35 Discontinued Breakfast Cereals from Your Childhood

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Plus, learn which cereal has been continuously made the longest
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If you’ve visited the cereal aisle recently, you probably noticed that there are hundreds of boxes to choose from. Of course, for every cereal that becomes a hit, many more vanish to the cereal graveyard when their creators discontinue them. Read on for a list of discontinued cereals from the ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, and beyond. See which nostalgic breakfast bites you remember, and which ones understandably didn’t catch on.

Our Favorite Discontinued Cereals

  • Oreo O’s (1998-2007)
  • C-3PO’s (1984-1986)
  • Ice Cream Cones (1986-1987)
  • Rice Krispies Treats (1993-circa 2021)
  • Sprinkle Spangles (1993-1994)
  • Smorz (2003-2013)
  • Mr. T Cereal (1984-1993)
  • Alpha-Bits (1957-2021)
Section 1 of 5:

Discontinued Cereals from the ‘70s & ‘80s

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  1. Crazy Cow cereal launched in the late ‘70s and lasted into the early ‘80s, when General Mills discontinued it. The gimmick behind this product: it turned your milk into a milkshake-flavored treat. Each corn puff came covered in chocolate or strawberry drink powder. All you had to do was add milk and enjoy the sugary goodness. [1]
    • Years available: 1977 to circa 1980
    • Boxes of Crazy Cow cereal can be seen in the background of Melanie Martinez’s “Tag, You’re It” music video. [2]
  2. 2
    Buc Wheats ‘70s cereal Buc Wheats gained popularity with families looking for less sugary options. The wheat flakes came with a maple syrup flavoring reminiscent of pancakes. Unfortunately, General Mills removed the maple glaze in favor of a honey glaze, and sales dropped. They discontinued Buc Wheats sometime around 1983. [3]
    • Years available: 1971 to circa 1983
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  3. 3
    Baron Von Redberry Baron Von Redberry is one of the most iconic cereals to come out of the 1970s, primarily because it debuted alongside a rival cereal called Sir Grapefellow. Both cereals were fruit flavored, featuring a blend of oat cereal and marshmallows (called “starbits”). Unfortunately, General Mills discontinued both cereals in 1975. [4]
    • Years available: 1972 to 1975
  4. 4
    Waffelos Turning breakfast foods into cereal was quite the trend in the ‘70s. A shining example of this is Waffelos, a maple-flavored, waffle-shaped cereal from 1979. Ralston, its manufacturer, also released a blueberry flavor. Although it had a cute cowboy mascot, Waffelos only lasted until 1982. [5]
    • Years available: 1979 to 1982
  5. 5
    Magic Puffs True cereal fans know a cereal doesn’t have to taste good or be remarkable if it comes with cool toys in the box. Magic Puffs aced this concept. The cereal featured a magic trick with every box. While the boxes claimed it was “magic for you,” the sugar content said otherwise. The cereal left shelves sometime in the late ‘70s, not long after its debut. [6]
    • Years available: 1974 to 1977
  6. 6
    Vanilly Crunch Chocolate cereals are all the rage. Vanilla ones? Not so much. That’s why so many people are nostalgic for ‘70s cereal Vanilly Crunch, a spin-off of Cap’n Crunch. Vanilly Crunch boxes describe the cereal’s fictitious creation: a clumsy character named Seadog spilled cake batter into Cap’n Crunch, resulting in accidental deliciousness. Unfortunately, the flavor got discontinued in 1975. [7]
    • Years available: 1970 to 1975
  7. 7
    Freakies Ralston’s Freakies dropped in 1972 and lasted until 1976. The food itself was pretty plain, consisting of small yellow sweetened rings made from a mix of corn, wheat, and oats. The wacky Freakies mascots—called the Freakies—did capture children’s attention, which explains why this discontinued cereal lives on in people’s memories to this day. [8]
    • Years available: 1972 to 1976
  8. 8
    Ice Cream Cones General Mills released Ice Cream Cones cereal in 1986. Promising to deliver the flavor of a sugary vanilla or chocolate-chip ice cream cone, the sweet breakfast treat lasted one year before being discontinued. While General Mills brought it back for a limited time in 2003, it’s unlikely to ever return for good. [9]
    • Years available: 1986 to 1987
    • Ice Cream Cones cereal had round scoop-shaped puffs and crunchy cone pieces. An animated mascot named Ice Cream Jones hawked the product in its commercials. [10]
  9. 9
    Banana Frosted Flakes From 1981 to 1984, cereal fans could enjoy Banana Frosted Flakes. Many nostalgic Gen Xers claim this cereal surpassed the original Frosted Flakes, in no small part because it came with actual banana chip pieces on every flake. [11]
    • Years available: 1981 to 1984
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Section 2 of 5:

Discontinued Cereals from the ‘90s

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  1. 1
    Rice Krispies Treats Kellogg’s unleashed Rice Krispies Treats cereal on the breakfast aisle in 1993. The tasty treat replicated the flavor of Rice Krispies treats by coating clusters in marshmallow-and-butter flavoring. Over the years, it became harder and harder to find. [12] In August 2021, Kellogg’s shared on X (formerly Twitter) that it had been discontinued.
    • Years available: 1993 to circa 2021
  2. 2
    Hidden Treasures General Mills tried to gamify eating cereal with the introduction of Hidden Treasures in 1993. The cereal featured corn puffs filled with either nothing or different flavors of fruity icing. [13] You had to creatively dig through the bowl to find the “treasures”—unless you caught on to how the position of the seam on certain cereal pieces corresponded to its flavor. [14]
    • Years available: 1993 to 1995
  3. 3
    Sprinkle Spangles General Mills shared in a 2020 blog post that Sprinkle Spangles, introduced in 1993, is one of their most requested discontinued cereals. Flavored like a sugar cookie, the cereal featured star-shaped corn puffs covered in miniature rainbow sprinkles. It even had a genie mascot voiced by Dom DeLuise. Still, the brand discontinued it just one year after its debut. [15]
    • Years available: 1993 to 1994
  4. 4
    Cinna-Crunch Pebbles Cereal marketing executives in the 20th century loved a good backstory. Cinna-Crunch pebbles supposedly came into existence when a meteor struck a cinnamon bakery. [16] Similar to Fruity Pebbles but with a cinnamon flavor, the cereal lasted from 1998 to 2001. [17]
    • Years available: 1998 to 2001
  5. 5
    Cinnamon Mini Buns Plenty of ‘90s kids wished their parents would let them eat cinnamon rolls for breakfast every day. While that wasn’t happening, Cinnamon Mini Buns cereal offered a good second choice. The Kellogg’s cereal, shaped like miniature cinnamon buns, lasted from 1991 to 2005. [18]
    • Years available: 1991 to 2005
    • In 2005, Kellogg’s replaced Cinnamon Mini Buns with Mini Swirlz cereal, which was itself discontinued in 2009.
  6. 6
    Oreo O’s Cookie cereals have always enticed kids, but Oreo O’s felt extra appealing given the longstanding association with the creme-filled cookies and milk. The Post cereal debuted in 1998. [19] Oreo O’s were discontinued in 2007, brought back in 2017, and then discontinued again in 2024 to make room for Oreo Puffs cereal. [20]
    • Years available: 1998 to 2007; 2017 to 2024
  7. 7
    Pop-Tarts Crunch Kellogg’s isn’t just in the cereal business—they also make Pop-Tarts. It was only a matter of time before they fused the two, creating Pop-Tarts Crunch cereal in 1994. [21] The cereal pieces resembled mini frosted Pop-Tarts, complete with a fruity strawberry filling. Perhaps because it couldn’t escape the shadow of the real thing, Kellogg’s discontinued Pop-Tarts Crunch in 1995. [22]
    • Years available: 1994 to 1995
  8. 8
    Nabisco Team Flakes Nabisco Team Flakes cereal debuted in 1963, but ‘90s kids still remember it, since it wasn’t discontinued until 1993. The cereal featured crispy four-grain flakes and less sugar than its competitors, making it an appealing healthy choice. [23]
    • Years available: 1963 to 1993
  9. 9
    Fruity Marshmallow Krispies As if Rice Krispies weren’t fun enough to eat, Kellogg’s released Fruity Marshmallow Krispies to add a pop of color and extra sweetness alongside the signature snap-crackle-pop sound. The marshmallow bits came in bright primary colors and tasted like fruit. Delicious as it sounds, the cereal only lasted about a decade, from 1982 to sometime in the ‘90s. [24]
    • Years available: 1982 to the late 1990s
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Section 3 of 5:

Discontinued Cereals from the 2000s & 2010s

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  1. A key part of Cap’n Crunch lore is that there are many accidents at the cereal factory, resulting in delicious “Oops!”-branded breakfast creations. In 2002, Choco Donuts arrived on the scene as the result of donuts “sailing up Chocolate Rapids” and “through Sprinkle Falls.” The chocolate rings with tiny sprinkle pieces were delectable, but the cereal still left shelves sometime in the 2000s. [25]
    • Years available: 2002 to the late 2000s
  2. 2
    Banana Nut Cheerios Cheerios spin-offs are a common find in the cereal graveyard since they can’t all be a hit like Honey Nut. Banana Nut may have come close. This variety of Cheerios came out in 2009, touting a taste similar to banana bread or banana nut muffins, according to those who remember it. General Mills discontinued it in 2015. [26]
    • Years available: 2009 to 2015
    • A new version of Banana Nut Cheerios came out in 2017 but disappeared in 2020.
  3. 3
    Frosted Mini Chex Miniature versions of existing products can sometimes be a hit, like mini M&M’s. Other times, they just don’t take off. General Mills introduced Frosted Mini Chex cereal in 2002, a sweet, bite-sized version of classic Chex. [27] Reportedly, the cereal was discontinued around 2007.
    • Years available: 2002 to circa 2007
  4. 4
    Honey Bunches of Oats with Peaches Honey Bunches of Oats attempted to appeal to peach lovers with Honey Bunches of Oats with Peaches. It’s unclear when exactly it came out, but a YouTube channel reviewed it back in 2009. [28] Articles mourning its discontinuation date back to 2016, suggesting it lasted about seven years in the cereal aisle. [29]
    • Years available: Late 2000s to 2016
  5. 5
    Smorz Kellogg’s had a hit on its hands with Smorz cereal, a chocolatey graham-flavored cereal with mini marshmallows. More dessert than breakfast, the treat has had loyal fans since its introduction in 2003. Kellogg’s dropped it in 2013 to release Krave S’Mores cereal. [30] It’s been brought back twice since then, but Kellogg’s discontinued Smorz again each time. [31]
    • Years available: 2003 to 2013
  6. 6
    Cupcake Pebbles Cupcakes were a big trend in the 2010s, to the point where cupcake vending machines were all the rage. To cash in on the cupcake craze, Post released Cupcake Pebbles in 2010. Consumers weren’t quite sold on the cake-flavored crisp rice cereal, and it got discontinued one year later. [32]
    • Years available: 2010 to 2011
  7. 7
    Keebler Cookie Crunch Cereal In 2008, the Keebler elves characters used their magic to make a cereal that captured the goodness of their delicious cookies. Specifically, Keebler Cookie Crunch cereal promised the flavors of Fudge Shoppe Fudge Stripes and Chips Deluxe. Online complaints suggest it got soggy quickly in milk, which may explain why Kellogg’s discontinued it in 2010. [33]
    • Years available: 2008 to 2010
  8. 8
    Alpha-Bits Alpha-Bits isn’t necessarily a 2000s cereal. It came out in 1957 and lasted all the way until 2021. While urban legend claimed they discontinued it because children were spelling dirty words with the letter-shaped cereal pieces, this explanation lacks credibility. Post shared on X (formerly Twitter) that they discontinue products due to lack of demand or to make room for new ones. [34]
    • Years available: 1957 to 2021
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Section 4 of 5:

Discontinued Celebrity & Pop Culture Cereals

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  1. 1
    Strawberry Shortcake Cereal The popular Strawberry Shortcake characters appeared on everything from greeting cards to clothing. It was only a matter of time before Strawberry Shortcake got her own cereal. Featuring strawberry-flavored corn puffs, the fruity breakfast debuted from General Mills in 1981. It left shelves four years later, in 1985. [35]
    • Years available: 1981 to 1985
  2. 2
    Ghostbusters Cereal Ralston kicked off the novelty cereal tie-in craze with the introduction of Ghostbusters Cereal in 1985. The cereal had colorful fruit-flavored pieces and marshmallows shaped like miniature ghosts. While the cereal enjoyed several iterations over the years, Ralston discontinued it in 1991. [36]
    • Years available: 1985 to 1991
    • When Ghostbusters: Afterlife came out in 2021, General Mills released a limited-edition version of the cereal to promote it.
  3. 3
    C-3PO’s Were you a true Star Wars fan if you didn’t eat C-3PO’s? The oat and corn cereal launched in 1984 with a clever play on the overwhelmed droid’s name. Unfortunately, the twin-ring shaped cereal only lasted two years before leaving the breakfast aisle for good in 1986. [37]
    • Years available: 1984 to 1986
  4. 4
    Mr. T Cereal Mr. T was an ‘80s icon thanks to appearances in The A-Team and Rocky III . Of course he had a cereal! Dropping in 1984, Mr. T Cereal featured memorable catchphrases like “I pity the fool who don’t eat my cereal.” [38] Described as similar in flavor to Cap’n Crunch, the licensed breakfast boxes were discontinued in 1993. [39]
    • Years available: 1984 to 1993
  5. 5
    Pac-Man Cereal Pac-Man cereal featured sweet yellow corn puffs resembling the Pac-Dots around the game board that Pac-Man must eat. The game’s blinky ghosts and its hero were represented with colorful marshmallow bits. Debuting in 1983 in North America, General Mills discontinued the gamer treat in 1988. [40]
    • Years available: 1983 to 1988
  6. 6
    Smurf-Berry Crunch When the goofy blue Smurfs characters were the kings of culture thanks to their hit cartoon series, they got their own cereal. Called Smurf-Berry Crunch, the cereal featured red and blue cereal pieces and an artificial fruit flavor. Unfortunately, Post discontinued Smurf-Berry Crunch in 1987 to promote Smurf Magic Berries cereal. [41]
    • Years available: 1983 to 1987
  7. 7
    Pink Panther Flakes Pink cereal isn’t as common as you’d think, which made Pink Panther Flakes stand out upon their debut in 1972. The cartoon the cereal was based on, however, proved more popular than its cereal spin-off. Reportedly, Post discontinued it in 1974. [42]
    • Years available: 1972 to 1974
  8. 8
    E.T. Cereal General Mills dropped E.T. Cereal in 1984, two years after the film came out. Featuring a fusion of peanut butter and chocolate to reference E.T.’s love of Reese’s Pieces, the cereal could be considered a predecessor of Reese’s Puffs. Boxes of E.T. Cereal even came with Michael Jackson’s Storybook Album. Unfortunately, the cereal “phoned home” in 1986. [43]
    • Years available: 1984 to 1986
  9. 9
    Mickey’s Magix In 2002, Mickey’s Magix came on the scene with a mascot inspired by Mickey Mouse in the classic musical cartoon Fantasia. The magic behind each box? The flavor powder coating the sweetened oat cereal pieces turned the milk blue or purple. [44] Kellogg’s and Disney discontinued the cereal in 2005.
    • Years available: 2002 to 2005
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Section 5 of 5:

What is the oldest cereal still made today?

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  1. Wheatena is a hot cereal, closer to a porridge than what we consider cereal today. George H. Hoyt created it in or around 1879. Other old cereals that are still made today include Shredded Wheat (first made in 1890), Grape-Nuts (first made in 1897), and Kellogg’s Corn Flakes (first made sometime between 1894 and 1898). [45]

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      References

      1. ↑ https://advertisingweek.com/top-10-forgotten-breakfast-cereals-and-mascots-of-the-1970s-a-nostalgic-crunch-through-time/
      2. ↑ https://youtu.be/l8S0S3D6QgY?t=104
      3. ↑ https://advertisingweek.com/top-10-forgotten-breakfast-cereals-and-mascots-of-the-1970s-a-nostalgic-crunch-through-time/
      4. ↑ https://www.eatthis.com/discontinued-cereal/
      5. ↑ https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/654691/discontinued-breakfast-cereals
      6. ↑ https://www.eatthis.com/discontinued-cereal/
      7. ↑ https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/12-breakfast-cereals-70s-80s-213059779.html
      8. ↑ https://www.today.com/food/5-discontinued-cereals-should-make-comebacks-1c7100930
      9. ↑ https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/654691/discontinued-breakfast-cereals
      1. ↑ https://youtu.be/DrV9-PfOuH4?t=7
      2. ↑ https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/654691/discontinued-breakfast-cereals
      3. ↑ https://www.cerealously.net/spooned-spotted-rice-krispies-treats-cereal-new-recipe/
      4. ↑ https://youtu.be/QLFyurq_iW8?t=14
      5. ↑ https://youtu.be/QLFyurq_iW8?t=95
      6. ↑ https://www.generalmills.be/news/stories/the-5-cereals-that-will-make-you-miss-your-childhood
      7. ↑ https://youtu.be/mBreGgli5WA?t=1
      8. ↑ https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/654691/discontinued-breakfast-cereals
      9. ↑ https://www.thetakeout.com/1735813/discontinued-cereals-probably-never-eat-again/
      10. ↑ https://www.pastemagazine.com/food/ten-sorely-missed-cereals-from-the-early-90s
      11. ↑ https://fortune.com/2017/06/01/oreo-os-cereal-returns/
      12. ↑ https://www.poptarts.com/en_US/our-story.html
      13. ↑ https://www.mashed.com/430750/whatever-happened-to-pop-tarts-crunch/
      14. ↑ https://www.today.com/food/5-discontinued-cereals-should-make-comebacks-1c7100930
      15. ↑ https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/12-breakfast-cereals-70s-80s-213059779.html
      16. ↑ https://www.chowhound.com/1576646/discontinued-cereal-grocery-store/
      17. ↑ https://www.thedailymeal.com/1307549/discontinued-cheerio-flavor-went-bananas-for/
      18. ↑ https://www.mrbreakfast.com/cereal_detail.asp?id=147
      19. ↑ https://youtu.be/VEt9nxdgNKU
      20. ↑ https://www.clarionledger.com/story/magnolia/taste/2016/08/12/robert-st-john-nothing-like-bowl-kids-cereal/88450820/
      21. ↑ https://www.thestreet.com/investing/stocks/10-favorite-cereals-that-are-no-longer-sold-in-any-grocery-stores-12893905
      22. ↑ https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rumors-revealed-yes-kelloggs-brings-smorz-cereal-back-301194486.html
      23. ↑ https://www.thestreet.com/investing/stocks/10-favorite-cereals-that-are-no-longer-sold-in-any-grocery-stores-12893905
      24. ↑ https://www.mrbreakfast.com/cereal_detail.asp?id=1141
      25. ↑ https://99wfmk.com/alpha-bits-no-more/
      26. ↑ https://www.generalmills.be/news/stories/the-5-cereals-that-will-make-you-miss-your-childhood
      27. ↑ https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/12-breakfast-cereals-70s-80s-213059779.html
      28. ↑ https://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/foodnews/12-discontinued-breakfast-cereals-from-the-70s-and-80s-that-deserve-a-comeback/ss-AA1zi02G?ocid=entnewsntp#image=4
      29. ↑ https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/10-cereals-that-were-too-sweet-to-last
      30. ↑ https://www.eatthis.com/discontinued-cereal/
      31. ↑ https://www.eatthis.com/discontinued-cereal/
      32. ↑ https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/654691/discontinued-breakfast-cereals
      33. ↑ https://advertisingweek.com/top-10-forgotten-breakfast-cereals-and-mascots-of-the-1970s-a-nostalgic-crunch-through-time/
      34. ↑ https://www.chowhound.com/1576646/discontinued-cereal-grocery-store/
      35. ↑ https://www.mrbreakfast.com/cereal_detail.asp?id=233
      36. ↑ https://www.oldest.org/food/cereals/

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