Some snacks vanish from store shelves, yet they never leave our memories. Maybe it was a blue can of cheese balls, a clear soda, or a cookie with a smiling face.
This list brings back treats from the 1960s through the 2000s, from lunchbox favorites to candy aisle oddities. A few have made real comebacks, while others are still waiting for one.
Read on to see which ones you remember, which ones you forgot, and which ones you would line up to buy again today.
Dunkaroos
Few snacks say 1990s childhood quite like Dunkaroos. The idea was simple: small cookies came in a tray right beside a little compartment of sweet frosting, made for dipping.
Kids loved the do-it-yourself part. You could dip lightly, scoop big, or save the frosting for the very last cookie, and everyone had a personal style.
Unlike most snacks on this list, Dunkaroos actually got their comeback. General Mills brought them back to U.S. shelves in 2020 after years of nostalgia-fueled demand from grown-up fans.
Since then, the revived brand has grown beyond the original cookie-and-frosting format, so there are new ways to enjoy it. That makes this one a rare success story in the world of retro snacks, and a good reminder that persistent fans can sometimes win.
If you grew up on them, finding a pack today is an easy way to relive lunch table trading days.
Planters Cheez Balls
That bright blue can was almost as memorable as the snack inside. Planters Cheez Balls were airy, crunchy cheese balls that inevitably left a layer of orange seasoning on your fingers.
Planters discontinued the original product in 2006. The brand then brought it back for a limited revival beginning in 2018, which gave longtime fans a happy surprise.
According to the brand’s current FAQ, however, Cheez Balls and Cheez Curls are once again unavailable. That puts them back on the list of snacks people hope will return.
The can itself played a big part in the appeal. It sat in pantries and on snack tables, and many people can still picture it right away.
For now, the memory is the easiest way to enjoy them, along with plenty of cheese-flavored substitutes that never quite match the original crunch and texture.
Giggles Cookies
Cookies are already hard for kids to resist. Putting smiling faces on them made Giggles even more memorable.
Nabisco’s Giggles featured playful face designs and cream fillings. Chocolate and vanilla varieties were part of the lineup.
They were sold during the 1980s before eventually disappearing. That left behind another distinctive lunchbox favorite from the decade.
Part of the charm was how easy it was to play with them. A cookie with a face invites a bit of silliness before the first bite, and many kids made a game of it.
Nobody needed a special occasion to open a pack, since a smiling cookie was reason enough. Today they are a fun piece of snack history, a reminder of how much thought once went into making a simple cookie stand out on the shelf next to everything else.
Butterfinger BB’s
Take the crunchy peanut-butter center of a Butterfinger bar, shrink it into small round pieces, and you have Butterfinger BB’s. They were easy to snack on by the handful.
Introduced during the 1990s, the candy was heavily associated with memorable advertising featuring The Simpsons. Those commercials helped make the product a hit with kids and teens.
The round shape changed how people ate it. Instead of unwrapping a bar, you could shake a few pieces into your hand or share a box with friends at the movies.
The BB’s were discontinued in 2006. Other bite-sized Butterfinger products have appeared since, but they are not exactly the same as the original candy.
For many fans, the box and the commercials are still the first things that come to mind when they hear the name, and that says a lot about how well the marketing worked.
Crystal Pepsi
Crystal Pepsi looked like someone had removed the color from a bottle of cola, and that was exactly what made it impossible to ignore.
Pepsi launched the clear cola during the early 1990s. The see-through look was the big selling point, and it fit right in with the decade’s fascination with anything new and different.
Its original run was brief. Even so, the drink became one of the most talked-about soft drinks of its time.
The company has periodically revived Crystal Pepsi for limited nostalgia-driven releases. Each return has drawn attention from fans who remember it fondly and from younger people curious to try it.
A permanent nationwide return, however, has never followed. That keeps it in a special category, a drink that comes and goes, and one that always seems to leave people hoping for the next limited run.
Jell-O Pudding Pops
Pudding and popsicles came together in one of the most remembered frozen treats of its era.
Jell-O Pudding Pops offered a creamier texture than ordinary ice pops. Flavors included chocolate, vanilla, and swirl, so there was a pick for most tastes.
They were easy to eat on a stick, which made them a favorite for hot afternoons and after-dinner treats at home.
The original product eventually disappeared. Similar frozen treats exist, but the classic Jell-O version remains a frequently requested comeback.
Many people who loved them still bring them up when talking about favorite childhood desserts. The mix of pudding flavor and frozen format was simple, yet it was different enough from regular ice cream bars to leave a lasting impression on anyone who grew up with them in the freezer.
Swoops
Hershey’s Swoops answered a question nobody knew needed asking: what if chocolate bars were shaped like potato chips?
Introduced in 2003, the curved chocolate pieces came in varieties inspired by familiar candy brands, including Reese’s. The thin shape gave them a different bite from a regular bar.
It was a bold idea for a candy aisle that usually stuck to bars and cups.
The unusual format lasted only a few years. Hershey’s records show the product line was discontinued in August 2006.
Even with a short run, Swoops left a mark. People who tried them often remember the odd shape right away, and the product still comes up in conversations about the strangest candy experiments of the 2000s, which is a decent legacy for a chocolate chip-shaped snack.
Astro Pops
Astro Pops are instantly recognizable thanks to their cone-like rocket shape and colorful layers.
The candy was originally developed in the 1960s. It was later discontinued by Spangler in 2004, which disappointed longtime fans.
This one actually received the comeback nostalgia fans dream about. Leaf Brands acquired and revived Astro Pops using the classic formula, and they remain part of the company’s candy lineup.
That makes Astro Pops a rare happy ending on a list full of missing snacks. You can still find the same rocket shape and bright colors that kids once saw at the candy counter.
The long, tall design is part of the fun, since it looks more like a toy than a typical lollipop. For anyone who wants a taste of the past without hunting through old collections, this is one of the easier retro treats to track down.
Whistle Pops
Whistle Pops managed to combine two childhood favorites in one package: candy and something that could make noise.
The lollipops were designed so kids could actually whistle through them before finishing the candy. The stick doubled as a tiny toy, which gave the treat a second purpose.
That mix of snack and novelty helped make them especially memorable among children growing up during their heyday.
Parents may have had mixed feelings about the noise, but kids were thrilled to have a lollipop that did more than sit in their mouth.
It was the kind of treat that showed up at parties, school events, and corner stores, and it often ended in a contest to see who could make the loudest sound. Even now, a quick mention of the name is enough to bring back the memory of that tiny whistle.
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