We all have snack foods we love. Then one day - poof. They disappear. Maybe it was a candy that made every movie a little bit better, or it could have been a chip that had the perfect blend of flavor and crunch.
We love our snacks, and when one is taken from us too soon, we feel the gaping hole left in our snacking lives.
These snack foods rocked our worlds and then left us high and dry. Which one is your favorite?
Made by: Nestlé
When it launched: Mid-1990s, 2000
When it was discontinued: 1997, 2007
Bottom line: What wasn't to like about the Nestle Wonder Ball? It was a ball made of chocolate. Check. And when you cracked it open, it had prizes inside.
OK, the first run of Wonder Balls had toy prizes that turned out to be choking hazards. But when they brought it back from 2000 to 2007, the prizes inside were edible treats.
Apparently, all of the kids from the '90s outgrew them, and the new generation just didn't get it.
Watch a Nestle Wonder Ball commercial
Made by: Kellogg's
When it launched: 1976
When it was discontinued: 1980
RELATED: Best Discontinued Breakfast Foods
Bottom line: Remember when the big debate was VHS vs Beta? The same kind of thing happened with toaster pastries.
Kellogg's Danish Rings were introduced in 1976, but by 1980, the fruit-filled toaster pastries were kaput. Meanwhile, Pop-Tarts kept going strong.
Alas, our delicious Danish Rings were the Beta of toaster pastries.
Watch a Kellogg's Danish Rings commercial
Made by: Kemps
When it launched: 2008
When it was discontinued: 2009
Bottom line: These tasty treats may not have hit the mainstream the way they did in the upper Midwest, but the small ice cream snacks were divine.
Caribou Coffee flavored ice cream wrapped in chocolate. Each one was only a couple of bites big, so they always left you wanting more. They were a perfect afternoon pick-me-up snack for a year or so.
Then, like that, they were gone, and we were left to cry in our Starbucks.
Made by: Nestlé
When it launched: 1976
When it was discontinued: 2010
Bottom line: If you grew up watching "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," you wanted a Wonka Bar. Heck, you didn't even care what it tasted like.
Chocolate covered graham cracker pieces were pretty tasty, though. Plus, there always was that little piece of you that thought, this time, you were going to get the golden ticket.
Despite the popularity of the movies, the candy bar just didn't do that well and was discontinued in the U.S. in 2010. Other varieties called Wonka Exceptionals hit the market but also melted under the competition.
Watch a Wonka Bar commercial (or two)
Made by: Mars
When it launched: 2010
When it was discontinued: 2012
Bottom line: OK, OK. Not everyone is on board with 3 Musketeers, but if you are a fan of nougat, 3 Musketeers are where it's at,
The Truffle Crisp bar came out in 2010, and it had a flakey wafer with a smooth truffle cream. Of course, it was all wrapped in chocolate. It felt like a 3 Musketeers bar, but more decadent.
While we loved 'em, not enough people did, and lackluster sales doomed the tasty treat.
Watch a 3 Musketeers Truffle Crisp Bar review
Made by: ABC Bakers
When it launched: N/A
When it was discontinued: N/A
Bottom line: Who doesn't love Girl Scout cookies? Seriously, you get to buy cookies and feel like you're doing a great community service!
Not everyone is screaming for Thin Mints when the Girl Scouts come knocking. For some, the refreshing zest of Lemon Coolers was the bomb.
Vanilla wafers with lemon zest, coated in powdered sugar were perfection. Sure, they have Lemonades now, but they're just not the same.
Watch a Girl Scout cookies commercial
Made by: Ben & Jerry's (Acquired by Unilever in 2000)
When it launched: 1988
When it was discontinued: 1989
Bottom line: Ben & Jerry's have done a lot of good work. But when they came out with Tennessee Mud, they hit a jackpot with many ice cream aficionados.
Tennessee Mud was a bowl full of coffee ice cream with amaretto, Jack Daniel's Tennessee whiskey and roasted slivered almonds. It sounds like a lot, but it was a lot of delicious.
No one discovered how much of it you'd have to eat to catch a buzz from the JD, and now we'll never know.
Watch a Ben & Jerry's commercial
Made by: Fleer Corporation
When it launched: Late 1970s
When it was discontinued: 1989
Bottom line: All the fun of Gatorade without the hassle of having to pee later. Gator Gum's ads promoted it as the way to conquer dry mouth by "chewing up a storm."
If you were playing Little League, this was the gum you were chewing as you stepped into the batter's box. Honestly, we just thought it was tasty gum.
Plus, no cramps
Watch a Gator Gum commercial
Made by: Chef Boyardee
When it launched: 1980s
When it was discontinued: N/A
Bottom line: What kid didn't grow up eating Chef Boyardee and watching "The Smurfs"?
When the good chef decided to include those loveable little blue guys into his pasta, we were in heaven. It was even said to be made with "Papa Smurf's Special Sauce."
We gobbled them like Gargamel until they vanished from store shelves. Rumor has it parents couldn't handle their kids saying, "Mmm, Smurfalicious!"
Watch a Smurf Pasta commercial
Made by: Frito-Lay
When it launched: 1998
When it was discontinued: 2004
Bottom line: What's better than an amazing Doritos chip? How about a three-dimensional Doritos chip?
3D Doritos was the brand's first attempt to deviate from the classic triangle shape and we loved it. It came in four flavors: Nacho Cheesier, Jalapeño and Cheddar, Texas Paprika and Zesty Ranch.
Plus, the 3D Doritos introduced Ali Landry on its ads as the "Doritos Girl." Thank you, Doritos.
Watch a 3D Doritos commercial
Made by: Minute Maid
When it launched: 1987
When it was discontinued: 2007
Bottom line: "Ghostbusters" was a cool movie. The cartoon rocked, too. That's why we were obsessed with this fruity drink with Slimer on the box. It was as cool as a packed lunch beverage could possibly be.
However, as the movie and cartoon faded away, the juice was rebranded as Shoutin' Orange Tangerine and then Crazy Citrus Cooler.
It was discontinued in 2007, then brought back in 2016 for the new "Ghostbusters" movie. Then, it ghosted us again.
Watch a Hi-C Ecto Cooler commercial
Made by: Little Brownie Bakers
When it launched: 1984, 1993
When it was discontinued: 1985, 1996
Bottom line: Who are we kidding? Girl Scout Juliettes were basically pecan turtles as a cookie, and we loved them.
They had a short run in 1984 and 1985, and they got new life for a few years from 1993 to 1996.
Now every time we see those girls peddling their cookies, all we can see is what's missing from their list - the perfect cookie. Samoas? Don't even.
Watch a Girl Scout Cookie commercial
Made by: Nabisco
When it launched: Late 1980s
When it was discontinued: Early 1990s
Bottom line: Mmmm. Nothing says delicious like a slightly creepy smiley face on a cookie. The brilliant yummy-makers at Nabisco put out Giggles cookies in the 1980s.
Giggles were made from two shortbread cookies with vanilla creme and fudge in between them. Even though it's been nearly 30 years, we think Giggles could make a great comeback branded as "Edible Emojis."
You could do a bunch of expressions, just not the smiley poop one.
Watch a Giggles commercial
Made by: Hershey Company
When it launched: 2007
When it was discontinued: 2007
Bottom line: Back in 2007, Reese's decided to honor Elvis Presley with these Peanut Butter and Banana Creme Cups.
The flavor mix of peanut butter, chocolate and banana had more than a few people "All Shook Up." It turns out you didn't have to live "In the Ghetto" to like such an odd combo.
But the candy was discontinued, and fans were left in the "Heartbreak Hotel."
Watch an Elvis fan eat a 10-year-old Reese's Peanut Butter and Banana Creme Cup
Made by: Nestlé
When it launched: 1971
When it was discontinued: 1983
Bottom line: "Oompa Loompa doompadee doo." Go ahead. Sing along. If you remember the little orange guys from the movie, you might recall these precious little gems of candy, too.
They were kind of like M&Ms, but with peanut butter. It was a candy coating with half peanut butter and half chocolate in the middle. The flavor still lingers like that song will in your head for the rest of the day.
You're welcome.
Watch a Willy Wonka's Peanut Butter Oompas commercial
Made by: Hershey's
When it launched: 2003
When it was discontinued: 2006
Bottom line: Remember these? They looked like Pringles chips, but they were chocolatey candy.
Reese's made a few flavors, mostly patterned after their candy bars like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Butterfinger. Around Christmas, you could even get a peppermint, white chocolate version.
Despite their fun shape and obvious deliciousness, they just really didn't take off, and we were left with just regular-shaped candy bars.
Watch a Reese's Swoops commercial
Made by: Nabisco
When it launched: 1998
When it was discontinued: 2006
Bottom line: Creme Savers came in two flavors, Strawberry Creme and Orange Creme. They were like a Life Saver, but with a creme component mixed in.
It was pure decadence in a hard candy. Ironically, they didn't have a hole like Life Savers and caused choking issues for kids.
While we miss our creamy, delicious Creme Savers, we can't fault them too much for pulling the plug on that.
Watch a Creme Savers commercial
Made by: Keebler
When it launched: 2005
When it was discontinued: N/A
Bottom line: Those clever little Keebler Elves used to make a mint cookie called Merry Mint Patties that would come out around Christmas every year.
Much like a Girl Scout Thin Mint, these were the perfect combo of cookie, mint and chocolate. But kind of like Santa, one year, they just stopped showing up.
Is it because we stopped believing in cookie-making elves?
Made by: Keebler
When it launched: Early 1990s
When it was discontinued: Early 2000s
Bottom line: Were they chips or were they crackers? They claimed to be crackers that crunched like chips, but we're not sure we trust what those elves tell us.
Munch 'ems came in a few flavors like sour cream and ranch back in the 1990s, but they barely saw the new millennium. Perhaps the cracker/chip debate was just too much for consumers to handle.
Why do we get so hung up on labels? Cracker. Chip. It was delicious.
Watch a Munch 'Ems commercial
Made by: Clark
When it launched: 1978
When it was discontinued: 1981
Bottom line: If Babe Ruth could get a candy bar, why not Reggie Jackson? In fact, Reggie once said, "If I played in New York, they'd name a candy bar after me!" When he finally played for the Yankees, he got his wish.
The Reggie! candy bars came out in 1978. Caramel coated peanuts wrapped in chocolate were a hit, but not a home run.
As Reggie's career faded out, so did the candy bar.
Watch a Reggie! Candy Bar commercial
Made by: Hostess
When it launched: 1991
When it was discontinued: 1991
Bottom line: Nothing says "delicious" like a neon-green, pre-packaged pie. The commercial even said, "Fresh from the sewers to you!"
These bad boys were big, so very, very green, and kinda tasty. Let's face it. If you grew up loving Michaelangelo, Donatello, Raphael, and Leonardo, you probably crushed a few of these pies in your day.
If you miss them, you can find replica recipes online. Kowabunga!
Watch a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Pudding Pies commercial
Made by: Good Humor
When it launched: 1970s/1980s
When it was discontinued: 1990s
Bottom line: Who doesn't love Mickey Mouse? He's so cool you could just eat him up! And we did.
Mickey's Parade Mickey Mouse Bars were ice cream bars shaped like Mickey's head. The ears were dipped in chocolate, so you know what we'd eat first.
There are other Mickey bars out there, but we miss the original.
Watch a Mickey's Parade Mickey Mouse Bars commercial
Made by: Hershey Company
When it launched: Late 1990s
When it was discontinued: 2004
Bottom line: These were simple. Peanut Butter Bites were a bag full of bite-sized peanut butter cups in ball shape. How could that go wrong?
Apparently, they were the right size to be a choking hazard. Sigh. It's hard to stay angry at a company just for not wanting kids to choke.
Reese's Bites were discontinued in 2004. Later, Reese's minis, which retained their cup shape, came to save the day.
Watch a Reese's Peanut Butter Bites commercial
Made by: Frito-Lay
When it launched: 1970s
When it was discontinued: 1980s
Bottom line: Sour cream and onion chips are kind of a snacking staple. So why, oh why, did the brand that does it best bail on this flavor?
We still crave that tangy smack of sour cream the way only Doritos could do it.
Just to tease us again, they let the flavor make a cameo appearance in 2013, only to tear out our hearts one more time.
Watch a Sour Cream and Onion Doritos commercial
Made by: General Foods
When it launched: Late 1970s
When it was discontinued: 1990s
Bottom line: Yes! Who doesn't remember Jell-O Pudding Pops? Come on. It was frozen pudding on a stick. What's not to love?
You couldn't flip the channels on a Saturday morning without seeing Bill Cosby peddling Pudding Pops for several years. The originals were discontinued in the '90s and then brought back in the early 2000s, but they never took off again.
What was your flavor? Vanilla, chocolate or swirl?
Watch a Jell-O Pudding Pops commercial
Made by: Frito-Lay
When it launched: 2002
When it was discontinued: 2012
Bottom line: Who doesn't love getting that neon orange cheese dust all over their fingers (and face and clothes)?
Cheetos Twisted Puffs were everything you love about Cheetos Puffs, but even bigger.
They came in several flavors like original cheese, Cheesy Pizza and Flamin' Hot.
Watch a Twisted Cheetos commercial
Made by: Mars
When it launched: 2004
When it was discontinued: 2010
Bottom line: We all know Altoids as the "curiously strong mint," but for about half a decade, they dabbled in fruit flavors, and we loved it.
Altoid Sours were, as you'd expect, lip-puckeringly sour and oh-so-delicious. They came in raspberry, lime, apple, tangerine and mango flavors. Tangerine was the bomb.
But as much as we loved them, sales weren't up to snuff, so Mars snuffed them out.
Watch an Altoid Sours commercial
Made by: Frito-Lay
When it launched: 1999
When it was discontinued: 2000
Bottom line: OK, we've established the joy of Cheetos cheese dust. Now, bring about a version that you can actually use to play a game? Pure magic.
Who didn't play a game of tic-tac-toe or pretend to lay out their favorite football team's offensive game plan using these crunchy bits of joy?
Still, the joys of playing with our food couldn't save this awesome version of Chester Cheetah's snackfood perfection from leaving our lives.
Watch a Cheetos X's and O's commercial
Made by: Frito-Lay
When it launched: 1990
When it was discontinued: Early 1990s
Bottom line: For connoisseurs of Doritos, the Jumpin' Jack Doritos made their first appearance in 1990.
They were peddled on TV by Jay Leno and featured a Monterey Jack flavor with a peppery kick. But they didn't last much longer than most other things from the 1990s.
Where is Scott Baio these days, anyway? Unlike Baio, they did make a short comeback in 2013 as a limited release.
Watch a Jumpin' Jack Doritos commercial
Made by: General Foods Corporation
When it launched: 1969
When it was discontinued: 1996
Bottom line: Jell-O 1-2-3 had a pretty nice, long run. From 1969 to 1996, kids could enjoy this cool, layered treat. If you made it just right, it would separate into three separate layers.
Typical Jell-O on the bottom, a mousse-like center, and a light, creamy top. What's not to love? The premature demise of Jell-O 1-2-3, that's what.
Don't even talk to us about "parfait."
Watch a Jell-O 1-2-3 commercial
Made by: Frito-Lay
When it launched: 2003
When it was discontinued: 2008
Bottom line: Introduced as a "limited time only" flavor, some people went nuts for Black Pepper Jack Doritos. They were cheesy with a black pepper kick. They only made it a few years, but then teased us with a short comeback in 2009.
Why can't they stick? Who knows. Over 16 million people follow the "Bring back the BLACK PEPPER JACK DORITOS" Facebook page.
How many people must go snackless?
Watch a Doritos Black Pepper Jack review
Made by: Pepperidge Farms
When it launched: 2000s
When it was discontinued: 2000s
Bottom line: Quick, what's the ultimate go-to cracker for little kids? You guessed it! Pepperidge Farms Goldfish crackers are a staple for kids, but sometimes we grown-ups like to nibble them, too.
Cheddar is great, but the "Flavor-Blasted" Jalapeño Goldfish were off the hook. They had all the cheesiness you could want with a kick of jalapeño to let you know your tastebuds are alive.
Now they're just the spicy snack that got away.
Watch a Flavor-Blasted Goldfish commercial
Made by: Carnation (acquired by Nestlé in 1984)
When it launched: 1975
When it was discontinued: Late 1990s
Bottom line: In the late 1970s and early 1980s, people did the unthinkable. They ate a bar wrapped in chocolate for breakfast. And they loved it.
Carnation Breakfast Bars were a peanut butter and granola bar, but with some vitamins added. They lasted into the late 1990s before they disappeared.
Other similar bars are out there, but none give us the same satisfaction as the original morning candy, um, we mean breakfast bar.
Watch a Carnation Breakfast Bars commercial
Made by: Frito-Lay
When it launched: 1932
When it was discontinued: 2018
Bottom line: Fritos corn chips have been a snacking staple since 1932. They're crunchy, go great with chili, and absolutely wreak havoc on your breath.
The classic BBQ flavor of Fritos may have been the best ever. The BBQ seasoning worked with the corn chip in a way it never could with a mere potato chip.
Frito-Lay pulled the plug on the flavor in 2018 and then, adding insult to injury, introduced Honey BBQ Fritos Twists. It's just not the same, guys. The world wants the original back
Watch this odd, homemade BBQ Fritos commercial
Made by: Keebler
When it launched: 1991
When it was discontinued: Late 1990s
Bottom line: There have been a lot of pizza-flavored chips out there, but none of them really captured the flavor of a good slice of pizza like Keebler's Pizzarias Pizza Chips.
You could almost taste the crust, sauce and cheese in every crunchy bite. How did this one go wrong? How?
A Facebook group 4,262 people strong are lobbying to get the chip back into production.
Watch a Pizzarias Pizza Chips commercial
Made by: Nabisco
When it launched: 2007
When it was discontinued: 2012
Bottom line: Take the outstanding flavor of Oreos, but replace that crunchy cookie with a spongy, cake-like treat, and you have a soft piece of heaven.
But they just didn't dunk the way the original did. Maybe that's why they didn't last. Still, they were a lunchbox staple for many kids growing up in the late 2000s.
And you can find plenty of recipes online if you want to try to make your own version, but it's never quite the same, is it?
Watch an Oreo Cakesters commercial
Made by: Nestlé
When it launched: 1992
When it was discontinued: 2006
Bottom line: Did you love the crispy, peanut-buttery goodness of Butterfinger in that tiny little nibble size? Maybe it's a ratio thing, but they were just better than the big ol' candy bar.
They had a 14-year run from 1992 to 2006. That's when someone decided to pull the plug. The masses were unhappy. One poor soul started a "Bring Back Butterfinger BB's" page at Change.org, but only got 58 supporters.
Maybe it's time to try again.
Watch a Butterfinger BB's commercial
Made by: Hershey Company
When it launched: 1986
When it was discontinued: 1997
Bottom line: Chocolate creme, wafers, crushed peanuts, and more chocolate. What's not to like?
Hershey's introduced Bar None in 1987, and it developed a pretty solid following. However, they scratched the candy bar from their offerings in 1997.
Do people miss it? There is a change.org page to bring it back, a dedicated Facebook page, and heavy rumors that a candy company called The Iconic Candy Company was going to revive the bar a few years back.
Guess what? They did it. The BarNone hit the market again in July 2019.
Watch a Hershey's BarNone commercial
Made by: Betty Crocker
When it launched: 1990
When it was discontinued: 2012
Bottom line: Every kid from the 1990s loved their Dunk-a-Roos. Come on. Cookies with a little tub of frosting for sweet dunking? Amazing.
You could scoop the frosting and put as much as you wanted on the cookie. Did you run out after the second cookie?
However, kids dunked their last one in 2012, or so we thought. The rumor mill has it that Dunk-a-roos may be making a comeback in the summer of 2020.
Could it really be true? Stay tuned.
Watch
Made by: Mars
When it launched: 1989
When it was discontinued: 1994
Bottom line: Peanut butter fans still drool over this one. Peanut butter on a whole grain cookie with a milk chocolate coating. They had everything. Chocolate, peanut butter and a nice crunch. They really were the max.
As for the "PB," the ads told you outright that it did not stand for "Portly Ballerina." It has been suggested that the candy bar was discontinued because the Mars family had a strong distaste for peanut butter.
Is that a thing? This is our number one. The world needs PB Max again.
Watch a PB Max commercial