Carnation Breakfast Bars
Carnation Breakfast Bars were introduced around 1975 and remained popular clear through the 1980s and into the early 1990s as well, before they were officially discontinued in 1997. These weren’t just any ordinary granola bars – they were marketed as “the instant breakfast you can get your teeth into” and featured crunchy centers and granola with a sweet, smooth chocolate layer on the outside. The bars enjoyed success in the ’70s & ’80s and were particularly popular with kids and teens, but as those kids got older, sales apparently decreased. The company attempted a comeback in 1994, but unfortunately, just three years later, Carnation Breakfast Bars were discontinued for good. Even decades after their disappearance, the bars maintain an almost cult-like following. The CARNATION INSTANT BREAKFAST BARS have been discontinued for a few years now, with sale volume not great enough to justify space on the retailers’ shelves. Despite multiple attempts at revival, including an attempt at a re-launch in 2014, by 2020 it seems parent company Nestle Carnation has shelved the concept.
Planters Cheez Balls
Planters Cheez Balls were introduced in the 1980s, with commercials advertising the salty snack back in the early ’80s, before Planters discontinued the product in 2006. These weren’t your typical cheese puffs – they came in a distinctive canister and had a unique texture that made them irresistible to snackers of all ages. The bright orange, bite-sized spheres became a pantry staple for many families throughout the ’80s and ’90s. Their canister packaging made them perfect for parties and gatherings, where they’d disappear faster than you could say “cheese dust.” The satisfying crunch and bold cheese flavor made them a natural competitor to other cheese-based snacks of the era. Like many discontinued products, there have been several online petitions pleading for the company to bring the Cheez Balls back. The brand’s discontinuation left a noticeable gap in the cheese snack market that many fans argue has never been properly filled.
Space Food Sticks
A forerunner of energy bars, Space Food Sticks were promoted by Pillsbury for their association with NASA’s efforts to create safe, healthy and nutritional space food, marketed as a “nutritionally balanced between-meal snack” with fourteen individually packaged sticks in six flavors such as peanut butter, caramel, and chocolate. These weren’t just snacks – they were a genuine connection to the space program that captivated American imaginations. In 1972, astronauts on board Skylab 3 ate modified versions of Space Food Sticks to test their “gastrointestinal compatibility,” before they disappeared from North American supermarket shelves in the 1980s. The chewy, dense texture and space-age packaging made kids feel like they were eating the same food as real astronauts. These snacks were discontinued in the 1980s when the original space race craze officially ended, despite being linked indelibly with the first trips to space and very popular in the space race era due to this connection. While there have been brief revival attempts, the original magic of the space race era has never been recaptured.
Fruit Wrinkles
If you were a kid in the ’80s, there’s a good chance you had a pouch of Fruit Wrinkles tucked into your lunchbox – these chewy, bite-sized fruit nuggets were like tiny candy raisins, except way more fun, available in wild fruity flavors and easy to snack on. They came in small pouches that fit perfectly in lunch boxes, making them a popular choice for parents looking for portable snacks. The texture was unique – not quite gummy candy, not quite fruit leather, but something distinctly their own. Kids loved the satisfying chew and the burst of artificial fruit flavors that seemed more intense than their competitors. Each little wrinkled piece packed a punch of sweetness that made them incredibly moreish. Fruit Roll-Ups eventually stole their spotlight, and Fruit Wrinkles quietly disappeared, but true fans still remember those colorful packets and the satisfying chew of each little wrinkle. The brand became another casualty in the competitive fruit snack market as companies consolidated their product lines.
Keebler Fudge Magic Middles
Launched sometime in the ’80s, Keebler Fudge Magic Middles were sensational while they were for sale, with the magic being the chocolate fudge cream filling inside a shortbread cookie crust, and another variation having a peanut butter-flavored crust, before both flavors got the boot by the mid ’90s. These cookies represented the peak of ’80s snack innovation – combining familiar flavors in unexpected ways. A shortbread cookie filled with fudge, Keebler Magic Middles were the coveted cookies in lunchrooms across America in the 1980s and ’90s, with a peanut butter flavor also available, and enough fanfare that there’s a Facebook group dedicated to bringing them back. The concept was brilliantly simple yet revolutionary for its time. Unlike sandwich cookies where fillings were visible, Magic Middles hid their treasure completely within the cookie shell. The surprise element made each bite an adventure, and the rich fudge center provided a satisfying contrast to the crisp shortbread exterior.
Jell-O Pudding Pops
Once a beloved treat of the ’70s and ’80s, Pudding Pops were a freezer aisle favorite that blended the creamy texture of pudding with the chill of a popsicle, originally launched by Jell-O in classic flavors like chocolate, vanilla, and swirl with their rich, smooth taste making them a go-to summer indulgence. These frozen treats represented the perfect marriage of two beloved desserts. Unlike regular popsicles that were simply frozen fruit juice, Pudding Pops offered the luxury of actual pudding in frozen form. The texture remained creamy even when frozen, creating a unique mouthfeel that was both refreshing and indulgent. They became synonymous with summer afternoons and after-school treats. Despite their popularity, Pudding Pops were discontinued in the early 2000s due to declining sales, and while other brands have tried to replicate the magic, none have captured the same creamy nostalgia of the original. The brand’s iconic status in ’80s culture has made it a frequent subject of nostalgic discussions and revival campaigns.
Hi-C Ecto Cooler
This memorable beverage was launched as a cross-promotion with “The Real Ghostbusters” animated series in 1987, when Hi-C rebooted its classic Citrus Cooler as a bright-green drink featuring the film’s Slimer character, though it briefly came back in honor of “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” which debuted in November 2021, but is no longer available. The neon green color was unlike anything else in the beverage aisle, making it instantly recognizable. The juice box with the green monster-ghost creature dominated lunch boxes from 1987 to 2001, allowing kids to quench their lunchtime thirst with a refreshing sip of what felt like green slime. The drink perfectly captured the supernatural fun of the Ghostbusters franchise while delivering a citrusy flavor that kids couldn’t get enough of. The marketing tie-in was genius for its time, creating a product that was both a beverage and a piece of entertainment memorabilia. Parents appreciated that it was still fundamentally a fruit juice, while kids felt like they were drinking something magical and slightly rebellious with every sip.
Big Stuf Oreos
Kids from the 1980s could find this oversized treat wrapped in individual plastic packaging, as a precursor to the Oreo Mega Stuf, the Big Stuf consisted of one giant Oreo the size of your palm, which stuck around for seven years until it was discontinued in 1991. These weren’t just bigger cookies – they were a completely different snacking experience that captured the “bigger is better” mentality of the ’80s. You could get a super-sized Oreo Big Stuf (yes, with just one “F”) when you dial it back to the 1980s. The novelty factor was enormous – imagine the excitement of unwrapping what looked like a regular Oreo package only to find a cookie the size of a small plate inside. The oversized format made sharing almost mandatory, turning the simple act of eating a cookie into a social event. Kids would break off pieces for friends, or attempt the challenge of eating the entire thing solo. The individual packaging added to the special occasion feel, making each Big Stuf feel like a treat rather than just a snack. What do you think about these forgotten treasures from the ’80s? Tell us in the comments which ones you miss the most.
