Sugar. There’s nothing as good and nothing we crave more. It’s no wonder why Cinnamon Toast Crunch is one of the most popular cereals in the world. Who wouldn’t want to start their day with a big heaping bowl of sugar? This is the question cereal superpower General Mills asked themselves when curating the idea for this cereal. 

The now nearly 100-year-old company General Mills cemented their name as a food industry titan with popular brands including Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Bugels, Nature Valley, Gardetto’s, Blue Buffalo, Annie’s, Yoplait, Haagen-Dazs, and more. Undoubtedly a large part of their fame comes from their huge long line of popular breakfast cereals including Cheerios, Cocoa Puffs, Cookie Crisp, Kix, Golden Grahams, Lucky Charms, Raisin Bran, Wheaties, and Trix among so many others.  

As great as all these cereals are, the General Mills cereal that stands out from all the rest is the timeless classic: Cinnamon Toast Crunch. This cereal is absolutely fantastic, and we all know this to be true deep down. This morning treat, obviously based off the brilliant invention of cinnamon sugar toast, is the epitome of everything good in life. 

While the origins of cinnamon sugar toast can be traced back as early as the 1800’s, General Mills first released Cinnamon Toast Crunch in 1984. They took a childhood breakfast staple and made it into an even better. Cinnamon Toast Crunch has been released in many different forms over the years including Chocolate Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Apple Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Sugar Cookie Cinnamon Toast Crunch, French Toast Crunch, and most recently Churros, but none can compare to the original. 

Undeniably, no cereal currently on the market can top or even match what Cinnamon Toast Crunch is doing and has been doing since the 80s. Golden Grahams comes to mind in terms of comparisons due to its similar shape and appearance, but it’s not much of a contest when facing the king of breakfast cereals. I have yet to try CTC’s latest rival, Honey Maid Cinnamon produced by Post, but I hear it’s a close second. Someday down the road I’ll see for myself, but for right now it’s clear that of all the cinnamon-flavored cereals out there, none are in the same league as the classic Cinnamon Toast Crunch. 

CTC has come in a variety of different, fun, vibrant boxes over the years to match their entertaining and silly commercials, but their current box is particularly eye-catching. Bright blues, reds, greens, and purples stand out beautifully against the pearly-white base color. Goofy cartoon Cinnamon Toast Crunch pieces, also called “crazy squares” or more recently “cinnamojis” are peppered throughout the box. The back of each box also currently features a massive cinnamoji face, each with a different silly expression that makes walking down the cereal aisle, if possible, an even more enjoyable experience.  

When you take that wonderfully designed box home, and you finally reach the moment where you can crack that sucker open, the enticing aroma of sweet cinnamon and sugar overtakes you with nostalgic delight.  

The shimmering and sparkling little brown squares of deliciousness are just as good dry as they are with milk. They’re perfect size and texture and make each spoonful one to remember. The airy and satisfying crunch you get with every bite is simply heavenly and they retain their texture for a good stretch of time in milk. 

I’m sure I don’t need to remind you of the taste of this cereal, and I’m positive your mouth is already watering, but just in case either of those aren’t true, I’ll paint you a picture. Imagine each savory bite of that classic cinnamon sugar toast your mom used to make you, ramp up the sugar and add some sweet, divine tasting milk and you’ve got this cereal. 

Speaking of milk, the milk after this cereal is to die for. It’s almost as good as the cereal itself and makes finishing a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch all the more satisfying. And, to top it off, the more cereal you add to the milk, the sweeter and sugary-er it gets, if that even seems possible.  

Cinnamon Toast Crunch is perfect. It just is. If you look past the shocking amount of sugar and calories in each cup of this stuff (12 grams at 170), you’ve got a super killer breakfast. Without fail, this cereal provides a one-of-a-kind experience in every bowl that you’ll want to have over and over again. Cinnamon Toast Crunch scores a well-deserved 95%, A rating on my professional ranking scale, and while you finish with that bowl of CTC you’ve undoubtedly gone and poured yourself during the course of this review, just remember you aren’t alone, everyone loves this cereal too, and for a good reason.