Photo: Ericlefrancais, Getty Images.
Cereal used to be one of the reasons why, as kids, we bothered to get out of bed (the other reason was cartoons). As adults, we brag about eating cereal for dinner or as a naughty midnight snack. Why cereal was ever designated as a breakfast food is beyond us, because we all know it’s practically dessert in a bowl, right? Which is fine. Why shouldn’t you start your day out with something sweet?
What brand you choose for the most important meal of the day is highly personal, and likely influenced by childhood nostalgia. Whether you’ve remained faithful to one kind of cereal throughout your life or find that your tastes change as you mature, there’s no shortage of delicious cereal brands to choose from these days.
Also: The Most Delicious Homemade Pancake Recipe Ever
The following eleven brands (in a very particular order!) are what we consider to be the top breakfast cereals of all time. Pour yourself a bowl or eat it straight out of the box by the fistful any time of the day.
Top Breakfast Cereal Brands of All Time
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Lucky Charms
If you don't love Lucky Charms, something's wrong with your taste buds. The marshmallow-studded cereal relies on some serious food coloring but part of the fun is seeing how well you can alter the marshmallow-to-cereal ratio with every pour. And don't think for a second that the cereal part is filler--in fact, it's a necessary buffer against those brightly hued sugar bombs. Try not to eat the whole box in one sitting. We dare you.
Photo: @luckycharms on Instagram.
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Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Cinnamon and sugar make one of the greatest flavor combinations in existence. These cereal squares, which come coated with a swirly dusting of those two magnificent tastes, are downright addictive and just as delicious with milk as without.
Photo: @cinnamontoastcrunch on Instagram.
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Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch
Is it a form of masochism to eat Cap'n Crunch until the roof of your mouth is raw? Oh, who cares. If this cereal's texture didn't force you to stop, you'd eat the peanut butter-flavored pellets until you burst. Yes, this cereal is so delectable it could sink ships. That's why the Captain is involved.
Photo: @realcapncrunch on Instagram.
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Chocolate Chex Cereal
For gluten-free eaters, Chex cereal is a godsend. Thank goodness they went a step beyond wheat-free eating and incorporated new flavors like chocolate into the line-up. While a box of Chocolate Chex cereal consists of about 50% of the powdery cocoa flavor and 50% standard rice flavor, the blandness of the latter is a good balance to the chocolatey hit of the former.
Photo: @chexcereal on Instagram.
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Honey Bunches of Oats
Honey Bunches of Oats is like the best granola bar you've ever eaten, crumbled. It masquerades as light and healthy, but those of us who've polished off too many bowls in a row know that it's as habit-forming as crack. The only caveat: you must consume it quickly before the milk makes it soggy.
Photo: @mariecar on Instagram.
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Raisin Nut Bran
Raisin bran gets a bad rap for being boring, but Raisin Nut Bran is the badass rebel of that cereal genre. Nut-covered raisins, in theory, should be disgusting but in practice they're like candy. Add the wholesome taste of bran flakes and slivered almonds to the bowl, and you've got one of the most mouthwatering breakfasts around.
Photo: @danie77e_oliverthesaint on Instagram.
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Chocolate Frosted Mini Wheats
You hear the word "wheat" and probably groan "Ugh, health food." But the chocolate version of Frosted Mini Wheats is so not that. It's decadent, indulgent, and at its best when the milk starts to soften it.
Photo: @kelloggsus on Instagram.
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Corn Pops
If you're a not-too-sweet-please cereal eater, Corn Pops is a delightfully airy, almost savory way to get your breakfast on. The misshapen puffed corn pieces are like clouds of crunchiness when floating atop an oasis of milk.
Photo: @jinb0_ism on Instagram.
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Frosted Flakes
"They're grrreat!" How many of you can still hear Tony the Tiger growling that slogan in your ear? Let's be honest: Frosted Flakes isn't the be-all-and-end-all of cereals, but it's the brand that most of us recall stuffing our faces with in childhood. Happy memories of eating this obscenely sweet cereal overrule our adult palates, which would otherwise cringe at such a saccharine cereal. Enjoy for nostalgic purposes only.
Photo: @_thebreakfaster on Instagram.
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Honey Nut Cheerios
For many of us, Honey Nut Cheerios was the first blatantly sweet breakfast cereal we were allowed to eat. There's something nutritionally virtuous about those honeyed Os with barely a hint of nuttiness; we know they're not entirely nutritious, but they're not not nutritious, either, and their shape makes them perfect finger food.
Photo: @cheerios on Instagram.
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Kix
"Kid tested, mother approved" seems like an antiquated slogan in a society where dads participate in parenting, too, but Kix will always be associated with childhood, even as the eaters of it age and evolve. The tiny balls that fill up your bowl are barely sugary, but when your kids start eating cereal, this is one of the few you'll be comfortable letting them binge on.
Photo: @khullenroberts on Instagram.
