Top 10 90’s Snacks We Need to Come Back

Wednesday, August 5th, 2015

There was little more exciting than opening your lunchbox as a kid and finding your favorite snack foods sitting inside. And if you’re a 90’s baby like myself, you will certainly appreciate the same snack foods I do. From those out-of-this world cosmic brownies and exotic zebra cakes to those mouth-burning Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, there was enough fun junk food to satisfy every kid’s palate. But unfortunately a lot of a favorites are no longer being stocked on the store shelves. After doing some reminiscing and research, I compiled a list of the top 10 90’s snacks that we would love to come back to our local grocery store.

1. Dunkaroos

I don’t care what anyone says, nothing was more fun than dunking a kangaroo-shaped graham cracker piece into delicious vanilla frosting filled with sprinkles. Absolutely nothing! Well, not except waking up on a Saturday morning to excitedly watch my favorite cartoons that only came on once a week.

Dunkaroos brilliantly had an almost equally delicious chocolate frosting alternative for the sprinkle haters out there. They even eventually came out with chocolate grahama pieces. How cool was that? There is a reason these snacks were a big hit back in the 90’s and it wasn’t just because of their overly exciting Kangaroo mascot. They were tasty, inexpensive and incredibly entertaining.

2. Planter’s Peanut Chips

Oh how I miss those crispy peanut chips filled with creamy peanut butter. That peanut buttery filling was enclosed with a crisp peanut cookie (or chip) shell that was truly decadent. Now I have to rely on Nutter Butters or Circus Peanuts to get my peanut shaped snack fix. And while I love both, they just do not compete with my memory of Planter’s Peanut Chips. This treat was like a bite of heaven for peanut butter lovers.

3. Shark Bites

Fruit snacks were the jam back in the 90’s. I still remember going down the snack isle and having to decide which cartoon character I wanted to eat that week. It was truly a daunting decision for a 6 year old. I mean what young boy can decide between eating Scooby Doo, Tommy Pickles or Fred Flintstone? Maybe it’s a boy thing (or a me thing), but there was always one fruit snack I always gravitated towards. You guessed it – Shark Bites. The name just sounded so cool and they were shaped like sharks! Also if you’ve ever had the chance to try these goodies, you have to agree that those mystery white sharks were just so darn tasty.

4. 3d Doritos

“Mommy… Mommy!!! These chips are 3-Dimensional. We HAVE to buy some!” True, I technically could have just purchased a bag Bugles in the 90’s, but they still had a major flaw; they had a hole in the bottom. These were fully 3-Dimensional chips. So much so that 90’s kids had to both carefully and strategically bite a hole on one side to be able to stick them on all ten fingers.

Also I know some of you might disagree with me because I’ve had this argument with a handful of my friends. But I truly remember 3D Doritos tasting completely different from the classic nacho cheese chip we’ve all grown up to love. Also am I the only one who remembers the cool container these chips were packaged in?

5. Butterfinger BB’s

What could possibly make my first visit to see the Pokemon movie at the movie theaters even better? Only one thing (besides the free Ancient Mew card): munching on some Butterfinger BB’s. These bite sized treats blew every other bite sized candy out of the water. I mean really, why would you choose Snow Caps, Whoppers or Goobers when you can have little balls of Butterfinger? Each piece tasted exactly like the full-sized candy bar and a box could be made to last forever, making it the perfectly sweet movie snack.

6. String Thing

With great choices like Fruit by the Foot and Fruit Roll-Ups, it is understandable that String Thing has always been on the backburner in the world of fruti snacks back in the 90’s. But there was always something exciting about trying to pull off those thin gummy designs without ripping it to pieces. It was a true feat getting the entire gummy off as a whole piece. I have to say they were also incredibly addicting with delectable flavors like blue raspberry and strawberry.

7. Dannon Sprinklins

I’m not sure who made the conscious decision of giving kids sugary yogurt with even more sugary sprinkles for breakfast, but I was certainly glad someone did. Dannon Sprinklins were by far my favorite yogurt snack as a kid. I’ve always been a visual eater and foods with colors have always appealed to me. Superman Ice Cream anyone? I can still picture taking off the lid of the yogurt, peeling back the foil, pouring in the plethora of multicolored sprinkles, and mixing them in my yogurt. They added a perfect vibrant, fun and texture to an already delicious yogurt.

8. Scribblers

I would not be surprised if most of you have no clue what these little gems are. Every time I mention Scribblers to my friends, they have this look on their faces like I’m an idiot and have no clue what I’m talking about. But these still remain as one of my favorite ice cream selections as a kid, ranking closely behind Screwballs and the infamous Richwich Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches.

Scribblers look exactly like the name suggests – a giant crayon that you cannot actually write with. They first were introduced as frozen popsicles. But later was when the real magic happened. They came out with chocolate and vanilla ice cream versions. These babies had a chocolate coating filled with delicious vanilla ice cream. They were small, amusing and delicious; making Scribblers the perfect frozen treat.

9. Oreo O’s

I’m not sure if it was just because I was young, but back in the 90’s cereal seemed to be incredibly popular. I can still vividly recall all the old Fruity Pebbles, Sugar Smacks, Lucky Charms, and Frosted Flake commercials -They’re great! Although there are so many great cereal choices, I still greatly miss my favorite cook cereal: Oreo O’s. I mean it just made sense – Oreos and milk were made to be together. So having an Oreo cereal doused in milk was perfect. This delicious and highly missed cereal tasted very similar to America’s favorite cookie. Sure, it might not have been the healthiest breakfast, but it was one of the most delicious! Oreo continues to come out with new exciting flavors, so maybe one day we’ll see the return of an Oreo cereal.

10. Astroid Pops

As a kid, there was something about the shape, taste and colors of Astro Pops that kept me coming back for more and more. I remember them having a subtle sweet taste that wasn’t too overpowering like the more popular Dum Dum or Bubble Pop lollipops. They featured three delicious and uncommon flavors – passion fruit, cherry and pineapple. The biggest draw was definitely the fun cone shape and distinct vibrant colors. If you were at all like me, I was always drawn to colorful snacks. Also who didn’t love the Astro Pop commercial? It was a freakin’ lollipop flying in space!