The Monster Cereals are back!
And I know this because I received a special communiqué from Count Chocula himself saying that he and his friends Mr. Boo Berry, Franken Berry, Frute Brute and Fruity Yummy Mummy would be haunting select retailers for the next couple of months.
Most stores will have them in slick updated boxes, but through an exclusive agreement, Target is going old school and will have the monster cereals in retro boxes.
I plan on buying a couple of retro boxes just for fun, but for now I am lucky to have a box of all five cereals in the new boxes, courtesy of General Mills who sent them to us for sampling. And sample we did! Fuzz wanted in on this review, so we went a little crazy taste testing all five monster flavors.
First up was Frute Brute, which used to be spelled "Fruit Brute" and which appeared in a couple of Quentin Tarantino movies. It kind of knocks you over the head with fruit flavor, so it makes sense that Mr. Blonde and Mr. Orange would like it. I did too.
Next we tried Fruity Yummy Mummy, which tastes like cherry and orange cream. This was another cereal I somehow missed during the late eighties and nineties.
Boo Berry, the third cereal, tasted like its usual self and reminded me of my old friend, Amy, who was obsessed with it and made it a point to check every cereal aisle for it in every grocery store.
And then there was Franken Berry, which I'll be swirling around with pink milk for the next couple of weeks. I think Franken Berry is all about how it flavors the milk, though it's okay dry.
We saved Count Chocula for last because it's the best, and I hope I can keep it around long enough to try in some of Pillsbury's new monster cereal recipes. I've been really into cereal based recipes lately because most of them are no-bake and it's been over 100 degrees here. Plus they're kind of bulky and make you feel like you're eating more than you are. Do you have a favorite monster cereal or no-bake cereal recipe to help me use up all my new monster cereal? Also, if you like cereal so much you want to follow it on Facebook, here's a link to the General Mills Hello, Cereal Lovers Facebook Page. It's cute.
Anna says
I agree! I haven't compared the amounts of sugar with other cereals in the same category, but I'm guessing these have the same or maybe even less than some other "fruit" cereals. They really don't taste overly sweet in my opinion.
DreamTripper says
For those who have not heard of Frute Brute or Fruity Yummy Mummy. Frute Brute was introduced in the mid 70's, and lasted until 1984, although by then, it was not marketed in some areas. Fruity Yummy Mummy was introduced in 1988, and disappeared 4 years later. Both were reintroduced with the annual push of Monster Cereals, and both are very different from the originals. None of the 5 are near as sugary sweet as they use to be, and all actually taste pretty good.
Martha says
Talk about a blast from the past! I was a weird kid who had a difficult time gagging down sugary cereals for breakfast. (My sweet tooth developed pretty late in life.) My brother, the baby of the family, was the one who shopped with Mom and got to influence her cereal purchases. He loved Count Chocula. I must let him know about it's temporary return.
Thanks, Anna.
Adam says
So jealous... 🙁
ERIKA says
Yayyyyyyy Booooo berry time.. wooo hooo
C L says
I don't think Frute Brute or Yummy Mummy were on the shelves in San Diego but Count Chocula was my absolute favorite! My mom only allowed me to choose one sugared cereal each month so I always chose my treat with much deliberation. Somehow Count Chocula seemed to be chosen most often. 🙂 When the temperatures dip below 100 here, I think I will make Monster Crunch. 🙂
Anna says
Jennifer, I thought the Boo Berry tasted less Boo Berry this time. Maybe it was my imagination or maybe it was just overshadowed by the Frute Brute? Or maybe I just need to put some milk on the Boo Berry.
Stef, it was pretty crazy having all five flavors of monster cereal at one time. Pretty crazy, I tell you.
Stef Mysel says
That's like what we used to do as kids...go to 7-Eleven and mix up different flavors of Slurpees. Nice!
jennifer J-W says
Um, I MUST correct you; Boo Berries are THE best!
I had never even heard of Fruit Brute or Fruity Yummy Mummy.