23 Discontinued Cereals You Forgot About

23 DISCONTINUED CEREALS YOU FORGOT ABOUT

© History Oasis

You’ve probably noticed that some of your favorite breakfast cereals are no longer on the grocery shelves. These discontinued cereals have left many consumers nostalgic.

NERDS CEREAL

Nerds cereal box
Source: Ralston

Nerds Cereal was launched in 1985 by the Willy Wonka Candy Company. It was basically candy disguised as breakfast.

The cereal was a colorful, dual-flavored breakfast option based on the popularity of Nerds candy.

It had some success in the beginning but was eventually discontinued around 1988. Let’s just say there were many health concerns over its high sugar content and artificial coloring. Consumers were also shifting to healthier breakfast alternatives at the time.  

MR. T CEREAL

Mr. T Cereal Box
Source: Quaker Oats

Mr. T Cereal was created by Quaker Oats in 1984.

It was a sweetened corn and oats breakfast cereal shaped like the letter “T.”

Quaker Oats marketed it like the famous 1980s actor Mr. T.

The children loved it, and it was around for more than a decade before being discontinued in 1993. Mr. T’s hit TV show “The A-Team” ended in 1987, and the cereal’s sales plummeted soon after.

MAGIC PUFFS

Magic Puffs cereal box
Source: General Mills

General Mills introduced Magic Puffs in 1974.

It was known for its “crunchy frosted cereal puffs.”

General Mills’ nutritional claims were a bit misleading, and the cereal received significant backlash shortly after its release. It was taken off the shelves soon after.

BANANA FROSTED FLAKES

Banana Frosted Flakes cereal box
Source: Kellogg's

Banana Frosted Flakes was introduced as a variation of Kellogg’s popular cereal.

Kellogg’s developed the cereal to combine the sweet taste of bananas with classic cornflakes.

It was not a lasting success and was discontinued due to lukewarm consumer reception.

CHOCO DONUTS

Choco Donuts cereal box
Source: Quaker Oats

Cap’n Crunch Choco Donuts cereal was introduced by Quaker Oats in 2002.

The company launched the cereal as part of its whimsical “Oops!” line. It featured a chocolate-flavored donut-shaped piece and was supposed to be a fun, kid-friendly breakfast option.

Despite its creative premise, the cereal failed because it needed to differentiate itself from the other chocolate-flavored options on the cereal aisle.

YUMMY MUMMY

Yummy Mummy cereal box
Source: General Mills

In 1987, General Mills launched the Fruity Yummy Mummy as part of their Monster Cereals line.

It is remembered as a vibrant, fruit-flavored cereal with colorful marshmallows aimed at capitalizing on the popularity of its monster-themed predecessors.

The cereal was discontinued in 1992 after only five years on the market, as it failed to infiltrate the competitive market.

NICKELODEON GREEN SLIME

Nickelodeon Green Slime cereal box
Source: General Mills

Nickelodeon’s Green Slime cereal was launched in 2003 in partnership with General Mills.

It was a short-lived attempt to capitalize on the network’s iconic green slime’s popularity. The team created a breakfast cereal featuring slime-shaped corn puffs and marshmallows.

The cereal was quickly discontinued due to its unappealing taste and smell.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLE CEREAL

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cereal box
Source: Ralston

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Cereal is a nostalgic cereal invented in 1989 by Ralston.

The cereal looked to capitalize on the popular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV series. They used Chex-like “Ninja Nets” and themed marshmallows.

The cereal was successful until 1992.

The cereal was discontinued due to the market saturation of TMNT merchandise.

ICE CREAM CONES CEREAL

Ice Cream Cones cereal box
Source: General Mills

Ice Cream Cones Cereal was brought to grocery stores by General Mills in 1987.

Its unique breakfast offering featured cone-shaped pieces in flavors like Vanilla and Chocolate. Its marketers had a field day using catchy jingles and a character named Ice Cream Jones.

The cereal was quickly discontinued the same year of its launch due to health concerns of parents.

CUPCAKE PEBBLES

Cupcake Pebbles cereal box
Source: Post

Cupcake Pebbles was a limited edition cereal invented by Post in 2010 as part of the Pebbles cereal line.

It aimed to follow the trend of the popularity of sweet-themed cereals.

It was discontinued in 2011. It failed mainly due to its overly artificial flavor profile.

E.T. CEREAL

E.T. Cereal Box
Source: General Mills

E.T. Cereal, launched by Kellogg’s in 1983.

You might remember it as a movie tie-in product inspired by the hugely popular film “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.”

The cereal had unique alien-shaped marshmallows alongside traditional cereal pieces.

The cereal was discontinued just one year later because consumers did not enjoy the taste.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE CEREAL

Strawberry Shortcake cereal box
Source: General Mills

In 1981, General Mills launched the Strawberry Shortcake Cereal to capitalize on the popularity of the Strawberry Shortcake character, which had existed since 1977.

It had a short period of success but failed in 1985 due to the waning popularity of Strawberry Shortcake.

KREAM KRUNCH

Kream Krunch cereal vintage ad
Source: Kellogg's

Kream Krunch was introduced by Kellogg’s in 1965.

It was one of the more unique cereals at the time, combining freeze-dried ice cream pieces with O-shaped oat pieces in vanilla, strawberry, and orange flavors.

Kream Krunch was discontinued within months of its launch due to quality issues. The freeze-dried ice cream dissolving unappealingly in milk was kind of gross.

WAFFELOS

Waffles cereal box
Source: Ralston

Waffelos was a waffle-shaped breakfast cereal introduced by Ralston Purina in 1979.

People remember it for its maple and blueberry flavors. The cereal also had an unforgettable cowboy mascot, Waffelo Bill.

It was gone by 1982 due to the waning novelty of its waffle shape.

NINTENDO CEREAL SYSTEM

Nintendo Cereal System box
Source: Ralston

Ralston introduced The Nintendo Cereal System in 1988.

It capitalized on the popularity of Nintendo’s gaming franchises, like Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda. Interestingly, it offered two separate flavored cereals in one box.

Initially, it was a big hit, but the product was discontinued in 1989 due to over-reliance on niche gaming trends.

SOUR PATCH KIDS CEREAL

Sour Patch Kids cereal box
Source: Post

Sour Patch Kids Cereal was created by Post Consumer Brands in December 2018.

It looked to translate the popular candy’s sour-then-sweet flavor profile with breakfast cereal.

Consumers were disgusted, many finding the combination of sour flavors and milk unpalatable. It was discontinued shortly after, and hopefully, it will never return.

OREO O’S

Oreo O's vintage ad
Source: Post

Oreo O’s cereal was introduced in 1997 as a collaboration between Post Consumer Brands and Kraft Foods.

It had a ton of success due to the popularity of Oreo cookies.

However, it was discontinued in 2007 due to a breakdown in the partnership between the two companies. Making it impossible to continue production.

CRAZY COW

Crazy Cow cereal box
Source: General Mills

Crazy Cow cereal was invented by General Mills in 1977.

It was a novel breakfast product featuring multi-grain pellets dissolved in milk to create flavored chocolate or strawberry milk.

It was discontinued by 1980 due to intense market competition.

HIDDEN TREASURES

Hidden Treasures cereal box
Source: General Mills

Hidden Treasures was a breakfast cereal launched by General Mills in 1993.

It featured sweetened corn squares, some of which contained fruit-flavored fillings. The cereal was fun because it created a “treasure hunt” experience for children.

Due to its limited appeal, the cereal was gone by 1995, and the kids were not impressed with the taste.

BLUEBERRY MUFFIN TOASTERS

Blueberry Muffin Toasters ad
Source: Malt O Meal

In 2005, Malt-O-Meal’s Blueberry Muffin Toasters cereal was launched.

The blueberry muffin flavor had an initial cult following with periods of popularity.

The brand was discontinued due to poor sales later on.

BART SIMPSON’S NO PROBLEMO’S

Bart Simpson cereal box
Source: Kellogg's

Bart Simpson’s No ProblemO’s cereal was created by Kellogg’s in 2002.

It was launched in Great Britain and Australia.

It had a frosted multi-grain cereal shaped like the Simpsons characters.

Despite initial enthusiasm, the cereal was discontinued within a year of its launch due to mixed reviews based on its quality and taste.

BUC WHEATS

Buc Wheats cereal box
Source: General Mills

Buc Wheats, a maple-flavored wheat cereal produced by General Mills from 1971 to the early 1980s, gained popularity for its unique taste and crunchy texture.

However, the cereal was discontinued around 1983 after a poorly received change from maple to honey glaze, which led to plummeting sales.

FRUIT BRUTE

Fruit Brute cereal box with special offer
Source: General Mills

In 1974, General Mills launched the Fruit Brute cereal as part of its monster cereals.

It featured a werewolf mascot and a unique cherry flavor with marshmallow bits.

It had a nice eight-year run and a brief revival in 2013. Still, it was ultimately discontinued again due to lackluster sales.

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