Hershey's Kisses Cereal

When I saw Hershey's Kisses Cereal on the shelf at the grocery store, I chuckled to myself. It seems like cereal makers keep coming up with new cereals that are candy or dessert-based. Do you remember that SNL sketch in which John Belushi played an Olympic athlete who boasted of eating "little chocolate donuts" as part of his training regimen? Some newer cereals remind me of that. 

Still, I wanted to try these. I grew up eating Hershey's chocolate, and I view it as a standby: not necessarily my first choice of dessert, but something that will satisfy if need be. I know there's a whole debate about American chocolate versus chocolate from other countries, and I don't wish to go there today. But I was curious about what the cereal version of Hershey Kisses would taste like.

When you pour a bowl, each piece of cereal looks vaguely in the "kiss" shape, though a flat, porous version since it is cereal and not actual chocolate. I thought the cereal tasted okay at first, but I had a few bowls in a little over a week and it grew on me. This cereal hits the mark as a chocolate-flavored cereal. 

However, there wasn't much to distinguish it from similar cereals, like Cocoa Puffs. Except for the cereal shape and the branding, both cereals are similar. But that's not a bad thing if you like cereals like this. After you're done with the cereal, they both leave you with a bowl of chocolate-flavored milk that you can enjoy. 

One interesting tidbit: I'll sometimes see foods described as being "chocolatey-flavored," I assume as a way to get around the fact that they don't use actual chocolate. This cereal is touted as being "naturally flavored." Sure enough, this cereal includes both Hershey's cocoa processed with alkali and unsweetened chocolate. 

Key Info
Product: Hershey's Kisses Cereal
Date Found: February 2020, grocery store (Mariano's/Kroger)
Package size: 10.9 oz., 8 servings
Serving size: 1 cup, 140 calories, 1.5 grams fat (without milk)