13 Popular Snacks From The '90s We'd Like To Taste Again

Let's take a step back into the '90s when clothes were colorful, styles were bold, and junk food was designed to match the frenetic energy of this unforgettable decade. Although people were all about low-fat diets in the '90s, they didn't seem particularly concerned with the amount of sugar they consumed. The snack and cereal aisles were filled with colorful packages plastered with the popular characters of the day. If you were lucky enough to taste the snack food of this generation, you very likely have some favorites you've never forgotten.

This was a time when Martha Stewart was everywhere showing us how to make beautiful homemade meals, the Food Network launched, and the government published the "food pyramid" to help us know what to eat. Yet, it was also a time when pudding pies were covered with bright green icing, and so-called granola bars made with sugar and chocolate were branded as "healthy." Some of the '90s food and drinks from this time of national cognitive dissonance have stuck around, like Arizona Iced Tea and Bagel Bites. Others have made a triumphant return as was the case with Dunkaroos. But many are long gone, left only to our memories. Here are 13 snacks from the '90s we wish we could get a taste of again.

If a '90s kid wanted to trick their parents into letting them eat a candy bar for breakfast, they could ask for a Kudos Bar. Because it was a granola bar, it had a reputation as being a little healthier than a regular candy bar.  This was despite the fact that the granola was covered in chocolate, full of sugar, and lacking in any nutritional value. And yet, it couldn't have been much worse of a breakfast than the many sugary cereals full of brightly colored food dyes that graced the store shelves during this era.  

Launched by Mars, Incorporated in 1986, a Kudos Bar was a popular treat throughout the '90s. TV ads highlighted the nutritional value of this "healthy" snack for kids. The bars originally came in three flavors: chocolate chip, fudge, and peanut butter. Later on, Mars combined the bars with chocolate candy, including Snickers, M&M's, and Dove. It was at this point there was little denying that Kudos was a glorified candy bar. And then, without any explanation, Kudos was gone. The company never gave an official reason, but Kudos Bars were off the store shelves by 2017. Although we know these granola bars weren't healthy, we'd love to taste this sweet bar again. As one person on Reddit sums it up, "I still think about these way more than anyone should ever think about discontinued snacks."

The '90s were a strange time. On the one hand, you could eat tiny cookies in milk for breakfast. On the other hand, companies were marketing based on the health craze sweeping the country. Crystal Pepsi was Pepsi's attempt at offering a slightly healthier version of Pepsi. The company took out the added caramel coloring from Pepsi and added modified cornstarch in its place. This produced Crystal Pepsi, which was a carbonated soda that was completely clear, like a Sprite, yet still tasted like Pepsi. It also had slightly less sugar than the original version.

It's hard to believe, but Crystal Pepsi's run only lasted from 1992 until the beginning of 1994. Despite this, Crystal Pepsi has lived on in the memories of many a '90s kid. Some people loved it and some people hated it, but most people remember it despite its short life. The drink did come back in 2022 for a brief run, but it wasn't sold in stores. Pepsi held a contest giving 300 winners six 20-ounce bottles of Crystal Pepsi. Those winners were the last people to have had a chance to taste a clear version of Pepsi.

Keebler Munch'ems were yet another attempt by corporations at making a "healthy" snack food. Because they were "baked, not fried," as the TV commercial said, they found their way into many a '90s kid's lunchbox. The box said they were, "crackers that crunch like chips," and they did have a satisfying crunch when you bit into them. The crackers were thin and light but full of flavor. They came in several variations including sour cream and onion, cheddar, and ranch.

It's hard to understand why these tasty little crackers would be discontinued, but they were off store shelves by the early 2000s. However, you can find something similar made by Cheez-It. Cheez-It Grooves may be a decent substitution for Munch'ems with this Redditor saying, "the texture and flavor is very similar to the original grooved Munch'ems." Fans have also found Ritz Toasted Chips in Sour Cream & Onion to have a similar taste and crunch to the original Munch'ems.

A '90s kid couldn't help but feel overjoyed upon finding Jell-O Pudding Pops in their freezer when searching for a snack. Jell-O Pudding Pops grew popular in the 1980s, and this popularity continued into the '90s.

Despite the success of Pudding Pops through the '80s and '90s, the company that owned Pudding Pops (General Mills), was not in the frozen treat business. It cost General Mills more money to make frozen pops than they were getting back in profit. In 2004, they sold Pudding Pops to Popsicle. If you tried a pudding pop made by Popsicle, we're sorry to inform you that it just wasn't the same. Unfortunately, something changed and the flavor and texture were different. The pops even lost their unique pudding pop shape and were made using regular popsicle molds. The Popsicle brand of Pudding Pops is no longer made today.

The good news is that although you can't buy a box of pudding pops today, you can easily make your own. Stir up a batch of pudding and freeze it into popsicle molds, and you've got your own homemade pudding pops. They may not taste exactly the same as the boxed version, but they'll be good.

Breakfast was just more fun in the '90s. Even healthy foods were dressed up to be exciting for kids. In 1989, General Mills launched Oatmeal Swirlers with a TV commercial showing kids could play with their morning oatmeal by "giving it a swirl." Oatmeal Swirlers was plain oatmeal with a squeeze pack of jelly to be squeezed on top in any shape you wanted. Parents could be happy their kids were eating oatmeal and kids could be happy to play with their food. The squeeze packs came in various flavors such as chocolate, strawberry, and cherry.

Parents who knew a gimmick when they saw one, offered their kids regular oatmeal with a jar of jelly or some strawberry syrup. But kids knew, there wasn't anything quite the same as pouring a squeeze pack of super sweet jelly over instant oatmeal that came in a fun package. People on Reddit are nostalgic remembering it with one person saying, "So glad other people remember this stuff!!! Wish they would make it again!!!" Sadly, Oatmeal Swirlers didn't make it out of the '90s and haven't been seen since.

The number of copycat Philadelphia Cheesecake Snack Bars on the internet tells you that people really miss these tasty snacks. These refrigerated treats were made with a soft cheesecake topping over a graham cracker base. You could get them in classic cream cheese, or with a luscious row of strawberry filling down the middle. There were other flavors as well, such as white chocolate raspberry cheesecake and chocolate chip. We realize these bars weren't released until 1999 and we're pushing it a little by calling it a '90s treat. Yet, technically it counts, and it's too good of a snack not to mention.

Kraft discontinued the bars around the mid-2000s never to be seen again. One person posted on Reddit that Philadelphia Snack Bars are, "still the best thing I've ever tasted." While this commenter agreed saying, "My mom hid these in the back of the fridge but I always found them." Moms hiding these bars from their kids seemed to be a common theme back in the day. 

The snack bars may be gone now, but if you enjoy baking you can search the internet for some of the many copycat recipes out there and give it a go. Of course, it won't bring back the same feeling as tearing open a box of these and devouring one as you're hiding from your mom. However, it will likely bring back some nostalgic feelings all the same.

Although sugary cereals took over grocery store breakfast shelves in the '90s, some parents refused to buy the nutritionally defunct (and likely overpriced) cereals for their kids. If you were lucky enough to have a parent who let you choose your morning cereal (or you were visiting a friend's house with less strict rules) you may have had the delight of eating cinnamon buns with milk for breakfast. Kellogg's Cinnamon Mini Buns cereal was launched in 1991, and in an attempt to win over parents, was marketed as a "healthy" choice for breakfast. The TV ad for the cereal described it as part of a "complete breakfast." Print ads described the cereal for kids as, "just corn and whole grain oats and plenty of the cinnamon crunchy taste they love."

Cinnamon Mini Buns cereal didn't last long. It was only on the market for about two years before it was discontinued. While it's not exactly the same, the concept of mini cinnamon rolls as a cereal is still around today. There was a Cinnabon cereal made by Kellogg's that came and went several times, but it's discontinued as of today. However, General Mills makes a Cinnamon Toast Crunch Rolls breakfast cereal which looks somewhat similar to the original.

Everyone knows bite-sized snacks are just more fun. Following the footsteps of candy such as M&M's and Reese's Pieces, in 1992 Nestle's Butterfinger released Butterfinger BB's, a bb-sized version of their popular candy bar. However, by 2006, you could no longer buy a pack of Butterfinger BB's. People loved the round chocolate candies, however, their downfall may have had something to do with the meltable outer chocolate coating. Unlike M&M's candy, which doesn't melt in your hands, BB's could turn into a sticky mess in no time at all on even a slightly warm day.

Despite the mess, people really miss this candy. This Redditor said, "The Butterfinger BB's are among the most sorely missed candies of the '90s. They had a classic buttery and crunchy goodness that could make a simple movie and popcorn experience better." BB's gained even more popularity after a marketing campaign featuring "The Simpsons." But today, they are no more. The only slightly close product is Butterfinger Bites, but they lack the ball shape and aren't the same product at all.

This '90s snack was so beloved that an entire Facebook group dedicated to bringing it back exists. In the group, users try, but mostly fail, to find a substitute for the old Keebler Pizzarias Pizza Chips. The reason it's so hard to find a replacement is that these weren't merely pizza-flavored chips. These chips were made with real pizza dough and came in several flavors: Cheese Pizza, Zesty Pepperoni, and Pizza Supreme.

Although the Keebler elves claimed it "tastes like real pizza" in the 1991 TV commercial, Pizzarias didn't actually taste like pizza. But that doesn't mean they weren't delicious. As this person said on the Facebook group, "Pizzerias were amazing. I can never forget their flavor. It's burned into memory." Keebler Pizzarias disappeared from store shelves in the early 2000s when Keebler Foods was acquired by Kellogg. Despite fans remembering the chip and begging for its return, there is nothing quite the same on the market today.

Orbitz is a beverage that was simply ahead of its time. Today tapioca pearls, popping boba, and fruit jellies are all the rage in bubble tea. But in the '90s, it wasn't a normal thing to have orbs floating around in your drink. Orbitz copied the lava lamp resurgence of the '90s, putting its drink inside lava lamp-shaped bottles, with floating gel balls. It came in a variety of unique flavors including vanilla orange, black currant berry, and raspberry citrus. If you were around in the '90s, you might be surprised to learn this drink was only on store shelves for about a year from 1997 to 1998. But its short life span didn't stop people from forming strong memories surrounding the beverage.

While it may remind you of boba tea, it wasn't quite the same. The balls weren't made from tapioca, but instead, were made from gellan gum and the surrounding liquid was about the same density in order to keep the balls afloat. Some people loved it, others hated it. Today, there is a lot of nostalgia surrounding Orbitz and you can even find unopened bottles for sale on eBay. Although most people use the bottles as decorations, you can watch people drinking really old bottles of it on YouTube.

For decades, the Planters brand only sold peanuts. It wasn't until the '80s that they branched out by selling cashews. In 1992, the company again tried something new with a sweet snack, and Planters P.B. Crisps was launched. It was a peanut-shaped cookie made of graham crackers with a peanut butter cream interior. And it was delicious. They also came in chocolate and peanut butter and jelly flavors. Sadly, these sweet treats were only around for a few years in the mid-'90s.

Unlike many of the other discontinued items on our list, the people at Planters at least responded to people's cries for more. In 2017, Jim at Planters said on X (it was still Twitter at the time), "We appreciate the love for P.B. Crisps, unfortunately, there was not enough consumer demand for us to continue producing it. TY!" It's hard to believe P.B. Crisps suffered low sales when so many today are trying to get the snack to return (there is even a "bring back Planters P.B. Crisps" website.) The website lays out its case for why Hormel Foods (the company that owns Planters today) should bring back P.B. Crisps describing them as an, "utterly delectable mid-'90s snack food." Since we haven't heard anything more from the people at Planters, it's unlikely we'll see P.B. Crisps anytime soon on store shelves.

In the mid-'80s, Hostess added to their popular fruit pie line, a pie filled with pudding instead of fruit. Hostess pudding pies were a hit among kids with one Redditor reminiscing, "They had these in our school cafeteria. It was literally a horse race to get in line to get one before they ran out for the day! Loved, loved, loved these!" The regular pudding pies came in flavors like chocolate and vanilla. However, Hostess outdid itself when it collaborated with the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" franchise for a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Pie.

The only difference in the TMNT pie from the regular vanilla pudding pie was the addition of a very bright green icing that covered the snack. The hugely popular "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" combined with a pudding pie was an instant success. This Redditor said, "I'm 41 and I remember these well. Can literally taste them just by seeing the picture." Sadly, the green Ninja Turtle pies were only meant to be around for a limited release and left the scene shortly after they showed up.

As for the regular Hostess pudding pies, they disappeared around the time the TMNT pies were launched. Today, you can still buy Hostess fruit pies, and some other brands make different forms of pudding pies, but nothing is quite the same as the old-school Hostess Pudding Pie. We'll end it with this Facebook commenter who said, "These Hostess pudding pies just hit different."

Betty Crocker's Sodalicious Soda Pop Fruit Snacks were more than just a soda-flavored gummy candy, but had a sugary coating on the outside which was meant to "pop" in your mouth just like a can of soda, according to the General Mills Archives Team. Launched in 1991, the original candies even came with scratch 'n sniff stickers in each pack. Although Sodalicious fruit snacks were "made with real fruit," the flavors were based on sodas like root beer, orange, and cherry cola.

Sadly, the fruit snacks were discontinued in the late '90s. Redditors still recall them fondly, with one person remembering, "You had to bite the top off the bottle and pretend you were drinking it, of course." While another Redditor said, "They're fantastic, the texture is like a gummy/ Swedish berry/ fruit snack. The root beer ones were the best imo."

According to the General Mills Archives Team, Betty Crocker still receives fan requests to bring the candies back. Unfortunately, there is no word or mention of their return.