10 nostalgic discontinued snacks from the ’80s and ’90s fans want back

From lunchbox staples to after-school treats, some of the most iconic snacks of the 1980s, ’90s and early 2000s have disappeared from store shelves but not from memory.

From frozen treats to tangy candies to quirky fruit snacks, fans are still talking about their nostalgic favorites decades later. Many were discontinued due to changing tastes, corporate changes, or recipe changes, while others returned briefly or inspired imitations.

Recent summaries, including one Fast Food Club, We’ve revisited some of our favorite discontinued snacks. Here are 10 fans who still want to return.

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1. Growers PB Chips

Introduced in 1992, Planters PB Crisps, peanut-shaped cookies with a crunchy crust and creamy peanut butter, remain one of the most requested discontinued snacks on the internet.

“PB Crisps were an extremely delectable snack food in the mid-90s,” just one website says dedicated to bringing snacking back he says. “A snack that has been discontinued for years is still not available.”

2. Butterfinger BBs

These bite-sized versions of classic candies capitalized on the “mini” candy trend of the early ’90s, while “The Simpsons” marketing also boosted their popularity among younger fans.

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Butterfinger BBs were discontinued in 2006 due to production issues, briefly returning as Butterfinger Bites in 2009, and later reformulated after Ferrero acquired the brand in 2018. According to reports.

Altoids Sours became a cult favorite after they were discontinued around 2010. (Emile Wamsteker/Bloomberg)

3. Altoids Sour

Introduced by Wrigley in the early 2000s, Altoids Sours were packaged in distinctive metal cans and provided an intense sourness before turning sweet. Discontinued around 2010 due to declining sales, they have become a cult favorite with a strong resale market, modern knockoffs and enduring social media buzz.

“I used to eat them so many times my tongue would be chewy from the citric acid… and I’d still eat another one,” one Reddit user commented in a nostalgia-related thread.

4. Jell-O Pudding Pops

Some fans recreate Jell-O puddings at home. (Daniel Acker/Bloomberg)

These frozen treats offered a creamy, pudding-like texture with swirls of chocolate and vanilla, making them a childhood summer staple and one of the most missed desserts of the 1980s and 1990s. According to reports.

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Production was discontinued after corporate changes, and fans now recreate them at home using instant pudding mix.

5. Keebler Magic Crosses

These shortbread cookies hid rich, gooey fillings such as marshmallows and peanut butter, serving as an early example of the “hidden-filling” cookie concept that helped distinguish them from their competitors.

Keebler Magic Middles had a sticky filling. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

6. Hershey Raids

Shaped like Pringles, these thin chocolate slices were a departure from traditional candies and came in flavors like Almond Joy and York Peppermint Patties.

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“Man, I can still feel the texture of these,” one commenter wrote on the r/nostalgia subreddit.

Many once-popular snacks have disappeared from shelves due to changing tastes. (iStock)

This treat failed because consumers did not believe in the concept of too little chocolate and too much packaging. According to Mashed.

7. Doritos Salsa Rio

The Doritos flavor combined salty, smoky, and tomato-heavy notes, giving the chips a salsa-like taste. The 1989 ads featured Jay Leno presenting the chips as “something different” and using his signature humor to highlight the bold taste.

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They were discontinued shortly after, but they are often cited as one of Doritos’ most missed flavors.

While some nostalgic snacks are returning in limited quantities, others are still unavailable. (iStock)

8. Original Breeders’ Cheez Balls

First introduced in 1981, Planters Cheez Balls became a fan favorite thanks to their light, cheesy crunch and iconic blue box, but were discontinued in 2006 after Kraft modernized its snack line. Their following has never waned, and years of fan demand helped bring them back in 2018 with classic-style packaging, though many still follow the original formula.

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“There is no other product like this and I’ve tried them all,” someone said on a subreddit dedicated to the 1980s. “One of the best snacks of all time.”

Planters Cheez Balls became known for their light, cheesy crunch and iconic blue box. (Tiffany Hagler-Geard/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

9. Cheetos Claws

Inspired by Cheetos’ mascot, Chester Cheetah, these paw-shaped snacks featured the same cheesy coating as classic Cheetos and a fun design that made them especially fun (albeit messy) to eat.

Cheetos Paws returned periodically in limited editions in the 2010s and 2020s, often driven by nostalgia marketing.

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10. Shark Bites fruit snacks

Introduced by General Mills in the late 1980s, these shark-shaped gummies were known for their unique texture and rare “Great White” piece. But recipe changes due to the removal of artificial colors and flavors changed the taste and texture and eliminated the iconic Great White, disappointing fans. According to Sporked.

“The bite on these things was excellent,” recalled one commenter on a subreddit in the 1990s.