Since we can’t go out much at the moment because of the Corona Virus, and the number of “new” apples I’ve been trying seems to have bottomed out a bit, I figured now would be a good time to compare some other foods. Specifically, one of my favorite cereals, chocolate krispies! Plain rice krispies are fine, but the chocolate version is a chocoholic’s dream. Not only are the krispy bits infused with lots of cocoa, but they also turn the milk into chocolate milk, the leftovers of which can be gulped down at the end of the bowl, something I *never* do with non-chocolate cereals. Chocolate bonanza! FYI, I've found other chocolate cereals (Cocoa Puffs, Chocolate Cheerios) don’t always have this effect.
There are three basic types or brands of this cereal: Kellogg’s Rice Krispies, Post Cocoa Pebbles and various generic/store brands. For my taste test I used Kellogg’s, Post, plus the ShopRite brand called Scrunchy Cocoa Krispy Rice (image A). They’re all very similar as far as ingredients go: rice, sugar, cocoa, etc. There are slight differences in nutritional value (image B), but are still on the same page overall. Of course, this is not a cereal meant to be considered truly “nutritional,” but for those trying to moderate their calories/sugar/etc, know that Post Cocoa Pebbles beats the others by a decent margin. So… how about the TASTE? Let’s find out:
Kellogg’s Cocoa Krispies
This cereal is light brown in color which lightens up further while eating, as lots of the cocoa clearly transfers into the milk. There are many clumps of krispies which can be a bit harder/crunchier than the stand-alone pieces; these hold their crispiness in milk longer. The shape of the krispies is very much like normal rice kernels, just puffier. The chocolate milk that is leftover is nice, not heavy on the chocolate flavor, but not bad. It definitely satisfies the need for chocolate.
Post Cocoa Pebbles
This has the darkest brown coloring of the three, and the shape is more like flakes than rice. It has the strongest cocoa flavor as well, but strangely it also has a slightly bitter/ashy aftertaste. It might not be enough to put the average consumer off the taste, but when comparing the three against each other it was noticeable. Looking more closely at the ingredient list, this is the only one that includes Palm Kernel Oil, so maybe that’s it. Some of the flakes also sink to bottom of bowl, but there’s no consistency with that – some of the flakes are heaver/crispier, while others are lighter. The chocolate milk leftover is definitely the best of the three, and tastes much closer to actual chocolate milk.
ShopRite Scrunchy Cocoa Krispy Rice
This one is a dark brown in color, and is also shaped like flakes. It has a good strong cocoa flavor, and the cocoa also bleeds into the milk. The chocolate milk leftover has a slightly more intense cocoa flavor than Kellogg’s.
WINNER: Post Cocoa Pebbles
The ShopRite cereal is roughly half the cost of the others, and if cost is a high concern, then you can't really do wrong with it. It's an excellent substitute for Kellogg's or Post, and you save money to boot. However, Cocoa Pebbles definitely has the best chocolate flavor, in both the cereal and the leftover milk, plus it has the lowest amount of calories and sugar!
There are three basic types or brands of this cereal: Kellogg’s Rice Krispies, Post Cocoa Pebbles and various generic/store brands. For my taste test I used Kellogg’s, Post, plus the ShopRite brand called Scrunchy Cocoa Krispy Rice (image A). They’re all very similar as far as ingredients go: rice, sugar, cocoa, etc. There are slight differences in nutritional value (image B), but are still on the same page overall. Of course, this is not a cereal meant to be considered truly “nutritional,” but for those trying to moderate their calories/sugar/etc, know that Post Cocoa Pebbles beats the others by a decent margin. So… how about the TASTE? Let’s find out:
Kellogg’s Cocoa Krispies
This cereal is light brown in color which lightens up further while eating, as lots of the cocoa clearly transfers into the milk. There are many clumps of krispies which can be a bit harder/crunchier than the stand-alone pieces; these hold their crispiness in milk longer. The shape of the krispies is very much like normal rice kernels, just puffier. The chocolate milk that is leftover is nice, not heavy on the chocolate flavor, but not bad. It definitely satisfies the need for chocolate.
Post Cocoa Pebbles
This has the darkest brown coloring of the three, and the shape is more like flakes than rice. It has the strongest cocoa flavor as well, but strangely it also has a slightly bitter/ashy aftertaste. It might not be enough to put the average consumer off the taste, but when comparing the three against each other it was noticeable. Looking more closely at the ingredient list, this is the only one that includes Palm Kernel Oil, so maybe that’s it. Some of the flakes also sink to bottom of bowl, but there’s no consistency with that – some of the flakes are heaver/crispier, while others are lighter. The chocolate milk leftover is definitely the best of the three, and tastes much closer to actual chocolate milk.
ShopRite Scrunchy Cocoa Krispy Rice
This one is a dark brown in color, and is also shaped like flakes. It has a good strong cocoa flavor, and the cocoa also bleeds into the milk. The chocolate milk leftover has a slightly more intense cocoa flavor than Kellogg’s.
WINNER: Post Cocoa Pebbles
The ShopRite cereal is roughly half the cost of the others, and if cost is a high concern, then you can't really do wrong with it. It's an excellent substitute for Kellogg's or Post, and you save money to boot. However, Cocoa Pebbles definitely has the best chocolate flavor, in both the cereal and the leftover milk, plus it has the lowest amount of calories and sugar!