Remember pouring yourself a giant bowl of your favorite cereal on Saturday morning, planting yourself in front of cartoons, and thinking life was pretty much perfect? Those were the days when breakfast wasn’t just fuel for the day but a sugary ritual that defined your childhood. The 90s gave us some of the most inventive, outrageous, and downright delicious cereals the world has ever seen, but sadly, not all of them survived into the new millennium. Some disappeared overnight, leaving fans heartbroken and desperately searching grocery store aisles for one last box. The good news is that the fight isn’t over. Across the internet, passionate fans have launched petitions, created Facebook groups, and taken to social media to demand that their beloved cereals make a triumphant return. Let’s dive into the discontinued 90s cereals that people refuse to forget about.
Oreo O’s – The Cookie Cereal That Vanished (Twice)
Oreo O’s first went on sale in 1998 and was discontinued in 2007, leaving a gaping hole in breakfast bowls across America. These chocolatey rings covered in cream coating tasted exactly like eating tiny Oreo cookies for breakfast, which honestly, who wouldn’t want that? What made this discontinuation even more painful was that the cereal continued to be regularly made and sold in South Korea, taunting American fans who could only dream about those crunchy little circles.
The outcry was real. Fans petitioned to bring back Oreo O’s, and after a decade of persistence, the product was brought back to life in 2017 through savvy nostalgia marketing. Victory, right? Well, sort of. Oreo O’s have recently been discontinued again, replaced by Oreo Puffs, which feature puffs instead of rings and mini marshmallows. Fans are once again mourning the loss, proving that some things just shouldn’t be messed with. The fact that this cereal has sparked multiple comebacks and petitions shows just how deeply it’s embedded in our collective breakfast memories.
French Toast Crunch – A Petition Success Story
In 2006, General Mills discontinued French Toast Crunch in the United States, but popular demand led them to reintroduce it on December 5, 2014. This is one of those rare cases where fan power actually worked. Shaped like miniature pieces of French toast with that perfect maple syrup flavor, this cereal was unlike anything else on the shelf. When it vanished, fans didn’t just shrug and move on. They organized.
A petition was created and a Facebook group devoted to bringing back the beloved cereal, with the Facebook group gaining over 7,000 members as of 2023. A Change.org petition and Facebook groups were created to push General Mills to revive the cereal. The company listened. General Mills stated they had been overwhelmed by the consumer conversations, requests, and passion for the cereal to come back. The cereal returned complete with its original toast shape and classic red box, proving that sometimes, just sometimes, the people win.
Cinnamon Mini Buns – The Cereal Everyone Wanted Most
Here’s the thing about Cinnamon Mini Buns: it was pure breakfast perfection. Introduced in 1991, the cereal was mostly aimed at kids while advertised to parents as being a balanced and healthy breakfast. These tiny cinnamon roll-shaped pieces delivered all the joy of a bakery treat without the wait. The boxes even came with prizes like mini comic books or cassette tapes, making breakfast an event rather than just a meal.
According to a Mashed survey, Cinnamon Mini Buns were the No. 1 cereal that consumers wanted back on the shelves, yet the 90s classic only lasted two years before being discontinued in 1993. Let that sink in. The most requested comeback cereal barely got a two-year run. While Kellogg’s tried to recreate the magic with Mini Swirlz in 2005 and later with Cinnabon cereal, fans argue that nothing matches the original. Sometimes nostalgia’s just too strong, and a classic should be left exactly as it was.
Waffle Crisp – Petition Power Brought It Back
Waffle Crisp was discontinued in August 2018, but in January 2021, Post Foods decided to return it to the market. This maple syrup-flavored corn cereal shaped like tiny waffles had a devoted following that refused to give up. Fans took to social media and created numerous Change.org petitions, garnering support from hundreds of like-minded cereal enthusiasts. The passionate outcry worked.
Originally launched in 1996 and temporarily discontinued from 2018-2021, the fan-favorite waffle-flavored cereal is now available in stores with the nostalgic waffle flavor and fun waffle shape, but this time sold in boxes instead of bags. Post announced in 2022 that Waffle Crisp would be returning permanently with an initial rollout at Walmart. Each bite delivered that sweet maple syrup flavor mixed with a satisfying crunch, like having breakfast at your favorite diner. This is proof that petitions really can make a difference when it comes to the foods we love.
Rice Krispies Treats Cereal – Still Fighting for a Comeback
Imagine taking the best parts of a Rice Krispies Treat and turning it into a cereal. That’s exactly what Kellogg’s did, and it was glorious. The cereal was quite simply toasted rice cereal with marshmallow pieces, basically the ingredients for Rice Krispie Treats. The question fans keep asking is why on earth would you discontinue something so perfect?
Kellogg’s confirmed that the Rice Krispies Treats cereal has been discontinued, and fans are not taking it well. Over 20,000 supporters have signed petitions voicing their opinion and letting Kellogg’s know they’ve made a mistake. A Change.org petition received almost 15,000 signatures from consumers requesting changes, but Kellogg’s didn’t listen and instead discontinued the cereal altogether in 2020. The passion is still there, with fans flooding social media demanding answers and begging the company to reverse this decision. Will Kellogg’s cave to the pressure like other companies have? Only time will tell.
Peanut Butter Toast Crunch – The Flavor That Got Away
Peanut Butter Toast Crunch was a peanut butter flavored cereal coated in cinnamon that was around for a short time after its 2004 introduction, had another brief stint following reintroduction in 2013, but now we’re forced to live with only the memory. Imagine all the greatness of Cinnamon Toast Crunch but with the foundation of peanut butter flavor. It sounds like a dream combination, and for those lucky enough to try it, it absolutely was.
The box claimed it had real peanut butter in every bite, and people loved this cereal so much that there was an online petition demanding that General Mills resurrect the fan favorite. The fact that General Mills brought it back once in 2013 only to discontinue it again feels almost cruel. Fans who discovered it during either of its limited runs understand the void its absence has created. Sometimes you don’t realize how much you love something until it’s gone forever.
Dino Pebbles – The Flintstones Spinoff That Disappeared
Dino Pebbles was advertised as being a wholesome addition to a nutritious breakfast despite being loaded with sugar and corn syrup, and the cereal only lasted a few years before being discontinued in 1993. You’ve got to love the 90s for that kind of marketing audacity. This Flintstones-themed cereal capitalized on the popularity of the cartoon and the existing success of Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles. The appeal was obvious: dinosaurs were cool, the Flintstones were beloved, and sugary cereal was a breakfast staple.
What’s interesting is how many cereal companies tried to ride the coattails of successful franchises during this era. Dino Pebbles was just one of many examples, but it connected with kids who were obsessed with both prehistoric creatures and Saturday morning cartoons. The fact that it only lasted a few years suggests it was probably too similar to its Pebbles siblings without offering enough of its own identity. Still, for those who remember it, Dino Pebbles holds a special place in their nostalgic hearts.
