Tag: Kellogg’s

REVIEW: Pop-Tarts Crunchy Poppers

Marvo 6 Comments

I’m not sure why these new Pop-Tarts Crunchy Poppers exist.

Pop-Tarts already has a snack-sized product called Pop-Tarts Bites, which has been around since 2019 and still exists. I’m no conspiracy theorist, but maybe it’s Kellogg’s attempt to remove the Pop-Tarts Bites line without much fanfare, similar to how it quietly removed its name from the front of Pop-Tarts boxes.

Pop-Tarts Crunchy Poppers are available in two varieties: Frosted Strawberry Crunch and Frosted Brownie Crunch. From what I can tell, these Crunchy Poppers are crunchier and smaller than Pop-Tarts Bites. Each box comes with ten pouches, each of which contains 11 pieces that remind me of tiny hot dogs (yes, even the brownie ones), and I like them enough that I wish they came in one large, resealable, and shareable pouch. For now, I’ll just dump whatever I have left into a Ziplock bag and label it “Share Size.” But, spoiler alert, I won’t share them. Nom nom nom.

Let’s start with the texture of these poppable snacks, which are crunchier than a Pop-Tart toasted at almost every browning level, except, of course, the highest, which usually make Pop-Tarts look like they were dipped in Hell. Their crunchiness makes me wish Kellogg’s could figure out how to make regular Pop-Tarts this crunchy right out of its foil packaging. Imagine not having to toast them and burn your mouth with the molten filling anymore. That would be heaven.

As for their flavors, well, they taste like the Pop-Tarts we know and occasionally burn our mouths with. Frosted Strawberry Crunch tastes exactly like the popular Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tarts, while the Frosted Brownie Crunch reminds me of the Frosted Chocolate Fudge Pop-Tarts. If you buy both varieties, I recommend combining the two in your mouth for some chocolate-dipped strawberry-like goodness. Even though the pieces are small they do have enough filling to pack a flavor punch.

Pop-Tarts Crunchy Poppers are a fine snack, and because of their texture, I feel they’re better than Pop-Tarts Bites. So, it might be time to say goodbye to Pop-Tarts Bites.

Purchased Price: $8.29 each*
Size: 10 pouches
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 7 out of 10 (both)
Nutrition Facts: (1 pouch) Strawberry – 110 calories, 2 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 105 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 9 grams of sugar (including 9 grams of added sugar), and less than 1 gram of protein. Brownie – 110 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 100 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 9 grams of sugar (including 9 grams of added sugar), and less than 1 gram of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

REVIEW: Kellogg’s Frosted Bran Cereal

Marvo 5 Comments

Kellogg’s new Frosted Bran is made up of crunchy bran flakes with a perfect amount of sweetness. A part of me wishes it was called Frosted Flakes Bran with Tony the Tiger and the Sun giving each other a high five on the front of the box, with the tagline, “They’re gr-r-reat…for your digestive system.” What could’ve been!

Don’t let the sun smiling on the box fool you into thinking these are the exact same bran flakes found in Kellogg’s Raisin Bran because they aren’t. While they are not as frosted as those found in Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes, there’s enough of a coating to make them sweeter and crunchier than what’s in a bowl of plain ol’ Raisin Bran.

But here’s the thing, it tastes like Kellogg’s took the sugary coating from the raisins and then put them on the bran flakes because the cereal is not sweeter than regular Raisin Bran and has the same fibrous flavors as the classic cereal minus the raisins. That sweet coating also prevents the flakes from getting soggy the instant they’re introduced to milk, which happens with regular bran flakes.

To be honest, there needs to be a Frosted Bran with Raisins because it would make eating Raisin Bran less annoying and more tasty. I’ve let out so many sighs when I end up with raisin-less spoonfuls of bran mush that I probably let out enough air to blow up balloons for a child’s birthday party.

As for nutritional differences between this and Kellogg’s Raisin Bran, a one-cup serving of this new cereal has 150 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and 10 grams of sugar. While a serving of the original has 190 calories, 7 grams of fiber, and 17 grams of sugar.

I’m surprised by how much I like Kellogg’s Frosted Bran, but I don’t know if I should be surprised. After all, I like Raisin Bran when I can secure at least one raisin on my spoon. It has the right amount of sweetness, and its sugary coating helps maintain a decent crunch. I wish it came in a bigger box, but overall, I think this cereal is gr-r-rand…for your digestive system.

Purchased Price: $4.49
Size: 12.7 oz box
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup w/o milk) 150 calories, 0.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium, 36 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 10 grams of sugar (including 9 grams of added sugar), and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Kellogg’s Extra Crispy Clusters Cereal

Marvo 1 Comment

Am I losing my mind? Kellogg’s Extra Crispy Clusters are just granola in a box, right? “Crispy Clusters” are just granola clusters, right? Nothing about them makes them special than Nature Valley or KIND granola, right? With these definitely being granola, I can’t help but want to call them Extranola. But what makes them “extra” over other granola, I could not tell you despite eating several servings of both varieties available — Almond and Cinnamon.

While both flavors are crispy, which I’ll write more about in a moment, only the Cinnamon one slid out of the bag in cluster form. But the Almond one was mostly a bunch of loose granola in the bag as if it got beaten up by boxes of Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds as retaliation for stepping on their oat cluster cereal turf.

But back to their crispiness…

The neglect I gave these while sitting in milk would make any Tamagotchi die, but they maintained their crispiness despite that. I left them to soak while I scrolled through cleaning Instagram Reels. Still crispy. I let them sit in 2% while I collected and counted all the micro USB cables I’ve accumulated over the past decade. Still crispy. But I’m pretty sure giving any granola that same lack of attention while in dairy would have the same result, so it really isn’t that impressive.

If I had to choose between the two Kellogg’s Extra flavors, I’d give the nod to the Cinnamon one. While it tastes like any cinnamon-flavored granola, it’s definitely more flavorful than the other one. Oddly, I also found that the warm spice has more flavor in milk than when eaten dry. As for the Almond variety, the caramelized sugar coating provides a noticeable and pleasant sweetness, and the almonds obviously add a nuttiness. However, as I ate it, it reminded me of whatever the standard Nature Valley granola flavor is. It’s fine and something I would not say no to, but it won’t make my taste buds do a happy dance.

The only “extra” thing I can think of about Kellogg’s Extra is its price, which is extra high compared to other cereals on the shelf. I paid $6.99 for each box, which was the sale price. The regular price was $13.99. But even at the sale price, I can’t see myself picking up another box of what is basically granola with nothing other than the price being extra about it.

Purchased Price: $6.99 (sale)
Size: 20.6 oz box (Cinnamon), 20.2 oz box (Almond)
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 6 out of 10 (Cinnamon), 5 out of 10 (Almond)
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup) Cinnamon 280 calories, 11 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 240 milligrams of sodium, 46 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 13 grams of sugar (including 13 grams of added sugar), and 5 grams of protein. Almond – 300 calories, 13 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, 42 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar (including 11 grams of added sugar), and 6 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Kellogg’s Special K Limited Edition Iced Vanilla Latte Cereal

Holly 6 Comments

Special K was one of the first cereals I remember being huge in the diet/resolution sphere in the early 00s. The commercials would start after Christmas and last until the beginning of February, telling us how the “Special K Diet” could help us lose weight. Even though the diet isn’t pushed anymore, Special K introduces a new flavor every January to entice resolutioners. This year, Special K’s Limited Edition Iced Vanilla Latte is on the shelves.

The cereal is “crunchy wheat and rice latte-flavored flakes made with vanilla-flavored clusters.” I’m generally a big fan of coffee/espresso flavors in various forms, but after opening the bag, I was immediately worried by the overwhelming instant coffee aroma that greeted me. I won’t bore you with my journey to being a coffee drinker, but I will say I’m not a coffee snob unless it comes to instant coffee.

To me, there is a bitterness in instant coffee that I just can’t get past. Smelling it after opening the cereal made me worried about how the flavor was going to be. Before adding it to a bowl, I tried a handful. The combination of the dry cereal and pungent flavor (though not as strong as the smell) was truly unpleasant. It was not a great texture or flavor experience.

I went on the hunt for the “vanilla-flavored clusters” to try and see if they would balance things a little better. They had almost all settled towards the bottom of the bag, but I managed to fish one out. The vanilla flavor was almost non-existent with the cluster. It just had that vague, sweet flavor that those familiar with diet-centric cereals would recognize.

After trying it dry, I hoped that milk could somehow improve the experience. It did help to mellow out the harsh coffee flavor some, and when I got a bite with all three components (flakes, clusters, and milk), it offered a more pleasant flavor profile. However, about halfway through my bowl, I had to throw in the towel. While it wasn’t so bad that I had to spit it out, it just wasn’t good enough to keep eating.

This was a rare L for Special K cereals. I have loved the different varieties I have tried over the years and hoped this one would be no different. Kellogg’s Special K Limited Edition Iced Vanilla Latte just didn’t work for me. The overwhelmingly bitter coffee flavor that isn’t balanced with a sweet, vanilla flavor makes it overall unpleasant. Since I have a family-size box amount left, I might try to use it in a recipe or even eat it with chocolate milk to see if it can be redeemed.

Purchased Price: $4.98
Size: 18.2 oz box
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 3 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup without milk) 150 calories, 1 gram of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 260 milligrams of sodium, 36 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Kellogg’s Little Debbie Swiss Rolls Cereal

Mike 3 Comments

Little Debbie and Kellogg’s have once again joined forces to miniaturize and breakfast-ify a popular snack cake so you can eat them for breakfast without feeling too much guilt. The new Little Debbie Swiss Roll Cereal follows Oatmeal Creme Pie, Cosmic Brownies, and Nutty Buddy Cereals. Will they be able to beat shoving a whole Swiss Roll in your mouth and washing it down with a glass of milk in the morning (a.k.a. the breakfast of champions)?

When I pour the chocolate spirals into my bowl, I see a light dusting of a white sugary coating. The chocolate cereal tastes like chocolate cereals I’ve tasted before. The frosted coating adds some vanilla flavor and tastes like the frosted coating I’ve tasted before. It’s good but could be inspired by any number of chocolate and vanilla treats instead of Swiss Rolls.

These remind me of the childhood favorite, Cookie Crisp. Everyone is a bit disappointed when they learn that they’re actually not eating tiny baked chocolate chip cookies for breakfast. But it’s still exciting to think of the possibility.

It’s always difficult to know what to say about these cross-branded products. Is this cereal actually like miniaturized Swiss Rolls? Of course not. It’s a standard frosted cocoa cereal in an admittedly neat spiral design. It’s fine but has nothing to do with its namesake snack cake. Do you really want to think of what eating a crunchy Swiss Roll would be like? It does make me wonder what other vaguely disconcerting cross-brand opportunities are out there. Krispy Kreme Go-Gurt? Anything that those freaks at Lay’s try to turn into a chip flavor?

I’m up for all of it, but sometimes I wish products like these were more than simply branding and did something exciting. Maybe I would enjoy these more if they were filled, like Krave cereal. Or perhaps I’m just experiencing breakfast ennui and asking too much from my cereal bowl.

And despite it not being a standout breakfast option, I’ve been munching it by the handful while writing this review. So perhaps that’s how it’s best enjoyed. So, while Kellogg’s Little Debbie Swiss Roll Cereal is more of a branding exercise than an innovative breakfast option, it’s still a tasty one.

Purchased Price: $3.59
Size: 8.4 oz box
Rating: 7 out of 10
?Nutrition Facts (56 grams): 160 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 mg milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 33 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 15 grams of sugar (including 15 grams added sugar), and 2 grams of protein.