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Pop-Tarts Crunch was short-lived but wild — crunchy cereal pieces modeled after actual Pop-Tarts, frosting and all. It was both genius and over-the-top, the breakfast version of a sugar rush. Parents hated it; kids adored it.
5. Sprinkle Spangles (General Mills, 1993–1998)
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This cereal was pure ‘90s excess, with star-shaped pieces and glittery rainbow sprinkles. The mascot, a genie voiced by Dom DeLuise, granted the wish for dessert at dawn. However, not even magic could save it from fading into obscurity.
6. Smurf Berry Crunch (Post, 1983–1987)
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Based on the beloved blue cartoon characters, Smurf Berry Crunch was both oddly vibrant and uniquely flavored. It dyed the milk pink and stained your tongue purple. It’s one of those cereals that kids remembered more for the fun than the flavor.
7. Banana Frosted Flakes (Kellogg’s, 1981–1984)
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This twist on Tony the Tiger’s classic featured banana flavoring mixed with the traditional frosted cornflakes. It was bold, weird, and somehow charming — until it wasn’t. It quietly disappeared, leaving banana lovers with just memories and rumors.
8. Clusters (General Mills, 1987–2000s)
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Clusters had crunchy nuggets of nuts and oats glued together by sweetness — more grown-up than most sugary cereals, but still a treat. It felt like cereal with a conscience. Despite its balance of health and flavor, it vanished without fanfare.
9. Mr. T Cereal (Quaker Oats, 1984–1993)
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Mr. T Cereal was shaped like capital T’s and packed a punch of corn and oats with a honey glaze. It rode the wave of Mr. T’s fame in the ‘80s, and the box was almost as iconic as the man himself. “I pity the fool” who never got to try it.
10. C-3PO’s Cereal (Kellogg’s, 1984–1986)
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This Star Wars-branded cereal featured twin-looped pieces vaguely resembling the iconic droid’s circuitry. It tasted like a cross between Cheerios and Kix but came in a box that made breakfast feel like an intergalactic mission. It had a short shelf life but a long fandom.
11. Reptar Crunch (Nickelodeon/Kellogg’s, 1999–2001)
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Inspired by Rugrats, Reptar Crunch was loud, green, and full of character. The box alone was a collector’s item, and the cereal was coated in a green glaze that turned milk an alien hue. It was pure ’90s nostalgia, marketed with reckless joy.
12. Rice Krinkles (Post, 1950s–1969)
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Before Fruity Pebbles took over, there were Rice Krinkles—lightly sweetened puffed rice with a peculiar flavor profile. Its short-lived mascot, So-Hi, was later pulled for being racially insensitive. While the cereal itself was mild, it played a curious role in breakfast history.
13. Crazy Cow (General Mills, 1970s)
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This cereal came in chocolate and strawberry varieties, but the hook was its magic — milk instantly changed flavor and color. It was fun, chaotic, and proudly artificial. People remember it more for the pink milk mustaches than the taste.