40+ Discontinued Foods from the 90s We Wish Would Come Back

There were plenty of novel and tasty options when it came to food and drinks in the 1990s that we can’t find today. These are 45 drinks and foods from the ’90s that we wish would come back for us to try again.

French Toast Crunch Cereal

For decades, Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal has been a staple on the breakfast table for kids.

In the 1990s, you also had the choice of serving up a bowl of French Toast Crunch which took a traditional breakfast food and turned it on its head.

Surge

The Coca-Cola company first released Surge in Norway under the name Urge back in 1996. At the time, it was released to compete with Pepsi’s release of Mountain Dew.

By 1997, the drink was released in the United States with its full, more familiar name of Surge. It was discontinued from its original run in 2003, leaving many ’90s kids disappointed at its disappearance. There have been some signs of this classic making a comeback in recent years, though.

Nabisco Giggles

Nabisco Giggles were snack cookies with a broad smile and a creamy filling similar to that of Oreos. While they debuted and reached popularity in the ’90s, they did last into the ’90s a bit.

However, by the early 1990s, we had to say goodbye to these snack time treats for good. While there are plenty of cookies out there to pick up on your next grocery run, we still miss these. Even sadder, it doesn’t seem like Nabisco has any plans to reintroduce them.

Crystal Pepsi

Technically, you can buy Crystal Pepsi right now, but it isn’t exactly the same as it was when you enjoyed it back in the ’90s. This clear soft drink has gone through some changes since then.

Originally, this Pepsi drink was marketed as a “healthier” choice when it came to soft drinks. The company marketed it as caffeine-free and connected the clear color to health. Released in the early ’90s, it was discontinued in 1993. It’s returned but with an altered, caffeinated formula.

Bubble Beeper

On the surface, all gum might look the same, but there are differences among them that make certain brands and flavors stand out from the crowd.

One brand that stood out well in the ’90s was Bubble Beeper. This was partially because, aside from the candy itself, the packaging was easy to keep as a clip-on coin purse. Over time, with the help of a few controversies, the candy fell out of style and Bubble Beeper gum was discontinued.

Twix Cookies-n-Creme Bars

The Twix Cookies-n-Creme Bars were actually released alongside another flavor, Chocolate Fudge, but it didn’t get anywhere near the same amount of attention as the Cookies-n-Creme.

These chocolate bars were released in 1990 and had a chocolate cookie coated in cream and a layer of milk chocolate rather than Twix’s classic caramel center. These were only around a year before they were discontinued. The good news is that Twix gave us a new version in 2020 after a long-demanded return of the classic.

Squeezits

Squeezits debuted in the 1980s. The company prescribed to a popular marketing technique at the time: the more colorful a food or drink was, the more eye-catching it would be to kids.

This drink was available in a multitude of flavors, and even came in black bottles to hide the color of the drink for a mystery surprise. However, sales started to dip as the ’90s came to an end and production of the drink officially stopped in 2001.

Oatmeal Swirlers

If there’s one breakfast choice that doesn’t usually bring a smile to children’s faces, it’s oatmeal. Oatmeal Swirlers worked to turn this concept on its head.

Popular in the ’80s and into the early ’90s, Oatmeal Swirlers included packages of fruit jelly paste for each package of instant oatmeal. Kids could use these flavor packages to draw images and add a little more flavor to their breakfast. The product was discontinued and briefly outlived by similar products like Dinosaur Eggs Oatmeal.

Josta Soda

Pepsi released plenty of new and interesting things in the ’90s. One of those things that we don’t have access to anymore is Josta soda.

This soft drink was actually the first energy drink that a major beverage company in the United States introduced. It lasted form 1995 to 1999, but it’s gained quite a following with pleas to bring it back, including a website called Save Josta. So far, it doesn’t seem like Pepsi is interested in answering these pleas.

Hi-C Ecto Cooler Juice Boxes

If there was anything that boomed in popular culture in the 1980s and ’90s, it was the reaction that audiences had to seeing Ghostbusters hit the big screen. In turn, Hi-C released their Ecto Cooler Juice Boxes.

These juice boxes were flavored with orange and tangerine but the company changed the color of the juice to green to mimic the appearance of ectoplasm in the movie. The juice was initially released in 1989, but was discontinued in 1997, with a short stint of availability in 2016.

Trix Swirls

There has long been a push to market unique and theoretically healthier snacks to children. Trix tried to do this in the ’90s and early 2000s with the release of the Trix Swirls.

These yogurt options were two colors when you opened them and came in a variety of flavors, sweetened from how yogurt tastes naturally. The Trix Swirls were discontinued with little explanation later on, so they aren’t available today. It’s likely that the yogurt snacks were discontinued due to a lack of profit.

P.B. Crisps

Similar to Nutter Butters, Planters had their own peanut-shaped graham cracker cookie with a tasty peanut butter filling. Mr. Peanut gave us Planters’ version under the name P.B. Crisps.

These were first seen on shelves in 1992, but they didn’t last very long. They were discontinued in 1994, but Planters did give a rather unique explanation for the snack’s disappearance. They stated that the snack was discontinued because they were just too delicious. That seems like a reason to keep them around!

Soda-Licious Fruit Snacks

There are a lot of fruit snacks out there to choose from. In the 1990s, many kids begged their parents to pick up some Soda-Licious Fruit Snacks on their next shopping trip.

These fruit snacks were made by Betty Crocker in partnership with 7-Up. They featured flavors that intersected between being fruity and being reminiscent of some of our favorite soft drinks of the era. The Soda-Licious Fruit Snacks left with the ’90s and we miss their sugary taste.

Butterfingers BB’s

Candy lovers will remember the Butterfingers BB’s well. These candies were Butterfinger’s attempt at making a snack similar to Whoppers.

They debuted on shelves in 1992 and stuck around until 2006. During this time, they were met with a period of wild popularity. After all, they were even advertised on popular shows like The Simpsons to help boost their sales. It’s a shame that we can’t try even one more of these marble-sized chocolate bits.

Wonderball

Much like Kinder Eggs, Wonderball was a candy that featured a chocolate shell with a treat inside. These treats were eventually smaller hard candies that kids could enjoy with their chocolate.

Unfortunately, since kids were failing to break the chocolate to get the prize out before chowing down, it proved itself as a choking hazard. As such, the candies were discontinued in 1997. The company brought them back in 2000 with edible treats inside, but the problem remained and they disappeared again in 2007.

Apple Newtons

Fig Newtons are a classic from Nabisco. They offer a fruity, bite-sized snack when you need it and they’re even available in a variety of different flavors which eventually led to a name change to simply Newtons.

In the ’90s, Nabisco offered an apple flavor for their Newtons that, sadly, didn’t last through the decade. An altered version of this flavor was released later on with the release of a baked apple and cinnamon flavor, but it doesn’t quite match up.

Skippy Squeeze Stix

The concept behind the Skippy Squeeze Stix was simple. It was just a tube of Skippy peanut butter, or even their chocolate peanut butter, that you could eat on the go without much of a mess.

In general, these snacks used the same concept as some snacks that are still around today like Gogurt. There isn’t a clear answer on why these snacks disappeared from store shelves but it’s likely due to insufficient marketing or the rise of awareness about peanut allergies.

Fruit-Shaped Trix Cereal

You can go into almost any store today and pick up a box of Trix cereal, but if you haven’t had it in a while, you might be surprised at what you see when you pour a bowl.

The cereal was introduced in 1991 and while it still exists now, the original fruit-shaped cereal pieces do not. In 2006, General Mills decided to reevaluate the design and made the cereal into simple popped corn puffs.

Fruitopia

Fruitopia is one of the many soft drinks that Coca-Cola has released over their tenure. It was first introduced in 1994 and continued to run until 2003.

Fruitopia is a fruit-flavored soft drink that came in flavors such as strawberry, kiwi, tangerine, watermelon, and more. Today, you can still find similar products from Coca-Cola under their Minute Maid label. Interestingly, you might still see some drinks under this name in some countries despite the fact that it’s primarily discontinued.

Hershey’s BarNone

Hershey is the name behind many people’s favorite chocolate bars. They created the BarNone chocolate bar in 1987 and they were popular for quite a while!

At the beginning of their run, they were made with cocoa wafters, peanuts, a chocolate filling, and a milk chocolate coating. Yet, the formula was changed in 1992 so that the candy bars were made with wafter, caramel, peanuts, and a chocolate coating. This wasn’t as successful and they were discontinued in 1997.

Keebler Baked Munch ‘Ems

If you wanted a more savory snack in the ’90s, you might have reached into your pantry and pulled out a box of Keebler Baked Munch ‘Ems. Keebler stated they were “baked ‘til they crunch like chips.”

These were available in a variety of flavors including launch flavors like original, ranch, cheddar, and sour cream and onion. Later on, more flavors were added to the line. That was, until the competition became too much and the crackers were discontinued later on in the decade.

Jell-O-1-2-3

While it was popular in the 1990s, Kraft released Jell-O-1-2-3 long before that – all the way back in 1969! This Jell-O was layered and seemed to work like magic.

The Jell-O came in a single pouch but was supposed to split into three distinct layers as it set. This included a standard Jell-O bottom, a custard-like middle layer, and topped off with a foamy finish. The ’90s proved to be the last decade that this snack would work and it was discontinued in 1996.

Shark Bites

Gummy snacks have been popular among children for quite a while. Back in the ’90s, there was plenty to choose from too!

One specific option that stood out to many kids, though, were Shark Bites. These tasty snacks were fairly standard fare for gummy snacks but stood out for their marine-themed shapes alongside satisfying a sweet tooth. Technically, these snacks still exist, but the formula has been greatly modified and they probably won’t taste as you remember.

Keebler Magic Middles

Another cookie with filling, Keebler Magic Middles went a slightly different direction than brands like Oreo did. Rather than the filling being between two cookies, it was baked into the center of each cookie.

This way, the shortbread cookies might have seemed plain on the outside but there was plenty of flavor packed inside of them. You could even choose between a peanut butter filling or a rich, fudge-filled cookie. While these were common in the ’80s and ’90s, they’ve since been discontinued.

Orbitz Water

Orbitz Water was a brand of flavored water that was released in 1997 but only lasted a year before the travel company Orbitz bought out the name.

These were available in multiple flavors including Blueberry Melon Strawberry and Pineapple Banana Cherry Coconut. What really made them stand out, though, was the gelatinous balls that floated around in amongst the drink. This made these drinks not only tasty but they looked almost like lava lamps, making them eye-catching.

Melody Pops

Melody Pops was one of the many brands that offered a type of candy called whistle pops. As the name suggests, these were candies that you could not only eat but use as a whistle as well.

While the candy was made by several companies, the 1990s saw the boom in demand for Melody Pops by Chupa Chups. This company’s Melody Pops were discontinued in 2015 for a few years. Luckily, you can start to find these candies again but not in the grocery checkout line.

PB Max

Over the course of 1989 and 1990, Mars released their PB Max candy bars into stores across America. These snacks featured a cookie and peanut butter filling in a milk chocolate coating.

Interestingly enough, these were actually a pretty successful adventure by Mars! In a single year, the candy grossed about $50 million in sales. Yet, they were stilled pulled off of store shelves shortly after their release with the bizarre reasoning that one of the Mars brothers didn’t like peanut butter.

Pop-Tarts Crunch

Turning our favorite snacks into breakfast cereal seems to have been quite a trend in the ’90s. One of the products that we got out of this trend was Kellogg’s Pop-Tart’s Crunch cereal.

This cereal is exactly what it sounds like – tiny Pop-Tarts that are, as Kellogg’s put it, “Pop-Tarts for your spoon.” This cereal was available in two flavors including strawberry and brown sugar cinnamon. They came onto store shelves in 1994 but disappeared again in 1995.

Life Savers Holes

Life Savers are a common candy that you still see when you go through the checkout line or stop by the convenience store. What you don’t see anymore, though, are Life Savers Holes.

While the Life Savers that kids today are familiar with are the rings, these candies were the centers that the standard Life Savers were missing. While these might have been delicious, their life was also short-lived and they were taken off of store shelves in early 1991 as a choking hazard.

Flintstones Push-Up Pops

As we’ve seen time and time again, a big reason that many of our favorite snacks from the ’90s aren’t around anymore is that the characters used to market them aren’t as popular anymore either.

This was the case for the iconic Flintstones Push-Up Pops. These were fairly simple and mostly featured Flintstones characters on a sherbert treat. However, these treats to escape the summer heat gradually disappeared throughout the early 2000s. Sadly, similar products just don’t trigger the same nostalgia.

Jumpin’ Jack Cheese Doritos

While nacho cheese is a classic choice, Doritos has experimented with novel ideas over the years. For example, their Jumpin’ Jack Cheese Doritos were popular for a time.

With the endorsement of Jay Leno, this new flavor of chips was launched in 1990. As the name suggests, these Doritos had a Monterey Jack flavor. They didn’t last long before they were discontinued but they were briefly brought back in 2013 as a limited edition throwback flavor.

Mickey’s Parade Ice Pops

If there’s one thing that still stands to this day, it’s that nothing will get kids as interested in a snack as relating it to their favorite characters. Yet, these characters seem to change generationally.

In the ’90s, Disney capitalized on this marketing tactic with their Mickey’s Parade Ice Pops. These went beyond just offering kid-friendly packaging and box art, and actually featured ice pops shaped like well-known Disney characters like Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy.

Triple Tower Push Pops

One of the only disadvantages of so many different flavors of candy is having to choose which one you want the most. Triple Tower Push Pops solved this problem by offering three different flavors in one.

Technically speaking, you can still find this candy online, but it’s been off of store shelves for a while now. Topps discontinued it in this manner in the early 2000s which is pretty impressive for a candy that’s been around since 1986.

Hostess Chocodiles

First debuting in the 1980s, Hostess Chocodiles were basically Twinkies with the addition of a chocolate coating. The snack was named after Hostess’ original mascot, a crocodile named Chauncey.

This snack was first introduced in the 1980s but was officially discontinued in 1999. If you’re really missing this ’90s snack food, you aren’t completely out of luck. After a hiatus of about 15 years, Chocodiles were resurrected into a fun-sized form that’s easy to snack on. It’s not exactly the same, but it’s close!

Snapple Element Drinks

Snapple is a well-known brand that’s been around since its founding in 1972. Over the decades, they’ve released plenty of new flavors and types of Snapple to consumers.

At the tail end of the ’90s, we got the chance to taste the Snapple Elements Drinks. These drinks were available in four forms: Earth, Rain, Sun, and Fire. Later, more flavors were added such as Meteor and Gravity. While they aren’t discontinued completely, the classic glass bottles are no more.

Jell-O Pudding Pops

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Jell-O Pudding Pops were everywhere. From the frozen aisle to endorsements from celebrities who were popular at the time, these snacks left an impression.

Much like a popsicle, these frozen treats were sticky sweetness on a stick, but they opted for Jell-O pudding as the filler rather than sweetened fruit juice. They were profitable for the company selling them too, but they were since discontinued. This could be associated with rising health consciousness among consumers.

Cheetos Paws

Technically speaking, Cheetos Paws aren’t completely discontinued, as many of the snacks on this list are. That being said, you’d be hard-pressed to find them as easily as you did during the 1990s.

This type of Cheeto was shaped like a paw – much like the ones that the brand’s mascot, Chester Cheetah has. They were first released in 1990 but were considered discontinued in 1993. If you want a bag of this treat today, you might have to venture online for an order.

Reggie! Bar

If you wanted a sweet treat out of the candy aisle when you were younger, you might have given a Reggie! Bar a go. This was a milk chocolate candy bar filled with peanuts and caramel.

The candy was actually introduced in 1976 and was later discontinued in 1982. Lucky for us, the candy bar did make a brief comeback in the 1990s, even though it isn’t around anymore. The name was a tribute to Reggie Jackson, a baseball player for the Yankees.

Oreo Big Stuf

The Oreo product named Oreo Big Stuf is probably only nostalgic for kids raised in the early ’90s. After all, it was discontinued pretty early in the decade after seven years on the shelf.

Rather than being sold in sleeves as standard Oreos are, these Oreos were sold individually. It’s no surprise either because these were huge cookies! This is another ’90s treat that we lost to time due to a likely blend of increased health awareness from the USDA and lackluster profits.

Doritos 3Ds

The Doritos 3Ds was a popular choice during the ’90s to pack in your lunch or grab as an afterschool snack. Yet, they were discontinued in the early 2000s.

These Doritos had a lot of the same flavors as the regular Doritos but their shape is what made them stand out. They were puffier with an air-filled center, giving you something a little different to snack on. While there aren’t any more Doritos 3Ds, the idea was revived in 2015 with the Doritos Jacked 3D.

Sprinkle Spangles

If ever there was a short-lived breakfast cereal General Mills wish they could have back in their roster, then it has to be Sprinkle Spangles. Back in the mid-’90s, this delicious cereal was first introduced and Hidden Treasures was one of its sister cereals that also came out around this time. All of the star-shaped pieces, laden with multi-colored sprinkles, were a dream come true. Before discontinuing in 1998, they were advertised as having “spangled every angle with sprinkles.”

McDonald’s Arch Deluxe

There have been plenty of items that have been put off and have been taken off the menu at McDonald’s over the years. The Arch Deluxe might be the one that people miss the most. This hamburger was an initial hit at the iconic fast-food restaurant, starting off in 1996 and adults were its prime target audience. This may have been its Achilles heel though and the burger was ultimately considered to be one of the biggest long-term flops in McDonald’s history.

Dannon Sprinkl’ins Yogurt

When you put sprinkles all over your yogurt, can you really go wrong? Dannon certainly understood this back in the ’90s and were quick to unveil their very own Sprinkl’ins Yogurt. While the name was kind of weird to read, it was certainly easier to eat. Released in 1995, this item only last about five years, meaning that it remained stranded in the 20th century. We sure do wish it was a part of this one too though.

Jell-O Salads

There are a handful of Jell-O products on this list that were discontinued. And even though, in theory, anyone can make their very own, there was a time when one could simply purchase a Jell-O salad from the store. While the term “salad” was used fairly liberally for this product, these gelatin molds were huge hit for years, before officially being discontinued in the ’90s. And sure, strawberry pretzel salads are still all the rage, but there are many others that are no longer.

Berry Berry Kix

Parents are always struggling to incorporate fruit and vegetables into their kids’ diets. This cereal certainly tried to add the former into the mix. Back in 1992, the Berry Berry Kix was introduced. This cereal was described on its packaging as a “sweetened corn cereal” that also happened to have “natural fruit flavors.” The cute clusters that made up the contents of the box were adorable fruit pieces. In fact, many believed that they resembled tiny bunches of grapes. And yet, not even this was enough to keep it going.

Oreo O’s Cereal

It is no secret that Oreo’s like to supply their very own cereals to the world. At the end of the day though, how healthy can they be? Oreo O’s Cereal was initially unveiled to the public back in the ’90s. When Post split from the Kraft Foods Group though, the cereal ceased to exist. At least, it was no longer in production. Don’t worry though, there are other Oreo cereals around the corner, providing that biscuity goodness.

Tongue Splashers Gum

Never has a paint can looked so appealing. Most ’90s gas stations had one of these tubs open so that kids could take pieces and pay at the counter. Tongue Splashers Gum did exactly what you’d expect them to – they made the tongues of millions of kids brightly colored in no time at all. However, when the gum was discontinued, the parents of these kids raised their hands in joy. With that said though, there are similar gum products still on the market, like Double Bubble Painterz.

Pop Tarts Crunch

“New Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts Crunch Cereal! Frosting, Filling, Crunch and Sprinkles Together for the First Time in History!” This was the message on the commercial for this iconic yet short-lived cereal. With Frosted Strawberry and Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon being the two varieties, this cereal debuted in 1994 and was an instant hit. Because why have one big Pop-Tart when you can eat 30-40 small ones in a bowl of milk? Despite this great idea, their longevity wasn’t meant to be.

Gator Gum

These days, Gatorade is one of the most popular sports drinks on the market. However, many won’t believe that there was a time when they also had their very own gum – Gator Gum. This special gum made its debut back in the ’70s and would last about 20/30 years until its demise at the end of the ’90s. During its run, Gator Gum came in both orange and in lemon-lime flavors. We have a hard time believing though that it was able to quench your thirst.

Nintendo Cereal System

Even video game brands were releasing their own cereals back in the day. Nintendo had the audacity to release the Nintendo Cereal System, which had a two-in-one theme. It was discontinued at the turn of the ’90s. These included berry-flavored shields and Marios that were “fruit-flavored,” whatever that means. According to Nintendo Life, an unopened box of these nostalgic delights sold for a whopping $207.50. For a box of cereal? We’re happy to spend just a buck or two on a box of cornflakes.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ice Cream

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were wildly popular characters in the 1990s. That’s why it’s no surprise that they had some tasty treats marketed under their name.

During this decade, you could find this themed ice cream at the store or even if the ice cream truck came through your neighborhood. Not only were these ice cream treats shaped like our favorite Ninja Turtles, but they even had gumball eyes. In 2020, these snacks are much harder to come by.

Fruit String Thing

As we’ve learned throughout this list, there aren’t many snacks with as much of a place in kids’ hearts as fruit snacks. One contender for the market in the ’90s was Fruit String Thing.

This snack didn’t opt for animal or character shapes or even a simple square. Instead, these fruity treats were one long line swirled around for you to unravel as you ate them. This added an additional level of creativity and fun to a snack that had become pretty common.

Rice Krispies Treats Cereal

Rice Krispies have been a favorite snack amongst kids and adults since their original debut on the market in 1928. Yet, the company didn’t stop innovating when they achieved commercial success.

One of the many products they’ve offered over the years is the Rice Krispies Treats Cereal that reached the most success during the 1990s after its initial release in 1993. Technically, Kellogg’s never officially discontinued the cereal but you’d be hard-pressed to find a box on your local grocery store shelves today.

Hubba Bubba Bubble Jug

Sometimes, if you want to chew gum, you need to have plenty on hand. At least, this is what Hubba Bubba thought when they released the Hubba Bubba Bubble Jug.

These jugs contained powdery candy and nuggets of gum. When you chewed a bit of it, it would take on the same consistency that you would expect from a stick of gum or other traditional gum forms. The candy was discontinued by Hubba Bubba, but fortunately, they still have plenty of gum products.

Kudos Milk Chocolate Granola Bar

It’s quite the task to sneak anything healthy into a kid’s snack without a fight. That’s why parents were so impressed with the granola bars that Kudos made in the 1990s.

While these may not have actually been all that good for you, it was a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth at breakfast or when you were grabbing a snack on the go. They came in a variety of popular candy flavors such as Dove chocolate, Snickers, and M&M’s.