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Throwback Thursday: Remember when Dunkin’ Donuts had a cereal?

There was a year in the late ’80s when Dunkin’ Donuts expanded into the mass market breakfast game.

By Perry Eaton

1 minute to read

As Bostonians, Dunkin’ Donuts has become a greater part of our lives over the past couple of decades. The pink and orange chain went from specializing in doughnuts and coffee several years ago, to now offering sandwiches, breakfast wraps, and other innovative spins on breakfast fast food. 

There was a year in the late ’80s, however, when Dunkin’ Donuts expanded into the mass market breakfast game, launching Dunkin’ Donuts Cereal in 1988. The cereal was launched by the Ralston cereal company, which eventually became Ralston Purina, which was acquired by Nestle in 2001 and now almost exclusively produces dog food (but it may not be all that fair to judge the cereal off of that). 

Dunkin’ Donuts cereal wasn’t the first of its kind, either. First, there was Dinky Donuts Cereal, also launched by Ralston Purina in 1980. 

Dinky-Donuts

Not long after, there was Powdered Donutz Cereal, released by General Mills.

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Both of those cereals had similarly short lifespans, but neither one had the support of Fred the Donut Guy and his tiny rolling pin. 

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Dunkin’ Donuts cereal was sold in two flavors: glazed and chocolate. The cereal itself came in three shapes and was made of puffed corn (no, sadly not miniature doughnuts). Despite looking delicious, the breakfast treat was discontinued a year later, but old boxes can still be found kicking around eBay. 

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I’m no expert in the breakfast chain industry, and certainly not one in the cereal game either, but I have to believe that if Dunkin’ were to want to dust this idea off and give it another go, there’s no better time than now. 

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