Tag: Cereal

REVIEW: General Mills Dunkaroos Cereal

Rachel 2 Comments

General Mills Dunkaroos Cereal 1

What is Dunkaroos Cereal?

Remember Dunkaroos – the 90s-era Lunchables, Dessert Edition? Yeah, yeah, they’re back – we know. And they’re cookie dough. Now they’re cereal – for those who weren’t already eating them for breakfast.

Dunkaroos cereal is a slight twist on Cookie Crisp cereal – the same form factor and around the same size – which makes sense since they’re both made by General Mills.

General Mills Dunkaroos Cereal 2

How is it?

The aroma in the bag was pure vanilla. Strong. They looked similar to the Birthday Cake Cookie Crisp limited edition cereal, but sprinklier. The colors of the Dunkaroos sprinkles were more intense and the pieces were absolutely doused in them. We were headed in the right direction!

General Mills Dunkaroos Cereal 3

I nibbled it dry – my favorite way. The biggest flavor was FROSTING! It captured that deeply sugary vanilla-with-a-hint-of-cream-cheese Dunkaroos frosting. I didn’t get any shortbread cookie flavor, which was disappointing, but I got over it. A sprinklific frosting cereal is a win – I won’t split hairs.

General Mills Dunkaroos Cereal 4

The flavor was maintained and the cereal physically held up well in milk, which I appreciated. I can’t abide breakfast foods that go bland and fall apart before making it to my mouth. I can barely function in the mornings and one of us has to hold it together. It’s gotta be you, cereal. Dunkaroos also scored well on the post-game milk analysis. It was a festive confetti-bomb in my bowl, and the milk had a tinge of light blue.

General Mills Dunkaroos Cereal 5

Anything else you need to know?

Kids can get a pop culture history lesson on the back of the box! Adults can feel like a history lesson! Yeah, we used disposable cameras in 1992. We had patience. It took weeks, or months, to use all that film and get it developed. By then, you had no memory of taking the photos at the top of the roll. The 90s slang quiz is depressing if you, like me, didn’t realize these phrases had gone out of fashion. There are few situations in life that “all that and a bag of chips” won’t work in.

General Mills Dunkaroos Cereal 6

Conclusion:

If you were in the Dunkaroos game for the shortbread, you might not like this cereal. But who was in it for the shortbread?? This cereal was all frosting and sprinkles – it cut to the chase. If you love/loved Dunkaroos, give it a try. Make the youngsters learn about rewinding video tapes – it’s a metaphor for common decency.

Purchased Price: $3.64
Size: 20.6oz Family-Size box
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup, cereal only) 150 calories, 1 gram of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 35 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 14 grams of sugar, including 14 grams of added sugars, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: General Mills Pokemon Berry Bolt Cereal

Holly 5 Comments

General Mills Pokemon Berry Bolt Cereal Box

What is General Mills Pokémon Berry Bolt Cereal?

As part of the Pokémon franchise’s 25th anniversary, General Mills has created a cereal to mark the occasion. The Berry Bolt flavored cereal is themed around everyone’s sparky little favorite yellow Pokémon, Pikachu. Berry-flavored, sweetened corn puffs with Pikachu and lightning bolt-shaped marshmallows make up this limited offering.

How is it?

General Mills Pokemon Berry Bolt Cereal Dry

Much like many special tie-in cereals, this one doesn’t bring anything new or innovative to the table. The puffs themselves, a vibrant red and blue color, have that truly generic “berry” flavor you find in a lot of cereals that merely say the taste is “berry.” I got a heavy blueberry flavor whereas my husband swears it was cherry. Also, no, the red and blue puffs don’t taste different.

General Mills Pokemon Berry Bolt Cereal Wet

The marshmallows add a small texture difference and more sweetness to an already sweet cereal. It is a cereal that will absolutely satisfy what a kid wants: sugar, sugar, and more sugar.

Anything else you need to know?

General Mills Pokemon Berry Bolt Cereal Box Back

I found it odd that there was no toy or card tie-in. After some recon on the Pokémon message boards, apparently, there will be a card tie-in promotion in late February to coincide with the 25th anniversary. The boxes out now have no 25th branding, but there are three different ones based on the three different starter types in the game.

Conclusion:

Unless you or your kids are die-hard Pokémon fans/collectors, I’d pass on this. While the cereal is perfectly serviceable, we live in an age where you have whole aisles dedicated to cereal and offer almost endless choices. I’d also say if you are curious, wait until at least the 25th branded boxes with cards come out.

Purchase Priced: $3.50
Size: 17 oz box
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 ¼ cup) 150 calories, 1 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium, 34 grams of carbohydrates, 1 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Kellogg’s Raisin Bran Toasted Oats & Honey Cereal

Dustin 3 Comments

Kellogg s Raisin Bran Toasted Oats Honey Cereal Box

When I was younger, I developed a fondness for Raisin Bran Crunch. It elevates Raisin Bran to a higher level and brings it closer to Honey Bunches of Oats. From both texture and taste standpoints, it was dramatically improved for me. With the release of Kellogg’s Raisin Bran Toasted Oats & Honey, I wondered if it would be in the same vein.

The box claims that the cereal consists of “Delicious raisins & toasted bran flakes sprinkled with hearty oats and honey.” Based on the box’s image, I knew to not expect the same crunch levels of Raisin Bran Crunch. It appeared to have single oats sprinkled on the flakes.

Kellogg s Raisin Bran Toasted Oats Honey Cereal Dry

Upon pouring the cereal, I noticed there were even less oats than the box had led me to believe. There were tiny flecks of oats clinging to the flakes. It was difficult to even distinguish them as being oats.

I tried the cereal dry and it tasted how I expected based on the aesthetics. The bran flakes are slightly crunchier than usual, with a faint oat flavor. The honey is more noticeable and imparts a gentle sweetness on the flakes.

Kellogg s Raisin Bran Toasted Oats Honey Cereal Spoon

Adding milk allowed the cereal to come together. The honey flavor was significantly more prevalent and each bite was sweeter than those of traditional Raisin Bran. It did not taste like there was actual honey drizzled on the flakes, but it was distinctive enough to know what they were going for. The oats’ flavor remained understated, but they showcased an important feature in milk: they helped the flakes stay crunchy for much longer. This is definitely appreciated.

Kellogg s Raisin Bran Toasted Oats Honey Cereal Back

On the back of the box, there is a random image of a package of Raisin Bran Crunch. I am not sure why it is there, but it feels like Kellogg’s is taunting me. “We know this is what you really wanted,” it seems to say.

While not a radical departure from traditional Raisin Bran, this cereal is an upgrade on the tried-and-true formula. Given the choice, I would pick Kellogg’s Raisin Bran Toasted Oats & Honey over the original, without hesitation. If given yet another choice, I would choose Raisin Bran Crunch over both, every single time.

Purchased Price: $4.99
Size: 15.6 oz box
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 7 out of 10
?Nutrition Facts: (1 cup) 190 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 46 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 19 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Chocolate Strawberry Cheerios Cereal

Holly 1 Comment

Limited Edition Chocolate Strawberry Cheerios Cereal Box

The speed at which retail stores remove Christmas to put up Valentine’s Day merchandise manages to shock me every year. Wednesday, it was aisles of dreamy snowscape mini villages. Thursday, it’s giant stuffed bears, boxes of cards, and food dyed in vibrant red and pink. Peppermint is out and chocolate strawberry is in.

This year, General Mills decided to take a run at the Valentine’s Day market by releasing the Limited Edition Chocolate Strawberry Cheerios cereal. It is described as a “blissful pairing” of “delectable strawberries dipped in rich, chocolatey sauce.” I was beyond excited to give this a try.

Limited Edition Chocolate Strawberry Cheerios Cereal Back

For you see, dear readers, I don’t think I’m being too dramatic when I say chocolate strawberry is the absolute best flavor combination we humans have ever discovered. Okay, maybe a little dramatic, but chocolate strawberry flavor is easily my all-time favorite. Chocolate covered strawberries themselves can be difficult to eat, but with the onslaught of chocolate strawberry flavored foods in the past few years, I’m able to enjoy my favorite pairing with a less awkward mess.

The first thing I noticed just by looking at the box was that the flavor would be coming from the cereal itself. Normally it seems companies will just add a handful of chocolate chunks and strawberry bits to their regular product (looking at you, Special K Chocolate Strawberry).

Limited Edition Chocolate Strawberry Cheerios Cereal Dry

In this case, General Mills blended its Chocolate Cheerios and Strawberry Cheerios to create this treat. The smell of the strawberry cereal was extremely strong upon opening the plastic. I tossed a handful of dry cereal back and found it to be kind of boring. The strawberry was there, but muted. The chocolate was almost nonexistent.

Limited Edition Chocolate Strawberry Cheerios Cereal In Milk

I wasn’t going to let my hopes be dashed. Surely it would get better once I added the milk. It had to, right? RIGHT?! Lucky milk gave it the glow up it needed. The first thing I noticed as I added milk to the cereal was the pinkish hue of strawberry flavor was coming off the O shapes. The chocolate pieces also began to change the milk from white to chocolatey brown. With my first bite of the milk and cereal, I was met with the flavors I had expected. Bright, juicy strawberry and rich, deep chocolate came through with each spoonful.

Limited Edition Chocolate Strawberry Cheerios Cereal Milk

After finishing the cereal, I was left with a chocolatey milk. Now, normally I’m not a big fan of the milk after I finish the cereal. I know, you can drag me in the comments, but this might have changed my mind. For the sake of getting a thorough review, I gingerly took a sip. The cereal’s flavors soaked deeply into the milk, leaving an absolutely delicious chocolate strawberry flavored milk beverage. I ended up finishing the milk, which is something I never do.

Limited Edition Chocolate Strawberry Cheerios Cereal Heart

The high expectations I had for this cereal were (thankfully) met. They in no way replace the authentic taste and experience of eating a chocolate-covered strawberry, but this delivered the flavors I was looking for. In the same way Pumpkin Spice Cheerios add a seasonal fall twist to your morning breakfast routine, these will get you in the mood for love, spring, and 50% off candy on February 15th.

Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: 10.9 oz box
Purchased at: Publix
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup) 140 calories, 2 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 11 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Cinnamon Toast Crunch Chocolate Churros Cereal

Marvo 1 Comment

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Chocolate Churros Cereal Box

Churros have provided me with many memories.

A large number of those involve eating churros at a carnival, hopping on amusement rides with names like Zipper, Top Spin, Orbiter, Gravitron, and Fireball during digestion of those churros, then preventing churro regurgitation while being flipped and spun on those rides, and then regretting the carnival churro consumption.

But I also have good churro memories, and the latest is Cinnamon Toast Crunch Chocolate Churros, which I will not refer to as CTCCC (pronounced see-tee-seeeeeeeeeeee).

If you read the print on the box’s front, you’ll know that EVERYTHING is enlarged to show detail and the cereal is naturally flavored chocolate sweetened wheat and rice cereal with a hint of cinnamon. This shouldn’t be confused with Chocolate Toast Crunch, which is naturally flavored chocolate sweetened wheat and rice squares with a hint of cinnamon.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Chocolate Churros Cereal Closeup

With a description that includes the words “a hint of cinnamon,” you might think this is chocolate-forward. But it’s more of a 40-60 split between the chocolate and cinnamon. With most spoonfuls, I taste the warm spice more than the cocoa. While I wish there was a stronger chocolate punch, this is an excellent and tasty follow-up to the original Cinnamon Toast Crunch Churros Cereal.

However, there’s something about the churros shape that makes them less satisfying than Chocolate Toast Crunch’s square pieces, which I also thought with the regular cinnamon version. Maybe it’s surface area? Or perhaps it’s the way the nooks and crannies capture milk? I dunno.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Chocolate Churros Cereal Spoon

While I prefer the original square-shaped Chocolate Toast Crunch a smidge, the churro shape helps maintain a crunchiness level in milk that the squares can only dream of. Speaking of milk, if you happen to leave the cereal in it for a decent amount of time, the aftermilk is ex-cinna-llent.

I know what some of you are thinking, “So this is pretty much Chocolate Toast Crunch, but in tiny churro form?” Pretty much. I know. Kind of a letdown, but I’m not disappointed filling a bowl with it because it’s a solid cereal.

However, if you want to make it somewhat interesting, you could pretend to live in an alternate General Mills universe where square Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Chocolate Toast Crunch don’t exist, but Cinnamon Toast Crunch Churros and Cinnamon Toast Crunch Chocolate Churros do. Also, in this alternate General Mills universe, the oat pieces are the Lucky Charms and Trix is a brand of rabbit food.

Purchased Price: More than anyone should pay on eBay
Size: 19.7 oz box
Purchased at: eBay
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup w/o milk) 170 calories, 5 grams of fat, 0.5 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, 31 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 10 grams of sugar (including 10 grams of added sugar), and 3 grams of protein.