Cinnamon Toast Crunch introduces a wild new flavor | Official Website of Louis Velazquez, entrepreneur, finance guy and tech innovator

As people push toward healthier breakfast options, you might think indulging in sugar-laden cereals is increasingly becoming a thing of the past.

Don’t underestimate the power of nostalgia, however — more of us miss the irresistible combo of cereal and Saturday morning cartoons than you might think.

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The global breakfast cereal market is not only doing just fine, but it’s predicted to grow impressively in the next decade. It held a $65.25 billion market value in 2024, and it’s projected to hit $95.32 billion by 2032, per Market Research Intellect.

With that said, consumers have made it clear they want more nutrition from cereal. It’s why you’re seeing a lot of brands advertising protein, as more health-conscious customers are seeking it.

High-fiber and low-sugar cereals are also gaining popularity. Cereal makers have begun to pivot further into those spaces as well, and it’s working to get consumers to buy more of it.

But what do you do when your customer still isn’t intrigued, despite all the promises to make their cereal experience healthier?

You pull out a trick the fast-food industry knows all too well: make it weird.

Food mash-ups that make people buy

In 2024, General Mills pulled out a fairly unexpected collaboration with Hormel. That collab was called Hormel Black Label Cinnamon Toast Crunch flavored thick cut bacon.

While it sounds like a heart attack in a pan, this bacon was clearly popular with consumers, as a year later, it’s still for sale in select stores. Apparently some people love that candied bacon vibe (and it is delicious, so we can’t blame them).

Based on the success of that product, now the two companies are collaborating again for a new item: Black Label Hormel-flavored Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

General Mills Senior Marketing Manager Brandon Tyrrell pulled off an admirable new catchphrase to celebrate the launch of the cereal, saying, “Bringing these two iconic breakfast staples and irresistible flavors together gives our fans even more reason why they Must Cinnadust.”

The new limited-edition cereal is exclusive to Walmart, goes on sale July 8, and will retail for $5.84 a box. General Mills did not specify how long it will be for sale.

The brand also posted a video on Instagram to promote the new cereal, showing a woman eating it out of a bowl made of bacon.

General Mills gets experimental

This is not the first time Cinnamon Toast Crunch has collaborated with another brand that seems unexpected.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Totino’s Pizza flavor made its debut in January as a Super Bowl promotional item, served in packaging inspired by a pizza delivery box. However, it wasn’t designed for grocery store shelves.

Instead, General Mills limited it to a free giveaway on the Cinnamon Toast Crunch shop. You can now find these sitting on eBay, with some priced as high as $100.

Significantly less weird but also new to the Cinnamon Toast Brunch brand family is a tres leches flavor, which is based on the classic Latin American dessert of the same name.

So if you aren’t into the idea of bacon-flavored breakfast cereal, you can always fall back on something that pairs a little better with milk.