11 Discontinued Fruit Snacks We'd Love To Make A Comeback

There are plenty of things from our childhood that we would love to make a comeback: TV shows, toys, games. However, nothing delivers a "blast from the past" quite like a favorite food item from your youth. From dipping a Dunkaroo cookie into icing to chowing down on sugary cereal (with fun prizes in the box!) while watching Saturday morning cartoons, food links us back to earlier, simpler times. That being said, fruit snacks loom especially large in many people's childhood memories, especially during the '80s and '90s.

From gummies to fruit rolls, fruit snacks were a childhood lunchbox staple. Advertised as containing real fruit, parents likely favored them as a cleaner, easier way to get kids to eat fruit and have a healthier treat during the day. Healthier is debatable, as most fruit snacks were loaded with sugar. Nonetheless, kids loved them all the same for the sweet flavors and fun presentations, so they made frequent appearances at lunchtime and snacktime. Some, like Fruit Roll-Ups, are still around today. Others have been discontinued and gone to that great supermarket shelf in the sky.

These Kellogg creations were a lunchbox and snacktime classic between their launch in 2005 and their discontinuation in 2010. Unlike other popular fruit snacks of the era, Yogos stood out with its chewy, yogurt shell concealing a fruity candy center, and its appearance as tiny, round balls that were perfect for popping into your mouth. Kids loved the texture and fruity flavors, so why did they fall from glory after just half a decade of existence?

Coming out of the diet crazes of the 1980s and 1990s, when people tried outlandish regimes like the Beverly Hills Diet to lose weight, most consumers associated yogurt with being a healthier choice. With "yogurty" prominently featured on the front of the box, Yogos' branding appealed to shoppers searching for fruit snacks made with less sugar. However, they were actually miniature sugar bombs, made with 15 grams of sugar as well as corn syrup. Once their high sugar content became common knowledge due to a 2010 New York Times article and general criticism of Kellogg's overly-sugary food products, Yogos couldn't recover from the PR disaster. Kellogg discontinued them in 2010. They're fondly remembered, though, with nearly 18,000 people signing an online petition for their return. Kellogg's has stated that a return of the Yogos is a no-go, but you never know.

From Fruit Roll-Ups to Gushers, General Mills has been responsible for some of the top fruit snacks of the '90s. While some of their creations have gone on to become childhood staples, remaining popular and in demand to this day, others now exist only as nostalgic memories. A prime example of this was the Fruit String Thing.

Released in 1994 under the Betty Crocker label, Fruit String Thing actively encouraged kids to play with their food. Long, slender, spaghetti-like strands of fruit chew were artfully arranged in fun shapes like race cars or rocket ships. Opening the package, kids could peel the strands from their designated designs and then use them to make their own cool shapes before eating. Elastic and durable, the strings could withstand all kinds of wear and tear. General Mills explicitly advertised that kids could have all sorts of fun with them, from twisting and braiding to stretching and swinging.

Available in fruity flavors like cherry and strawberry, Fruit String Thing was very popular for a spell, with TV advertisements and cool promotional campaigns like a contest to win a writing class with R.L. Stine of "Goosebumps" fame. At some unknown point in the early 2000s, Fruit String Thing disappeared from the General Mills fruit snack lineup. However, General Mills still proudly champions it as a part of the brand's history on its website.

Just as the '90s were a golden age for wacky snacks, they were also a golden age for kids' television. Nickelodeon, in particular, dominated with its hit lineup of wild cartoons like "Rocko's Modern Life," "The Ren & Stimpy Show," and "Doug." With this mash-up collaboration between Fruit Roll-Ups and Nickelodeon, these two crazy worlds came together.

Fruit Roll-Ups were already out-there with their vivid, neon colors, but these "Crazy Colors" creations took things one step further with multi-hued, boldly-shaded sheets and funky flavors like Berry-Banana. Unfurling each Roll-Up revealed cut-out shapes of popular Nickelodeon characters, which kids could carefully peel out to eat on their own. Along with the cool characters, part of the fun was dying your tongue different colors while eating the brightly-colored sheets. This particular iteration of the Fruit Roll-up only lasted a few years, between 1994 and 1996.

Lasagna may be Garfield's favorite food, but when it came to promoting the cartoon feline's 1980s TV show, "Garfield and Friends," the makers of the show went in a different direction for tie-in food items. Instead of Garfield-themed lasagnas, fans could find packages of Garfield-themed fruit snacks, available in flavors like strawberry or mixed fruit-party packs.

Made between 1991 and 1993 by Betty Crocker, the Garfield and Friends fruit snacks came in several different variations. Some were fruit sheets similar to Fruit Roll-Ups, with removable stenciled images of characters like Garfield and Otis, while others were the more standard character-shaped gummies. Most of the gummies were colored an orange-red, similar to Garfield's fur, but select packs also came with blue gummies depicting Binky the Clown. Many packages also came with cool prizes and perks, like window stick-ons.

With the exception of different shapes and characters, many fruit snack gummies have a similar appearance. They're slightly transparent, with a shiny exterior and a clear, translucent interior. This is one of the reasons Shark Bites made a splash when they first came out in 1988 — packets featured Great White Shark-shaped pieces with opaque, milky coloring. These quickly became — and remain to this day — one of the reasons Shark Bites are so fondly remembered, with fans swearing these white gummy pieces were superior in terms of taste and texture. Apart from the beloved Great White gummy, the rest of the pieces were also shaped like other shark species and came in a variety of fruity flavors.

Made by General Mills — first under the Fruit Corners logo, the same brand behind Fruit Wrinkles before moving to Betty Crocker — boxes of Shark Bites still pop up now and again. However, they're not the same as they were in the '90s. Changes to General Mills' formulas to remove artificial colors and flavors in 2015 resulted in the OG Shark Bites being phased out, and fans say the new iterations simply aren't the same as the originals ... which really bites.

Another General Mills fruit snack beloved for its opaque, chalky gummies were the Scooby-Doo Fruit Snacks. Like Shark Bites, a pack of these mixed gummies came with assorted flavors and characters, most in shiny, translucent shades. However. the gummies shaped like everyone's favorite Scooby Snack-loving pooch featured that distinct, eye-catching opaque coloring in a sky-blue hue. Just like with the Shark Bites Great White Shark gummy, the Scooby Doo blue gummies quickly became fan favorites.

However, same as with Shark Bites, it was General Mills' move to eliminate artificial flavors and colors in 2015 — that resulted in the original fruit snacks being changed. Fans have asked General Mills to bring back the originals, with one online petition getting over 10,000 signatures, and have even shared suggestions online for alternative products so grown-ups can get a taste of their childhood again.

Some of the greatest treats of childhood came in "O" shapes: Froot Loops, Spaghetti-Os, and Frutios. Made by Brach's, Frutios was a popular fruit snack from the '90s with early aughts featuring ring-shaped fruit snacks. Distinct from many other popular fruit snacks of the time, Frutios proudly advertised its lack of artificial flavors and colors. It also stated that it was fat-free and all-natural, clearly aiming at more health-conscious consumers.

Packets came with different-colored fruit snacks in six flavors: lemon, cherry, blackberry, orange, strawberry, and grape. They were disconnected in 2000 or 2001, but fans occasionally keep asking Brach's to bring them back. There's even a dedicated X account called "Bring Back Fruitios [sic]." The Brach's X account replied to a thread in the group that Frutios were discontinued, but did say they'd pass the message along to the team. Never say never!

Fans of these now-discontinued gummies would likely also want a comeback of its namesake TV series: a short-lived but much-loved Disney Animation Television show from the early 1990s that has since developed a cult following. Airing between 1991 and 1992, "Darkwing Duck" was a children's television show following the superhero adventures of its protagonist, Darkwing Duck.

To promote the show, Disney teamed up with Fruit Parade to make "Darkwing Duck"-themed fruit snacks shaped like characters from the series. Since the series has developed quite a devoted fanbase in the years since it ended, it's no surprise that "Darkwing Duck" merchandise and collectibles can still be found online, including old wrappers from these gummies. Will these make a comeback? Fruit Parade, the company that produced them, had its trademark canceled in 2004, so it's unlikely this particular company will make them again. However, Disney has announced a "Darkwing Duck" reboot is in the works, so a return of these character-molded fruit snacks could also be in the future.

Fruit Roll-Ups are unarguably one of the most iconic fruit snacks of all time. Shortly after they were first rolled out (pun intended) in 1983, though, another fruit snack also came on the scene. While they didn't stand the test of time and were eventually discontinued, they're still fondly remembered in nostalgic Reddit threads and corners of the internet: Fruit Wrinkles.

Made by General Mills, the same company behind Fruit Roll-Ups, Fruit Wrinkles debuted nationally in 1986. Instead of the flat sheets of Fruit Roll-ups, Fruit Wrinkles were shaped like jelly beans and came in flavors like strawberry, orange, lemon, and cherry. They were marketed as containing real fruit and, with their raisin-like appearance and muted colors, were likely perceived as a healthier, all-natural choice compared to their sister fruit snacks from the same company. Along with the taste, former fans are also nostalgic for the packaging, with one Reddit user saying, "I forgot all about those paper sachets and their satisfying tear: even, reliable, perfect resistance."

Lots of grown-ups, especially from the 1960s through the 1990s, likely have fond memories of using kid-friendly baking ovens like the Easy-Bake Oven and the Holly Hobbie Bake Oven while growing up. However, not all of these toy baking ovens were used to make edible goods. Some, like Mattel's Thingmaker and ToyMax, allowed kids to craft toys by pouring plastic into molds and heating them until the plastic was cured and set, producing jiggly, rubbery toys. One of the most famous iterations of this toy was Creepy Crawlers, where kids could make their own bugs and worms to play with.

Since the Creepy Crawlers toys essentially looked and had the consistency of gummies, the brand branched out into making Creepy Crawlers fruit snacks with Farley's in 1993. Packets featured the signature spooky branding with images of bugs, spiders, and other insects, and came filled with fruit-flavored gummies in creepy crawler forms, like worms and butterflies. However, some kids didn't wait for the edible gummy snacks to come out before taking a bite; posters in a subreddit thread about the Creepy Crawlers molding oven recall eating them or wanting to try them (kids will be kids). It's not known when exactly Farley's stopped making the Creepy Crawlers fruit snacks, but online fans fondly and nostalgically recall all parts of the Creepy Crawlers empire.

We'd love to see any of these fruit snacks come back to supermarket shelves, but we have especially high hopes for these. Why? In 2023, the renowned '90s boy band *NSYNC reunited on the song, "Better Place," for the "Trolls Band Together" movie. With this single, plus a feature on Justin Timberlake's latest album and a few appearances, rumors started to buzz that a reunion tour could be on the horizon. The jury is still out, but since fans are clamoring for the band to go on tour again, maybe, just maybe, these themed fruit snacks could make a comeback along with the band.

Released between 2000 and 2001, Brach's sold *NSYNC-themed versions of its flavored fruit snacks with *NSYNC-branded packaging. While the gummies weren't shaped like the band members, boxes included filled gummy hearts featuring band members' names so lovelorn teenage fans could find their favorite band member's "heart." The gummies also came in other fun shapes like stereos and the *NSYNC logo, with flavors like strawberry and fruit punch. Fans could also collect "backstage pass" photos of the band from each box. You probably wouldn't want to partake of fruit snacks from the early, early aughts, but die-hard fans who collected the boxes during childhood can still find them for sale online.