We don’t know if we’re feeling nostalgic but the snacks we grew up with – the far-out fast food options, out of this world candies, sugary cereals and Nineties sodas – don't compare to foods on offer now. But luckily for the kids (and big kids) of today, many have been revived. From Taco Bell’s Enchirito to Cheez Balls and Cereal Straws, these are the foods and drinks we loved in childhood that came back (albeit some for only a brief time).
If you haven’t tried this meaty sandwich from McDonald’s, we don’t know where you’ve been. First introduced in the US in 1982, it features a pork patty shaped like a rack of ribs, barbecue sauce, sliced onions and dill pickles. It was a permanent fixture until 2006, but since then has left and rejoined the menu once a year. Although not currently available, we’re sure we haven’t seen the last of it.
These oblong cakes have been around so long they’re part and parcel of American culture. Launched in 1930, they frequently featured in comics and TV shows after the Second World War. However, in 2012 Hostess filed for bankruptcy and production of the iconic dessert was discontinued. Thankfully, a private equity firm stepped in and they returned six months later.
At the same time we lost Twinkies, we also lost Donettes. The small, cakey donuts were sold by Hostess which went under in 2012 citing rising pension and ingredient costs as the cause. However, when the brand returned the following year, so did its favorite treats. First introduced in the 1930s, the little rings now come in flavors that include powdered, double chocolate and strawberry cheesecake.
Surprisingly, this Hostess-packaged cupcake, which debuted in 1919, is its best-selling product, not Twinkies. Nonetheless, it vanished from shelves in 2012 along with other favorite baked items while the company was bought and restructured. It returned with a bang six months later with more cocoa packed into its chocolate cupcake and the tagline “The Sweetest Comeback In The History Of Ever”.
These round lemon, orange, clove, cinnamon and chocolate candies are some of America’s oldest and most nostalgic, dating all the way back to 1847. So you can imagine the horror when the factory that produced them suddenly closed in 2018 with no prior warning and just months after being saved from bankruptcy. However, Spangler Candy Company saved the day by bringing them back, complete with their original wax paper wrappers, in 2020.
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Exchanged between classmates and friends since 1902, Sweethearts were lost along with Necco Wafers when the company's factory closed in 2018. When Spangler Candy Company saved the iconic brand in 2020, they were sold again with original sayings such as “Be Mine” and “Kiss Me” as well as new lyrics from recent pop songs.
When Clearly Canadian launched in the US in 1988, sugary sodas were the order of the day and the flavored sparkling water provided a much-needed refreshing alternative. Sales peaked at over C$150 million in 1992 but shortly after, interest waned and it was discontinued. However, the drink made a triumphant comeback in 2015 when venture capitalist and long-time fan Robert R. Kahn set up a crowdfunding campaign to facilitate the retro drink’s return.
Now take a look at sodas America adored the decade you were born
Another recent revival, Nineties snack Dunkaroos returned to US shelves last year along with new Dunkaroos cereal. The kangaroo-shaped cookies were launched by General Mills in 1992, but taken off the US market in 2012 (while remaining on sale in Canada) as the company wanted to focus on healthier products. The brand received record requests to put it back on sale.
Invented in New York in 1912, this chewy treat was incredibly popular for the majority of the last century. It featured in comics, had tie-ins with new cereals and even had its own TV show The Magic Clown. However, in the 1970s, Tootsie Roll Industries purchased the brand, changed the texture of the candy and eventually discontinued it. Luckily, entrepreneurs and fans Kenny Wiesen and Jerry Sweeney were able to bring back the much-loved sweet in 2010.
Although it’s hard to believe now, McDonald’s sold pizza in the USA and UK between the late 1980s and late 1990s. The personal pies came with toppings such as cheese, pepperoni, green pepper and onion, but slow cooking times prevented the menu idea from having staying power. Regardless, there was much excitement when it briefly returned to select stores in the US in 2017.
General Mills has sold many cereals over the ages, but this one is regularly described as one of the best. French Toast Crunch, which features little toast-shaped, maple-flavored crunchy bites, was launched in the States in late 1995, but shelved the following decade in 2006. In its honor, devastated fans created a Facebook group and campaigned for its return. It was brought back in 2015 and is still firmly on the breakfast table.
This celestial sweet was launched in the US in 1963 at the height of the space race and the country's obsession with everything out of this world. However, by the turn of the century it was no longer relevant and its parent company Spangler Candy Company discontinued it. Not the first sweet to be brought back by a fan, Astro Pop was relaunched by California entrepreneur Ellia Kassoff in 2010 along with new Astro Pop soda.
This best-selling bourbon, which dates back to the 1860s, was the drink of choice in the US in the 1930s and 1940s. However, it stopped being sold in the 1950s, as the brand focused on blended whiskey (whiskey mixed with vodka), although it still shipped to Asia and Europe. In 2002, the name was acquired and revived stateside where it has regained its reputation as a revered craft brand.
Count Chocula, Franken Berry and Boo Berry made their American debut in the early 1970s, as the first chocolate, strawberry and blueberry-flavored cereals with marshmallow bits. In the beginning they were available year-round, but from 2009 onwards they’ve been a little more scarce in the supermarket, appearing once a year around Halloween.
A type of hybrid burrito-enchilada, Taco Bell's Enchirito was a beef, bean and onion burrito topped with red sauce, Cheddar and three black olive slices. It had a huge fan base when it was rolled out in the States in the early 1970s. Nonetheless, it was discontinued in 1993 to make way for new items. In subsequent years it returned a number of times but something had changed and it disappeared completely in 2013. The closest thing to this dish at Taco Bell today is the Smothered Burrito.
Enduring a mouthful of this fizzing, crackling candy was a right of passage for children growing up in America in the 1970s. However, when a rumor circulated that a boy’s stomach exploded from eating the sweet mixed with Coca-Cola in the early 1980s, it fell out of favor and was discontinued. When it was first brought back in 1985, it was re-branded as Action Candy, but has now got its original name back.
In the US in the early 2000s, Kellogg’s launched Eggo Cereal, a mash-up of its best-selling products: golden Eggo Waffles and sugary cereal. The tiny treats were a hit in the beginning, but like many cereals it was eventually pulled in 2012. Then out of the blue on National Waffle Day 2019, the brand announced on Twitter "If this gets 10,000 RTs, we'll bring back Eggo Cereal." Needless to say, the tweet generated an overwhelming response.
This fancy dessert has been a British favorite since it was launched in the 1980s. However, it was less successful in the US, arriving in the mid-1980s and leaving not long after. Now Viennetta is back in the States for a second time, arriving earlier in 2021, so you can get your hands on the delightfully retro dessert once more.
It had been 12 years since American kids (and big kids) had been able to infuse their glass of morning milk with the fruity flavor of Froot Loops or the chocolate flavor of Coco Pops. Then Kellogg’s decided to reward us by relaunching its 1990s snack Cereal Straws earlier this year. Last seen in 2009, mornings have now been returned to their former glory.
In 1990 McDonald’s did something completely outside of the box and launched Mighty Wings – bone-in, spicy, breaded chicken wings – in the US. A menu staple up until 2003, the product was removed for 10 years before being brought back in 2013. The return was viewed as a failure, but the fast food giant tried reviving them again in 2016. We suspect we haven’t seen the last of the wings either.
This 1970s American candy bar featuring caramel, fudge, peanuts and chocolate had not been seen since the days it was sold for 15c. So it was a surprise when The Hershey Company brought it back out with a new red wrapper in place of the white one in 2013. But if you weren't quick to buy it, you missed out as its return was sadly short-lived.
Proof that creating fan pages and pestering brands to bring back your favorite snacks works, UK-based chocolate bar Cadbury Wispa returned on a permanent basis in 2007 following the creation of fan groups on social media dedicated to the sweet treat. A slightly aerated, milk chocolate bar, it was launched in the UK in 1981 and discontinued in 2003 due to poor sales. You can spot it by its striking purple packaging and red font.
This biscuity breakfast was launched by Post and Kraft in the US in 1998, following a decade of sweet cereal launches. Featuring little chocolate loops and dollops of sugary creme, its popularity was no surprise given America’s love of Oreos. It had a near decade-long run in shops before it was discontinued in 2007. The Nineties renaissance provided prime conditions for its return in 2017 and we were more than happy to welcome it back.
A hollow chocolate ball with candies inside, Wonder Balls were first sold in the States in the 1990s under the name Nestlé Magic Balls. Similar to the British Kinder Egg, children loved it but it was banned by the FDA for being a choking hazard in 1997. It briefly returned without the toy in 2000, then again in 2016 with a Minion theme as a tie-in with Despicable Me 2.
Originally launched as a limited-edition treat, Crispy M&M’s featuring a puffed rice center arrived in the US in 1998. Less dense and with the added textural element, chocolate fans loved them. However, seven years later the crunchy snack was taken off shelves as planned. That didn’t make the withdrawal any less painful and lovers of the snack campaigned for its return. Thankfully, it worked and it came back on a permanent basis in 2015.
Introduced by The Coca-Cola Company to compete with Pepsi’s Mountain Dew, fizzy, citrus Surge arrived in the States in 1996. It had a bright green can and was marketed as having a “hardcore edge”. However, it eventually fell out of favor and was taken off shelves in 2003. Since then it has reappeared a number of times, on Amazon Prime, at Burger King chains and convenience stores around the country.
Check out which drinks were popular the decade you were born
Not the typical offering from a burger and fries chain, the McLobster was added to McDonald’s menus in America in 1992. It was a lobster roll with shredded lettuce and lobster sauce. Sadly, due to supply issues, you can now only get the fancy fast food in Canada and New England in the summer when lobsters are abundant.
Want more? Check out the most iconic fast food items in history
Nineties kids will remember Cini-Minis from Burger King well. Touted "the best part of the cinnamon roll (the center) in every bite", they were launched in the US in 1998 with a pack of four costing 99c. When they were discontinued in the 2000s, fans created an online petition demanding they return – and it worked. They did for a brief time in 2018.
Launched by Planters in the US in the 1970s, these bright orange cheese powder-dusted corn puffs were extremely popular throughout the following decades. However, in 2006 the company decided to focus on its main product which was nuts, and got rid of them. It was a Change.org petition that initiated the retro snack’s return in 2018.
Remember the Nineties trend where people went crazy for clear food and drink because they thought it was healthy? Around that time Pepsi launched Crystal Pepsi in America, but people were confused about what it was meant to taste of and it failed to take off. However, those desperate for a sip of nostalgia were given the opportunity to taste the fizzy drink again when the brand was revived in 2015, 2016 and 2017. And in 2022, there'll be another chance to relive 1992. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the drink's launch, Pepsi is giving fans the chance to win six bottles in a social media competition.