Cereal is something I grew up with and having tried so many over the years, I had to put them in a list!
Cereals routinely go in and out of stock often, some more than others. This also means that while one may “still be in production”, it can be incredibly difficult to find for some time. It’s also not uncommon to only find certain ones online or at select retailors. There are also different variants released during certain times. For example, holiday decorated colored cereals, different designs, or ones that turn milk certain colors.
Here is my personal ranking. I will update this as I try new ones!
Table of Contents
| Tiers | Page |
| S A B C D F | 1 2 3 4 5 6 |
S Tier
Marshmallow Cocoa Pebbles
When you think they couldn’t improve Cocoa Pebbles, they did—with marshmallows! Super sweet, semi-dark chocolate flavor, and it gets nice and clumpy-soft in milk (my favorite), and of course, it has those tasty marshmallows. Really, I love how Cocoa Pebbles clumps up in milk as it gets softer, essentially giving you a lot more flavor in one bite, but that addition of marshmallows brings it to a degree higher, not to mention, it turns up the chocolatey sweetness a tad!
Marshmallow Fruity Pebbles
Fruity Pebbles are already so fruity-sweet, and with the addition of marshmallows, it’s a magical fruity sugar rush to a slightly higher degree. I also love how Fruity Pebbles clumps up in milk as it gets softer, essentially giving you a lot more flavor in one bite—not to mention, the texture is just superb, especially with the addition of marshmallows!
Cocoa Pebbles
Super chocolatey, almost tasting a little dark but also very sweet at the same time. Is this the best chocolate-tasting cereal? It’s definitely up there. The texture is amazing, especially when it’s sat in milk for a few minutes, forming thick spoonable bunches. The cereal milk afterward is wonderfully tasty and chocolatey, perhaps some of the best around!
Fruity Pebbles
Exactly like Cocoa Pebbles but with an amazing, sweet fruity taste. If only other fruit-tasting cereals could replicate such a flavor! I can’t discern what the fruit flavors are, but it feels like a mix of several artificial ones. And don’t get me wrong, just because it’s artificial doesn’t mean it’s bad, it’s clearly a kids’ cereal, and of course, it’s also for those of us who just love sweets! Lastly, the soft, clumpy nature of it when it sits in milk is wonderful, and after you’re done, you’re left with sweet, fruity cereal milk.
Dulce De Leche Toast Crunch
I can’t believe this dethroned the OGs. They’re slightly sweeter and with that hint of dulce de leche flavor, it’s simply a small step above the originals.
Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Sweet cinnamon and sugar, what’s not the love? The texture is wonderful both dry and even overly soggy, it’s just a cereal that refuses to be bad! And the cereal milk? Don’t even get me started! Also, the little cinnamon toast piece characters are both funny and adorable!
Snoop Cereal Cinnamon Toasteez
I cannot tell the difference between these and Cinnamon Toast Crunch in terms of everything, from taste to texture. Aside from that, the cereal box is quite small and there aren’t many servings inside, especially when considering it’s a lot more money than CTC.
Snoop Dogg and Master P released this cereal alongside Fruity Hoopz and Frosted Drizzlers in the summer of 2023. Initially released on Amazon and then in stores sometime later.
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Rolls
These taste about identical to the originals. These get soggier faster, becoming squishy due to size. Other reviews claim there’s a light frostingish taste, and the texture is different – I didn’t notice this, but the texture does become slightly pasty and squishy. Overall, I prefer the OGs but these were great, I love the squishy chewy texture in milk.
Released late May / early June 2022.
Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries
Never having liked these as a kid, I tried them as an adult and was in deep thought about why I didn’t love them before. It’s a bit fruity and a bit sweet, but not overly so. You can really make out the taste and texture differences of the fruity Berries with the Cap’n Crunch; it’s a great combination. The overall texture is crunchy but not too rough. In milk, it softens a bit while still being somewhat crunchy, and the flavor seems to come out and mix together nicely even more. Cereal milk is a little sweet and fruity.
Cocoa Puffs Loaded
Even dry, these are incredibly soft and a super thin crunch, and they also have a tiny moist center filling. Saturated with milk, they quickly become even softer, almost soggy and spongey, and the flavors really start to come together. It’s indeed nearly as chocolatey as Cocoa Puffs, but it’s more like a creamy version of it and nowhere near as rough or crunchy in texture. I especially love how chocolatey the milk gets. Overall, wonderfully dry and in milk, especially if you like soggier or softer cereals.
Released January 2024 alongside loaded versions of Trix and Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Churros
Coming in a little less sweet and more crunchy (I prefer less crunchy) than the OGs, these were still a very good cereal!
Life Cinnamon
The “healthy adult” version of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. These are not as sweet but still great, and the texture is also really good. A great alternative to CTC!
Krave Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Biting into a dry one, I noticed the soft cookie dough insides – it was amazing! It tasted exactly like sweet cookie dough! In milk, the texture gets a little softer but doesn’t lose its structure. This is what Cookie Crisp should taste like.
Released late 2020 / early 2021. ‘Special Edition’ could be limited edition they occasionally bring back.
Post S’Mores
Pretty close to S’mores but not as sweet. The graham crackers tasted very similar to the typical honey grahams you’d use for s’mores, and the chocolate puffs and marshmallows were just OK, but all together, it was a magical combination that may be as close to a s’more as you’ll get. The texture is a mix of marshmallows, crackers, and chocolate puffs. These are exceptionally good dry!
Compared to Kellogg’s version, these are much, much better (you can see my review of Kellogg’s Smorz below in the list).
Malt-O-Meal S’mores
About identical to Post S’mores (this makes sense because Malt-O-Meal is owned by Post). Overall, it’s close to s’mores just a little different as it’s a cereal. The chocolate pebbles are crunchy, puffy, and a bit rough with a light milk chocolate flavor. Interestingly, most of the sweetness seems to come from the sugar coated graham cracker squares that do taste like graham crackers but sweeter. The marshmallows are typical cereal marshmallows and are a bit disappointing. These are amazing dry and in milk; while the sweetness is a little lighter, they still come together to form a great combination.
Not sure when these were released, but reviews date back several years.
Krave Chocolate
Likely the most authentic chocolate I’ve tasted in a cereal. The inside contains real bits of hardened chocolate, and the outside tastes like a sweet cookie-biscuit-like thing. It’s a great, tasty combination! It’s also good dry and in milk, but especially in milk as it softens up and the chocolate on the inside just melts in your mouth!
Released in the UK in 2010 with several more varieties in the following years. It was introduced in the US in 2012 with several flavors and has continued to introduce new ones like the cookie dough flavor in late 2020.
Fudge Brownie
This cereal reminds me of Cocoa Puffs but so much better. It has a strong, sweet chocolate flavor that differs from the darker-chocolate-flavored Cocoa Puffs. It’s also not as crunchy, eventually getting a little soft with milk. The semi-large marshmallows are a nice touch. The chocolate milk from it tastes great! Definitely reminds you of a sweet brownie!
Released late 2022 / early 2023 alongside Walmart’s brand, Great Value, Apple Fritter. On the box, both say ‘limited edition’, although there doesn’t seem to be a corresponding holiday or event to warrant it.
Little Debbie Nutty Buddy
Tastes exactly like Reese’s Puffs but slightly toned down and with a much better texture. It gets a little soft in milk, creating a wonderful texture! Decent dry, even better in milk, almost like the flavor was enhanced! And nice trivia in the back, too! Much better than the Little Debbie Cosmic Brownie cereal.
Released late September / early October 2022.
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Minis
It tastes identical to Cinnamon Toast Crunch, except the texture is a bit different. Instead of the squares, these are fairly crunchy little balls that still remain a tad crunchy in milk, not getting as soft as the originals.
Released November 2022 alongside Trix & Reese’s Puffs Mini Cereals.
Reese’s Puffs Minis
The taste is identical to Reese’s Puffs although the texture on these is so much better. Since they are smaller, they get softer faster and aren’t as rough in your mouth as the originals. They also especially like sticking together in milk, so you end up with huge spoonfuls of them!
Released November 2022 alongside Trix & Cinnamon Toast Crunch Mini Cereals.
Cocoa Krispies
If Cocoa Pebbles has a distant, more milky-chocolate cousin, this would be it. The cereal is great, although I personally prefer the more dark chocolatey taste and better, more crunchy texture from Pebbles. These get soggy and soft quite quickly in milk, which I still enjoy.
Chocolate Toast Crunch
An overall good chocolate cinnamony cereal. The cinnamon really elevates the chocolate and makes for an interesting combination.
Special K – Fruit & Yogurt
Sweet yogurt clusters make this a wonderfully tasting cereal with a chunky texture.
The original Special K was released in 1955; not sure about this one.
Cinnamon Sugar Krispies
These give Cinnamon Toast Crunch a run for their money; in fact, if you prefer the Krispie texture, this is for you! They’re very sweet, consisting of a strong cinnamon sugar taste.
Cookie Dough Bites
Tastes a lot like cookie dough! It’s sweet and fairly crunchy in milk but not too crunchy. Great tasting dry, too. Very close to its candy counterpart that it’s mimicking. This is what Cookie Crisp should be!
Released August 2022 as part of the 25th Anniversary of the Cookie Dough Bites Candy. The history of this candy can be found here.
Cinnabon
Fairly sweet but not over the top. It has a cinnamon, frosting-like taste to it that tastes a lot like a cinnamon roll. Crunchy, although the texture isn’t too tough and has a soft glaze to it. Softens up a little in milk, cereal milk is OK but could be better. It’s also amazing dry!
Dating back to 1991, this cereal has an extensive history. It was released in late 2022 after a four-year hiatus.
