General Mills leans into cereal as a snack with new twists on old favorites

General Mills is introducing new cereal options for six of its popular brands to cater to consumers who are enjoying cereal more as a snack food. 

In a statement, the company said the new items feature “fan-favorite flavors with a twist,” and will be available on shelves in January. The new tiny snackable cereal options include:

• Trix with Marshmallows brings bunny-shaped marshmallows to the colorful corn-based puff cereal.
• Lucky Charms Berry Swirl contains new marshmallow charms with strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry flavors.
• Reese’s Puffs Peanut Butter Lovers doubles down on its star ingredients, with an “extra dose” of peanut butter in the cereal’s recipe.
• Honey Nut Cheerios Minis capitalizes on the popularity of miniaturized offerings, following tinier versions of Trix,
• Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Reese’s Puffs which the company debuted last year.
• And Nature Valley French Vanilla Protein Granola contains 13 grams of protein and is designed to be consumed with yogurt or milk, or on its own as a snack.

As consumers’ perception of cereal changes and better-for-you breakfast alternatives grow in popularity, the category is viewed by many industry analysts to be in a period of long-term decline.

Refreshing its portfolio with fresh versions of some of its biggest household name brands with cereals gives General Mills a potential growth area in the snacking category with tried and true brands. In a 2017 Mintel study, 43% of U.S. consumers said they eat cereal as a snack regularly. The company previously tapped this desire in 2017, when it sold a version of Lucky Charms that only contained marshmallows for a limited time.

WK Kellogg Co, the new cereal business resulting from the split of Kellogg, is also leaning into its recognizable brands to achieve growth. In an interview with Food Dive in October, CEO Gary Pilnick said the company will anchor its portfolio around its biggest cereals like Foot Loops and Frosted Flakes, while also creating new products and charting a path forward “beyond cereal.”