We Tried Kellogg's Re-Released Cinnabon Bakery Inspired Cereal And Rediscovered A Breakfast Favorite
If you were born in or a bit before the 1980s, you know this moment all too well, we're sure: You're walking through the mall headed from the Sam Goody store toward Spencer's, a bag stuffed with CDs clutched in one hand a few dollars you're about to turn into gag gifts in the other, when suddenly you realize you're hungry. You weren't hungry 30 seconds ago, so what happened? After all, you had those two slices of Sbarro pizza and a root beer only an hour ago. Oh, wait, that's it — you just caught the scent wafting down the corridor from the Cinnabon. And once you catch that scent, you're the one who's really caught. It's cinnamon roll time, there's really no way around it (unless you passed Auntie Anne's Pretzels first, in which case it would have been pretzel time).
But did you think that the same cinnamon roles you loved so well could be transformed into a breakfast cereal? Well, the folks at Kellogg's did, so much so that they teamed up with Cinnabon and released a Cinnabon cereal in the year 2018. But it was a temporary release and within the year, it disappeared from store shelves again (via PR Newswire). Almost immediately, the select few customers who had tried and fallen in love with the stuff took to social media and began clamoring for its return. It took nearly five years, a lot of noise, and even a petition, but now it's back.
What's in Kellogg's Cinnabon cereal?
So, let's keep in mind that this sugary breakfast cereal is based off of a sugary cinnamon roll. Like really sugary: One 880-calorie Cinnabon Classic Roll has 59 grams of added sugar, which is more sugar than the FDA says an adult should consume in an entire day (and we're not thrilled with the 37 grams of fat or 16 grams of saturated fat, either, but we digress). Long story short, take it for granted that the ingredients you'll find in this cereal aren't going to have any registered dietitians doing backflips for joy.
The cereal contains, per the label on the side of the box, degerminated yellow corn meal, sugar, cinnamon sugar topping (which consists of sugar, fructose, dextrose, cinnamon, and flavoring), whole grain oat flour, whole wheat flour, and high oleic soybean oil. Then we move into the "contains 2% or less" territory. In said territory, you'll find salt, natural and artificial flavor, red 40, yellow 5, blue 1, yellow 6, and BHT, which is a preservative. And yes, there are a number of vitamins and minerals to be found in this cereal, like iron and vitamin B1 and such, but overall, this is more of a treat than a great option for a healthy breakfast. We'll break it down more when we talk about the nutrition information later, of course.
How much does Kellogg's Cinnabon cereal cost?
Kellogg's re-released Cinnabon Bakery Inspired cereal is returning to shelves with an SRP (that's "suggested retail price," FYI) of $4.99 for an 8.7-ounce box and $5.99 for a 13.9-ounce box, which is the family size box that we checked out and that you see pictured here (via PR Newswire). A few short years back, when this cereal first came out, it sold for a good deal less. We found one old listing from Starfish Market for just $2.29 for a box of Kellogg's Cinnabon cereal, for example, which was then marketed as "Crunchy Cinnamon Multigrain Cereal," while today the box says "Sweet & Crunchy Cinnamon Roll Cereal."
The prices of Cinnabon cereal today may partially be a reflection of the recent inflation that has hit the entire economy, but they might also be an indicator that this is a more elevated cereal — or at least that Kellogg's wants you to see it that way. Compare its price to those of a few more ubiquitous cereals and you'll see what we mean. A 24-ounce box of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes sells for just $4.48 at Walmart at last check, while even a more specialty cereal, Kellogg's Krave Chocolate (it's the cereal with little pillows of grain stuffed with chocolate, for the record) is $4.48 for a 17.3-ounce box. Maybe the Cinnabon cereal's price will come down a bit eventually, we'll see.
Is this cereal a temporary release?
Kellogg's hit the nail on the head when it released this tasty cereal back in 2018 — people just loved the stuff. Then the company managed to kind of swing sideways and miss that proverbial nail when it discontinued Cinnabon cereal within the year. Better late than never, the cereal is now back, and a press release about Cinnabon cereal that Kellogg's released via PR Newswire makes no mention of this being a limited or temporary release. It's safe to assume that Cinnabon cereal is back to stay, provided customer consumption of the stuff matches the customer demand that saw its return. And depending on when you're reading this review, don't worry if you can't find a box of the stuff for sale on store shelves near to you or even online: Cinnabon cereal began selling at Sam's Club (Walmart's bulk sales chain of stores) in October, and the cereal will be on sale nationwide, online and in stores, starting in December 2022.
Note that if you were a fan of the OG Cinnabon cereal, the packaging looks completely different this time around; in fact, only the names of the two companies — Kellogg's and Cinnabon, e.g. — and their logos look the same. The coloring and style of the boxes are totally changed, so if you are on the hunt for Cinnabon cereal, look for a soft blue/teal box with retro styling, not the dark blue box you know from half a decade ago.
How does Cinnabon cereal compare with other Kellogg's products?
The short description of this cereal is that it's a sweet, crunchy, sugary breakfast cereal with cinnamon notes in the flavor. Using that as a baseline, Kellogg's Cinnabon cereal is very easily compared to many other cereals the brand produces. The cereal has a crunch quite like that of Apple Jacks or Froot Loops for the first few bites after you pour in the milk. It's not Kellogg's first foray into the world of cinnamon, as it has cereals like Special K Cinnamon & Pecan and Frosted Flakes Cinnamon French Toast. And this is not the first time the cereal maker has collaborated with another well-known brand; It partnered up with Little Debbie to release Cosmic Brownies Cereal, for example.
But in other ways, this cereal is a bit of a departure into new ground for Kellogg's. For example, unlike Apple Jacks, which don't taste all that much like apples, this Cinnabon cereal really does taste a lot like Cinnabon cinnamon rolls. Also, unlike Apple Jacks and Froot Loops (and its closer flavor comparison, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, which yes, we know, is made by General Mills, not Kellogg's), it doesn't fall apart into mush after a mere minute or two in the milk. More on that in a moment.
What's the nutrition info for Kellogg's Cinnabon cereal?
Remember how we said that this breakfast cereal from Kellogg's was inspired by a cinnamon roll from Cinnabon that has 880 calories, 59 grams of added sugar, 37 grams of fat, and 16 grams of saturated fat? Right, those stats. Well, this cereal isn't what anyone not in lobbying or PR could call nutritious with a straight face (or a clean conscience) either. On the side of the box, you'll find nutrition information for a 40-gram serving of the cereal dry as well as when served with three-quarters of a cup of skim milk, but for our purposes, we're sticking with the dry serving as the reference.
That 40-gram serving (of which you'd likely have nearly two per bowl, FYI) contains 170 calories. It delivers a mere three grams of fat, which is just 4% of your daily total, and two grams of protein — a 165-pound adult needs about 60 grams of protein daily, per the Mayo Clinic. The cereal has 130 milligrams of sodium per serving (which is low) and 34 grams of carbs (which is 12% of a day's total for an average person). It has a mere one gram of fiber and a hefty 16 grams of added sugar, nearly a third of your daily total. As mentioned, at least the cereal is a decent source of iron and thiamin and an OK source of zinc, folate, vitamin B6, and niacin.
Did we enjoy Kellogg's Cinnabon Bakery Inspired cereal?
Yes, we enjoyed Kellogg's Cinnabon Bakery Inspired cereal very much. We're pleased it's back — and hope it's back for good. On first opening this bag of cereal — and on subsequent openings, too — a rich, sweet, cinnamon-heavy aroma wafts upward that really does call to mind that nostalgic scent of a shopping mall Cinnabon. And when you shove a spoonful of this stuff in your mouth (or pop in a handful, as it's a great dry snack, too) your suspicions are confirmed: It really does taste quite a bit like Cinnabon cinnamon rolls. This cereal has a satisfying crunch that remains in place impressively even well after the addition of milk. Perhaps it's because of the shape of the little spirals or thanks to some clever blending of ingredients, but this cereal simply does not get as soggy and mushy as fast as many other cereals do.
The milk left behind after you finish a bowl of Cinnabon cereal is delightfully sweet and flavorful. While too sweet for regular consumption (and best kept away from the kids, who won't ever want a bowl of Kashi GO again after this sweetness), this cereal is legitimately delicious and deserves a try by any Cinnabon fans out there, not to mention cereal fans in general.