10 Discontinued Foods From The ’90s Most People Forgot About
Remember when our snack choices were just as bold and outrageous as our fashion in the ’90s? I still find myself daydreaming about those neon-colored, oddly-shaped treats that defined childhood and then vanished before Y2K even arrived.
From tongue-staining drinks to gummies shaped like everything under the sun, the ’90s were a golden era of snack innovation, and marketing chaos.
While a few iconic bites managed to survive into the new millennium, many disappeared without warning or a proper farewell, leaving behind only nostalgia and a trail of empty wrappers. Let’s take a delicious stroll down memory lane with these forgotten favorites.
1. PB Max – The Peanut Butter Cookie That Vanished
Growing up, my allowance money frequently went toward PB Max bars, those glorious squares of peanut butter atop a whole grain cookie, all wrapped in milk chocolate.
Mars introduced these beauties in 1989 but axed them in 1994, reportedly because the Mars family personally disliked peanut butter. Can you believe that?
Despite outselling other Mars products, these treats disappeared from shelves forever. The combination of sweet and salty was absolutely perfect, nothing like the peanut butter cups that survived. I still remember the distinctive square shape and that satisfying crunch when you bit into the cookie layer.
2. Squeezit Color Changers – Magic In A Bottle
Remember those plastic bottle creatures with faces that held fruity drinks? Squeezit took things to another level with their Color Changers version, my elementary school lunchroom status instantly elevated whenever I pulled one out.
The real magic happened when you added the separate color-changing tablet to transform your drink from one vibrant hue to another. My friends would gather around just to witness the transformation. The little pellet fizzing and changing your purple drink to green felt like performing a science experiment.
Nothing about today’s drinks captures that same interactive fun or chemical wonder that probably wouldn’t pass today’s parental scrutiny.
3. Doritos 3D – The Puffed-Up Snack Revolution
Before they made their limited comeback, Doritos 3D were the absolute pinnacle of snack technology in my middle school days. These hollow, puffed triangles came in flavors like Jalapeño Cheddar and Cool Ranch that packed way more punch than their flat counterparts.
The texture was completely unique, crunchy yet airy, with seasoning that somehow coated both the outside AND inside of each piece. I’d carefully nibble a hole in one corner and let the chip dissolve on my tongue.
My friends and I would stick them on our fingertips like little hats before eating them. No snack since has matched their architectural brilliance or flavor-to-crunch ratio.
4. Butterfinger BB’s – Tiny Spheres of Crispy Perfection
My movie theater experience forever changed when Butterfinger BB’s entered the scene. These marble-sized candy spheres packed all the crispy, peanut-buttery goodness of a regular Butterfinger but in a perfectly poppable form that didn’t stick to your teeth quite as stubbornly.
Nestlé released these little gems in 1992, and they quickly became my go-to theater snack. The genius was in their size, you could enjoy just one or two without committing to a whole candy bar. Plus, sharing was actually fun since everyone got the same complete experience in each piece.
Despite devoted fans petitioning for their return, they remain just a crispy memory from the ’90s.
5. French Toast Crunch – The Miniature Breakfast Revolution
French Toast Crunch debuted in 1995 and completely revolutionized my Saturday morning cartoon sessions. Unlike its cousin Cinnamon Toast Crunch, these cereal pieces were actually shaped like tiny slices of french toast, complete with grid marks! The maple syrup flavor was somehow more authentic too.
I’d fish them out with my spoon and pretend I was a giant eating normal-sized toast. The texture remained crunchy far longer than other cereals, even in milk. General Mills discontinued it in 2006, breaking breakfast-loving hearts nationwide.
Though it made a comeback in 2015 after fan petitions, many argue it’s not quite the same as the original ’90s version we all adored.
6. Oreo O’s Cereal – Cookies For Breakfast!
The day my mom finally caved and bought Oreo O’s was possibly the greatest morning of my childhood. Launched in 1997, this cereal brilliantly transformed America’s favorite cookie into breakfast form, little chocolate rings with that unmistakable Oreo flavor and even cream-flavored bits mixed in.
Every spoonful tasted like the cookie part of an Oreo that had been dunked in milk for exactly the right amount of time. The milk afterward? Liquid chocolate heaven that I’d drink straight from the bowl when no one was looking.
Though it disappeared from US shelves in 2007, it maintained a cult following among ’90s kids who still reminisce about that perfect cookie-cereal hybrid.
7. Wonder Ball – The Surprise-Filled Chocolate Sphere
My allowance disappeared faster than the Wonder Ball’s contents whenever these magical treats appeared at the corner store. Originally containing small toys inside hollow chocolate spheres, Nestlé’s Wonder Balls were basically the American answer to Kinder Eggs.
Safety concerns led to a reformulation in 2000, replacing toys with candy pieces and featuring characters like Disney princesses or Pokémon on the packaging. Opening one was a multi-step adventure – first cracking the chocolate shell, then discovering which character-shaped candies waited inside.
The anticipation of the surprise was almost better than the chocolate itself. Almost. Nothing since has captured that same unwrapping excitement combined with sugary reward.
8. Surge – The Citrus Soda That Fueled A Generation
I can still taste the electric green citrus explosion that was Surge. Coca-Cola launched this Mountain Dew competitor in 1996 with extreme marketing that perfectly captured the radical ’90s vibe. My friends and I would chug these before skateboarding, convinced the extra sugar and caffeine made our ollies higher.
The soda came in those distinctive green bottles and cans with jagged yellow logos that screamed “EXTREME!” louder than any energy drink today. Parents hated it, which naturally made us love it even more.
After vanishing in 2003, Surge became such a nostalgic touchpoint that fan campaigns eventually brought it back in limited releases, proof of its powerful hold on ’90s kids.
9. Sprite Remix – The Tropical Twist That Disappeared
Summer of 2003 changed forever when Sprite Remix hit the shelves with its tropical flavor variations. Though technically an early 2000s product, it embodied that late ’90s experimental soda spirit that gave us clear colas and blue Pepsi.
Aruba Jam was my personal favorite, a fruit punch version that turned the classic lemon-lime soda into something extraordinary. The cool gradient cans in bright colors made them instantly recognizable in the school vending machine.
My friend group would trade flavors to determine which was best, creating heated debates worthy of serious soda scholars. Despite passionate fans, Sprite discontinued the Remix line in 2005, leaving us with regular Sprite that suddenly seemed boring by comparison.
10. Dunkaroos – The Dippable Cookie Phenomenon
Lunch trades reached a fever pitch whenever someone pulled out Dunkaroos in the cafeteria. These kangaroo-mascoted snacks featured small cookies you’d dunk into a separate compartment of frosting, pure interactive snacking genius that made me feel like I was getting away with something naughty.
The vanilla cookies with rainbow sprinkle frosting were the undisputed champions, though chocolate and peanut butter varieties had their devoted followers too. I’d strategically save a tiny bit of cookie with a massive glob of frosting for the final, perfect bite.
While they disappeared from American shelves in 2012, they maintained legendary status in ’90s snack nostalgia until their recent comeback, though veterans like me insist they’re not quite the same.