8 Cereals Inspired By Fast Food Restaurants

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It's not uncommon for fast food brands to come out with grocery-store versions of their popular menu items. Things like sauces from Chick-fil-A or Arby's, Taco Bell food kits, or Wendy's canned chili can all be found on grocery store shelves. Something that's not entirely common is cereals that were inspired by fast food. We took a deep dive to see what collaborations have happened in the past, and actually found eight different cereals that were inspired by fast food restaurants.

Don't worry — the cereals aren't things like a McDonald's McNugget cereal. All of these cereal options actually make perfect sense in the form of a cereal, as they are all based on popular sugary and sweet menu items. Most of these have been seen as limited editions or short-lived offerings; however, it's definitely possible that some of these could pop back up on store shelves. We've combed through all eight variations of these fast-food-inspired cereals, and we're sure that you're going to be craving a hearty bowl of cereal once we're finished.

One of the most coveted items at Taco Bell is its famous Cinnamon Twists, which were originally inspired by a traditional Mexican wheat snack. They are served in a paper sleeve, and are very light, crunchy, and sweet. Taco Bell lovers tend to enjoy the twists as a dessert after their Mexican-inspired meal.

In 2024, Taco Bell, in partnership with Uber Eats, created Cinnamon Twists Cereal. This special box of cereal was only available to order through Uber One, Uber Eats, or Taco Bell Rewards. There were various stipulations on how to snag a box, and there were also limits on how many boxes a single customer could get. The cereal was also only offered to people who lived in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, or Dallas.

The cereal itself was very simple, and almost exactly like the Cinnamon Twists you would get at Taco Bell. They were mainly made with wheat flour, rice flour, yellow cornmeal, and cinnamon sugar. Surprisingly, customers didn't seem too impressed with the cereal. On Reddit, people shared that the cereal wasn't very impressive and not worth spending the money on. The underwhelming customer response could be why we never got to see this Taco Bell cereal land on grocery store shelves.

Dunkin' is known for its flavored coffee drinks, many of which almost taste like a dessert with all of the syrups and flavorings that get added in. Two popular drinks are the mocha latte and caramel macchiato. According to Dunkin', these are fan-favorite flavors — so much so that the company created cereals modeled after both flavors.

The Dunkin' Mocha Latte and Dunkin' Caramel Macchiato cereals were released in July of 2020 for National Cereal Day. They were available in grocery stores across the country and were even available on Amazon at one point. Both cereals had crunchy, circular pieces that made up the bulk of the mixture, and then flavored marshmallows were mixed throughout as well. For the cereal to truly be coffee-flavored, there was actual Dunkin' coffee extract infused into the cereal pieces.

Dunkin' and cereal fans seemed to be torn on whether or not they enjoyed this product. On Reddit, people shared that they thought it was overall tasty, and many people specifically mentioned that the mocha latte was their favorite. Ultimately, it was a bit of a mixed bag as far as reception was concerned.

With chain cookie brands becoming increasingly popular over the years, Crumbl is one that many people consider a favorite. Younger customers especially love to share videos of themselves tasting the brand's new flavors each week on TikTok, making Crumbl the "it girl" when it comes to cookie chains.

In the summer of 2024, Crumbl partnered with Kellogg's to create a chocolate chip cookie-flavored cereal. The cereal pieces basically looked like miniature versions of the signature Crumbl chocolate chip cookie, but with a crunchy texture. It was originally sold at grocery stores like Costco and Walmart, and can still be found in stock in some places. For example, Amazon sells a two-pack of the Kellogg's and Crumbl cereal.

Online, people shared mixed opinions about the cereal. Some complaints noted that the flavor wasn't really representative of a real chocolate chip cookie. Many people questioned how it compared to Cookie Crisp, which is a similar cereal concept that has been on the market since 1977. The consensus was that the taste was definitely distinct, but which product is better comes down to personal preference.

Who doesn't love the ooey-gooey decadent experience of eating a Cinnabon? The cinnamon and frosting smell wafts through the air, the buns melt in your mouth, and they're so large that they provide endless satisfying bites. Now, creating that same experience in a cereal may be a bit challenging, but Cinnabon and Kellogg's partnered to give it a try. The Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cereal was first released in 2010, discontinued in 2018, revived in 2022, and then discontinued again in 2024.

It's been a rollercoaster for fans who enjoy the cereal, even sparking some to petition for its return. On platforms like TikTok, people who have reviewed the cereal say that it tastes very much like an actual cinnamon roll. Several other reviews have mentioned that eating a bowl of the cereal was just as satisfying as having a regular Cinnabon. With such positive customer feedback, we won't be surprised if this cereal hits grocery store shelves once again.

Krispy Kreme is one of the most popular doughnut chains in the U.S., famously selling over 1.6 billion doughnuts in 2022. The most well-known item from the chain is its classic glazed doughnut, which is coated in a thick sugary topping. Around 2021, Krispy Kreme and Kellogg's partnered up to make Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Cereal; however, it was only ever sold in Mexico.

The cereal was modeled after the classic glazed doughnuts, almost resembling the size and shape of Fruit Loops. Reviewers online frequently noted that the cereal tasted generic and overly sugary. Nothing about it seemed to scream Krispy Kreme. While some positive reviews cropped up, ultimately, they were outnumbered by the negative. This is probably why we never got to see it on grocery store shelves in the U.S.

When it comes to fast food desserts, the Wendy's Frosty is always a popular choice. Many people love to pair it with an order of french fries, and they even dip their fries straight into the thick ice cream mixture. In 2021, Wendy's decided to create a cereal modeled after the Wendy's Chocolate Frosty. This was created in collaboration with Kellogg's and was officially named Wendy's Frosty Chocolatey Cereal.

The cereal itself looked very similar to Cocoa Puffs, which is another chocolate-based cereal. Both featured round, crunchy chocolate pieces, and the Wendy's cereal also had small marshmallow bits added to it. Reviews were overall fairly positive for the cereal, with many claiming that it even tasted like a "better" version of Cocoa Puffs. But, where it fell short was in failing to deliver the desserty vibe of an actual Frosty. Some noted that at least your leftover cereal milk had a rich chocolate taste once you'd finished eating all the cereal bits.

IHOP, also originally known as the International House of Pancakes, is an incredibly popular chain across the country. There is at least one in every single U.S. state besides Vermont, and overall, there are close to 1,700 locations. Many people love the restaurant due to its accessibility, large menu with various types of food, and endless options for different types of pancakes.

In 2022, IHOP announced a pancake cereal in collaboration with General Mills. It was called the IHOP Mini Pancake Cereal, and it was only ever released in a Blueberry & Syrup flavor. The cereal pieces looked like miniature pancakes with a crispy exterior and blue speckles on the outside. 

Several online taste tests have noted that the cereal lacked syrup flavor and that it tasted better with milk. On sites like Reddit, the overall consensus was a negative one; customers didn't seem to enjoy the cereal. Ultimately, it didn't last for very long on grocery store shelves.

Tim Hortons first opened in Canada in 1964. It made its way to the U.S. in 1984, and since then, thousands of additional locations have opened around the world. While Tim Hortons is primarily known for its coffee, it's also popular for its donuts — namely, the Timbits. Timbits are donut holes that are baked fresh daily. They come in many different flavors, like Honey Dip, Chocolate Glazed, and Birthday Cake.

With Timbits being such a popular menu item at Tim Hortons, it only makes sense that a cereal inspired by the small treats would come to market. Made in collaboration with Post, the Timbits Cereal was available in Canada and came in two flavors: Chocolate Glazed and Birthday Cake. The cereal was made up of small, ball-shaped bites that almost looked like you took a handful of Timbits and shrunk them.

Like many of the other cereals in this lineup, opinions of the Timbits Cereal were fairly mixed. The Birthday Cake flavor was noted as being overly sweet and a tad artificial tasting, while the Chocolate Glazed received higher marks. Many customers noted the latter, much like Wendy's Frosty cereal, even beat out Cocoa Puffs.