Special Report

Popular Discontinued Snack Foods We Really Miss

Marcus Quigmire / Wikimedia Commons

Americans spend a lot of their free time watching television and munching on their favorite snacks, reveling in their salty or sweet flavors. That helps explain why the snack and bakery market accounts for more than $100 billion in annual U.S. sales.

If anything, the pandemic and the trend of working from home have provided more opportunities for bound folks to chomp on chips, grab some pretzels, or dunk some cookies in milk. (Not everyone can find them, but these are 16 regional potato chip brands the whole country deserves.)  

Not all snacks have stood the test of time, though. 24/7 Tempo consulted numerous snack-food fan pages, company histories, media websites, and rating sites to compile this list of chips, candies, and other such items that have passed into the repository of history.

Many of the snacks that we enjoyed in our younger days are gone because sales failed to match projections, the product didn’t fit into the strategy of a company that bought the snack’s parent, or the public’s tastes shifted toward more healthful options. Some of the products no longer with us are versions of other beloved items that remain on the shelves. (Here are some junk foods that are actually not so bad for you.)

Because of the power of social media and crowd-sourcing platforms like change.org and ipetitions, jilted customers have pestered companies about bringing back beloved snacks. They’ve had some success. Successful consumer clamoring revived 3D Doritos, Dunkaroos, and Oreo Cakesters. 

Sometimes the snacks are still made in other countries, such as Mexico, Canada, or Australia, and these may be available by mail order. If the product is not found outside the U.S., collectors also sell unopened packages of the original on eBay and other sites.

Courtesy of General Mills

Pizza Spins
> Introduced: 1968
> Discontinued: 1975
> Parent company: General Mills

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Courtesy of bulkcandystore.com

Marathon Bar
> Introduced: 1973
> Discontinued: 1981
> Parent company: Mars

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Reggie! Bars
> Introduced: 1978
> Discontinued: 1982
> Parent company: Wayne Candies

Willy Wonka’s Peanut Butter Oompas
> Introduced: 1971
> Discontinued: 1982 (?)
> Parent company: Quaker Oats

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Joel Carillet / Getty Images

Gatorgum
> Introduced: 1980s
> Discontinued: 1989
> Parent company: Fleer Corporation

Life Saver Holes
> Introduced: 1990
> Discontinued: Early 1990s
> Parent company: Nabisco

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Oreo Big Stuf - 1,000,000 people to Bring them Back

Oreo Big Stuf
> Introduced: 1984
> Discontinued: 1991
> Parent company: Nabisco

grebcha / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

Summit Cookie Bars
> Introduced: 1977
> Discontinued: 1991
> Parent company: Mars

Bring Back Hostess Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pies / Facebook

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pies
> Introduced: 1991
> Discontinued: 1991
> Parent company: Hostess

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan

Golden Yangles
> Introduced: 1981
> Discontinued: 1992
> Parent company: Various regional bakers for Girl Scouts

Courtesy of General Mills.com

Joey Chips
> Introduced: 1967
> Discontinued: 1992 (?)
> Parent company: General Mills

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Sams Club

Jell-O Pudding Pops
> Introduced: 1982
> Discontinued: 1993
> Parent company: General Foods

Courtesy of PB Max via Facebook

PB Max
> Introduced: 1990
> Discontinued: 1994
> Parent company: Mars

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Ebay

Fruit Wrinkles
> Introduced: 1986
> Discontinued: 1995 (?)
> Parent company: Betty Crocker (General Mills)

Courtesy of Amazon

Jumpin’ Jack Cheese Doritos
> Introduced: 1990
> Discontinued: 1995
> Parent company: Frito-Lay

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of pbcrisps.com

Planters P.B. Crisps
> Introduced: 1992
> Discontinued: 1995
> Parent company: Nabisco

Courtesy of Amazon

Garbage Can-dy
> Introduced: 1980s
> Discontinued: 1996
> Parent company: The Topps Company

Jell-O 1-2-3
> Introduced: 1969
> Discontinued: 1996
> Parent company: General Foods

[in-text-ad-2]

Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Girl Scouts of America

Juliettes
> Introduced: 1984 (reintroduced 1993)
> Discontinued: 1985 (discontinued again 1996)
> Parent company: Little Brownie Bakers for Girl Scouts

Courtesy of Nestlé

Carnation Breakfast Bars
> Introduced: 1975
> Discontinued: 1997
> Parent company: Carnation

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Hershey's

Hershey’s Bar None
> Introduced: 1987
> Discontinued: 1997
> Parent company: Hershey

Courtesy of Snack Museum

Cheetos Cheesy Checkers
> Introduced: 1995
> Discontinued: 1998
> Parent company: Frito-Lay

lawcain / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

Taco Bell Lunchables
> Introduced: Late 1980s
> Discontinued: 2000
> Parent company: Oscar Meyer

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Courtesy of Bring back Pizzaria Chips made by Keebler via Facebook

Pizzarias Pizza Chips
> Introduced: 1991
> Discontinued: 2000 (?)
> Parent company: Keebler

Courtesy of Walmart

Tato Skins
> Introduced: 1985
> Discontinued: 2000 (?)
> Parent company: Keebler

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Nabisco Cheese Tid-Bit via Facebook

Cheese Tid-Bit
> Introduced: Unknown
> Discontinued: Early 2000s
> Parent company: Nabisco

Courtesy of Amazon

Dolphins and Friends
> Introduced: Unknown
> Discontinued: Early 2000s
> Parent company: Austin

Courtesy of General Mills

Fruit String Thing
> Introduced: 1990s
> Discontinued: Early 2000s
> Parent company: General Mills

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Courtesy of Keebler

Munch ‘Ems
> Introduced: 1991
> Discontinued: Early 2000s
> Parent company: Keebler

Christine Wolf Gagne / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

Pillsbury Waffle Sticks
> Introduced: Unknown
> Discontinued: Early 2000s
> Parent company: General Mills

[in-text-ad]

Starburst Fruit Twists
> Introduced: 1990s
> Discontinued: Early 2000s
> Parent company: Wrigley

Fruitopia
> Introduced: 1994
> Discontinued: 2003
> Parent company: Coca-Cola

Philadelphia Cheesecake Snack Bars
> Introduced: Unknown
> Discontinued: 2003
> Parent company: Kraft

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Pop Tarts Snak-Stix
> Introduced: Unknown
> Discontinued: 2003
> Parent company: Kellogg

jetcityimage / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

Wild! Magicburst Pop-Tarts
> Introduced: 1999
> Discontinued: 2003 (?)
> Parent company: Kellogg

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Amazon

Crunch Tators
> Introduced: 1988
> Discontinued: Early to mid 1990s
> Parent company: Frito-Lay

Courtesy of Amazon

Ice Breakers Liquid Ice
> Introduced: 2003
> Discontinued: 2004
> Parent company: Nabisco

Courtesy of Ebay

Nestlé Magic Balls
> Introduced: 1990s
> Discontinued: 2004
> Parent company: Nestlé

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Amazon

Reese’s Bites
> Introduced: 1999
> Discontinued: 2004
> Parent company: Hershey

Courtesy of Amazon

Triple Push Pop
> Introduced: 1980s
> Discontinued: Mid- 2000s
> Parent company:

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Nestle

Butterfinger BBs
> Introduced: 1992
> Discontinued: 2006
> Parent company: Nestlé

Swoops
> Introduced: 2003
> Discontinued: 2006
> Parent company: Hershey

Courtesy of eBay

Screaming Yellow Zonkers
> Introduced: 1968
> Discontinued: 2007
> Parent company: Lincoln Foods

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of eBay

Squeezits
> Introduced: 1985 (reintroduced 2006)
> Discontinued: 2001 (discontinued again 2007)
> Parent company: General Mills

Courtesy of eBay

Reese’s Peanut Butter & Banana Creme Cups
> Introduced: 2007
> Discontinued: 2008
> Parent company: Hershey

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Hershey's

Hershey Kissables
> Introduced: 2005
> Discontinued: 2009
> Parent company: Hershey

Courtesy of Candywarehouse.com

Twizzler Twerpz
> Introduced: 2004
> Discontinued: 2009 (?)
> Parent company: Hershey

Altoid Sours
> Introduced: 2004
> Discontinued: 2010
> Parent company: Wrigley

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Amazon.com

Yogos
> Introduced: 2005
> Discontinued: 2010
> Parent company: Kellogg

Courtesy of Amazon

Nabisco Original Swiss Cheese Baked Snack Crackers
> Introduced: 1980s
> Discontinued: 2010 (?)
> Parent company: Nabisco

[in-text-ad]

Bagel-fuls
> Introduced: 2008
> Discontinued: 2010 (?)
> Parent company: Kraft

jetcityimage / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

Magic Middles
> Introduced: 2001
> Discontinued: 2011
> Parent company: Keebler (Kellogg)

3 Musketeers Truffle Crisp Bars
> Introduced: 2010
> Discontinued: 2012
> Parent company: Mars

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Amazon.com

Cheetos Twisted
> Introduced: 2002
> Discontinued: 2012
> Parent company: Frito-Lay

Love Fiery Habanero Doritos Bring Them Back FritoLay! / Facebook

Fiery Habanero Doritos
> Introduced: 2005
> Discontinued: 2012
> Parent company: Frito-Lay

[in-text-ad]

Wonka Donutz
> Introduced: 2005
> Discontinued: 2013
> Parent company: Nestlé

McDonald’s Snack Wraps
> Introduced: 2006
> Discontinued: 2016
> Parent company: McDonald’s

grebcha / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

Kudos
> Introduced: Late 1980s
> Discontinued: Late 2010s
> Parent company: Mars

[in-text-ad-2]

gsheldon / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

Tastetations Hard Candies
> Introduced: 1996
> Discontinued: Early 2000s
> Parent company: Hershey

 

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