Tag: General Mills

REVIEW: CinnaGraham Toast Crunch Cereal

Erin 15 Comments

CinnaGraham Toast Crunch Cereal Box

Fresh off the success of Apple Pie Toast Crunch, General Mills brings us another variant in the TC family, CinnaGraham Toast Crunch.

Hang on, IS this in the Toast Crunch family?

According to the front of the box, yes. According to me and the ingredients section of the Nutrition Facts, this is Golden Grahams’ kin. I guess the inclusion of cinnamon and the extreme popularity of Cinnamon Toast Crunch make marketing this as a TC spinoff the right call but let’s give Golden Grahams some credit! It’s an excellent cereal and deserves to crawl out from beneath the rug it’s been swept under long enough to introduce its sibling, CinnaGraham. Hi CinnaGraham, the pleasure is all mine.

I’m a big fan of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Golden Grahams and vastly prefer cinnamon graham crackers to regular (unless I’m making s’mores, in which case I prefer the traditional route because some things shouldn’t be messed with – get your peanut butter cups away from my campfire) so the announcement of this variety had me pretty excited.

CinnaGraham Toast Crunch Cereal Closeup

Opening the bag, I noticed the traditional cinnamon swirl on each square. But there is a darker appearance to these pieces, and the aroma is surprisingly deep and rich, smelling a whole lot like a cinnamon bun. I’m not sure if this is because I was expecting the pieces to taste closer to regular Cinnamon Toast Crunch, but I was bemused by how much these actually seemed texturally similar to graham crackers, both eaten plain and once doused in milk.

Comparing the ingredients, CinnaGraham uses corn meal where the original uses rice flour, and CG contains baking soda and brown sugar syrup. Golden Grahams also utilizes this corn meal, baking soda, and brown sugar syrup formula, which apparently does a great job mimicking graham crackers even though real graham crackers have no corn in them.

CinnaGraham Toast Crunch Cereal Dry

This cereal feels denser and richer than a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, even though the serving size and caloric content are the same. I think if I had any self-control, I’d be inclined to consume a smaller bowl of this just because it feels more indulgent and filling than the lighter rice flour type. It tastes like a bowl of dessert, and I could see that being too much for some people. Since I’ve already eaten half the box in the course of one session, I am clearly not one of those people.

The brown sugar/molasses notes really come through here and a hint of honey is present also, further reinforcing the graham cracker flavor. The cereal behaves in milk as your typical Toast Crunch or Golden Grahams would and it’s too tasty to eat slowly, so getting soggy isn’t an issue.

CinnaGraham Toast Crunch Cereal Milk

The milk left behind is a deeper shade than with your classic Cinnamon Toast Crunch and with a more intense flavor to match. I saw this as a positive and have really high praises for this cereal overall. I think General Mills aced both the texture and flavor profile, and I hope this stays on shelves because it’d definitely go into my regular rotation.

Purchased Price: $5.29 (This seems too expensive but is probably just because it’s new)
Size: 12 oz box
Purchased at: Jewel-Osco
Rating: 10 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup without milk) 170 calories, 4 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 230 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of total carbohydrates, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 12 grams of sugar including 12 grams of added sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Sugar Cookie Toast Crunch Mini Treats

Rachel 1 Comment

Sugar Cookie Toast Crunch Mini Treats 1

What are Sugar Cookie Toast Crunch Mini Treats?

The breathlessly-fawned-over, on-off seasonal Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal spinoff Sugar Cookie Toast Crunch has collided with the Cinnamon Toast Crunch Treats. You got your limited edition cereal in my cereal treat bar! You got your cereal treat bar on my limited edition cereal!

Sugar Cookie Toast Crunch Mini Treats 2

How are they?

I only recently tried Sugar Cookie Toast Crunch for the first time, and while I found it a tasty cereal, it wasn’t as good as the OG CTC or French Toast Crunch. I hoped these treats were a better showcase of its subtler (weaker) charms.

Sugar Cookie Toast Crunch Mini Treats 3

Sadly, they were not. Much like the CTC Treats, the texture had a stale cereal feel. The buttery vanilla flavor of the cereal was there, but without that signature SCTC blizzard-thick layer of granulated sugar, a good amount of the magic was missing. The milk-frosting bottom and drizzle didn’t do much in any direction.

Sugar Cookie Toast Crunch Mini Treats 4

However, I will give these treats an extra point for the small sizing. As I’m trying to avoid having to buy larger pants in January, I appreciated the 1” x 4” size, which racks up a fairly small calorie count. If you’re physically incapable of putting down an open food like I am, this is great.

Sugar Cookie Toast Crunch Mini Treats 5

Anything else you need to know?

Why are you all still freaking out over SCTC when Apple Pie Toast Crunch exists now? Are you insane? If I don’t see Apple Pie Toast Crunch Mini Treats in stores next winter, I will RIOT. I mean it. I don’t have kids, so I’ve got lots of time on my hands.

Conclusion:

If you’re a SCTC fanatic, by all means, try these, but be prepared for a chance of disappointment. If you’re meh on SCTC, you might want to pass. And if you’ve got the good sense to love APTC more than any of those, definitely hard pass here.

Purchased Price: $8.98
Size: 17.5 oz box (35 bars)
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bar / 14g) 60 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 50 milligrams of sodium, 10 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 5 grams of sugar, including 5 grams of added sugars, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Strawberry Banana Cheerios Cereal

Karen 10 Comments

Limited Edition Strawberry Banana Cheerios Cereal Box

What is Limited Edition Strawberry Banana Cheerios Cereal?

After the Strawberry Cheerios and Banana Nut Cheerios of yesteryear, both have joined forces. There are also heart-shaped pieces, which makes me wonder if they’re trying to get a jump on Valentine’s Day. Bold move, General Mills.

How is it?

To me, Honey Nut Cheerios might be the perfect cereal. There’s a kind of spectrum that runs from bran flakes on the healthy end to Cocoa Puffs on the other, and Honey Nut Cheerios artfully balances right in the center like a world-class gymnast. The taste is just sweet enough that you feel like you’re getting a bit of a treat. Now I don’t know if Honey Nut Cheerios would really be considered healthy by nutritionists (who would probably recommend a breakfast of wild-caught salmon instead) but darnit, it FEELS healthy.

So the question here is whether or not these are as good as HNC. Short answer: no.

Limited Edition Strawberry Banana Cheerios Cereal Bowl

Strawberry Banana Cheerios have two types of pieces, pink and plain: they’re also in the shape of either hearts or traditional Cheerios “Os.” The pink are strawberry flavored, while the plain are, in theory, banana-flavored. While the pinks provided that standard artificial strawberry flavor you’ve encountered elsewhere, the plains had an aftertaste of popcorn, which is weird.

When I had the cereal in a bowl, I was able to taste a little bit of banana flavor. The pieces kept their integrity while I was eating and didn’t turn to mush, but considering how fast I can scarf down cereal, that’s a low bar to clear.

Limited Edition Strawberry Banana Cheerios Cereal Real Banana

I put a banana down next to my cereal knowing that next time, this cereal was going to get banana-fied, whether it wants to or not. This may be a crime.

Anything else you need to know?

Limited Edition Strawberry Banana Cheerios Cereal Back

From the back of the box I have learned that, sadly, a car powered by strawberry juice did not in fact drive across the state of Texas. Disappointing.

Conclusion:

Strawberry Banana Cheerios are inoffensive, but they are lacking in flavor. That’s okay though, because BYOB (Bring Your Own Banana).

Purchased Price: $4.88
Size: 14.9 oz box
Purchased at: Stop & Shop
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup) 140 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 30 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 11 grams total sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Apple Pie Toast Crunch Cereal

Marvo 27 Comments

Apple Pie Toast Crunch Cereal Box

Off the bat, I’m going to tell you that you shouldn’t try to wrap your head around the idea of apple pie toast. Because it’ll lead to you wasted way too much time thinking about it, like I did. To spread a slice on top of toast, no matter the bread size or toastiness level, defies all toast logic.

Ugh. There I go again.

I don’t want you to ponder the logistics of apple pie toast because it would take away from the fact that Limited Edition Apple Pie Toast Crunch is a divine holiday treat you should hoard so that you can eat it year-round. Or ask Santa for a bunch of boxes.

(Side note: Now that the Toast Crunch Cereals have taken the pie route, should we expect to see a pumpkin pie variety within a year or two?)

Apple Pie Toast Crunch Cereal Dry

Apple Pie Toast Crunch’s aroma isn’t too noticeable in the bag, but when it’s poured into a bowl, it’s as if you were near a window sill with a cooling apple pie on it. Also, if you are near a window sill, what are you doing there? Do I have to call the cops?

Apple Pie Toast Crunch Cereal Closeup

As for its flavor, the cereal scientists at General Mills nailed it HARD. There’s cinnamon, which a Toast Crunch cereal should have down pat, and an ever so slightly artificial but delightful sweet apple flavor that dominates the bite. Also, I swear I taste slight buttery crust notes. But from the moment I put several pieces into my pie-flavored cereal hole, I instantly thought of apple pie and how I need to find kitchen cabinet space for all the boxes I’m going to buy. Can I freeze breakfast cereal?

Also, the cereal brings back recent memories of Apple Pie Kit Kat and distant thoughts of every apple-flavored Pop-Tart I’ve ever loved.

Apple Pie Toast Crunch Cereal Milk

My milk of choice, vanilla soy, doesn’t improve or hurt its taste. Also, much like all other Toast Crunch cereals, it gets soggy if you dilly dally with your eating. As for the milk at the bottom of the bowl, it’s not as wonderful as the cereal itself, but has a drinkable cinnamon apple flavor.

The most unfortunate thing about Apple Pie Toast Crunch is that it’s part of a complete breakfast for only part of the year. Something this delicious shouldn’t be confined to a season.

Purchased Price: More than one should pay on eBay
Size: 12 oz box
Purchased at: eBay
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup without milk) 170 calories, 4 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 240 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: Monster Mash Cereal

Julie 9 Comments

Monster Mash Cereal Box

I was browsing store shelves one summer day
and found a new cereal along the way
On the box were five monsters I’ve missed
Obviously, I couldn’t resist
I bought the Mash!
I bought the Monster Mash!

Although some consumers balk at seasonal products creeping into stores early, I love catching fall finds in late summer. Like a child watching the first fun size candy bar grace his trick or treat bag, I see these seasonal products as harbingers of more greatness to come. (Also like that child, I’m probably regretting not wearing a light jacket like my mom told me to.)

Monster Mash Cereal Characters

Monster Mash Cereal feels especially exciting because it celebrates the 50th anniversary of the monster cereals that have haunted our seasonal breakfast tables. Not willing to rival Dr. Frankenstein, General Mills didn’t create Monster Mash from the spare parts of Boo Berry, Franken Berry, Count Chocula, Frute Brute, and Yummy Mummy cereals. Rather, this limited edition offering is an artificially berry-flavored cereal with marshmallows. Essentially, it is a mixture of Boo Berry and Franken Berry cereals, along with marbits shaped like ghosts, bats, and monster heads to pay homage to the other mascots.

Monster Mash Cereal Closeup

Monster Mash Cereal Band

Take a moment to set aside your disappointment at the Count Chocula erasure. Instead, admire the work of art that is the Monster Mash cereal box, where our band of ghoulish mascots celebrates its half-century milestone by playing a cover of “Monster Mash.” The QR code on the back of the box leads you to a page where you can view a “behind the music” video and listen to a snippet of the cover. Spotify subscribers have access to the full song, which has no business sounding so good.

You’re probably thinking, Get to the point already. Should I trick or treat myself to this cereal or not? Unfortunately, the fun aesthetic and novelty of Monster Mash contribute heavily to its appeal, because the cereal itself is passable. The crisp cereal has a generic mixed berry flavor, with the blueberry pieces dominating. The multi-colored marbits all deliver a mild marshmallow taste. I always welcome marbits in cereal, so I wouldn’t have minded a few more per serving.

Monster Mash Cereal Bowl

Unlike the oat-based monster cereals of the past, Monster Mash is corn-based, which I always find less pleasing in milk. That trend holds true here:

Out of the carton, some milk I poured
so I could taste just a little more
I lifted my spoon, prepared to savor
and said, “What happened to all the flavor?”

As expected, the cereal grew soggy quickly, but I was surprised that the milk made the berry flavor disappear faster than a ghost through a wall.

For such a fun concept, Monster Mash Cereal sadly underwhelms. It’s definitely good enough to snack on during a horror movie marathon or to keep up your energy if you get lost in a corn maze. Happy to have found a smaller box (versus the family size common to so many limited edition cereals), I will enjoy Monster Mash until the novelty wears off, but I won’t be howling for more.

Purchased Price: $2.49
Size: 9.6 oz (272 g) box
Purchased at: Giant Eagle
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per 1 1/3 cup) 160 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 190 milligrams of sodium, 35 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 11 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein