We will always hold a special place in our hearts for these discontinued brands. But gone are the days of blue tongues and sugar rushes and squeezable everything (literally, everything).
Creme Savers
Your grandparents probably kept a couple in their purse or in one of those glass candy jars that no one really ever wanted anything to do with.
Reddit commenters have been wondering where they went, mourning the loss of their favorite unhealthy childhood candy. These were a real favorite for grandchildren everywhere.
Apparently, though, searching for “strawberry cream hard candy” or “orange cream hard candy” might yield some similar candies. It’s not the same, but it’ll do.
Crystal Pepsi
Ever taken a sip of Pepsi and thought, “Wow, I really wish it was clear”? You probably haven’t, but in the ’90s, that could’ve been a reality.
This was a huge flop, which may not come as a surprise. It only lasted a few years before being promptly pulled off of shelves and collectively forgotten.
The allure of a clear soda still captivated some people, however. In 2022, PepsiCo gave away free bottles of Crystal Pepsi as part of an online challenge.
Oreo O’s Cereal
Oreo O’s cereal was a breakfast cereal that had the same taste of Oreo cookies but instead put into a cereal bowl. Sadly it’s no longer with us.
Despite its popularity, Oreo O’s was discontinued in the United States in 2007. This was due to the split made between Kraft and Post cereals.
The return of Oreo O’s was incredibly exciting and has proven the lasting impact and affection consumers had for this unique cereal.
Altoid Sours
Altoid sours were incredibly popular when they were first introduced to the market. The idea of a candy-like mint was very appealing.
The exact reasons behind the discontinuation of Altoids Sours have not been publicly shared and many wonder still today why this is.
Today, Altoids Sours are fondly remembered by those who enjoyed their unique, puckering flavor. We all remember the legendary “tart face”.
Surge
Surge soda was a citrus-flavored soft drink introduced by The Coca-Cola Company in 1996, and became incredibly popular.
However, despite its initial popularity, Surge experienced a decline in sales by the early 2000s. This could be due to people looking to be more healthy.
Surge’s journey from it being removed to it being a cult classic and back to store shelves serves as a testament to its unique place in soda infamy.
Planters’ Cheez Balls
You know Planters — the brand with that monocled peanut man. Well, they used to sell more than just peanuts. That is, they did until 2006.
Cheez Balls were a ’90s kid fave, right alongside Planters’ Cheez Powder. When they joined the ranks of discontinued brands in the early 2000s, it was a sad, sad day.
Luckily, the best things come to those who wait! In 2018, Cheez Balls made a comeback, and these delicious snacks were eventually reinstated the following year.
Keebler Tato Skins
This snack is a throwback for all the ’80s kids. Keebler first released these in 1985 and continued to promote them throughout the next decade.
Of course, they weren’t actually potato skins. That’d be hard to sell in a box. No, these were chips, made from dehydrated potato skins and flavored.
But don’t worry, these chips aren’t gone for good, thankfully. In the 2000s, they were actually resurrected at TGI Friday’s, though with admittedly less flavoring.
Dino Pebbles Cereal
Dino Pebbles had vanilla-flavored flakes and dinosaur-shaped marshmallows, all different colors. They came in orange, purple, green, and yellow, specifically. All of the tastiest colors.
Since this cereal was pretty unique, it makes sense that it would only be available for a limited time. Still, they improved upon it a lot.
For example, they added in different types of marshmallows — like palm trees, surfboards, etc — as well as new dinosaurs. You just can’t find that kind of quality nowadays.
Dweebs Candy
Sorry, Dweebs. Nerds had you beat. In an interesting marketing move in the ’90s, the Willy Wonka candy company released the two (very similar) candies side-by-side.
They weren’t exactly alike, though. For one thing, Dweebs were a little larger. They were also chewier, and came in three flavors: strawberry, orange, and cherry.
They only lasted for a few years before getting the boot later on in the decade. Now, it’s like they never existed. But we still remember.
3D Doritos
These ’90s go-tos were sort of like Doritos and Bugles’ wacky love child. That sounds pretty good…and obviously, it was. Who could resist trying them?
They were open on the inside, and sort of round, so you could put them on your fingertips and eat them off. They were kind of silly-looking but absolutely delicious.
They also came in plenty of flavors, like Nacho Cheese and Zesty Ranch. Later kicked to the curb, they were kind of redesigned in 2015 as Doritos Jacked.
Fundamiddles
Described as a “graham cracker coating with chocolate or vanilla in the middle,” this snack was beloved for its explosion of flavor. They came in chocolate, vanilla, and peanut butter.
There’s an old commercial for the stuff that really hits you over the head — literally — about the “big taste in the middle.” Oh, baby, are these good, though!
Instagram proves that people still like these OG snacks, because people are still making them in their updated reincarnated state — from a cupcake mix by the same name.
Hi-C Ecto Cooler
Not only did it feature that seminal green goblin from Ghostbusters, it contained probably the sweetest, most terrible-for-you green juice substance on the market. Yum!
It says it contains just 10 percent fruit juice. It was the nectar of the childhood gods, but sadly it stopped haunting us — get it? — around 2001.
We are sure your teeth thank you for taking a break from this delicious and sugary drink. But there’s no harm in looking back fondly on its existence.
Reptar Crunch
Looking to dunk your favorite dinosaur into a bowl of milk and go to town on about a million milligrams of sugar? Sure you are! Remember this super-sweet Rugrats-inspired cereal?
Unfortunately for Rugrats fans — but fortunately for anyone even remotely concerned about their health — this confection was taken from us. It was around 2008, which seems late.
The good news is that we still have Rugrats. So although you can no longer enjoy that tasty cereal and other discontinued brands, you can still enjoy some classic cartoons!
Clearly Canadian
This chic bottle of sparkling water was big-time popular when we were kiddos (the ’80s and ’90s). We saw people drinking it at adult parties or wherever the soda wasn’t!
It seemed fancy and definitely stood out amidst all the sugary drinks lining the shelves. In the ’90s it was even featured in shows like Sex and the City.
It stopped being produced around 2011 but was brought back into action in 2015 due to popular demand! Go get yourself some! Everyone loves some sparkling water.
Nestle Wonder Ball
Remember this oldie but goodie? It was sort of like the ’90s version of Kinder Surprise. When you opened it, it contained some sort of surprise toy or sticker.
It worked so well, you can still get toys and games with your fast food. Nixed in ’97, then brought back in 2000, it was killed off again in 2007.
An urban legend says that the product was discontinued because a child choked and died, but there was no confirmation that the discontinuation was due to choking allegations.
Bubble Tape
You probably carried one of these bad boys in your Jansport backpack. Or maybe you stole a tab of gum from a friend in the cafeteria.
There was nothing like popping open that hot pink lid and pulling out six feet of bubble gum. In its heyday, one million bubble tapes were pumped out weekly.
It’s been greatly scaled back, but you can still find it here and there if you look hard enough. See how much you can fit in your mouth at once!
Squeeze Pop
This horrifying tube of liquid came in a variety of flavors like Watermelon and Cherry. Somehow, it was sold in stores to parents who would purchase this for their kids.
It truly is confounding. This was absolutely jacked with sugar. It’s safe to assume this was a big contributor to health issues for the kids of the ’80s and ’90s.
All you did was pop it open and squeeze it into your mouth. Now we know why we got so many cavities from this and other discontinued brands.
Squeezeit
The ’90s definitely had a preoccupation with squeezing sugary stuff out of tubes, huh? Kids had fridges packed with these brightly-colored drinks that you had to squeeze.
Cut from the market in 2001, this violently sugary favorite (remember twisting that cap?) is but a memory today. However, there are rumors of a petition to bring it back.
A super old-school Squeezeit commercial just showed a bunch of kids going gaga. Meanwhile, the backing track sings, “The squeeze is on, the squeeze is on.”
Lollipop Paint Shop
Whichever executive decided that it’s totally, 100 percent okay to sell a paintbrush children dip into pure sugar was…a genius? Evil? An evil genius?
This was a marketing ploy that was really thought through but not with nutrition in mind. It seems to be a common theme among ’80s and ’90s discontinued foods.
We’re glad society has educated themselves on the risks associated with sugar. There’s no way eating pure sugar could be good for anyone (even if it’s A LOT of fun!).
Shark Bites
Remember tearing open a bag of “ferocious” Shark Bites to find the one white shark that tasted sort of different (chalkier) than the other sharks? Yeah, we remember it too.
This 1988 fruit snack would later eliminate the white sharks, which was sad. Some of them were even shaped like shark teeth, which was pretty cute!
Apparently, this snack is still sort of in circulation in some places, but the candies are different and so are the ingredients. Life truly isn’t fair.
Yogos
These yummy yogurt-covered balls were so beloved that people recently tweeted their parent brand, Kellogg’s, with some nostalgic feelings. Can you really blame them? We can’t.
Kellogg’s actually wrote back, saying the following. “While there are still no plans to bring them back, we greatly appreciate your continued loyalty to this product!”
Just like many of your favorite snacks, we hear there’s a black market for them on the internet. But we wouldn’t vouch for their freshness.
SweeTart Shockers
We all know about SweeTarts, which are tart and tangy little candies that pack your mouth with a sour punch. And they can work great as chalk.
Over on Reddit, though, people are swooning in their memories of SweeTart Shockers. These super-sour candies destroyed kids’ tastebuds the world over, and they were beloved for it.
We hear Canada brought them back from the candy dead as SweeTarts Chewy Sours, though. Oh, and because the 1990s, these were also available in squeezable tubes, as well.
The Green Ketchup at Burger King
OK, so this isn’t a snack, but its mythology is so good that we had to include it. People have missed this green Heinz ketchup from chains in the ’90s.
This Heinz EZ Squirt Ketchup in Blastin Green was popular for a while, but apparently, “Kids tired of it…” Hey, hey, hey, speak for yourselves!
It was also stated that “moms got tired of seeing two or three half-finished ketchup bottles lying around in the fridge.” Remember that? We do.
Sour Patch Kids Popsicles
These were everything and more — sour, sugary, tangy, and fun to eat. Popsicle? Check. Sour Patch Kids? Check! It’s understandable that people would panic if these were going extinct!
The rumors of just that happening swirled in 2022, but luckily, Sour Patch Kids are actually still with us today. The company that makes them has confirmed as much. Phew!
What was your favorite childhood snack? Is it still around? Better question: Have you bought expired packages of it on eBay? Don’t worry, we won’t tell.
Skittles Bubble Gum
Skittles Bubble Gum was popular in the ’90s and early 2000s, but it has since vanished. It had the same flavors as regular Skittles but a chewier chew.
Honestly, this seems like a dream come true. Even though they were discontinued back in 2006, we still want them to make a comeback in the future.
There was no huge reason as to why they were discontinued. They just weren’t as popular as Skittles wanted them to be. Maybe a limited release?
Hershey’s Kissables
These were pretty genius. Instead of being wrapped in the traditional foil, these chocolates were coated with candy. They were also tinier than regular Kisses and multicolored.
While any kid in the 2000s knows exactly what these are, they actually didn’t last very long. In fact, they only lasted four years (2005 to 2009).
After two years, they changed the formula, removing cocoa butter. This was meant to cheapen the cost of production, but ended up ruining the product.
Swoops
Who doesn’t love a good chocolate candy? Swoops were made by Hershey’s, shaped like potato chips, and came in a myriad of flavors, most notably Reese’s peanut butter.
While Swoops have their fans, the overall product was unsatisfying, lasting only three years (2003 to 2006). The shape confused people about whether they were chips or chocolates.
Now that they’re gone, though, people seem to miss them. Redditors have been lamenting the loss of this discontinued snack, wondering where their favorite 2000s novelty went.
Pizzarias Pizza Chips
Unlike some of the other snacks here, Pizzarias were really popular back in their day. Launched by Keebler in the early ’90s, they were among their best-sellers.
If they were so popular, then what happened? Well, when big changes were made at the Keebler company, Pizzarias suffered the consequences. Poor little Pizzarias!
Just because they’re gone, though, doesn’t mean that they’re forgotten. If you can believe it (and we sure can) a Facebook page with over 7,000 likes is dedicated to their revival.
Go Tarts
No, they weren’t a terrifying, disgusting cross between Pop-Tarts and Gogurt (thank god). They were actually meant to be more portable than your standard Pop-Tart.
Apparently, regular Pop-Tarts weren’t portable enough, although we certainly remember pocketing a few before school. These were smaller, slimmer, and more rectangular, like a Fig Newton’s much cooler cousin.
These burned out pretty quickly. They were created in 2006 and discontinued in 2008. Turns out, people like Pop Tarts just the way they are.
Reese’s Bites
Truffle-like in shape, Reese’s Bites had all the goodness of peanut butter cups packed into a tiny ball. Despite their goodness, they only lasted a few years.
Reese’s Bites were released in the late ’90s. Honestly, you’d expect a snack like this to last longer, but no such luck. They were discontinued in 2003.
So, what gives? Apparently, the ball shape, combined with the small size, made for a choking hazard. Reese’s Minis are a fine replacement, but we still miss these.
Pillsbury Waffle Sticks
If you were a 2000s kid, you probably begged your mom to buy these for breakfast. They were pretty self-explanatory — stick-shaped waffles! — and they were perfect.
They also came with little syrup packets to dunk them into, basically making them the ideal snack. While they were an early 2000s staple, they suddenly vanished.
Nobody seems to know why that is. They were discontinued later that decade and never heard from since. If they return, they’re sure to make a syrupy splash.
Sprite Remix
In the early 2000s, soda superstar Sprite Remix was born. True to its name, it expanded upon regular Sprite, launching new flavors like Tropical and Berryclear.
Even though it was popular during its time, it was quietly discontinued. Unless you grew up during that time, you’ll probably never experience the refreshing taste of a Sprite Remix.
It was rolled back in 2005. Some people blame concerns over the ultra-high sugar content, while others called it a dying fad. Either way, it probably won’t return.
Twizzlers Sourz
If you love sour candy, then you probably remember these. Twizzlers Sourz were released in 2004, though they only lasted a tragically short two years.
These candies were multicolored, small versions of regular Twizzlers, coated with a sour, sugary flavoring. They came in four flavors: blue raspberry, green apple, cherry, and strawberry.
At the end of the day, they just didn’t cut it when it came to their sales. Brands like Sour Patch Kids and Warheads already dominated the sour candy market.
Fruitopia
Now this is a blast from the past. Fruitopia first hit supermarket shelves in 1994, after a health craze demanded better alternatives to traditional sodas.
Coca-Cola’s answer to all this demand was Fruitopia. This “healthy” but sweet fruit drink came in multiple flavors, like Grape Beyond, Citrus Consciousness, and Raspberry Psychic Lemonade.
While kids really loved this one, sales unfortunately dwindled as we entered the late ’90s. After a high-profile lawsuit accusing Coca-Cola of bribery, Fruitopia was eventually discontinued.
Hubba Bubba Soda
Combine bubblegum and soda, and you’ve got one heck of a product. At least, that’s what Wrigley thought in the 1980s. And to be fair, they weren’t entirely wrong.
This pink soda had a distinct bubblegum flavor, and it hit the market around 1988 to much fanfare. As with many similar items, however, the novelty wore off.
There doesn’t seem to be any big reason why they were discontinued. They simply petered out of existence sometime in the ’90s. But we’ll always remember it.
OK Soda
In an effort to make bored teens and young adults buy soda, Coca-Cola launched “OK Soda” in the early ’90s. It’s an interesting choice of name for a new brand.
Apparently, the soda’s flavor matched its name. Unlike some of the other items here, OK Soda just wasn’t that good. It was discontinued shortly after.
Nowadays, it’s unlikely that anyone really remembers OK Soda. It was a bizarre product, that’s for sure. There’s little to no chance for its return.
Dr. Pepper Berries and Cream
Berries? Delicious. Cream? Sweet! In soda? Um…what? Yeah, you heard that right. While cream soda is iconic, berries and cream just sounds wrong for a fizzy drink.
This wasn’t just a novelty drink, either. Dr. Pepper fully intended this flavor to be a permanent member of their lineup. We wonder if they did any market testing.
Unsurprisingly, this didn’t pan out. The soda was a tremendous flop. It was released in 2006 and didn’t even make it until the end of the year.
Cheetos Twisted Puffs
In 2002, PepsiCo released a puffed Cheeto with an, ahem, twist. See what we did there? Anyway, these were basically the same as Cheeto Puffs, only twisted.
They lasted a whole decade, before their discontinuation in 2012. They’re one of the only snacks on here to reach the 2010s. You go, little puffs!
Needless to say, people are upset about this. There’s a Change.org petition with over 2,000 signatures demanding their return. We doubt it’ll do anything, to be honest.