Canadian Cereal Flavors You Won't See On U.S. Store Shelves

There are several amazing Canadian cereal flavors that are not available in U.S. grocery stores. If you step into a grocery store in Canada, you'll likely see a few cereal flavors that have been discontinued in the U.S., additional flavors of your favorite brands, and other cereals flavors you've likely never seen before. While the cereal market in the U.S. offers several strange breakfast cereals, Canada's unique offerings tend to be somewhat tamer. 

Once you start looking at the cereal flavors that are available in Canada, you'll notice a lot of whole grains, muesli, and granola. However, don't be deceived into thinking Canadians don't have a sweet tooth. Granola and muesli varieties can contain around 15 grams of sugar per serving. Additionally, while there are plenty of options that focus on the nutritious side of breakfast, you can still find a few unique and delicious flavors based on famous Canadian baked goods.

Kellogg's Vector meal replacement cereal is a Canadian cereal you're unlikely to find in the U.S. Kellogg's refers to Vector as a "meal replacement" because it is more robust than your average cereal. One serving of this cereal contains 5.7 grams of protein, 45 grams of carbohydrates, and a healthy vitamin content. It contains 219 calories. This brand actively advertises this cereal to adults and plays up the idea that the nutritional content makes it a good cereal for athletes.

Vector is available in three high-protein flavors: The original flavor, the maple crunch flavor, and the apple cinnamon crunch flavor. Even the original flavor tastes good enough to eat straight out of the box. Of course, the 12 grams of sugar and all those carbs probably contribute to its amazing flavors. This cereal provides both nutrition and great flavor, although it might not be ideal as a complete meal replacement. 

Tim Hortons doesn't have locations across the entirety of the U.S.: While the chain has locations in ten states, they're mainly in the Northeast, with two locations in Texas. However, Tim Hortons is the largest restaurant chain in Canada. So, finding a Tim Horton's cereal in Canada would be a little like finding a McDonald's cereal in the U.S. (since McDonald's is America's largest chain restaurant). Tim Hortons serves food all day long, but it's famous for its coffee and pastries like apple fritters. So, it's fitting that when the Post brand decided to collaborate with the chain, it focused on some of the chain's most well-loved pastries.

The Tim Hortons apple fritter flavor was released in February of 2023. This corn and oat cereal has been a hit with Canadians. If you added more sugar and apple flavoring to Cinnamon Toast Crunch, you'd get a flavor similar to Tim Hortons apple fritter cereal. Cinnamon Toast Crunch has nine grams of sugar, while the Tim Hortons Apple Fritter cereal has 14 grams. Fans of the real apple fritters at Tim Hortons were not disappointed with this flavor, which will likely make this Canadian cereal a repeat purchase for many customers.

If you're not from Canada or have never been to a Tim Hortons, you've likely never heard of Timbits. Technically, they're donut holes, but Tim Hortons have popularized them with the trademarked name "Timbits," which the company has owned since 1996. If you're at Tim Hortons, you can pick up a variety of Timbits for the U.S. equivalent of $0.28 each. Some flavors you might find include Honey Dip, Chocolate Glazed, Old Fashioned Glazed, Sour Cream Glazed, and Birthday Cake. Birthday Cake Timbits have rainbow sprinkles, which made them a fun option for Post to convert into a cereal flavor in 2021.

The reception of this Canadian flavor has been overwhelmingly positive. Fans say the cereal tastes identical to Timbits. Since this flavor is made with corn, it's ideal for people who can't enjoy real Timbits or real birthday cake because of gluten allergies. This cereal contains 13 grams of sugar, making it perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth. 

The Timbits Chocolate Glaze is another Tim Hortons cereal that was introduced in 2021. This flavor mimics the real Tim Hortons chocolate glazed Timbits you can get from the restaurant. As with the birthday cake flavor, Canadian cereal-eaters have been impressed with this offering. The Timbits Chocolate Glazed cereal flavor has less of a donut taste than the birthday cake version does. You'll also find that it tastes similar to most other chocolate cereals you can find out there. So, while it's nothing groundbreaking, it's still good. 

Like many chocolate cereals, it turns the milk in your bowl into chocolate milk. One thing you'll want to notice is that this flavor has 17 grams of sugar; so it's edging toward Honey Smacks territory with its sugar content. Then again, it's about the same amount of sugar you'd get from just two real chocolate glazed Timbits, so you're not missing out on the Tim Hortons experience if you opt for this cereal.

Kellogg's can get away with selling brown Rice Krispies in Canada, but we're not sure how they'd fare in the U.S. While the product was once sold in the United States, it was later discontinued. But does the use of brown rice make Rice Krispies any healthier? This cereal has more protein than the original white rice variety. It also has more calcium, iron, niacin, and thiamine. 

However, the original version has less sodium and carbs, with more pantothenate. So, which one you ultimately choose depends on your taste preference and the nutritional factors that are most important to you. But how about the taste? Customers seem to think it's a good option in terms of gluten-free cereals. However, this cereal is not always easy to find on grocery store shelves in Canada, so it can be much easier to buy it online. 

You can find Kellogg's Müeslix in the U.S. It's the same name as the Canadian version, just with a different spelling (Müslix in Canada versus Müeslix in the U.S.). However, there's a flavor variety that isn't available in the U.S., perhaps since the whole muesli craze hasn't caught on nearly as well here. The Müslix Maple Raisin Nut flavor is only sold in Canada.

The ingredients in the original and the maple flavors are quite similar. Both contain barley, oat, wheat, corn, and rice, as well as raisins and almonds. However, there are some differences. The maple flavor doesn't contain dates, and the flavors are different. While the original contains malt extract, molasses, and malt flavor, the maple version is a little more complex with corn and barley malt extract, molasses, and natural flavors. This muesli-style cereal contains up to 17 grams of sugar. If you're looking for more fiber in your diet, the maple raisin nut version has 8 grams rather than the 5 grams you find in the original. So, it's a very filling cereal that won't leave you hungry.

If Chips Ahoy! cereal looks familiar, that's because it debuted in the U.S. in 1963. It was later discontinued, though it did return to grocery store shelves briefly in 2018.  However, while this cereal is no longer available in the U.S., you can still find it in Canada. So, if you're in need of a bowl of tiny cookies and milk for breakfast, you might have to look across the border to find it, at least for now. 

Despite looking like mini Chips Ahoy! Cookies, this cereal doesn't really taste like them. You won't detect any real chocolate flavor, either. The texture is likely to remind you of Cap'n Crunch, while the flavor is reminiscent of maple syrup. It doesn't get soggy in milk, so it has that going for it. If you are feeling really nostalgic for this cereal, you can also order it online, though you may face hefty import prices.

If you've shopped for cereal in Canada, you've likely encountered Shreddies. However, you won't find this cereal in the U.S. Don't confuse it with Shredded Wheat. Shreddies won't feel like a mini haybale in your mouth because they have a flatter checker-board shape similar to Chex. Nabisco first introduced Shreddies to the non-U.S. world in 1955. Now, Post sells them in Canada, and Nestlé sells them in the U.K. 

Since they're made with whole-grain wheat, they have six grams of fiber and five grams of protein in each one-cup serving. They contain 46 grams of carbs and 9 grams of sugar per serving. This classic breakfast cereal continues to get excellent reviews. It tends to be one many families have been buying religiously for years. There are even tons of recipes out there for using Shreddies in sweet treats, so you can enjoy them places other than just in your cereal bowl: You can't say that about Shredded Wheat.

Canadians looking for a sweeter version of their favorite cereal with slightly more protein can look to honey-flavored Shreddies as an alternative to the classic flavor. Only the original- and honey-flavored Shreddies are available in Canada. However, it's possible to find even more Shreddies varieties in the U.K., such as Frosted and Coco flavors. Canada just has two flavors for the time being.

Both the original and honey flavors contain sugar and barley malt extract as sweeteners, but the honey version actually has real honey. It also contains the natural sweetener Thaumatin, which is derived from a West-African fruit. Thaumatin is known for having a licorice-like or cooling aftertaste, but its usage in honey-flavored Shreddies is light enough that most people don't seem to mention an aftertaste. Instead, it's the honey flavor shines the most. Many people like this flavor over the original, likely due to its lovely sweet flavor. 

Honey Bunches of Oats has really branched out with its offerings in the past few years. It even sells granola, which makes a lot of sense considering the brand's original concept. You can get Honey Bunches of Oats honey roasted granola in both Canada and the U.S. However, Canada has an additional flavor that's not sold in the U.S.: Blueberry Flax. Since flax seeds are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and this cereal offers a great way to integrate them into your diet, particularly if you don't consume them otherwise.

You may be surprised to learn that Honey Bunches of Oats Blueberry Flax Granola has 25 grams of sugar, while Honey Bunches of Oats Honey Roasted contains eight grams of sugar. Since the granola blueberry flax has a high sugar content, you may want to try using it as a topping for unsweetened yogurt.

Oatmeal Crisp Triple Berry is another popular Canadian cereal that you won't find in the U.S. The original Oatmeal Crisp in the U.S. contains flakes, oat clusters, and almonds. However, the triple-berry variety is only available in the U.S. as a Canadian import. In the Triple Berry Variety, the oat clusters themselves have a fruit flavor. This cereal contains several dried fruits (raspberries, strawberries, apples, and blueberries), which plump up when you add milk.

Despite all the dried fruits, the cereal hovers at 12 grams of sugar, which is actually two grams less than the U.S. Original Oatmeal Crisp. It also has less fat, sodium, and carbs than the U.S. original version, although the original boasts more fiber. Honestly, it's a toss-up between which tastes better. It really depends on if you're in the mood for nuts or berries. Both are fairly great-tasting options.

Quaker sells a few different cereal varieties in the U.S. These include Life Cereal, granola, Oatmeal Squares, and Quisp cereal. However, in Canada, Quaker offers a cereal variety called Harvest Crunch. The original flavor of Harvest Crunch is granola with almonds. It's comparable to Quaker's Simply Granola Cereal, though there are a few differences. 

Harvest Crunch contains brown instead of white sugar, dried coconut, and coconut oil, while Simply Granola cereal contains whole grain oats, sugar, vegetable oil, and molasses. So, there's definitely an ingredient and flavor difference between the two varieties. There are also a few significant nutritional differences between the two. Harvest Crunch has fewer calories as well as fewer carbohydrates and sugar (10 grams versus 13 grams). However, the fiber content of Harvest Crunch is higher (seven grams) than Harvest Crunch (four grams).

Harvest Crunch is a favorite granola brand in Canada, and it's available in flavors beyond the original. In Canada, you might find Light & Crisp Honey Nut, Light & Crisp Raisin Almond, Apple Crumble, Dark Chocolate Cranberry and Almond, Maple, and Raisin Almond. The Harvest Cruch brand has 4.5 out of five stars on Amazon with over 4,100 ratings. So, Quaker has definitely found a strong following for its granola. 

The Jordan's cereal brand started out in the U.K. in 1972. It still isn't wildly popular in the U.S., but the company does sell two flavors of Morning Crisp in America. Meanwhile, Jordan's offers three types of cereal in Canada: Morning Crisp, Morning Granola, and Morning Muesli. Jordan's also offers four muesli options: Supreme Medley, Super Berry Medley, Organic Fruit & Nut Medley, and the Four Nut Medley. 

Since the brand is committed to natural products, you'll only find ingredients like barley flakes, nuts, seeds, oil, and dried fruits in the ingredient lists, although the supreme medley version has some dried fruits that are sweetened with cane sugar and contain citric acid and sulfites. Depending on which flavor you choose, it will contain 9 to 12 grams of fat, 69 to 74 grams of carbohydrates, and 22 to 35 grams of sugar. Plus, they have 9 to 11 grams of fiber and 10 to 12 grams of protein. So, these cereals are definitely best for a Canadian with a sweet tooth who wants an extremely hearty cereal to fuel their day.

While we can find the Nestlé Nesquick chocolate drink mix in the U.S., it hasn't been sold in cereal format for a long time. Nesquick cereal first became available in the U.S. in 1999. However, while 40 other countries around the world still have it, it's nowhere to be found in the U.S. anymore unless you import it from Canada.

This corn-based cereal only has nine grams of sugar per three-fourth-cup serving. If you tried Nesquick cereal when it was available in America, you might be a little disappointed with the Canadian Nestlé Nesquick because it's not as sweet as its U.S. version.

Many of the chocolate cereals on the market leave behind chocolate milk in the bowl, so you hope you're in for a delicious liquid treat with most chocolate-based cereals. Sadly, the Nestlé Nesquick cereal is not as chocolatey or flavorful as Cocoa Puffs.