Growing up in the 80s meant having access to some of the most unique and delicious snacks ever created. While many popular treats from that era continue to line store shelves today, dozens of incredible snacks have mysteriously vanished, leaving only memories of their amazing flavors and fun packaging behind.
The 1980s marked a golden age for snack innovation, with food companies experimenting with bold flavors, wild colors, and creative combinations that captured kids’ imaginations. Those discontinued treats sparked joy during afternoon cartoons, appeared in countless lunchboxes, and made perfect fuel for bike rides around the neighborhood. Here are 14 discontinued snacks from the 1980s that deserve another chance to shine.
PB Max
This perfect combination of milk chocolate, peanut butter, and oat cookie base put regular peanut butter cups to shame. The generous layer of real, creamy peanut butter sat on top of a crunchy cookie foundation. Each bar came wrapped in distinctive orange packaging that stood out on store shelves. Despite $50 million in sales, Mars discontinued this treat because the company’s owners reportedly disliked peanut butter.
Pudding Roll-Ups
These genius snacks applied everything great about fruit roll-ups to pudding. The thin, flexible sheets, in chocolate and vanilla flavors, could be rolled, folded, or eaten flat. The texture was smooth and creamy despite being shelf-stable at room temperature. The portable format made them perfect for school lunches and on-the-go snacking.
Magic Middles
These shortbread cookies contained a magical surprise—a center filled with rich fudge or peanut butter. The buttery cookie exterior perfectly contrasted with the smooth, creamy filling inside. Keebler created these treats using a special process that kept the filling soft without making the cookies soggy. Their distinctive striped pattern on top made them instantly recognizable.
Jell-O Pudding Pops
While technically still available today, the original recipe was far superior to modern versions. These frozen treats featured real Jell-O pudding in vanilla, chocolate, and swirled varieties. The texture was perfectly smooth and creamy, never icy like typical popsicles. Bill Cosby’s memorable commercials helped make these a summer staple throughout the 1980s.
Bar None
This chocolate bar combined cocoa wafers, chocolate cream, peanuts, and milk chocolate coating into one amazing treat. The multiple layers created an incredibly satisfying texture with every bite. The dark brown wrapper featured distinctive yellow lettering that caught your eye immediately. Hershey later changed the recipe before discontinuing it entirely, disappointing devoted fans.
Gatorgum
This unique gum actually changed flavors while you chewed it, starting with a burst of lemon-lime before transitioning to orange. The gum pieces came shaped like little footballs to match the sports drink theme. The flavor lasted longer than most gums of the era, making it popular with athletes. The bright green packaging featured the distinctive Gatorade lightning bolt logo.
Keebler Magic Squares
These Graham cracker treats were topped with marshmallows and a rich fudge coating. Each square provided the perfect blend of crunchy, chewy, smooth textures. The individually wrapped portions made them ideal for packed lunches or after-school snacks. The elves featured prominently in commercials, showing them crafting these treats using their “elfin magic.”
Fruit Corner New York Style Cheesecake Bars
These frozen dessert bars captured the authentic taste of New York cheesecake in a convenient format. The creamy filling sat atop a real graham cracker crust, just like traditional cheesecake. Various fruit toppings, including strawberry and blueberry, added extra flavour and visual appeal. The portion size was perfect for satisfying dessert cravings without overindulging.
Bonkers Fruit Chews
These rectangular candies featured a fruity shell wrapped around an even fruitier filling that exploded with flavor. The commercials showed people getting “bonked” on the head by giant fruits, making them an instant hit with kids. The grape and strawberry versions were especially popular, offering an intense burst of artificial fruit flavor that modern candies simply can’t match. The unique texture combination of chewy exterior and soft interior made them special.
Planters Cheez Balls
While recently revived, the original recipe was noticeably different and better. These perfectly spherical snacks featured an intense cheese flavor and an airy, crispy texture. The distinctive blue can keep them fresh and make a satisfying pop when opened. Their melt-in-your-mouth quality made it impossible to eat just one.
Nintendo Cereal System
This gaming-themed cereal was split into two sides: “Mario Bros.” and “Zelda Adventure.” Each side featured different shapes and flavors based on elements from popular video games. The “Super Mario Bros.” side was fruit-flavored, while the “Legend of Zelda” side was berry-flavored. The box included Nintendo gaming tips and mini-comics.
Choco-Bliss
These chocolate sandwich cookies contained an exceptionally rich chocolate cream filling. The cookies themselves were darker and more intensely flavored than typical chocolate cookies. Nabisco marketed them as a premium alternative to regular sandwich cookies. The gold and brown packaging reflected their positioning as a more sophisticated cookie choice.
Giggles Cookies
These unique sandwich cookies featured happy faces stamped on the front. The vanilla cookies contained a chocolate filling that made kids smile just like the cookies themselves. The creative design made them especially popular in lunch boxes and at parties. The memorable TV commercials showed the cookies coming to life and laughing.
Ice Cream Cone Cereal
This innovative cereal combined cone-shaped pieces with chocolate-covered nuggets meant to represent ice cream. The cone pieces maintained their crunch even in milk, unlike many cereals of the era. The real chocolate coating on the “ice cream” pieces made it taste like an ice cream cone. The box art featured tempting ice cream cone illustrations that made kids crave it for breakfast.
12 Foods That Support Liver Health and 8 That Harm It
12 Foods That Support Liver Health and 8 That Harm It
How to Eat Carbs Without Blood Sugar Spikes
How to Eat Carbs Without Blood Sugar Spikes
20 ‘Healthy’ Foods That Nutritionists Never Eat
