Discontinued 90s and 2000s Foods That Everyone Wishes Would Come Back
Planters Cheez Balls
However, if we are going though cheesy snacks, then there is one in particular that has felt absent for way far gone: Planters Cheez Balls. These tiny orange orbs of cheesy delight graced snack shelves during the 90s and early 2000s, but were unceremoniously axed in 2006. Fans of the neon snack balls have long memories. There have even been a series of online petitions to Planters begging for a return of these orange neon orbs of cheesy delight.
That munch, the dust of cheese, and the unmistakable orange shade was what made Cheez Balls so unique that no other snack comes close to replicating it.
Fruit-Shaped Trix Cereal
Many 90s kids know the heartache of opening a box of Trix cereal, pouring yourself a bowl, and realizing the fruit-shaped pieces were no more. You know those fluffy fruity morsels that made breakfast the best damn meal? You can still purchase Trix cereal to this day, but it just isn’t the same. But for us oldheads who grew up with the original Trix, the nostalgia is strong.
Back in 2006, General Mills changed the shape of the cereal pieces to a plain old puff, as opposed to the colorful fruit shapes.
Trix Swirls
Sure, you remember the Trix Swirls yogurt snacks in the 90s hysteria. In childhood of the ’90s, they seemed to only be available in fun, bright colors like Strawberry Banana Bash and Raspberry Rainbow, and kids everywhere love them. Sadly, though, Trix Swirls were a limited-time offering and were phased out, leaving us all with moderate case of FOMO. Not necessarily the healthiest option for a mid-day snack, but definitely scrumptious, and a great way to make some childhood memories.
So, really, what is childhood if not a few joyous gushers here and there? We just gotta hope Trix Swirls returns eventually.
Altoid Tangerine Sours
Remember Altoid Sours? The small, colorful, crystal-like sweets hit their peak in the early 2000s, and blew our taste buds away with their extreme sourness. Unfortunately, they were axed in 2010 and the taste of these babies will be forever missed. The Altoids of today may still have that powerful mint taste, but they sure don’t hold a candle to the sour yumminess that was Altoid Sours. Even though, in reality, they are discontinued, a part of the internet still longs for them and wishes they would return.
These were so good, tangerine sour bursts in aluminum tins for re-use, just what a sour candy-loving girl needed. Are those sour candies something we will ever taste again? Only time will tell.
Doritos 3Ds
We all remember the old-school, triangular-shaped, puffed, crunchy snack, Doritos that was folded in thirds in the 90s. One of those guilty pleasure snacks we all used to enjoy before they were tragically pulled from shelves everywhere in the early 2000s. While similar in flavor to standard Doritos, the texture and shape made them special. It had more of an airy, inflatable center that led to an entirely different snacking experience than that 3D shape.
The Doritos 3Ds had the limited run of many a snackable creation, arriving in 1998 and disappearing by few t occasionally enjoying this uniquely delicious triangular taste sensation.
Butterfingers BB’s
Remember the days of the corner store after school for a few of your favorite snacks? Who can forget all the best snacks from the 90s that still make our mouths water? However, one snack we all want back is Butterfinger BB’s. Those small balls of peanut butter covered in chocolate were in every candy bowl and vending machine, but they disappeared in 2006 and left us with a Butterfinger-shaped void in our heart.
Almost instantly, they were fans’ favorites, even making appearances on hit series The Simpsons. So what led to their discontinuation? Not at all, but still we hope for their return.
French Toast Crunch Cereal
Like, you don’t need to be reminded of those ’90s French Toast Crunch bites you couldn’t get enough of, right? These delightful nuggets made the cereal scene and gave breakfast a flavor that everyone fell in love with. Now, skipping ahead to 2006, our hearts collectively sank with the news that the original formula for French Toast Crunch would no longer be made, a seemingly criminal decision against the deliciousness of breakfast. Luckily, people were rightfully upset, and in 2014, French Toast Crunch was brought back.
Take a trip down memory lane and grab a little taste of nostalgia, or rather some nostalgic munching in the form of these crunchy little bites reminiscent of that classic sweet, cinnamon, is once again on the game, or rather back to the ballpark for nutty enthusiasts and jelly lovers alike.
Melody Pops
The 90s was peak for those sugary snacks we all loved to high on. Melody PS: those were the lollipops that had a whistle in the stick and you could play music with them! While the Melody Pops were sadly discontinued in 2015, don’t freak out, you can still scour the internet to manage to get your hands on one. At least you won’t find them in the local corner store.
If only there was an easier way to grab these tasty music-producing lollipops and then at your leisure satisfy both your sweet tooth and wistfulness.
Rice Krispies Treats Cereal
The idea of constantly consuming sugary foods almost seemed unreal. Rice Krispies Treats cereal was one of those favorites. The sticky, gooey pieces made this cereal better than the first. Unfortunately, this childhood favorite died out after giving kids a billion cavities and a trillion sugar-fueled rage tantrums. Although the market for Rice Krispies Treats cereal hasn’t completely disappeared, its availability has significantly decreased.
For those fortunate enough to have partaken of this confectionery, it is still a nostalgic relic of a bygone day.
Flintstones Push Up Pops
The Flintstones Push Up pops were the number 1 best treat of the 90s for a summer day, with the classic cartoon character images frozen into the mini popsicle on the inside. However, they met their demise prior to summer’s heat in the early 2000s. When you think back, it turns out that show was the making of theseڌ. Well, they became uninteresting, so did these ice cream pops as the show went on.
Flintstones Push Up pops are the perfect example of a snack that a lot of 90s kids sorely missed and wish would return.
Wonka Bar
Originally coming from the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, the Wonka Bar was a popular 90s candy. Sadly, the chocolate confection was retired in 2010, much to the dismay of chocolate lovers everywhere (us included). The Wonka Bar had its day in the sun but it didn’t keep being a great chocolate option.
Yet for those who were one of the lucky few who managed to sample the mythical chocolate, this treat lives on in nostalgia as a simple reminder that history could be a bit sweeter.
Jello Pudding Pops
For those of us who grew up in the 90s: Jell-O Pudding Pops used to be a cold, refreshing goodie on a poky hot summer day to sweeten the afternoon. They were marketed as a healthier version of ice cream, but honestly, they were just as sweet. These legendary pops also came in chocolate, vanilla, and banana, and also had such a smooth and creamy texture.
They were one of those snacks that we loved to eat after school or late at night, and we refuse to let a snack so delicious and wonderful to taste be forgotten.
Skittles Bubble Gum
Skittles is the fruity and chewy candy made famous in the 90s that planted itself in every household as a popular snack. No wonder Skittles have gotten fans for many years, due to their razzle-dazzle colors and tasty flavors. However, how about this old-school candy in gum form? And once it was blessed into creation, kids lost their shit over it. If you had these in school, you were the best — especially into the 2000s.
The fans themselves will only have Skittles gum to dream of now. Still, the nostalgia of this candy comes with rice memories eating it of narcotics days.
P. B. Crisps
Nutter Butter and peanut butter fans alike are sure to remember the Planters brand P.B. Crisps. These graham crackers are shaped like peanuts, with a filling of peanut butter, which is exactly what you should snack on if you enjoy peanut butter. Sadly, Krackel would only be around for two short years before being nixed in 1994 — and leaving many fans of these sweet nibbles wondering what happened.
Most kids of the 90s clearly recall this horrendous peanut butter greatness snack that lasted only a very limited time on the market. Guess it’s just going to have to be a spoonful of peanut butter, huh!
Pop-Tarts Crunch
The 90s were all about getting things in miniature, and Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts Crunch was no different. Think of this iconic cereal as tiny Pop-Tarts you could eat with a spoon. You’d select from fruity strawberry or yummy brown sugar cinnamon, which made the ideal breakfast item for any Pop-Tarts lover. It certainly left an impression on many of us who still crave that sweet, crunchy goodness, even though it only hit the store shelves between 1994-1995.
Which means we think Kellogg’s should rediscover this nostalgic blast from the past for a little trip down memory lane!
Dunkaroos
Oh, the 90s. Back to the days of scrunchies, grunge, and dunkaroos. For kids growing up in the 90s, these tiny, snackable little morsels of heaven were the best part about lunch time. More than ten years since they came to an end in 2012, we are still mourning. And for those of you who didn’t get to enjoy this glorious snack, Dunkaroos were basically animal crackers and icing to dip them in.
The taste of our childhoods, whether we were trading them at lunch with friends or sneaking them as a midnight snack, was Dunkaroos.
Wonderball
Anyone else (ever) excited as a child to bust open a Wonderball to see what prize lay within? This was a popular candy in the 90s but had to be pulled off shelves in 1997 due to its choking hazards. But fear not; it returned in 2000 with food! Unfortunately, the issue was still there and it had to be discontinued again in 2004. How to such a nice dessert what unfortunate end.
The memories of unwrapping a Wonderball are taking us back to when we were kids, through the chocolate shell to reveal the surprise inside, even if now that we are all-grown-up.
Surge Soda
Does your memory as a 90s kid include the frantic guzzling of a can of Surge whilst you hammered away at your console or sat gobbling down your latest Nintendo Power? The citrus flavored soda was the ideal companion of long gaming sessions, or binge watching your favorite TV show. Unfortunately, the drink was shelved in 2003, much to the chagrin of its fans. While I’m sure it’s not good for you to be drinking a soda that bright neon color, it sure is tasty. Who here doesn’t want a cold can of Surge to celebrate the nostalgia of the 90s?
A time when life was more simple and adulting was never on your to-do list! When all these great snacks were available at literally every store!
Cheetos Paws
A snack you just can’t forget if you were a ’90s kid: Cheetos Paws. These Cheetos, however, were paws, which made for an adorable little texture and a very playful look. Cheetos Paws were a snack introduced in 1990 until they were binned away in 1993 the same fate Chester Cheetah, the brand mascot. You can still buy Cheetos in stores, but there’s nothing like the nostalgia of chomping down on a Cheetos Paw.
Another smoked snack we can only taste in your mind, and at the end of this listing you will be even more nostalgic about all these smoke lacks…and hungry.
Kool-Aid Bursts
If you grew up in the 90s, Kool-Aid was pretty much a staple. Children all over the world would eagerly open packets in their favourite flavour and crumbling together a refreshing using this sweet along more-ish drink like the taste of the summer in a cup. Fewer for us, the pop was the crowd pleaser of choice all. That’s where the Kool-Aid Bursts came in — game changers when you could take one with you! And if you busted one of these out at lunch, you were the real spicy kid.
And you better believe Kool-Aid Bursts were only the tip of the iceberg because the rest of these 90s snacks are just too good; we know you’ll be dreaming about these the rest of the week as soon as your eyes hit them.
Burger King Chicken Fries
The 90´s and 2000´s were a big time for snacking, and no fast food chain did it better than Burger King. You may have missed these iconic chicken tries when they were discontinued in 2012 if you were a fan of them. A favorite of all fans of those who remembered heading directly from school to a Burger King in the early aughts to pick these up and down them.
In fact, Burger King’s chicken fries are evidence that some things are too good to be killed off, and the original chicken fries deserve to be brought back!
Fruitopia
And if you — like me — happened to grow up in the 90s, you probably recall the cloying sweetness of a little drink called Fruitopia. A lunchbox and sleepover favorite, this fruity drink sadly left store shelves in 2003. Though it hasn’t been around in almost two decades, many still feel a wave of nostalgia and fond memories when Fruitopia is mentioned. Then again, similar to the majority of the snacks on this list, perhaps kids shouldn’t be consuming these pure sugar bombshells either.
But I mean, maybe sugar is all right every once in a while, and if so, how do we get these tasty fruit beverages available again?
Hi-C Ecto Cooler Juice
If you were a child of the 90s, you might remember all the buzz around this fluorescent green drink. In the wake of the popular film Ghostbusters, Hi-C seized the opportunity and put out a special edition juice box that resembled ectoplasm. And boy, was it a hit. The moment you tasted it, the combination orange and tangerine juice tasted so drinkable that a huge number it suppressed the tangy flavor in lunch boxes in the rest of the nation and the ghostly green hid made it feel as though you were fundamentally drinking pulp fiction.
But, like all good things, it was bound to come to an end. When Ecto Cooler was discontinued in 2001, it left the hearts of many maturing 90s kids cold and empty.
Shark Bites
Gummy snacks have always been a go-to for children through the ages, but there’s just something about 90s Shark Bites that can’t easily be topped. These days, the recipe is different, and plenty of original Shark Bites fans have said the flavor is simply not the same. However, for those that did grow up with them the nostalgia of those sweet chewy treats will always bring a smile to our faces.
These alone already scream opening your lunchbox to find a pack of Shark Bites gummies. Oh my god they were the best colourful sweets.
Soda-Licious Fruit Snacks
Every 90s kid had a snack arsenal that at least had fruit snacks in it, and while there are plenty of brands we can get behind today (Gushers anyone? A collaboration between Betty Crocker and 7-Up, so you know it was the bees knees. These special candies combined fruity flavors with the greatest soft drink flavors of that time. Unfortunately, they fell off store shelves during the 90s, and we haven’t seen them since.
How nice would it be if they brought back the Soda-Licious Fruit Snacks to let all the folks reminisce on their childhood with the best snack in existence?
Bubble Beeper
Bubble Beeper – the gum with everything. With packaging that could stop traffic and a flavor that had to be tasted to be believed, this gum was the cream of the crop when it came to 90s products. Children everywhere adored the bright, playful packaging and many of us even hoarded the boxes. However, Bubble Beeper enjoyed its fifteen minutes of fame. Several arguments later, and the gum oozed out of style as soon as it had ascended to trend.
These days, good luck finding a pack of Bubble Beeper among the golf-focused stakes at your local department store—but for those who remember, the vague taste of lime-flavored sugar lasts forever.
Hostess Chocodiles
Chocodiles by Hostess (snack) The Twinkie with an extra dunk of chocolate. Named after Hostess’s first mascot, the crocodile Chauncey, this yummy snack Chocodiles were a staple of the Hostess lineup, and remained so for nearly 20 years, before disappearing from store shelves in 1999! だって歴史的悲劇な瞬間なんだもんな。 Others say these are still available here and there; but you best be ready to fork over some serious cash.
Let’s just pray that one of these days you come across them and you have the guts to pick them up, and they taste as good as they did some years back!
Crystal Pepsi
Crystal Pepsi marketed as a clear, zero-calorie, caffeine-free alternative to regular soft drink. Pepsi first introduced the drink back in the early 90s, but the product was shelved by 1993 after a short run. But the beverage came back in 2009 with an updated, caffeinated formula that never measured up to the original. Crystal Pepsi may have faded from the shelves, but for kids who grew up in the 90s, it still occupies a special place in their hearts.
But slurping down an unremarkable Pepsi today just does not compare to the experience of drinking these spunky crystal weasels of the past.
Skippy Squeeze Stix
Long before all these portable squeezable breakfast foods, Skippy Squeeze Stix was a tasty, portable snack in the ’90s. The genius was simple — a portable, mess-free tube of Skippy peanut butter or chocolate peanut butter. But what happened to them? Though they hit the market nearly two decades ago, Skippy Squeeze Stix disappeared without a trace, despite a similar concept still gracing shelves today. The disappearance is not entirely understood, although others say the game had poor marketing.
And for whatever reason, the people miss their Skippy Squeeze Squeeze. If these mysteriously lands in your hands, purchase every single pack and eat every last piece.
Nabisco Giggles Cookies
Just think about how Nabisco Giggles were cookies with smiling faces, making your snack time enjoyable. These tiny snacks were filled with a cream that closely resembled the taste of Oreos. They also quickly became a hit during the 90s among kids. Sadly, Nabisco Giggles went onto the list of, “the what could have beens for future generations,” creating a black hole in our hearts and the aisles of snacks. Sadly, it appears that Nabisco has no intention of reintroducing Giggles, leaving fans of the beloved cookie feeling short-changed.
Other brands have more or less replicated the smiley-face cookie, but none of them are Giggles.
Strawberry Creme Savers
No one was coy about their late-night indulgence of a certain dessert in the 90s. It taste like strawberry cheesecake compressed into hard candy and people were popping them left and right like they were the new fad. Not those everyday snacks — but something wonderful. Soft, sweet and a flavor explosion in your mouth these snacks were all here and ready to party. They were the ideal way to indulge on those days that all you wanted was something sweet.
These delicious items were bound to evoke some nostalgia, whether you got your hands on them or not.
Orbitz Water
For anyone who had a taste at the time, you must be reminscing of the odd, colourful drinks of the 90s. Orbitz Water—it was one of the weirdest, wildest, and most memorable of them all! This flavoured water hit the market in 1997 and had unique offering to stand out from the competition: jelly balls suspended in the glass! Sadly, it only lasted for about a year — the name was weirdly purchased by a travel company called Orbitz, and the drinks had to be pulled.
These drinks were essentially like the juice that went into lava lamps, and while they didn’t last long, the various flavors of Orbitz Water made a serious splash in the brown beverage landscape of the 1990s.
Twix Cookies-N-Creme Bars
Like sitting on the dirty carpet in a chilly basement in the mid-90s scratching your metallic purple CD case from the best rap gig ever, the 90s know how to give you nostalgia like no other – and no snack can out-snack the Twix Cookies-n-Creme bar traversing that attic of your mind. The cookies-n-creme flavor was probably the best of the bunch, released in 1990 alongside its chocolate fudge counterpart. The combination of the chocolate cookie, the cream, and the milk chocolate coating made for a delightful experience. Naturally, as with other treats on this list, this classic snack was available for a mere year before being discontinued.
Such a disappearance left plenty of 90s kids yearning for more, unsure when the next time they would get a taste of the ultimate snack would be.
Reggie! Bar
Don’t even get me started on those sweet, delicious snacks from our pantry shelves eons ago, right? Possibly the most memorable snack that life appealing was the Reggie! Bar. Originally launched in 1976, this Reggie Jackson-inspired bar was made with milk chocolate, nuts, and sticky caramel. Sadly, the bar vanished from the candy shelves in 1982, and we were left wanting.
It went exctinct for a while, but was brought back to life in the 90s, and obviously, we gobbled it right up. And then — poof, again it was gone, never to be seen!
Kellogg’s Yogos
Yogos were a yogurt-coated fruit snack. At first, they were marketed as a healthy snack — in fact, as the future of snacking. But they were tossed aside after just five years on sale. The reason for the discontinuation is unclear, but many speculate it was due to the fact that Yogos weren’t healthy thanks to the yogurt shell. It’s an immediate snack but even though it’s still a short memory.
If this snack gave you déjà vu, then read on to find the endless list of 90s to 2000s snacks that are forever etched in our minds and tastebuds!
Sprinkle Spangles
Well, 90s nostalgia lovers, rejoice! Short-lived as it was, General Mills’ breakfast cereal Sprinkle Spangles left an indelible mark on the American breakfast table. This cereal was fun to eat — and look at, those star-shaped pieces and multi-colored sprinkles. This cereal was everywhere until 1998, when production came to a halt. When the Hell are we going to get fun foods like this again? A This snack is no longer available: If you crave sugary cereal
Sure, there are loads other cereals, but none quite like having a mouthful of your reminiscing childhood treat thus getting a nostalgia along with the sweetness of sugars.
Dannon Sprinkl’ins Yogurt
Remember Sprinkl’ins Yogurt — the 90s throwback we bet you never thought about again? Dannon — Dannon Yogurt (1995) Is there another yogurt for kids? This yogurt snack hit in 1995; a more exciting version of the typical yogurt treat for kids. For Hanging Sprinkl’ins Yogurt, sprinkles all over it, and Yum! Sound pretty healthy, right? The snack was short-lived (just five years!), but childhood memories remain. Unfortunately, this unique fare is no longer offered!
If this yogurt that was basically a dessert ever came back, you best believe all the kids today would be glued to it!
Jell-O 1-2-3
There’s cereal, chocolate, soda, but what about Jell-O? Kraft’s Jell-O 1-2-3 was essential for parties, even though it may not look like a childhood snack favorite at first. The all-in-one pouch separated while it set, producing a jell-o like base, custardy middle layer, and a foamy top. Sadly, the 90s were the last decade of this delicious little treat before it was discontinued in 1996.
Jell-o is a very different snack, but for some reason this tasted strangely delicious. We will never forget this surreal little jelly snack.
PB Max
Mars quickly sweetened the deal with PB Max chocolate candies in 1989 and 1990, respectively. They consisted of a cookie, a peanut butter filling, and a chocolate layer — delicious — and thus, irresistible. In fact, they became so popular that they managed to reach $50 million in sales within just one year! They were taken off the shelves of every store despite being so successful. Why, you might wonder?
They allegedly went out of production because the Mars brothers didn’t like peanut butter – quite strange, considering how many were selling. Either way, everyone had to bid farewell to this legend.
Life Savers Holes
The candy Life Savers that is present at almost every store checkout lane you go to. Where does that put Life Savers Holes? They were the missing rings centers, which, although tasty, were removed due to the risk of asphyxia! The rings are the Life Savers we know today but in the ’90s, Holed were all the rage. I wish we could take one more trip down memory lane with these lovely sweets.
Well it looks like these might just be the yummy foods we’ve lost now and forever and ever unless they make a surprise comeback.
