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- Halloween cereal season is here, and stores are stocking all the classics, including Count Chocula.
- I've tried all of the spooky cereals I could get my hands on and ranked them.
- The limited-edition Monster Mash is my favorite with elements of all of the classic monster cereals.
I have a problem. I can't resist walking down the cereal aisle of every store as I search for the latest spooky cereals. If I find something I haven't tried before, three or four boxes of it go in the cart.
Since we're deep into October, my pantry has runneth over with limited edition Halloween cereals. My kids are begging me to let them have some, but this is my thing. Plus, it's still socially acceptable for them to go door-to-door threatening people with tricks for free candy. Get out there and work for your sugar, kids!
If you want to make your kids jealous (or ok, even share with them), here are the best Halloween breakfast cereals in my professional opinion.
James Brains/Insider
Monster Mash Cereal, available at Target, $3.79
Monster Mash is basically the spooky cereal version of the 1980s country supergroup The Highwaymen. Only, Monster Mash has an extra member. New for 2021 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of monster cereals, Monster Mash combines the best aspects of classics Count Chocula, Franken Berry, and Boo Berry as well as short-lived Yummy Mummy and Frute Brute. Together, they form the best Halloween cereal I've ever had. The fruitiness takes center stages, specifically strawberry and blueberry. But, you can also taste the chocolatey Chocula influence. Overall, the ensemble plays well together for a balanced delectable treat.
Rating: 🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃/10
Some nutritional info: 27% sugar by weight, main ingredient is whole grain corn, 2g fiber and protein
Second place: Chocolate Frosted Flakes with Spooky MarshmallowsJames Brains/Insider
Frosted Flakes Chocolate Cereal with Spooky Marshmallows, available at Target, $3.79
This is another cereal I hadn't tried before. I'm a fan of classic Frosted Flakes. I might even go so far as to say they're grrrreat. The Chocolate with Spooky Marshmallows version is the most sugar-packed cereal I tested. The marshmallow shapes are a ghost, bat, and Frankenstein's monster. They didn't scare me at all, but I'm a grown man. I mostly enjoyed the flavor: a strong chocolate flavoring with sugary marshmallow bursts. The Spooky Frosted Flakes appeared to have more marshmallows than the other cereals on this list, and with its excess chocolate, it did the best job of flavoring the leftover milk. I also appreciated that the box keeps you entertained for the duration of your dining experience. For instance, did you know that ghosts eat breakfast in the "moaning"?
Rating: 👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻/10
Some nutritional info: 43% sugar, main ingredient is milled corn, <1g fiber, 2g protein
Third place: Reese's Puffs BatsJames Brains/Insider
Reese's Bats Cereal, available at Target, $3.79
Is there a better candy brand than Reese's? Not in my book. I snatch up anything Reese's. I still have some unopened boxes of the limited edition Travis Scott Reeses Puffs. When I found out Reese's Puffs Bats were a thing, I scoured local stores. The bats taste exactly the same as normal Reese's Puffs, which is fine by me. Reese's Puffs Bats has an evenly balanced combination of peanut butter-flavored bats and chocolate-flavored bats. I like that the sweetness isn't overbearing. Interesting fact: This is the only cereal on our list that doesn't have marshmallows.
Rating: 🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇/10
Some nutritional info: 31% sugar, main ingredient is whole grain corn, has peanuts, 2g fiber, 3g protein
Honorable mention: Count ChoculaJames Brains/Insider
Count Chocula Cereal, available at Amazon, $3.79
Based on an informal survey of my foodie group and Google search volume, Count Chocola is the most popular spooky cereal. It's also the oldest (a title it shares with Franken Berry). It will always hold a special place in my heart. Consisting of chocolatey whole grain corn bits and marshmallow pieces, Count Chocula is my favorite of General Mills' monster cereals. Specifically, I like that it turns the leftover milk into chocolate milk so you get an extra treat.
Rating: 🧛♀️🧛♀️🧛♀️🧛♀️🧛♀️🧛♀️🧛♀️/10
Some nutritional info: 33% sugar, main ingredient is whole grain corn, 1g fiber and protein
Honorable mention: Froot Loops with Spooky MarshmallowsJames Brains/Insider
Froot Loops Marshmallow Breakfast Cereal, available at Amazon, $10.09
My neighbor had a rough day last week, and he just offhandedly mentioned that he could go for some Froot Loops. I (begrudgingly) gave him a bowl of this, and his mood improved dramatically. I'm a fan of Froot Loops, and the spooky marshmallows just add to the flavorpalooza. However, I don't like that it contains wheat since I have to go easy on gluten. Also, the games and jokes on the box are the exact same as the ones on Frosted Flakes and Apple Jacks.
Rating: 🧟♂️🧟♂️🧟♂️🧟♂️🧟♂️🧟♂️🧟♂️ /10
Some nutritional info: 38% sugar, main ingredient is sugar, contains wheat, 2g fiber and protein
Honorable mention: Apple Jacks with Spooky MarshmallowsJames Brains/Insider
Apple Jacks Marshmallow Breakfast Cereal, available at Target, $3.79
Apple Jacks with Spooky Marshmallows is remarkably similar to the Froot Loops. They have the same bat, ghost, and Frankenstein's monster marshmallows and two colors of O-shaped corn/wheat bits. The difference is in the flavoring of the bits. The Apple Jacks taste more like apples. If you prefer Apple Jacks to Froot Loops in general, you may want to go with this instead of our #5 pick.
Rating: 🕷🕷🕷🕷🕷🕷/10
Some nutritional info: 41% sugar, main ingredient is sugar, contains wheat, 2g fiber and protein
Honorable mention: Boo BerryJames Brains/Insider
Boo Berry Cereal, available at Amazon, $3.79
Boo Berry was introduced in 1973, two years after its Franken Berry and Count Chocula comrades. I will gladly chow down on Boo Berry if the above options aren't available, but I think it suffers from low sugar content. After eating a bowl of the spooky Frosted Flakes, Boo Berry tastes bland in comparison. Still, if you love blueberry-flavored sweets and want a relatively low-sugar sugary cereal, Boo Berry is the way to go.
Rating: 🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡/10
Some nutritional info: 26% sugar, main ingredient is whole grain corn, 1g fiber and protein
Last place: Franken BerryJames Brains/Insider
Franken Berry Cereal, available at Target $4.29
Please don't email me to tell me that it should be called "Frankenstein's Monster Berry." We are dealing with a portmanteau here, and for all we know, "Franken" is short for "Frankenstein's Monster." That said, this is essentially the same cereal as Boo Berry, only it's vaguely strawberry-flavored rather than blueberry. If the strawberry flavor was more pronounced, I'd rate this higher, but as it is, it's too mild. Still, I hide the box from my kids.
Rating: ⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️/10
Some nutritional info: 26% sugar, main ingredient is whole grain corn, 1g fiber and protein
source https://www.businessinsider.com/best-halloween-cereals