1. Dunkaroos
Ah, Dunkaroos — the holy grail of lunchbox trading. These little snack packs paired cookies with tubs of thick, sugary frosting, and yes, it was socially acceptable to eat the frosting with your fingers when the cookies ran out. General Mills discontinued them in the U.S. in 2012, which left millennials spiraling into a frosting-less existence, according to Joe Rumrill from Sporked. There was no clear reason for the cut, just corporate silence and collective sadness.
What made Dunkaroos so iconic was their perfect blend of snack and dessert. The mascots were goofy, the flavors were wild (that chocolate frosting?!), and they just made snacking fun. After a long hiatus and plenty of online begging, they finally came back in 2020. But the fact they were ever gone? Unforgivable.
2. 3D Doritos
These puffed-up, air-filled chips were like regular Doritos but with a crunch that echoed in your soul. They debuted in the late ‘90s with a whole attitude, even pulling in a young Ali Landry for their iconic Super Bowl commercial. Then — poof — they were gone by the early 2000s, with Frito-Lay giving no satisfying explanation. Just quietly discontinued like they never blew our minds with that intense texture, according to Haldan Kirsch from Tasting Table.
They did return in 2021 in a slightly updated form, but fans argue they’re not quite the same. The original shape, seasoning, and nostalgia are hard to duplicate. Plus, they were perfect for dipping without snapping — a genius design element that never got its due. Their disappearance was never really justified, and their comeback felt more like a remix than a reunion.
3. Oreo O’s Cereal
Imagine having dessert for breakfast and somehow convincing your parents it was okay. That was Oreo O’s — a cereal that looked and tasted like mini chocolate cookies with a hint of cream. Post introduced them in 1997 and they instantly became a cult hit. But by 2007, they were pulled from shelves in the U.S. due to a licensing disagreement with Kraft, according to Joseph Lamour from TODAY.
What’s wild is that they remained available in South Korea for years after. Americans had to import cereal if they wanted that sweet, crunchy nostalgia. Eventually, Post brought them back in 2017, but again — it begs the question: why take them away in the first place? Oreo O’s were the kind of over-the-top cereal that knew what it was, and that’s why we loved it.
4. Butterfinger BB’s
Made iconic by Bart Simpson himself, Butterfinger BB’s were like little flavor grenades of peanut-buttery, chocolatey goodness. They were easy to pop, easy to share (if you felt generous), and a total mess in the best way possible. Nestlé introduced them in the early ‘90s and they quickly became a movie-theater staple. But by 2006, they were yanked with no satisfying explanation, according to Dylan Murray from The Takeout.
Rumors swirled that they melted too easily and were messy to package — but honestly, that was part of the fun. They were like edible chaos. The current Butterfinger Bites just don’t scratch the same itch. BB’s had their own vibe, and their disappearance still stings.
5. Planters Cheez Balls
These neon-orange flavor bombs were peak snacking in the ‘90s. They came in that unforgettable blue canister and somehow managed to be both airy and cheesy at the same time. Kids loved ‘em, adults snuck ‘em, and the cheesy dust was practically a rite of passage. So when Planters pulled them in 2006, fans were left confused and a little betrayed.
The good news is they did come back for a limited run in 2018 after public outcry — which just proves they never should’ve left in the first place, according to Michele Debczak from Mental Floss. They were discontinued when Planters decided to shift focus to “healthier” snacks. But let’s be real: no one was eating Cheez Balls for the nutritional content. They were eating them because they were delicious, fun, and impossible to replicate.
6. Swoops
Swoops were like Pringles for candy — thin, curved chocolate pieces shaped like potato chips. Hershey’s launched them in the early 2000s and they came in varieties like Reese’s, Almond Joy, and York Peppermint Patty. It was chocolate you could stack and snack on like chips, and it somehow made eating candy feel cool and futuristic. But they flopped in sales and were discontinued around 2006.
The problem? They melted quickly and were priced higher than traditional candy bars. But those aren’t good enough reasons to ditch a snack with that much potential. Honestly, Swoops were just ahead of their time — if they launched now with a TikTok trend, they’d blow up.
7. Planters P.B. Crisps
These were bite-sized, peanut-shaped snacks with a crispy outer shell and creamy peanut butter filling — basically, peanut butter heaven in puff form. Released in the mid-1990s by Planters, they were a weirdly perfect mix of sweet and salty. Kids devoured them, adults secretly loved them, and they had a texture unlike anything else on the market. But despite their popularity, Planters discontinued them by the early 2000s without much explanation.
Ever since, they’ve had a cult following online, with petitions and fan pages begging for a comeback. The flavor was nostalgic, but the texture was the true star — light, airy, and just a little decadent. People still remember the crinkle of the foil bag and the smell that hit you when you opened it. P.B. Crisps weren’t just a snack — they were a core memory.
8. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pies
These were Hostess fruit pies filled with an inexplicable green vanilla pudding and wrapped in a bright green shell. Released in the early ‘90s during peak TMNT mania, they were part sugar rush, part marketing genius. Sure, they looked a little terrifying, but kids were obsessed. Hostess pulled them as the Turtles craze waned, but that never meant people stopped wanting them.
The flavor was weirdly addicting — that artificial vanilla was oddly comforting. And the pies doubled as both a snack and a collectible thanks to the trading cards inside. TMNT Pies were clearly a product of their time, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t have evolved. Imagine a limited-edition comeback with modern flavors — it would sell out instantly.
9. Keebler Magic Middles
Soft shortbread cookies with gooey chocolate or peanut butter filling? Yes, please. Keebler Magic Middles were like a dessert surprise party in every bite. They vanished sometime in the early 2000s, and Keebler never really explained why. Fans have been begging for their return ever since.
Magic Middles were ahead of the game when it came to stuffed cookies. In an era before Instagram-worthy cookie cross-sections, these were doing the most. Their texture was perfect: crumbly outside, melty inside. Truly a cookie that never got the respect it deserved.
10. Jell-O Pudding Pops
These creamy frozen treats were basically a dream dessert — pudding, but frozen like a popsicle. Made famous by Bill Cosby commercials in the ‘80s and ‘90s, they were a staple of hot summer afternoons. For some reason, Kraft pulled them in the early 2000s, even though they had a loyal following. There were no major complaints or controversies — just an unexplained exit.
They tried a comeback in 2004 under the Popsicle brand, but fans said they didn’t taste the same. The original texture was smoother and richer, with that satisfying snap when you bit in. Pudding Pops were a comfort food and nostalgic treat rolled into one. Their disappearance just never made sense.
11. Trix Yogurt
Colorful, swirled yogurt that tasted like candy and doubled as a lunchbox MVP. Yoplait’s Trix Yogurt came in flavors like Cotton Candy and Watermelon Burst and looked like it was created by unicorns on a sugar high. It was discontinued quietly around 2016, despite being beloved by both kids and nostalgic adults. No real reason was given, other than Yoplait “streamlining” its product line.
Which feels like a missed opportunity, especially with today’s rainbow-food obsession. Trix Yogurt didn’t pretend to be healthy — it was a fun snack, plain and simple. The flavor combinations were one-of-a-kind, and the visuals were half the experience. Its vanishing act left a swirl-shaped hole in our hearts.
12. Pepsi Blue
This electric-blue soda hit shelves in 2002 and was gone by 2004, but not because it lacked fans. Pepsi Blue tasted like berry-flavored cotton candy with a splash of cola — basically liquid chaos in the best way. It was divisive, sure, but it definitely had a devoted audience. Pepsi blamed poor sales, but it feels like they never gave it a fair shot.
The drink developed a cult following, with people scouring eBay for unopened bottles years later. Pepsi eventually brought it back for a limited run in 2021, which only proved the hype was real. It was a risk-taker of a soda, and there’s something admirable about that. Sometimes weird is wonderful, and Pepsi Blue deserved a longer ride.
13. Kudos Bars
Granola bars masquerading as candy bars — that was the magic of Kudos. They were packed with chocolate chips, drizzled with caramel, and sometimes topped with M&M’s or Snickers chunks. Introduced in the 1980s and massively popular through the ‘90s, they quietly disappeared in the mid-2010s. Mars never gave a clear explanation, other than a shift in marketing strategy.
They were the perfect lunchbox treat: felt healthy enough to pass parental approval, but decadent enough to feel like dessert. You didn’t just eat Kudos — you looked forward to them. The blend of chewy granola and candy topping was unmatched. Their disappearance still has snack lovers shaking their heads.
14. Sprite Remix
Sprite Remix was like regular Sprite’s cooler, more tropical cousin. Launched in 2003, it came in flavors like Tropical, Berryclear, and Aruba Jam — and each one felt like a beach party in a bottle. It was crisp, fruity, and somehow managed to be refreshing and fun, which is rare in the soda world. But Coca-Cola quietly discontinued it in 2005, citing lackluster sales.
Still, the fanbase was loyal, and many people still remember it as one of the best flavor experiments Sprite ever did. It made a brief comeback in 2016 as Tropical Mix, but the full Remix lineup never returned. And let’s be honest — Berryclear was the real MVP, and it deserves justice. Sprite Remix didn’t fail us… we just weren’t ready for it.
15. Crispy M&M’s (original discontinuation)
Before they made their big return, Crispy M&M’s were gone for ten whole years. Introduced in 1999, these puffed rice-filled candies had a light crunch that made them totally unique. They were discontinued in the U.S. in 2005 — not because people hated them, but reportedly because Mars wanted to simplify their product line. Fans never stopped begging for their return.
They finally came back in 2015 after relentless demand. Their comeback proved what we knew all along: they never should’ve been taken away in the first place. They were a perfect blend of texture and flavor that regular M&M’s just couldn’t match. Sometimes the crunch makes all the difference — and Crispy M&M’s had it down.
