Quipu

CINNAMON TOAST CRUNCH

Overall Rating: 81

If you’re tired of aggressively sweetened cereals but you can’t bear the thought of eating granola, this delicate treat is just what the doctor ordered.

Image from the Institute collection

Appearance

Okay, so it doesn’t exactly look like toast. Do you really want it to? Thought not. What it is, is simple rectangular bits of cereal, slightly curved by the heat of baking and liberally dusted with what looks like a mix of powdered cinnamon and confectioner’s sugar. Not nearly so massive as, say, Batman Returns or Shreddies, in appearance CTC suggests a lightness and delicacy that is admirably borne out in the bowl.

Texture and Taste, Dry

Curiously, dry is exactly what it is. This is the only area in which the product loses points, and then the loss is minor. We suspect the dryness arises from the coating; powdered cinnamon is a notorious absorbent. But this will only be a problem if you try to eat an entire box of this dry, and you won’t want to do that because this stuff is so nice with milk. Dry, though, the delicacy of the sugar and spice nicely complement the tentative mouthfeel and fragile crunch of a perfect mix of wheat and rice flours. A handful of this makes a lovely snack while watching supper-hour cartoons when you don’t want to spoil your dinner (or when a parent or spouse will whop you if they catch you eating).

Texture and Taste, With Milk

Lovely and delicate. One suspects the makers are using some sort of industrial adhesive to bind the cinnamon to the cereal, since very little of the former sloughs off when the latter is soaked. How this is done with altering the powdery mouthfeel is one of the industry’s great mysteries. There’s no mystery to the taste, however: of the various sugar-and-cinnamon cereals out there, this is by far the best.

Conclusion

Cinnamon Toast Crunch can be all things to all people. While it has enough kick to satisfy the hardcore sugar fan, it is delicate enough to feed to those who aren’t fond of hyperactivity. It also makes a fine introduction to the whole concept of sugared cereals, for those who want to begin a little more cautiously. It’s the one cereal General Mills does well. Highly recommended.