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‘90s junk food was just better than what we have today. Maybe it has something to do with being blissfully unaware of the all the preservatives and weird chemicals that are infused in our favorite ‘90s snacks, but there’s also an incredible sense of nostalgia that we get when we think about these snacks. Whether you’re a sweet or savory person, there’s something here that we want to bring back.
Butterfinger BB’s
Butterfinger BB’s were a hit because of a killer ad campaign bolstered by everyone’s #1 favorite animated troublemaker, Bart Simpson. But here’s the thing, these bite sized Butterfinger bits were INCREDIBLE. Nothing beat ripping a package of Butterfinger BB’s open and snarfing down a few of these crunchy, chocolatey bad boys during your lunch break. The major problem with the BB’s is that they were super melty and got over your hands, which is probably why they were phased out by the 2000s.
Surge
Nothing beat staying up late on a Friday night and jamming on a six pack of Surge. Whether you were playing Turtles in Time with the boys or watching a pile of movies from Blockbuster, Coca-Cola’s foray into super sugary, lemon lime soda was the thing to drink. Essentially Coca-Cola’s answer to Mountain Dew, Surge disappeared by the late ‘90s, although if you look hard enough you can still find some deadstock hanging around.
Doritos 3D
If you never had a chance to try Doritos 3D then you missed out. Released in the late ‘90s, these babies weren’t your grandma’s flavored tortilla chips, they were puffed into rounded off 3D pyramids that came in delicious flavors like Jalapeño Cheddar, Nacho Cheese and Zesty Ranch. Sadly, they were too costly to produce and they were kicked to the curb. Doritos still brings these things back from time to time, so keep your eyes open if you want to have a crack at these Doritos meets Bugles.
Pop Tarts Crunch Cereal
Sure, you’ve had Pop Tarts, but what about tiny Pop Tarts that you can soak in milk? Pop-Tarts Crunch was released in 1994 and there’s no way that parents weren’t horrified by the amount of sugar that their kids were practically shoving into their veins. Pop-Tarts Crunch were taken off shelves in a little under a year, which makes this stuff a real collectors item if you can find it.
Hostess Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Pies
They were definitely unhealthy, and honestly kind of gross to look at, but they were covered in green frosting and branded with a ton of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle visuals so kids were all about these fried pies when they were released in 1991. Stuffed with vanilla pudding, these fried pies were absolutely addicting, which is why it’s such a drag that they disappeared from shelves by the mid ‘90s.
Hi-C Ecto Cooler
Hi-C Ecto Cooler was a classic ‘90s kid treat. Sort of lemony, sort of limey, it was really just green but that’s what made it awesome. This sweet drink came out of the Ghostbusters boom of the late ‘80s, which is why Slimer is on the front of the box. Today, Ecto-Cooler comes and goes depending on the popularity of the Ghostbusters, but the new stuff will never feel as magical as what we had in the early ‘90s.
Planters P.B. Crisps
Released in the mid-90s, these tasty, super crispy peanut-butter filled wafers were the absolute bomb. Some versions were packed with chocolate, others had jelly, but whatever the flavor they were a must-have lunchtime treat. Planters P.B. Crisps were phased out by the 2000s, don’t you think it’s time for a comeback?
Dunkaroos
Dunkaroos are absolute legends. If you’ve never been lucky enough to have one, they’re basically tiny cookies that you dip in frosting. They rocked. They were the best part about lunchtime, and they were taken away from us in the early 2010s. Keep an eye out, because you never know when you’re going to see some of these at the store.
PB Max
The PB Max was the best of both worlds – sort of a Reese’s Cup meets a Snicker but with double the sugar and a cookie in the middle. They were the perfect summer snack, but the Mars corporation ditched them in the early ‘90s allegedly because they hated dealing peanut butter. Go figure.
Doritos Taco Supreme
Was there any better snack than Taco Supreme Doritos? Launched in the early ‘90s, this flavor really had a hold on children’s birthday parties in the early. Totally different from the “Taco” flavor of the ‘60s, this was ground zero of the X-Treme snack movement of the last decade of the millennium.