Review: Ghost's Lucky Charms & Cinnamon Toast Crunch Flavored Cereals Pack In Protein But Fall Short On Taste

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Unless you haven't stepped foot in a grocery store since 2022, you're probably well aware that protein-enriched foods are having a major moment right now. Even the U.S. government is urging us to cast aside carbs and start filling our plates with protein. You basically couldn't escape this macronutrient if you tried. But it's not necessarily just fish, beans, and meat that has everyone hopping aboard the train to protein town. Commercial products that we know and love are getting a trendy nutrition makeover, from Pop-Tarts that pump up the protein to Starbucks' protein lattes and cold foams. Among these tried-and-true brands rolling out contemporary, nutrition-focused products is General Mills, the company responsible for most of our favorite nostalgic breakfast cereals. It has teamed up with Ghost of energy drink fame to give us some new spins on two classic fun cereals: Lucky Charms and Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

I got my hands on both new Ghost-General Mills collab products to give each a try and see how they fare as a competitor in the crowded breakfast cereal market. In this review, I give my honest opinion on their flavor and texture (a delicate topic when it comes to protein-enriched snacks) and see how they compare to the OGs. Let's see if Ghost's energy drink talents transfer to cereal, or if the new products are sure to scare away those looking to maximize their gym gains.

If you're looking to get your hands on the new Ghost cereal flavors, you won't have to stray far. You'll find them at large, nationwide retailers like Target and Walmart, or you can order them directly from the Ghost website. At Target, each box runs $8.99. I scored mine from my local Walmart in rural Pennsylvania for $8.47 each, so those in major cities can probably expect to pay a bit more. If you order a box of either cereal from the Ghost website, expect to pay $9.99 each — and no, it's not a family-size box.

A 1 ¼-cup serving of Cinnamon Toast Crunch-flavored Ghost cereal (with no milk) contains 6 grams of sugar, 12 grams of carbs, 230 milligrams of sodium, 8 grams of fat (3 ½ of which are saturated fat), 130 milligrams of calcium, 17 grams of protein, and 170 calories. A 1 ¼-cup serving of Lucky Charms-flavored Ghost cereal clocks in at 10 grams of sugar, 16 grams of carbs, 220 milligrams of sodium, 5 grams of fat (3 of which are saturated fat), 130 milligrams of calcium, 17 grams of protein, and 170 calories. The protein source for both cereals is derived from a combination of milk and soy ingredients. Neither cereal contains any wheat ingredients.

The Cinnamon Toast Crunch-flavored Ghost cereal doesn't really look anything like General Mills' original fan favorite. The pieces are shaped like tiny, puffy pillows covered in a powdery cinnamon dust. Cinnamon Toast Crunch is my favorite General Mills cereal of all time, so I'll admit that I might have judged Ghost's puffy version a little extra harshly. However, it's objectively true that this cereal tastes like protein powder made crunchy — obviously not in a good way. At first glance, the cereal looked like it would have a bold cinnamon flavor, but the chalky, milk powder taste completely masked any kind of sweet spice. It lacks the intense crispiness and layered flavor that my cinnamony favorite is famous for, giving me a real "look how they massacred my boy" moment.

If the flavor and texture wasn't bad enough, the aftertaste will surely turn you off this cereal for good. The taste that lingered after my first bite could only be described as "cardboard." A tip on the box recommends adding Ghost Whey Protein Powder to your milk before adding the milk to cereal to help maximize your gains. Although Ghost's is one of the rare store-bought protein powders that actually tastes good, I couldn't fathom the chalky, cardboard-y aftertaste that would wreak havoc on my taste buds if I were willing to give this a try — I don't think it'd be worth the legendary protein intake.

I much prefer Cinnamon Toast Crunch over Lucky Charms, but in this case, I preferred the Ghost Lucky Charms-flavored protein cereal over the cinnamon-flavored one. Instead of fun-shaped, crispy pieces, this protein cereal is made up of puffy spheres. However, the marshmallows scattered among the round puffs are almost identical to the iconic originals in flavor and texture, and they aren't in short supply. They have the same love-it-or-hate-it texture of circus peanuts, which happen to be the candy Lucky Charms evolved from.

There was much less of an egregious aftertaste in this cereal compared to the Cinnamon Toast Crunch version. The crunchy spheres had the same texture as a corn-based puffy cereal ... but none of the flavor. They were incredibly bland, letting the marshmallows do all the heavy lifting. However, I'd take bland over cardboard-tasting and chalky any day. The cereal managed to not get soggy quickly, and it offered a hint of the nostalgic flavor of Lucky Charms thanks to the marshmallows, but it was far from a copycat. I think General Mills would have been better off not associating this product with Lucky Charms — nostalgic cereal lovers are bound to be disappointed.

From a purely economic standpoint, Ghost protein cereals aren't worth the money. At $8.50 to $9.99 per box for a total of 102 grams of protein (that's six servings per box at 17 grams per serving), the juice just isn't worth the squeeze, so to speak. You can eat high-protein meals and save money at the same time by avoiding products like this and opting for cheaper whole foods — like green vegetables, nuts, and meat — that are high in the precious macronutrient instead.

From purely a flavor standpoint, the price of these cereals certainly isn't worth it. It's always safe to assume that a product made primarily from milk protein will have a bit of a chalky flavor, but — in the case of the Cinnamon Toast Crunch-flavored cereal, specifically — the chalkiness was dialed up to the max. The Lucky Charms version shouldn't necessarily be avoided at all costs like its cinnamon companion, however. For a cereal fan who's really looking to maximize their protein intake, the Lucky Charms-flavored Ghost cereal will certainly do the trick without being completely inedible. I'll admit that 17 grams of protein and 170 calories per serving is a solid protein-calorie ratio. But, from a taste standpoint, you'd be much better off with some high-protein yogurt or bacon and eggs as your first meal of the day.