27 Limited-Edition Snacks Only True Fans Might Remember
Some snacks were never meant to last forever, but that didn’t stop us from falling in love with them. Whether it was a tie-in with a blockbuster movie, a seasonal flavor that disappeared in a flash, or a wild experiment from a snack brand pushing boundaries, these limited-edition treats came and went way too fast.
Some were iconic. Others were… questionable. But if you remember more than a few of these, you’re not just a snacker but a true snack historian. Here are 27 limited-edition snacks that lit up our taste buds, and then sadly, vanished into snack legend.
1. Heinz EZ Squirt Ketchup (Shrek Green Edition)
Launched in 2000, EZ Squirt turned the ketchup world upside down. Aimed at kids, it came in wild colors like Blastin’ Green, Funky Purple, and Stellar Blue.
The Shrek Green edition, tied to the 2001 Shrek movie, made dinner feel like a Nickelodeon slime-fest. Parents soured on the food dye overload, though, and Heinz phased it out by 2006.
2. Cheetos X’s and O’s
These cheesy treats hit shelves in the late ’90s and early 2000s and offered more than just a snack. They turned snack time into a mini game of tic-tac-toe. The puffed corn shapes were essentially Cheetos in playful form, but with the same addictive cheesy coating.
While not radically different in flavor, the shape made them feel like a novelty. Sadly, they didn’t last long, and Frito-Lay pulled them from shelves, never bringing them back in any meaningful way.
3. Oreo O’s Cereal (Original Post Version)
Introduced in 1998, Oreo O’s made childhood dreams come true by turning America’s favorite cookie into a cereal. The cereal offered chocolate O’s dusted with cookie flavor and speckled with crème-like frosting bits.
A licensing spat between Kraft and Post shelved it in the U.S. by 2007, but it lingered in South Korea. Nostalgic clamor brought it back in 2017, though purists swear the original recipe was unmatched.
4. Butterfinger BB’s
These bite-sized bombs of Butterfinger goodness arrived in the early ’90s, boosted by The Simpsons (“Nobody better lay a finger on my Butterfinger!”). BB’s were easier to eat than full bars and perfect for movie theaters or school lunches.
Melting issues—they’d clump together in the bag—and production hassles led to their exit in 2006. Devotees still crave them, with no true substitute in sight.
5. Crystal Pepsi
A clear cola, Pepsi’s quirky experiment from 1992 promised a caffeine-free, colorless soda that mimicked Pepsi’s taste but looked like Sprite. Launched with a splashy Super Bowl ad, it saw strong early sales.
Consumer confusion and tepid reviews fizzled it out by 1994. Its cult status sparked brief revivals in 2015 and 2016, driven by hardcore fans hooked on nostalgia.
6. Reese’s Peanut Butter & Banana Creme Cups (Elvis Edition)
To honor The King himself, Hershey’s released this limited-edition flavor in 2007. Inspired by Elvis Presley’s legendary love for peanut butter and banana sandwiches, this Reese’s twist added banana-flavored crème to the classic combo.
Though it was only available for a short time, it made a lasting impression, with many fans calling it one of the best Reese’s variants ever released.
7. Dunkaroos (Original 1990s Version)
Before the 2020 relaunch, Dunkaroos ruled the ‘90s lunchbox scene. These snack packs paired cinnamon or vanilla cookies with sugary frosting — complete with rainbow sprinkles. The kangaroo mascot, Sydney, was a snack-time celebrity.
General Mills halted U.S. sales in 2012, though Canada kept them longer. Their 2020 comeback thrilled every millennial who’d begged for them in their lunchbox.
8. Hubba Bubba Squeeze Pop
A brightly colored, thick liquid candy that came in a squeezable tube, Hubba Bubba Squeeze Pop was a fixture of early 2000s snack culture. With flavors like Blue Raspberry and Green Apple, it made kids feel like mad candy scientists.
Sticky, sweet, and slightly chaotic, it eventually disappeared from shelves, though similar squeeze-style candies still exist in nostalgia-inspired candy shops.
9. Trix Yogurt (Swirled Edition)
Who could forget those psychedelic swirls of neon-colored Trix yogurt? A collab between General Mills and Yoplait, this early 2000s snack was more dessert than dairy. With wild color combos like Purple & Green or Pink & Blue, it made snack time feel like a Nickelodeon cartoon.
Though briefly revived due to fan demand, it was discontinued again, but not before becoming a symbol of the wild yogurt era of the 2000s.
10. PB Crisps (by Planters)
Planters ventured beyond peanuts in the ‘90s with PB Crisps — sweet, crunchy, peanut-shaped snacks filled with peanut butter creme. The texture combo was chef’s kiss, airy and crisp outside, creamy and nutty inside.
Fans fell in love, but Planters discontinued them in the early 2000s, allegedly due to production cost. Petitions to bring them back still pop up to this day, proving the PB love is real and eternal.
11. Pepsi Blue
Released in 2002, Pepsi Blue was a bold attempt to reinvent soda — bright electric blue, berry-flavored cola with a candy-like twist. It was divisive: loved by kids, questioned by adults, and banned in some countries due to controversial food dyes.
Still, it gained cult status and returned briefly in 2021 for a limited nostalgic run, proving its strange grip on our taste buds never fully faded.
12. Hershey’s Swoops
These thin, curved chocolate wafers were shaped like Pringles — but made of solid chocolate in flavors like Reese’s, Almond Joy, and York Peppermint Patty. Marketed in the early 2000s as a stylish, indulgent snack, they were a hit in concept but not in execution.
Melting, breakage, and high prices led to their discontinuation in just a few short years. Still, that shape was unforgettable.
13. French Toast Crunch (Original 1990s Edition)
The ‘90s brought us this sugary cereal shaped like mini slices of French toast — complete with syrup flavor and cinnamon swirls. It was wildly popular, especially with kids who loved the whimsical shape. It was discontinued in the U.S. in 2006, though still sold in Canada.
Fans campaigned for its return, and General Mills finally caved, bringing it back to U.S. shelves in 2014 — but hardcore fans claim the original recipe hit different.
14. Yogos (Yoplait’s Candy Yogurt Bites)
Tiny, colorful, yogurt-covered fruit snacks, Yogos burst onto the scene in the mid-2000s. Each chewy center was surrounded by a sweet, yogurt-based coating, creating a poppable, addictive experience.
Kids went wild for them, but they were discontinued mysteriously just a few years later. Despite this, Yogos still have an active fanbase pushing for a comeback, because they were that good.
15. Sprite Remix
This fruity twist on classic Sprite dropped in 2003 with flavors like Tropical, Berryclear, and Aruba Jam. It was wildly popular among teens, becoming a party staple thanks to its vibrant flavor and marketing tie-ins with hip-hop culture.
Despite strong fan support, Sprite Remix was discontinued in 2005. It briefly returned in the 2010s, but never stuck around. Still, many remember it as the soda that actually tasted like a vacation.
16. Keebler Pizzarias
Yes, Keebler once made pizza-flavored chips, and they were a sensation in the early ‘90s. Made from real pizza dough and baked, not fried, Pizzarias came in flavors like Cheese Pizza and Supreme.
With commercials full of ‘90s energy and that unmistakable scent of fake pizza, they became an instant snack drawer classic. Discontinued by the mid-‘90s, they remain one of the most missed salty snacks of the decade.
17. Wonka Bars (and Wonka Candy Line)
Inspired by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Nestlé actually created real-life Wonka Bars, along with candies like Everlasting Gobstoppers and Nerds Rope under the Willy Wonka Candy Company brand.
While some of the sweets still exist under different names, the original Wonka branding, especially the whimsical chocolate bar, was phased out in the 2010s. For many, it was a sweet fantasy made real… and then sadly, just a memory.
18. Tato Skins by Keebler
Long before kettle chips dominated the shelves, Keebler’s Tato Skins made waves in the late ’80s and early ’90s. These thick, crunchy snacks were made from real potato skins and came in bold flavors like Cheddar & Bacon and Loaded Baked Potato.
Their hearty texture and intense seasoning made them a snack drawer legend. They quietly vanished, though TGIF briefly revived a version under a new name. Still, nothing quite compares to the original Keebler version.
19. Pepsi Holiday Spice
Released for the 2004 holiday season, Pepsi Holiday Spice was a spiced version of the classic cola, with hints of cinnamon and ginger. It aimed to bring a festive twist to soda drinkers but received mixed reviews.
Some loved the holiday cheer, others thought it tasted like a scented candle. Its short run made it a rare find, and hard-core cola collectors still talk about it like a peppermint-scented ghost of Christmas past.
20. Fruit String Thing
A spiritual cousin of Fruit Roll-Ups, String Thing came in colorful ropes you could peel apart and twist into shapes. It was more about the fun than the flavor, which was mostly “sugar with a hint of fruit.”
Launched in the late ’90s, it was a staple in school lunchboxes for a few years before fading out. The neon packaging and chaotic string texture made it unforgettable for kids of the time.
21. Jell-O Pudding Pops
These frozen delights were a hit in the ’80s and ’90s, popularized in part by Bill Cosby’s now-infamous commercials. Creamy, smooth, and somehow better than regular pudding, they came in chocolate, vanilla, and swirled flavors.
Despite massive popularity, they were pulled from shelves due to distribution issues. Occasionally, brands attempt a revival, but fans insist the original texture was one-of-a-kind.
22. Oreo Big Stuf
In the glorious excess of the 1980s, Nabisco went all in with Oreo Big Stuf — a giant version of the classic cookie, roughly the size of a hockey puck. Sold individually in wrappers, it was marketed as the perfect snack for big appetites.
While they were amazing in theory, parents weren’t thrilled about handing kids a cookie with enough sugar for a whole week. It was discontinued in the early ’90s but remains a nostalgic holy grail.
23. Kudos Granola Bars (Original Chocolate-Covered Version)
Kudos bars were the dessert pretending to be a healthy snack. Marketed as granola bars, they were more like candy bars in disguise, with chocolate coatings and bits of M&M’s, Snickers, or peanut butter.
A ‘90s and early-2000s staple, they slowly faded out as snack trends moved toward genuinely healthy options. Their disappearance left a whole generation wondering if their favorite lunchbox treat had just been a collective dream.
24. Squeezit Fruit Drinks
Colorful, sugary, and insanely fun to open, Squeezits were single-serve fruit drinks in plastic bottles that you squeezed to drink, and inevitably spilled. With names like Berry B. Wild and Grumpy Grape, each bottle had its own little personality.
Introduced in the late ’80s and popular through the ’90s, Squeezits vanished by the early 2000s. They’ve had brief comebacks but never fully returned — probably for the best, if your dentist has a say.
25. Gushers Mystery Flavors (Black Pack)
Fruit Gushers were wild enough as-is, but in the early 2000s they took it up a notch with “Mystery Flavor” packs, especially the infamous all-black packaging. You had no idea what flavor you were about to bite into, which made them part snack, part roulette.
They were discontinued quickly, but their chaotic energy left a lasting impression on a generation of risk-taking snackers.
26. Altoids Sours
Yes, Altoids once went sour and fans went wild. Released in the early 2000s, these tart candies came in metal tins and flavors like Raspberry, Tangerine, and Apple. The flavor hit hard, way stronger than anything on the shelf, and the packaging made them feel classy and collectible.
Discontinued around 2010, Altoids Sours became a hot item on eBay and Reddit nostalgia threads, where fans mourn their tangy demise.
27. Planters Cheez Balls (Original Recipe)
Nothing hit like those neon-orange, perfectly round Cheez Balls in a canister with a pop-off lid. Planters first released them in the late ’80s, and they quickly became a go-to snack for parties, road trips, or just solo cheese-dusted binging.
Discontinued in 2006, their return in 2018 had fans rejoicing, though some swear the texture isn’t quite as powdery-perfect as the original. Either way, the blue can remains iconic.