Last Updated on June 13, 2022 by Jim Edwards
Monster cereals are the creation of General Mills Corporation, which started manufacturing the breakfast cereal line in 1971. Using two classic monsters at the beginning, the manufacturer has introduced five unique flavors of monster cereals along with a one-box-has-it-all cereal so far.
General Mills started as a flour mill back in 1866 but eventually became one of the prominent leaders in consumer food products. The manufacturer owns many brands apart from monster cereals. These brands include Annie’s Homegrown, Betty Crocker, Totino’s, Pillsbury, Cheerios, Lucky Charms, and Trix.
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History of Monster Cereals
General Mills Corporation took inspiration from classic horror movies to debut two of their monster cereals in 1971. Franken Berry and Count Chocula were the first to become popular breakfast cereals for both kids and adults. The strawberry-flavored Franken Berry and chocolate-flavored Count Chocula had engaging commercials that spiked the interest of cereal lovers.
A year later, the manufacturing company experimented with the Franken Berry cereal by adding an indigestible pigment that turned children’s feces pink. Later the two kinds of cereal were modified to remove any such ingredient.
After the success of Count Chocula and Franken Berry, the company introduced Boo Berry and Fruit Brute in 1973 and 1974, respectively. While the Boo Berry cereal was a success, Fruit Brute was discontinued in 1982. They tried to replace it with Fruit Yummy Mummy, but that also failed, and General Mills had to discontinue it in 1992.
Ever since 2010, the company has been manufacturing and selling monster cereals for only a few months during the fall season. They are specific for the Halloween crowd. At first, it was only Count Chocula, Franken Berry, and Boo Berry, but in 2013, General Mills started selling all five monster kinds of cereal for the Halloween season. The company introduced Monster Mash, a cereal with all five flavors assorted in a box, for its 50th anniversary in 2021.
Overview of All The Monster Cereals
1. Count Chocula
When Count Chocula was distributed in 1971, it was the only chocolate-flavored cereal available. If we are enjoying delicious chocolate cereals today, it’s all thanks to Count Chocula. With colorful marshmallows and uniquely shaped cereal, this brand has been a part of many American households for five decades!
Initially, Count Chocula cereal was shaped like a circle with a cross in the middle, but the design has been updated many times, and now it is a ghost-shaped cereal.
2. Franken Berry
Introduced alongside Count Chocula in 1971, Franken Berry has been adding a strawberry flavor to our breakfast meals for a long time. It is one of the most loved Halloween cereals in history, and for a good reason.
While the strawberry flavor is the dominant and beloved thing about this cereal, the marshmallows keep things balanced. Franken Berry has a fruity taste that does not overwhelm you. So, if you want strawberry-flavored cereal without the intense taste of strawberries, this would be perfect for you.
3. Boo Berry
Staying true to the custom of adding colorful marshmallows to the designated ghost-shaped cereal, General Mills added Boo Berry to their monster cereals. The blueberry-flavored cereal is a first in the industry. When it was introduced back in 1973, it was the first time anyone had attempted to manufacture blueberry-flavored cereal.
Needless to say, the brand was successful, and Boo Berry continues to be manufactured today! It used to be available all year round, just like Count Chocula and Franken Berry, but after 2010, these three products are only available during the Halloween season, along with Fruit Brute and Fruity Yummy Mummy.
4. Fruit Brute/Frute Brute
With lime-flavored marshmallows and fruity bites, Fruit Brute was introduced right after Boo Berry, so the expectations were high for this monster cereal. Sadly, it failed to satisfy the consumers, and General Mills eventually stopped production. Cereal lovers were heartbroken to know that Fruit Brute won’t be available anymore!
However, the manufacturing company surprised everyone by reintroducing Fruit Brute as part of their Halloween season offerings in 2013. It has been in production ever since with a new name, Frute Brute.
5. Fruity Yummy Mummy
Facing a similar fate as that of Frute Brute, Fruity Yummy Mummy was discontinued in 1992. The cereal had fruity bites with vanilla-flavored marshmallows, kickstarting every morning with an energizing feeling.
After it was discontinued, people were unable to find it in the market for almost 21 years until it was reintroduced with Frute Brute in 2013. Although Frute Brute and Fruity Yummy Mummy have the same fruity taste, the difference in marshmallows keeps their flavors unique.
6. Monster Mash
How should a cereal manufacturing company celebrate its 50th anniversary? By mixing all their monster cereal flavors in a box, of course! General Mills had the best anniversary celebration idea, which was appreciated by all monster cereal fans.
Monster Mash is a berry-flavored cereal with marshmallows from Franken Berry, Count Chocula, Boo Berry, Frute Brute, and Fruity Yummy Mummy. The mix of chocolate, strawberry, blueberry, lime, and vanilla marshmallows from these monster cereals is the highlight of Monster Mash.
Monster Mash Cereal – Our Fav Cereal Collab?
Monster Cereal Commercials from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s
A 28-minute video of commercials starring Count Chocula, Franken Berry, Boo Berry, Fruit Brute, and Fruity Yummy Mummy. Watch the video to refresh your memories of the past when you first had a Monster cereal!
Summary
Staying in the cereal business for over five decades and being a pioneer is not easy. General Mills deserves all the praise and love it gets for monster cereals. With the introduction of chocolate and blueberry-flavored cereal, the company has opened many doors for cereal makers in America.
Monster cereals do not only have intriguing names and flavors, but their packaging is also entertaining for children. Some people eat them for nostalgia, while the young ones are simply enjoying the sugar rush. If you haven’t tried one of these flavors yet, make sure to do it soon!
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Links
“Monster Cereals” by JeepersMedia is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
“Monster Cereals” by JeepersMedia is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
“monster cereals” by greyloch is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0, 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…!
