Tag: Cereal

REVIEW: Ghostbusters Afterlife Cereal

Marvo 9 Comments

Ghostbusters Afterlife Cereal Box

I’m 100 percent sure I ate the original Ghostbusters cereal because, despite the nightmares I got from watching the movie, I loved it and took in everything Ghostbusters related. That included watching the 80s cartoon and regularly doing in school that weird walking Dr. Venkman did in the movie to get the attention of Dana Barrett.

Like the original version, Ghostbusters Afterlife Cereal features fruity-flavored puffs with marshmallows. Although, I will admit the original is so much better because of the puffs’ shape. Spheres seem lame compared to the pieces in the 80s cereal that look like the red “no” symbol in the Ghostbusters logo. To be honest, I don’t remember the original’s taste. I do know I was definitely enamored with the marshmallows.

Speaking of marshmallows, this 2021 cereal features two different ones — a ghost-shaped white one and a blue one that’s shaped like, um, a ghost fart? Your guess is as good as mine.

Now, this is the part of the review where I’d usually complain about how cereals with movie tie-ins almost always seem to include marshmallows. But since this one appears to be an homage to the original, I’ll save my rant for the next Star Wars or Pixar-related cereal I review, which I guarantee will have marbits.

Ghostbusters Afterlife Cereal Bowl

The reddish puffs have a berry-like flavor that doesn’t wow me, but it’s something that I don’t mind eating. It’s not overly sweet, even with the marshmallows. And, I know I say this a lot, but its flavor is familiar to me. I wouldn’t be surprised if this tastes EXACTLY like another cereal with a movie tie-in that I’ve had.

Ghostbusters Afterlife isn’t a memorable-tasting part of a complete breakfast. It’s one with an adequate flavor. Although, if the blue marbits are really ghost farts, I will never ever forget this cereal.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free product sample from General Mills. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 10.2 oz box
Purchased at: Received from General Mills
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup w/o milk) 150 calories, 1 gram of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 170 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, 12 grams of added sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Post Birthday Cake Pebbles Cereal

Mike 11 Comments

Post Birthday Cake Pebbles Box

What is Post Birthday Cake Pebbles?

Post Consumer Brands has released Birthday Cake Pebbles, a new version of the Flintstones’ favorite breakfast cereal in honor of its 50(million?)th birthday. Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles have stood the test of time, but will these live up to the legacy?

How is it?

Post Birthday Cake Pebbles Bowl

I pour the multi-colored flakes into my stoneware bowl and add a splash of whole milk. I’ve had many birthday-flavored snacks over the years, but I’m still not any closer to knowing what birthdays actually taste like.

Some are bright and lemony, some are a buttery vanilla, and others just have confetti sprinkles thrown on them. Classic Pebbles have a vivid fruity flavor, whereas this Birthday variant is more subdued. I’m reminded of the toasted flavor of Rice Krispies, though these are much sweeter and have that ineffable essence of birthday.

Post Birthday Cake Pebbles Spoon

With that said, they’re so easy to eat! The “Bliss Point” (look it up) of this cereal was perfectly calculated by food scientists because I couldn’t stop shoveling them into my mouth. My carefully measured suggested serving-sized 39-gram bowl was gone in about 30 seconds, and my second free pour serving didn’t last much longer.

One drawback of all the Pebbles family of cereals is that they get soggy almost immediately upon contact with milk, though these didn’t last long enough for that to be a problem.

Anything else you need to know?

I was one of those weird kids who liked “grown up” cereals, so I was more likely to have Basic 4 in my bowl than Fruity Pebbles. This has only gotten worse as I’ve grown older; I mostly eat Original Fiber One these days. And I like it. At this rate, I expect I’ll be eating literal pebbles during my old age for the mineral content.

Conclusion:

I normally don’t like super sweet sugar bomb cereals, so the slightly muted birthday cake flavor, while still being plenty sweet for kids, was perfect for my bran-eating self.

Purchased Price: $2.89
Size: 10 oz box
Purchased at: Woodman’s Market
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 150 calories, 1 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 190 milligrams of sodium, 34 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 15 grams of sugar including 15 grams of added sugars, and 2 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Dulce de Leche Toast Crunch Cereal

Marvo 5 Comments

Dulce de Leche Toast Crunch Cereal Box

Every time I do a review of a dulce de leche-flavored product, I have to remind myself what’s the difference between dulce de leche and caramel via Google.

Search results have repeatedly reminded me that caramel is basically sugar cooked slowly, while dulce de leche is made by slowly cooking sugar and milk. But when I dig deeper, I learn there are caramel recipes that have milk. So doesn’t that make them dulce de leche recipes? Then some recipes involve butter. And then some recipes involve butter AND milk.

This has led me to wonder if dulce de leche or caramel would be better to dunk my face into to muzzle my frustrated screams. Google has not been helpful with that.

I had to remind myself of the difference because of the new Dulce de Leche Toast Crunch that’s caramel flavored with other natural flavors.

Dulce de Leche Toast Crunch Cereal Granules

The pieces look like many other Toast Crunch family members with ridges and swirls baked into them and dusted with sugary granules. Its aroma isn’t as distinguishable as the original Cinnamon Toast Crunch (CTC). Instead, it’s more of a nondescript sugary scent that doesn’t make me think of dulce de leche or caramel.

The cereal has a slight butteriness when dry and is more noticeable in milk. I thought it was weird at first, but then again, this is caramel flavored, and it also shouldn’t seem odd since there’s the eggy flavor in French Toast Crunch.

Dulce de Leche Toast Crunch Cereal Milk

Along with the buttery flavor, there’s also cinnamon, which doesn’t help convince my taste buds that this is dulce de leche or caramel flavored. Instead, I wonder whether or not I just ate a bowl of rejected Cinnamon Toast Crunch pieces that didn’t meet the cinnamon-y standards of General Mills. The leftover milk at the bottom of the bowl did get a bit of cinnamon, but it’s not at CTC levels.

Dulce de Leche Toast Crunch is a sweet, pleasant-tasting cereal that I’d eat again. But unlike the Cinnamon Toast Crunch, French Toast Crunch, or Chocolate Toast Crunch (or even the discontinued peanut butter one), I cannot definitively tell it’s dulce de leche or caramel flavored.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free product sample. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 12 oz box
Purchased at: Received from General Mills
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup/41 grams without milk) 170 calories, 4 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 1 gram of polyunsaturated fat, 2.5 grams of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 230 milligrams of sodium, 33 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, 12 grams of added sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes with Crispy Cinnamon Basketballs

Marvo 5 Comments

Kellogg s Frosted Flakes with Crispy Cinnamon Basketballs Box

I bought the original Reebok Shaq Attaq shoes back in the 1990s, which are still somewhere in my parent’s house. I also have a life-sized Shaq cardboard cutout with him wearing Hammer pants, which is also somewhere in my childhood home. Yes, it’s a 7 foot 1 inch display, and I can’t find it.

And this Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes with Crispy Cinnamon Basketballs box with Shaq’s face on it would be a great addition to the collection. I look forward to losing it at my parent’s place when I go back.

So why does Shaq have his own cereal a decade after retiring from the NBA?

Reason one, he’s a part of Mission Tiger, which is helping to save school sports around the country. And, two, he’s mentioned Frosted Flakes as being his favorite cereal of all time for so many years that Kellogg’s probably owes him for all that free promotion.

Sure, the cereal brand could’ve just stuck his face on a box of regular Frosted Flakes, but it went the extra 7 feet 1 inch to give the NBA Hall of Famer his very own variety.

Kellogg s Frosted Flakes with Crispy Cinnamon Basketballs Closeup

Crispy cinnamon basketballs sound cool, but they don’t bounce and don’t have much flavor. I gathered a spoonful of them, and while they’re crispy, they taste like Apple Jacks Super Lite with a hint of cardboard. But when mixed with the sugary flakes, whatever taste they have gets lost. If Kellogg’s made a cereal with only these cinnamon-flavored puff pieces and named it Cinn-asketballs, I would dislike it. But probably not more than you hate me for coming up with the name “Cinn-asketballs.”

Because the cinnamon is so light, Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes with Crispy Cinnamon Basketballs mostly tastes like I’m eating regular Frosted Flakes. That’s not a bad thing, but the cinnamon shouldn’t be difficult to find, like whatever Shaq memorabilia I have in my parent’s house.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free product sample. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 10.2 oz box
Purchased at: Received from Kellogg’s
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup/38 g) 140 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 190 milligrams of sodium, 34 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 13 grams of sugar, 12 grams of added sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

If you’d like to learn more about Mission Tiger, click here.

REVIEW: Frankford Cocoa Pebbles Milk Chocolate Bar

Holly 4 Comments

Frankford Cocoa Pebbles Milk Chocolate Bar Wrapper

What is the Frankford Cocoa Pebbles Milk Chocolate Bar?

After the Fruity Pebbles Candy Bar release in November, it was only a matter of time before we would see the popular sister cereal, Cocoa Pebbles, get its own candy bar. The chocolatey, crunchy, mini flaked cereal is sprinkled throughout a milk chocolate bar.
?

How is it?

Frankford Cocoa Pebbles Milk Chocolate Bar Top

Frankford Cocoa Pebbles Milk Chocolate Bar Bottom

While it’s been a while since I had a bowl of Cocoa Pebbles, they have a distinct and unforgettable flavor. Unfortunately, they are pretty lost in the chocolate sauce (so to speak) with this candy bar. While there is a slight difference in taste, it essentially feels like a Nestle Crunch bar. There is a little more of a fudgy flavor than a Crunch bar, but it’s fairly subtle. It’s still a fine treat, but if you are a Cocoa Pebbles fanatic, I imagine it might disappoint. ?
Frankford Cocoa Pebbles Milk Chocolate Bar Split

When compared to the Fruity Pebbles Candy Bar, the Cocoa Pebbles variety is a weak sophomore attempt. The former managed to give you a balanced cereal and candy flavor profile, but the latter fails to stand out in both categories.

Anything else you need to know?

I think we’ve reached a point in history where kids only know Fred Flintstone as a cereal mascot, and that makes me feel old beyond belief. Excuse me while I look up night face creams on Amazon.

Conclusion:

While a fine middle-of-the-road chocolate bar, I doubt it will impress its target audience of Cocoa Pebble devotees. For the price, if you’re curious enough to try it, I say go for it. It’s novel and worth a try, but with literally dozens of higher quality chocolates at checkouts, it’s certainly not going to be my go-to. With the Fruity Pebbles Candy Bar being a home run, it’s a shame this one didn’t quite reach the same level of excellence.

Purchased Price: $1.34
Size: 2.75 oz
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/3 bar) 140 calories, 8 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 30 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 1 grams of fiber, 14 gram of sugar, and 2 gram of protein.