Last Updated on October 28, 2022 by Jim Edwards
Many people still remember what they used to take to middle school for lunch, even if they are 30 to 40 years of age now. That is why many 90s kids are still nostalgic about Dunkaroos, a vanilla shortbread cookie snack that could be dipped and enjoyed with various kinds of frosting.
A one-of-a-kind cookie with delicious and sugary frosting, Dunkaroos were a hit in the United States of America as children used to bring them to school to enjoy them with friends.
Dunkaroos are a Betty Crocker snack that was first introduced in a snack-sized package of cookies and a small tub of frosting. The cookies used to be available in various shapes: a circle with the letter D on it, the mascot kangaroo in different positions, feet, and a hot air balloon.
Dunkaroos were discontinued in the United States of America in 2012, much to the dismay of loyal fans of the cookie snack. Nevertheless, they recently launched again in 2020 with a single flavor and a single shape in the package.
Dunkaroos were first marketed to children using a kangaroo mascot that was a caricature of Australian culture. The first mascot was known as Sydney, who wore a hat, tie, and vest, and spoke with an Australian accent. Nevertheless, in 1996, when Dunkaroos were at the height of its popularity, the company introduced a new mascot through people’s choice called Duncan, the Dunkin’ daredevil.
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History and Background of Dunkaroos
As per the reports by General Mills, the Betty Crocker brand introduced Dunkaroos to the public in 1992, with a cute Australian kangaroo mascot called Sydney, who was voiced by John Cameron Mitchell, a popular actor, director, and writer. The cookies’ name was simply straightforward as the “kangaroo” shaped changed cookies were meant to be “dunked” inside the frosting for the ultimate experience.
These snacks quickly became a hit among school children, and the brand began to expand and experiment with different flavors. Flavors like chocolate and vanilla frosting were the first to be introduced, and by 1993, Betty Crocker introduced five flavors of cookies such as chocolate chip, peanut butter, cinnamon, and rainbow sprinkles.
Dunkaroos Were Officially Discontinued in 2012
Over the years, sales declined for Dunkaroos, with people desiring healthier and more fulfilling snacks. Dunkaroos were officially taken off the shelves of different supermarkets in the USA in 2012, which caused loyal fans of the cookies to become confused and sad.
The company did not initially give a statement regarding discontinuation but said that they wanted to focus more on the healthier options distributed by the company, such as Nature Valley and Lärabar. The company said that the high-fat and high-sugar content treat was not what they wanted to provide to their customers at the time.
Dunkaroos were distributed in Canada until 2017, encouraging many Americans to cross the border to obtain them for an indulgent treat. General Mills discovered the trend of Americans crossing the borders to buy Dunkaroos for their friends and families and launched a campaign called Smugglaroos to encourage more U.S. citizens to do the same.
The Dunkaroos brand relaunched in the summer of 2020 when General Mills announced that they would reintroduce cookies’ classic rainbow flavor to the public again. The Chief Brand Officer said that the launch of Dunkaroos had been in the works for years and was especially fueled by the love of consumers who traveled far and wide to enjoy the delicious snacks.
What Do Dunkaroos Taste Like?
With the relaunch of the Dunkaroos brand again in the market, people were uncertain if the brand-new Dunkaroos would taste the same as the ones they used to enjoy as a kid. The new Dunkaroos do not come in various shapes as opposed to the cookies sold before.
They are available in a rimmed circular shape with a large D in the center of the cookie. Instead of the multiple frosting options available with the variety of different flavored cookies, General Mills has only relaunched two frostings and one flavor of cookie presently: vanilla cookies with vanilla frosting with rainbow sprinkles and vanilla cookies with chocolate frosting.
The taste of the cookies and frosting are just the same as before, but people were worried if the cookies might be withdrawn from shelves again on the company’s whim. The chief brand officer assured the public that General Mills is dedicated to the new Dunkaroos, and there would be no need to stock up on the cookies in fear of discontinuation.
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Dunkaroos Nutritional Information
One serving of Dunkaroos contains one tray of cookies along with frosting, which weighs about 42 g. The nutritional information for a single serving of Dunkaroos is given below:
| Calories | 180 |
| Dietary Fiber | <1 g |
| Total Fat | 7 g |
| Saturated Fat | 3.5 g |
| Trans Fat | 0 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 115 mg |
| Total Carbs | 27 g |
| Total Sugars | 16 g |
| Incl. Added Sugars | 16 g |
| Protein | 1 g |
| Iron | 6 % |
Video: Dunkaroos – A Look Back at Their History
These graham cookie and frosting dessert snacks were a slam dunk in the eyes of 1990s children! This video of our “Inside the General Mills Archives” series spotlights a classic children’s favorite, Dunkaroos.
Dunkaroos – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Which flavor of Dunkaroos has made a comeback?
The vanilla cookies with vanilla frosting with rainbow sprinkles were the first flavor to have made a comeback in 2020. The chocolate frosting was recently reintroduced to the public with vanilla cookies upon much demand from fans.
When were Dunkaroos discontinued?
Dunkaroos were discontinued since the company did not see the high-sugar and high-fat content cookie snacks aligning with their vision for healthier snacks for children.
Are Dunkaroos Kosher?
Yes, the new version of Dunkaroos is Kosher.
Why were Dunkaroos relaunched?
Dunkaroos were relaunched due to a large number of requests by the fans to bring the cookie snack of their childhood back on store shelves.
Are Dunkaroos vegan?
The Dunkaroos cookies themselves are vegan as they contain no animal products. But the frosting dip for the cookies is made from oils, sugars, dairy, shortening, and many other artificial ingredients and contains animal products, so overall the snack is not vegan.
Are Dunkaroos available on Amazon?
Yes, you can buy the relaunched version of Dunkaroos on Amazon here.
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Image Credits:
Damn rights! DUNKAROOS! by erik.altitude is marked with CC BY-ND 2.0.
“dunkaroos” by lochnessjess is marked with CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
Box of Dunkaroos” by willbuckner is marked with CC BY 2.0.
kirsch: from Raleigh, US, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
I’m Jim Edwards and I started this website to share my love of Junk Food. We cover new junk food, desserts, snack foods, fast food secret menus, candy (of course!) and other related news. We love trying “secret menus” at restaurants. And we love trying new products too. So, we are trying to have some fun with our hobby and share some useful information with you, our community. Please feel to send us your suggestions and feedback through the contact form. And if you have products you would like us to try, let us know…!
