REVIEW: Lucky Charms Cotton Candy Cereal

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Lucky is Lucky to have so many Lucky Charms varieties.

This Lucky Charms Cotton Candy Cereal is the unluckiest Lucky Charms cereal. I mean, come on, cotton candy flavor would’ve been a significant sidekick to the marshmallows. It had the potential to be one of the most magically delicious varieties of the oat and marshmallow cereal. Instead, it ended up being the most magnificently deficient.

What makes this cereal so disappointing is its whisper of cotton candy flavor, which is wispier than the texture of actual cotton candy. The aroma doesn’t even bring the carnival treat to mind. I can’t even say it’s a slight upgrade over the lightly sweetened coating on regular Lucky Charms oat pieces. This cereal is more cOATton candy-flavored than cotton candy-flavored. It’s so unfortunate.

The oat pieces look brown on the box, but are actually purple.

Its wispy cotton candy flavor probably should’ve been expected since the cereal’s dark purple color doesn’t scream cotton candy either. If the pieces were as blue as the blue moon marshmallows or as red as the red balloon marshmallow, they would’ve looked more convincing. Heck, if they were as purple as the purple horseshoes, they might’ve also looked the part. But that dark purple color on the box looks brown at a quick glance. Only at a closer examination do I notice the dark purple.

Purple rain. I mean, purple milk.

That coating is more color than flavor, though it does turn the milk a shade that looks like Grimace was used to clean up a spill and wrung out over my cereal bowl. The purple milk, unfortunately, is just as light on cotton candy flavor as the cereal itself.

Not even the three new unicorn marshmallows in the cereal make this worth buying. And they’re not even three different unicorn shapes, just three different unicorn colors. The only way those marshmallows could’ve improved this cereal is if the box was half or fully filled with them, since they do a better job of suggesting cotton candy flavor than the purple oat pieces do.

Lucky Charms Cotton Candy Cereal is less pleasing than the original. It’s magnificently dismissible.

Purchased Price: $5.69
Size: 18.6 oz box
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup – no milk) 140 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 230 milligrams of sodium, 30 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 11 grams of sugar (including 11 grams of added sugar), and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Cinnamon Toast Crunch Root Beer Float Cereal

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Festive box for Fourth of July

Cinnamon Toast Crunch has a long history of seasonal variants of its flagship cereal, and for the summer of 2026, it has introduced a new flavor: Root Beer Float.

(The box is decorated with red, white, and blue fireworks. Many companies this summer are introducing apple pie flavors for America250, so I’m a little surprised CTC didn’t rebrand its excellent Apple Pie Toast Crunch from fall/winter.)

Looks like Cinnamon Toast Crunch, but it isn't

I was a little skeptical because root beer and cereal don’t usually go together. But then again, I’ve enjoyed the other seasonal varieties.

And this was no exception!

Editor here: that looks like a gigantic serving of cereal

Both dry and in milk, this cereal has a distinct root beer flavor. But it still has the usual cinnamon and wheat/rice grain flavor. There’s no mistaking the root beer, but it doesn’t clash with the other elements. The texture is the same as regular CTC: crunchy, softens in milk, doesn’t get soggy that fast.

Another closeup of the cereal. Use it as your phone's wallpaper

As for the “float” part: I don’t taste a vanilla ice cream flavor, but it would be hard to detect something so mild along with the stronger flavors. But that doesn’t bother me. I figure the milk fills the creamy role of ice cream.

Would've been impressive if the milk ended up bubbly. Come on, science!

About that milk: I tried the cereal with both skim milk and 1 percent, and the 1 percent at the bottom of the bowl seemed to have a slightly stronger root beer flavor. But in either case, it wasn’t very profound, nothing like what you would get at the bottom of an actual root beer float. I’m not really disappointed, though; the cereal is the main attraction.

I'm definitely not sharing what floats my boat.

Root beer cereal sounds weird, but you needn’t be frightened. General Mills did a great job of making a cereal taste like root beer and still be enjoyable.

Purchased Price: $4.97
Size: 1 lb 2.8 oz box
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup) 170 calories, 4 grams total fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 1 gram of polyunsaturated fat, 2.5 grams of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 250 milligrams of sodium, 33 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 12 grams of sugar (including 12 grams of added sugar), and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Confetti Cheerios Cereal

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Confetti Cheerios Cereal single serve cups

Happy 85th birthday, Cheerios! Confetti is the perfect flavor to help us celebrate. I like that Cheerios approaches its Confetti flavor in the same manner as I approach a new year: with a celebratory spirit but realistic expectations.

Confetti Cheerios Cereal cup close up

Brands often use “confetti” to describe flavor in the context of other desserts, like confetti cake or confetti cookies. Because delivering dessert for breakfast isn’t really the brand’s style, Cheerios avoids alluding to extravagant sweets in its name. Yet, Confetti Cheerios aren’t just your standard O’s dressed up for a party. Available in Family Size and Standard Size boxes, as well as single-serve cups, Confetti Cheerios is sweetened and vanilla-flavored.

Confetti Cheerios Cereal in the cup

Confetti Cheerios lives up to its product description; it tastes lightly sweet with a tinge of vanilla. Although the vanilla flavor is subtle, the cereal delivers a nice balance of sweetness with wholesome oaty goodness. Imagine a less-sweet Lucky Charms or a vanilla-forward Frosted Cheerios.

Confetti Cheerios Cereal single piece with sprinkles

The “confetti” element adds pretty flecks of color, but no extra flavor and very little texture. The confetti is not the same nonpareil (or sprinkle or jimmy—pick your preferred flourish) that you would find in a baked good or candy bar. It appears to be made of the same stuff as the cereal’s base. Consider this bonus: these Cheerios contain no artificial colors or flavors.

Confetti Cheerios Cereal in milk

While the dry cereal is pleasant, the flavor tastes more vibrant in milk. I would never confuse the contents of my single-serve cereal cup with a slice of confetti cake, but the wonderful vanilla aroma may have given me pause. My opinion shifted from “I’m glad they didn’t try to name this cereal after cake” to “Eh, they could have gotten away with it.” All it took was a splash of milk.

If you’re looking for a blowout bash of flavor that will leave you sweeping up confetti for weeks, Confetti Cheerios may not be your style. As an enjoyable gathering of pleasant, well-acquainted flavors, this new addition brings some fresh fun to the breakfast table. Whether you’re turning 85 or simply getting to work on time, Confetti Cheerios make it easy to sustain the celebration.

Purchased Price: $1.00
Purchased at: Walmart
Size: 1.4 oz (39 g) single serving cup
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 150 calories, 2 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

OTHER THINGS I CONSUMED: 1/23/2026

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Liquid IV Hot Chocolate

Liquid IV Hot Chocolate

It’s cold here on this rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I’m talking high 60s to low 70s. BRRRRR. Fortunately, I had this hot chocolate mix to warm me up, which was on the clearance shelf for 50 percent off or five dollars.

Unfortunately, I used only one of the six packets in the box to keep me warm and gave the rest away because this hot drink mix is a hot mess. It smells and tastes like I’m drinking watered down hot cocoa next to a busy perfume section at Macy’s. Is that hard to believe? Yeah, it is hard to believe Macy’s is busy nowadays. There’s also a slight sourness in the aftertaste, which is what I expect from fruity Liquid I.V. flavors, but not from a hot chocolate-flavored one.

Maybe Liquid I.V. should stick with only cold drink flavors?

Swoop Peanut Butter Chip Blitz High Protein Dessert

Swoop Peanut Butter Chip Blitz High Protein Dessert

After opening the top, I saw a shimmer that made it look icy, but once I started scraping away at the top, a regular ice cream-looking level appeared.

I’ve never been a fanboy of high protein ice creams, like Halo Top and Enlightened. They were okay tasting, but didn’t wow me. However, this pint of Swoop did wow me. Not just because it’s a high protein ice cream, but it’s an ice cream that has a decent texture despite not having milk, skim milk, or cream. The only “dairy” listed is from whey protein isolate, and the first ingredient is water. It’s also made with avocado oil, and dates sweeten the chocolate. I know, all that sounds like it should be an awful product, but it’s not.

Swoop Peanut Butter Chip Blitz High Protein Dessert close up

The pint features peanut butter swirls, dark chocolate flakes, and a maybe-vanilla base. While there are some peanut butter swirls going through the middle of the pint, they were mainly on the outer rim of the dessert. But with every scoop, there was a pronounced peanut butter flavor. The chocolate flakes were plentiful, and it’s hard to believe Swoop used unsweetened chocolate, dates, and coconut oil to make them.

Like any great ice cream pint, I could’ve eaten this in one sitting.

Alani Nu Cherry Bomb Energy Drink

Alani Nu Cherry Bomb Energy Drink

I didn’t have high hopes for this zero sugar energy drink because when I searched the Target website to see if the nearest store had it in stock, I noticed its product page had an overall 3-star rating from shoppers. However, like other Alani Nu products I’ve tried, this one is great as well.

According to the brand, this energy drink is a “twist of cherry, vanilla, and cola flavors.” But it really should be rearranged to cherry, cola, and vanilla because the cherry is definitely the most prominent, followed by the cola, and somewhere there’s vanilla. However, my tongue didn’t notice it. Think of it as Cherry Coke or Wild Cherry Pepsi, but the cherry initially dominates the taste buds, then the cola comes through for a bit, and then the cherry fully rushes back in, which might be too much for some.

The Cherry Bomb name is definitely fitting. Also, I think it’s The Bomb. And with 200 milligrams, it’s also a caffeine bomb.

Dark Chocolate Reese’s Puffs Cereal

Dark Chocolate Reese’s Puffs Cereal

Our reviewer, Tiffany, covered this cereal earlier this week, and gave it a glowing review. After trying the sample General Mills sent me, I have to agree with a lot of what she said.

This cereal has a better balance between the chocolate and peanut butter flavors. It definitely makes the original Reese’s Puffs taste too peanut butter-y. I also agree with her that this should be the default Reese’s Puffs cereal. I don’t think General Mills would lose any money by doing that. Also, we don’t have to get rid of the original completely. General Mills could bring it back every so often with a graphic that calls it the “Retro Recipe.”

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REVIEW: Dark Chocolate Reese’s Puffs Cereal

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Dark Chocolate Reese’s Puffs Cereal box

Every so often, an innovation comes along that doesn’t just tweak the original but completely upstages the OG. The new Dark Chocolate Reese’s Puffs Cereal does exactly that.

Apparently, this is the first new Reese’s Puffs flavor combination since the cereal debuted in 1994?! That feels wild, considering there have been limited-edition shapes (bats, bunnies), Minis (which I loved), and other variations like Big Puffs and Peanut Butter Lovers. But flavor-wise, Reese’s Puffs has always stuck with milk chocolate…until now.

And honestly? I am obsessed. General Mills tried to position this as a “midnight snacking” cereal – something clever about dark chocolate and late-night eating – but let’s be real: I ate this all day. I had it as a snack. I had it for dinner. No regrets because this is what Reese’s Puffs should be.

Dark Chocolate Reese’s Puffs Cereal dry closeup

This version uses real Hershey’s cocoa, and you can actually see the dark chocolate cereal pieces as well as taste them. Not just “cereal chocolate” flavor. The chocolate finally pulls its weight and does the Reese’s candy justice. After eating this, the original Reese’s Puffs just taste like peanut butter puffs to me.

Dark Chocolate Reese’s Puffs Cereal and regular Reese's Puffs Cereal comparison

Texture-wise, it matches the original, meaning it doesn’t completely pulverize the roof of your mouth. From a flavor perspective, General Mills describes it as a richer, deeper take on the peanut butter and chocolate combo, and that description holds up. The cocoa-forward chocolate balances the peanut butter perfectly, and the cereal finally honors the candy. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are my all-time favorite, for the record.

Dark Chocolate Reese’s Puffs Cereal in milk closeup

I tried it both dry and with milk, and enjoyed it both ways. It doesn’t really turn the milk into peanut butter chocolate milk, but I’ll let that slide because the cereal itself tastes so good.

At first, I felt annoyed that I had to buy a giant family-size box of this new flavor. But, this is the Reese’s Puffs glow-up we didn’t know we’d been waiting nearly 30 years for.

They’ve reassured fans that the current classic isn’t going anywhere, but I’m officially petitioning for this dark chocolate version to become the new classic.

Purchased Price: $4.93
Size: 19.7 oz
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 10 out of 10

Nutrition Facts: (1 cup / 39g) 160 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 1 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 1 polyunsaturated fat, 2g of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar (including 12 grams of added sugar), and 3 grams of protein.

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