Every time I see a new banana-flavored product on shelves, my inner Primate comes out. I have to fight the urge to beat my chest like an excited gorilla right there in the aisle.
There’s something about that flavor that always resonates with me. Cakes, breads, candies, ice cream, yogurts, it doesn’t matter – if you make it banana, you’ve got my money.
Sadly, I haven’t tasted many cereals flavored with the fruit. There’s never been a huge market for them, and when they do come out, they always seem to get discontinued. I can recall a few Honey Bunches of Oats types and a Minion one, but beyond that my experience with them are lacking.
Good thing Limited Edition Banana Nut Cheerios has come to my rescue.
I wish I could tell you I got a waft of fresh banana bread when I tore the bag open, but in reality, the smell was kinda indistinguishable. I don’t know, I expected more, but to me it wasn’t distinctly banana.
Since these are “banana nut” flavored, I figured I’d try them with almond milk as well as whole milk. I also had Egg Nog, but couldn’t pull the trigger on using that as milk, despite the pleas from the voices inside my head.
I considered mixing in slices of the yellow fruit, but I’m of the controversial opinion that putting slimy fruit pieces in cereal doesn’t enhance it all that much.
With the first bite, I got hit with cinnamon, but that instantly blended into the banana flavor. Don’t expect anything overly sweet, because this uses real fruit puree, not artificial flavor. (More on that later.)
On the next few bites, I realized this variety may as well have been any Cheerios flavor. It all mushed into generic Cheerios. While there were hints of a great cereal there, it was short lived.
Now I was ready to call Banana Nut Cheerios a big disappointment when it hit me with the hidden ace up its sleeve – delicious cereal milk.
Let me backtrack. The “whole” milk cereal was delicious. Unflavored almond milk is worthless, especially with cereal. The “nuttiness” did nothing to enhance the flavor. Not only that, it’s more watery than skim, and made for a mundane bowl.
Whole milk, however, soaked into the little O’s and made it come to life. You’d be hard pressed to find many cereals that improve as they sog, but this one bucked the trend. The flavor improved as they settled and the runoff culminated in banana bread-flavored creaminess.
Still, I left a tad underwhelmed. I must just prefer a sugary artificial flavor to natural. I guess that’s the kid in me. I’d be all in on Banana Toast Crunch.
Banana Nut Cheerios are worth a try, but they weren’t better than reliable Honey Nut variety. If you can only afford one box, I’d recommend the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheerios over these as well.
(Nutrition Facts – 3/4 cup – 110 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 120 milligrams of sodium, 80 milligrams of potassium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.)
Purchased Price: $2.50
Size: 12 oz. box
Purchased at: Stop & Shop
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Creamy delicious cereal milk. Decent banana flavor. Nice cinnamon kick. Oatey nuttiness peaks through. The prospects of Banana Toast Crunch.
Cons: Lacked strong banana aroma. Tasted best after the sog. Middle of the road Cheerios flavor. Limited Edition like all banana cereals. There’s no Banana Toast Crunch.
I’m not sure if they still exist or not because I rarely shop at Target but several years ago Archer Farms had a banana nut cereal that would make you smack yo mama! Crispy flakes, nut clusters, and slices of real banana that when put in milk became almost indistinguishable from real bananas but without the slimy outer texture. Even opening up the box it was like you were standing in a banana bread factory. That stuff was awesome. Anybody know if they still make that? Thanks to Vin I feel like I need a fix.
It’s rare to meet a fellow banana fanatic! Like you, if I see banana on the package, I’m sold. I actually get giddy, namely because it’s so rare to find. I’m always on the hunt for new or limited-edition banana-flavored candy, gum, desserts, cereal or beverages…even lip balm, lotions or shampoos.
I also tried the cereal, but was disappointed. Like with most banana products, I never get enough banana. I prefer the sweeter banana/vanilla flavor, but can never seem to find it. It seems most banana-flavored products skew on the tangy side or are paired with strawberry. UGH!
My all-time favorite is a good banana milkshake, but I have yet to find a place that makes a great one. Several summers ago, Starbucks offered a Bananas & Cream Frappuccino. I was in ape heaven!
I also love banana products, but respectfully disagree with both of you. I really enjoyed this cereal. I was disappointed when it was discontinued a couple years ago and I’m glad it’s back, even if it’s only limited edition for now.
The limited edition is different from the original banana but cheerios, they changed the recipe and they taste horrible. The original ones were awesome, but these? Yuk
again if it tastes like the product then y not appreicte it? u cant just ignore the fact that sum plp have a sour pallete.. .. travis is an idiot but thankfully im gld to have found so many things and made the right choices with evr item ive ever founed.. theses guys tell it for what it is.. plp need to quit being ignorant… and i dont care for cereal.. so glad those days r over..