Kotas Reviews French Toast Crunch

Ah, nostalgia. It currently is all the rage for thirty-somethings like myself. Recapturing our childhoods has never been easier! Transformers have been back for eight years now, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have seen several revivals and incarnations in the same time frame, including a new "live action" movie, and retro gaming is practically a genre at this point. What's not to love? Well, there is always the risk of things going to far, which brings us to today's subject: French Toast Crunch.

It is most definitely back, though I did not ask for it.

Originally released in 1995, this cereal was actually on the market as late as 2006 in the United States, and it never LEFT the market in Canada. The original release had the cereal pieces shaped like little pieces of toast (and it has always been that way for the Canucks), but later was changed too look like its sister cereal, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, with little generic cereal squares. It was resurrected in December of 2014 "due to popular demand" in its original 1995 incarnation, bread shaped cereal pieces and all. 

I do remember them, actually. I LIVED IT, MAN!

I never had any experience with this cereal, as by 1995 my breakfast tastes had moved away from such things, and of course, I never really noticed it when I was out shopping for food during the decade that followed. It vanished from store shelves with nary a peep out of anyone that I knew, and I have to say, it is hard to feel any real nostalgia for a product that was discontinued 9 years ago but claims to be "from the 90s". In any case, I go into this with few preconceived notions about what it should taste like, and will only judge it on its current merits as a sweetened cereal marketed at kids and hipsters. 

Best served during winter storm watches!

Well, I'll be damned if it ain't exactly what it says on the tin. It really does look like miniature french toast. The scent is heavily of sweetened corn and maple syrup-ish overtones. Popping a few pieces into your mouth leads to a satisfying crunch, and it has the flavor of, well, Cap'n Crunch lightly drizzled with artificial maple syrup, only without the mouth-cutting sharpness of that cereal. Very pleasant for snacking. In milk, the flavor remains exactly the same, and the cereal pieces hold up nicely, not turning to complete mush by the end of the bowl. The milk gains a nice maple syrup taste and on the whole it is quite good. Color me amazed, but I think I like this.

On the FACE Rating System, this gets 2 smiley faces. I was honestly surprised that such a naked nostalgic cash grab, of a BREAKFAST CEREAL no less, would actually taste pretty damn good. It's about as french toasty as a cereal can get and a tasty treat to munch on when one is huddled up sick or trapped inside due to blizzard conditions. If you like sweetened cereals, give it a whirl. If you like French Toast, give it a whirl! If you prefer pancakes...well, you might be out of luck, but I thought it was good.