Can you feel it, fellow breakfast clubbers?

We’re at the epicenter of a Quakerquake.

Much like the seismic phenomenon from which it draws its name, a Quakerquake is a tough to predict event that really shakes up the norm. It occurs when Quaker, on a whim, decides to release an onslaught of new products—often of shaky quality—to flood the breakfast aisle with various tan boxes that look identical to the company’s other thousand oatmeal receptacles. This is why aftershocks of a Quakerquake will often be felt months later: they leave the “NEW” label on their flavors so long, you won’t know whether the antioxidant-rich. steel-cut. all-natural apple cinnamon oatmeal came before or after the gluten-free, sugar-free, enjoyment-free apple cinnamon.

I guess with babies (and suckers) born every day, oatmeal is always bound to be new to someone.

Long story short, these new Quaker Honey Vanilla Multigrain Flakes are from the cereal arm of Quaker’s latest a-Quake-ening. It debuts alongside Cranberry Apple Multigrain Flakes and Oats & Honey with Vanilla & Pecan Granola. I chose to review this one first, because even though Cran-Apple is more autumnal, last week’s Shredded Wheat burnt me out on fruit, while the granola simply has too many ampersands to be trusted.

Plus, granola is barely cereal anyway. It’s like that weird cousin who ate gravel in kindergarten.

Thanks to its comparative simplicity of ingredients, I can really take in each wholesome component of these Honey Vanilla Multigrain Flakes wholesome-istically. The cereal only has flakes, oat clusters, and a few almond slivers, but it makes a tasty mix all the same.

The flakes are the perfect kind of crunchy: not molar-splitting, but still loud enough to serve as the sound effects for a cartoon scene of a dog gobbling bones by the paw-full. You know the sound.

While their multigrain base is pretty plainly toasted, each flake has a pleasant glaze of brown-sugared vanilla. Not too potent, yet recognizably “vanilla bean-y,” this makes the flakes taste cozy and golden all the same: the kind of tempered treat that’s perfect for those late summer nights with a chill in the air.

But Quaker’s Honey Vanilla Multigrain Flakes don’t stop with homey flakes that evoke scenes worthy of throw pillow embroidery. The oats are pretty good, too. While actual clusters are few and far between—there are far more loose oat bits scattered about like oatmeal pixie dust—they certainly bring oodles of honey graham flavor. Pleasant and simple, this genuine honey taste pairs well with the slightly savory oats it’s glazed on. It doesn’t quite reach Honey Bunches of Oats levels of roasted oat goodness, but it’s in the same ball field.

Or at least the same grain field.

Oh, and those almond slivers? They’re purely cosmetic, and I can’t say for sure whether or not they’re secretly wax replicas of real almond slivers.

Eaten dry or in milk, Quaker Honey Vanilla Multigrain Flakes tastes largely the same: like crushed-up whole-wheat Teddy Grahams with a few Mother’s Frosted Animal Crackers tossed in for good measure. Now is this an exaggeration so you can better understand the flavor profile? Of course—this cereal isn’t nearly that sweet—but the combo of honey graham and creamy vanilla icing is nevertheless memorable. Though honey and vanilla are common cereal flavors, they rarely appear together as a headlining tag team.

Quaker’s not reinventing the wheel here. In fact, this cereal is pretty much just a vanilla-charged direct upgrade to Bear Naked’s “Sweet” Honey Clusters (my quotes, not theirs). And the price isn’t sweet, either. I won’t say how much I paid, but it’s enough to leave me doodling Scrooge McDuck’s bill on the Oat Guy’s face. But Quaker Honey Vanilla Multigrain Flakes are nevertheless the perfect kind of healthier cereal: tame enough to act as a Pop-Tart detox, without tasting like fragmented drywall.

So thanks, Quaker: you stopped me from impulsively shoving a vanilla cupcake into a honey cruller.

The Bowl: Quaker Multigrain Flakes – Honey Vanilla

The Breakdown: A comfy cereal that tastes like grown-up snack crackers, this smooth combo of earthiness and natural sweetness is a great autumn harbinger. I just wish the pointless almonds didn’t inflate the cost so much.

The Bottom Line: 8.5 CrullCakes (I’m totally patenting that idea—hands off, hipsters) out of 10

(Quick Nutrition Facts: 250 calories, 3 grams of sugar, 11 grams of sugar, and 7 grams of protein per 3/4 cup serving)