Are strawberries anyone else’s favorite fruit? Don’t get me wrong, I love just about every fruit—pears can rot in the dry, mealy ground for all I care. But there’s something about the perfect pop-ability, late spring–early summer vibes, and shortcake satisfaction of strawberries. It doesn’t hurt that artificial strawberry is the best fake fruit flavor, too.
Seriously, if y’all got any pink Laffy Taffy laying around, chuck ’em in the general direction of Michigan.
Because I like strawberries so much, I will never turn down a new strawberry cereal. So when Cheerios introduced both Chocolate Strawberry and Multigrain with Strawberries varieties, I knew I had to tackle both in one straw-some ode of a review to my favorite, rosily plump fruit. After all, plain ol’ Strawberry Cheerios were amazing, so what could go wrong, right?
Chocolate Strawberry Cheerios Review
Hmm. Something did go wrong here.
Chocolate Strawberry Cheerios aren’t bad, let me just say that. But they aren’t what I expected. See, through its similar box art and concept, Chocolate Strawberry Cheerios appear to be a spiritual sequel or companion piece to Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheerios, which is one of the tastiest Cheerios varieties of all time. Chocolate Strawberry Cheerios, however, miss one crucial element that sets Choco PB above the rest: a generous dusting of powdered sweetness.
Don’t get me wrong, not dusting my black jeans with cereal dust is a plus, but without that secret sugar touch, these just taste like a 50:50 mix of Strawberry and Chocolate Cheerios. Which I guess is what you might expect, but eaten dry, this creates a strange, hard to describe aftertaste. It’s a bit waxy, maybe? Not sure, but dry Chocolate Strawberry Cheerios didn’t wow me.
In milk, Choco-Strawb Cheerios are a lot better, as that aftertaste is washed away and you’re left with a definitely chocolate-strawberry flavored, but not especially extraordinary cereal. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed if you temper your expectations, but those who aren’t already in love with fondue might want to pass on this one, since with chocolate and strawberry competing for dominance, they tend to cancel each other out more often than they complement.
The Bottom Line: 7 romantic candlelit breakfasts out of 10
Multigrain Cheerios with Strawberries Review
Now here we have a real underdog. Chocolate Strawberry Cheerios will no-doubt steal more headlines and garner more buzz, but these seemingly boring Multigrain Cheerios with Strawberries pack a delightful punch.
Well, maybe more like a playful jab. No need to sugarcoat it: Multigrain Cheerios, like plain Cheerios, aren’t sugarcoated. They aren’t all that sweet, but they have a very satisfying toasted oat flavor that honestly doesn’t need excessive sweetness. Their beauty is in their simplicity.
And sometimes simplicity can be even more satisfying when given an equally simple garnish. Like lemon in water or tomato slices on a grilled cheese, freeze-dried strawberry bits add a pleasant pop of juiciness to the more earthy notes. And much like a lot of dried fruit, these strawberries have nice notes of tartness, too, helping prove that sweetness isn’t the only taste sensation that makes a good cereal. Perhaps General Mills’ best call here was dicing the dried strawberries real small. This better balances the strawberry flavor so you get a consistent amount in each bite, and it reduces the less pleasant dried fruit chrewiness you get with cereals like Strawberry Honey Bunches of Oats and the silver dollar-sized strawberries found therein.
Milk works well here too, to add another dimension of creaminess to this minimalist’s delight. Overall, this is a great cereal that leaves a big impression, despite its few ingredients. This one is sure to be a hit with parents and young children, but really, anyone looking to simplify and de-sweeten their morning cereal will enjoy Multigrain Cheerios with Strawberries, too.
The Bottom Line: 8.5 grilled Cheerios out of 10