Ranking Cheerios Flavors, Worst To Best

While breakfast cereal may not be what it used to be, that doesn't mean you have to give it up entirely. At one point, we were told that it was smart to start your day off with a bowl of sugary carbs. We know better than that now, but cereal still tastes good — at least, some cereals do. If you want to foray into the world of breakfast cereals, though, there's one that's more recognizable than pretty much any other brand out there, and that's Cheerios.

The original Cheerios are about as simple a cereal as you can find. It's just little rings of oat-y goodness. And while they may not be particularly flavorful, the company now has a ton of offshoots in an assortment of different flavors. If you want to give this cereal brand a try, you may be wondering which variety you should get. After all, when there are so many different options to choose from in the cereal aisle at your local grocery store, it can be hard to make the right decision.

No worries, though, because we're here to help. We've ranked the Cheerios flavors from worst to best so you know where you stand the next time you pick up a box. Pick up one of the tastier flavors, and you're well on your way to a great morning.

When you wake up first thing in the morning, you have a decision to make. Should you grab something easy but that's less than healthy? Or do you want to get in a good breakfast with a healthy bowl of fruit on the side? Well, if you choose the very berry Cheerios, you may think you're getting the best of both worlds, but we're here to tell you that's not the case. Though the box says that this cereal is flavored with real fruit, it certainly doesn't taste that way. It has a distinct and overly fruity taste to it that won't leave your taste buds until minutes after your last bite.

It also tastes like there's a lot of sugar in this cereal, and you probably don't want to be eating it every day. When you think of berries, you probably think of a fruit that's more tart than sweet. Unfortunately, that's definitely not what's coming across with this type of Cheerios. We'd suggest moving on to one of the tastier options — there are plenty of them. This one just isn't one of them.

Ahh, Reese's Puffs cereal. It's one of the best brands out there, and pretty much every kid from the '90s had a bowl of this stuff from time to time. And if you love that flavor profile, then you may assume that you're going to get more of the same when you decide to buy the chocolate peanut butter Cheerios. But we're sorry to inform you that chocolate peanut butter Cheerios don't even come close to Reese's Puffs in terms of quality and flavor. Instead of that rich, chocolatey taste, you're going to be left waiting for the chocolate flavor to arrive — though it never really does. Instead, you're just going to be overwhelmed by the peanut butter pieces.

Additionally, you might be used to the crunch that comes from Reese's Puffs. Unfortunately, Cheerios just don't have the same texture. That may not be a problem with some of the other flavors, but this one is so close to another cereal entirely that we can't help to compare them. Cheerios definitely soak up the milk faster, so there's really just no crunch to be had.

There are better chocolate peanut butter cereals out there, so don't waste your time on this one.

Here's another Cheerios flavor that just seems like a spin-off of other cereal brands out there. The fruity Cheerios kind of taste like a mix between Fruity Pebbles and Trix — so, in a word, bad. You can taste the fruitiness, but like a lot of other Cheerios flavors we've already mentioned, that fruitness tastes more artificial than anything else, despite the "natural flavors." We don't know exactly what fruits these flavors are supposed to emulate, but it doesn't translate well. Plus, this stuff tastes really sweet. If you don't want to start off your day with a big bowl of sugar, we'd recommend thinking again before you buy this variety of Cheerios.

However, this one does come in above some of the other fruity flavors for one reason and one reason alone: its looks. The little O's come in a variety of pastel colors that are enjoyable to look at, even if they don't taste particularly good. So, maybe you shouldn't buy these to eat but instead as an inexpensive crafting supply for your kids.

When it comes to cereals, the multi-grain Cheerios are about as boring as they come. Do they taste bad? No, not really. But that's mainly because they don't really taste like anything at all. Not only are they beige, but they also taste beige. And while combining them with real strawberries seems like a good idea in theory, in reality, it's far from a successful breakfast cereal. That's why we won't be purchasing the multi-grain Cheerios with real strawberries anytime soon.

You've probably already realized that you're not going to have fresh-from-the-produce-aisle strawberries in this cereal. They've been freeze-dried and added to the mix in what seems like a bit of a mistake. There aren't enough strawberries to really justify buying this flavor specifically, but at the same time, there are still too many strawberries. They just don't have the juiciness you're looking for in real fruit.

Our suggestion? If you really want the good version of this cereal, just buy the normal multi-grain Cheerios and fresh strawberries, and do the dirty work yourself. It's not that difficult, and the taste is 100% better.

The health benefits may not be significant, but if you're looking for a slightly healthier breakfast option that you can just pour milk over and be on your way, then Multi-Grain Cheerios may be right for you. Let's be honest here: You're still eating a bowl full of sweetened carbs, even if this flavor does happen to be multi-grain. Therefore, you shouldn't think that this is a quick path to the healthiest breakfast possible. But even if the healthiness factor of this cereal is negligible, the flavor isn't too bad.

It's definitely not the most flavorful variety of Cheerios you can find, but it's generally a pleasant flavor. Most of all, it's inoffensive. No matter what kind of flavors you typically like, this cereal is probably going to go down easily. It's the kind of thing you can keep in the pantry that everyone will grab from time to time. That being said, it's not likely to be anyone's favorite. Take all of that into consideration before you buy a box of this stuff.

We had a difficult time deciding where to place Apple Cinnamon Cheerios on our list. It's a classic flavor that so many people love, and we admit that these Cheerios are one of the better-tasting flavors of the bunch. But at the same time, we wish that the apple cinnamon flavoring here was just slightly different. That's because it seems to be super heavy on the apple flavor and too light on the cinnamon. While the end result still tastes good, we think that a few tweaks to the recipe would make this one a lot better.

However, if you still love this flavor, there are some easy ways to make it taste even better. Adding cut-up apples to the cereal adds a different kind of crunch and a lot of freshness to your breakfast. And if you wish the cinnamon flavor were a bit stronger, you can add a dash of it after you pour milk over your Cheerios.

While this may not be a go-to flavor for everyone out there, those who love apple cinnamon-flavored foods in general are going to be fans.

Now, we can't forget about where it all started. Before there were a wide variety of Cheerios flavors to choose from, there was just one option: the original Cheerios. And while this might be the plainest and most basic flavor of them all, we still think they've earned this relatively high spot on our list. First of all, you can't hate on a classic. The first time you ever had Cheerios, this is probably the kind you had, so there's a familiarity there that gives this cereal an appeal. It also has a plain flavor that you can't dislike. While you may not be the biggest fan of it, most people aren't going to find this cereal completely unappealing.

It may not be your top Cheerios flavor, but there's nothing wrong with starting your day with the original. That neutral cereal taste has just a touch of sweetness to it, so it doesn't feel like you're biting into cardboard. Plus, you can feel free to get creative with toppings — who said you couldn't dress up your plain bowl of cereal with some cut fruit?

As we've already mentioned, Cheerios are a really basic cereal. The appeal is in its simplicity — if you wanted something more complicated and sophisticated, then you would probably opt for a different type of cereal altogether. However, Cheerios may be trying to change that reputation with their Oat Crunch line. Instead of just getting those classic O's, these cereals have bits of oat in them as well. Basically, they feel like a mixture between oatmeal and traditional cold cereal. These oats offer a different texture and an extra crunch that you won't get with the regular stuff, and we're here for it. That's why we love the oat crunch cinnamon Cheerios.

It's got that same cinnamon-y flavor you expect from the regular cinnamon variety, but those oat clusters really take this cereal up a notch. They provide so much texture that you won't even mind that they're slightly light on the cinnamon.

Here's another one of the oat crunch flavors, and we think it's even better than the cinnamon variety. It's the Cheerios oat crunch oats 'n honey variety, and even though it sounds simple, it's one of our absolute favorites. Again, you've got that nice combination of normal Cheerios and oats, which have just the right amount of texture difference between them. But what's really special about these is the flavor. The honey here adds just the right amount of sweetness — way better than the maple Cheerios. The honey is nice and light, so it's not going to be too overwhelming first thing in the morning, but it also gives you that sweetness you know you love.

This cereal really speaks to the value of simplicity when it comes to a good breakfast. Those who want a great everyday cereal should keep this stocked in their pantry for whenever they want to get their day off to a great start.

Do you ever wake up in the morning and fantasize that you were actually waking up on a beautiful tropical beach surrounded by sun, sand, and water? Everyone feels like that from time to time, but alas, for most of us, that's just not the reality. But that doesn't mean your breakfast can't make you think of a tropical paradise. That's where toasted coconut Cheerios come into play. Unfortunately, you're not going to find pieces of actual coconut in this cereal (but Cheerios innovators, if you're reading this, maybe give it a try). Rather, the flavor is just inspired by toasted coconut.

That being said, this flavor is really incredible. If you love the taste of coconut, you're going to fall in love with this stuff. It's got that fresh but ultimately nutty flavor that will make you want to pour yourself another bowl once you finish with the first one.

Now, we finally get to discuss the best of the best, the magnum opus of the Cheerios line: honey nut Cheerios. Honestly, these are probably more well-known and popular than the original Cheerios, and there's good reason for that: They taste incredible. Seriously, even if you don't like cereal, you probably won't be able to stop yourself from eating just one bowl of this stuff — it's that good. The honey flavoring adds a lovely touch of sweetness that will keep you going back for more, but it's much lighter than most other sweet cereals out there.

There's nothing super wild or innovative about this cereal. Instead, it all comes down to simplicity and flavor. The honey flavoring here is somehow even better than what you'll find in the medley crunch version of the cereal. And you know that when you stock this stuff in the pantry, pretty much every member of the family is going to want some. There's a reason this flavor is a classic, and it will forever be our favorite of the Cheerios line.