As the Northern hemisphere thaws from an icy winter and we drag our allergy-ridden behinds to the grocery store, a fresh ray of hope meets us — Spring Flavored Stuff.
Ah, seasonal flavors, you tasty little tropes. Pumpkin spice might have a choke hold on the fall, but which flavor will prevail to rule the spring? Carrots have tried, but they taste like nothing. For a moment, I thought this would be the Age of Raspberry, but it seemed that was a Valentine’s red flash in the pan. Therefore, I would like to present my case for lemon. The Year of Lemon is upon us. Will this drastically underrated flavor finally prevail? Cheerios is willing to find out with its new Frosted Lemon variety.
The delicate aromas of lemon and sugar are the first to meet my senses. Yep, smells like lemon. I was also pleased to see no signs of yellow color, natural or otherwise. Cheerios kept it au naturel in the appearance department. If you put these next to standard Frosted Cheerios, I don’t think I’d be able to pinpoint which one was which just by looking at them. The lemon scent is delightful and suggests they won’t be too strong.
Digging into a bowl prepared with 2% milk, I’m immediately reminded of Fruit Loops. Only these are a better, more sophisticated version. Think Fruit Loops’ older cousin who sometimes buys them alcohol. The lemon is not at all overwhelming. In fact, I wouldn’t mind if it was a bit stronger. The flavor is citrusy and sweet, reminiscent of a lemon cookie or lemon cake, but not too sweet. I should note that there is no actual lemon in the ingredient line here. It’s just a perfectly chosen and mindfully balanced natural lemon flavor. Hats off to you, Big G. These are great.
I also gave these a whirl as the topping for my fruit and yogurt breakfast. The lemon flavor gets lost easily in this application, so I’d stick to your standard milk and cereal preparation to get the full effect.
Overall, this seasonal variety is well done. The lemon is fresh, bright, and not overpowering. It’s a great way to start or end your day and a fine introduction to The Year of Lemon (please let this catch and become an actual thing).
Purchased Price: $5.99
Size: 14.7 oz box
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup without milk) 140 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 11 grams of sugar (including 11 grams of added sugar), and 3 grams of protein.
Nice review. It’s interesting you thought of Froot Loops. I thought of Trix but definitely more subtle. The flavor is delicious but gets almost completely lost in milk.
But what I’d really like to know is where you found these for $5.99. They’re $6.99 in my area which seems absolutely outrageously ridiculous.
And, here, I thought $5.99 was ridiculous. (Still really want to try them, though!)
I’ve been searching for this everywhere, but haven’t been able to locate it, but hoping soon!
Do you live near a Kroger affiliate? That’s where I bought mine.
I found these at Food Lion. I’m not sure if it’s a Kroger affiliate, but I found it there. Actually, I looked up the item on Instacart and it said the closest facility that had it was Food Lion. Go figure.
At first I thought “lemon and milk, NOPE” but after reading your review, I really need to try these. I hope to find a box under $3 somewhere this spring.
Lemon is a *summer* flavor, as anyone who operated a lemonade stand can attest.
I bought a box of the lemon cheerios for a friend who loves lemon-flavored anything. She opened the box so I could try them–DELICIOUS! I immediately started to think of how I could use them to create a spring/Easter dessert. Nothing comes to mind yet, but I did run out and buy 3 boxes so I would have them on hand IF they are no longer available…
I live for Pumpkin Spice and anything Gingerbread, so I look forward to Spring/Summer when I can rest from trying to find Limited Editions. If this “lemon” thing catches on, then I’ll be forced to add that to my rotation…ACK!
these are at Aldi for 3.99 for the 10oz box. I got a box to see if thy tasted good enough to have a little munch when I feel like grazing on something sweet. they are very light, crispy. just a hint of lemon, but just enough. just the ticket. I went back and bought 3 more boxes. I grew up on Cheerios, the regular kind. we never had sweetened cereals so I am not tempted to try them with milk. now that I am looking around the internet, I may go back for more. such a deal…
I’ve bought these lemon cheerios at a dollar store to sample. O heavens I love them. They actually cleansed my palate. I’ve had the same experience with my second and third bowl in different days. For real. Sooo refreshing.. for real!
Best cheerios ever!! Light and just the right amount of lemon flavoring!! I hope General Mills does not discontinue this flavor!