6 2000s Snacks That Need to Come Back ASAP

Whether you call them the “2000s,” “the 00s,” “the noughties,” or “the aughts,” you have to admit that the years between 2000 and 2010 were a great time for snacks. And if you want proof, you just have to look at all those 2000s snacks that have since returned to store shelves. That’s right, you can currently find formerly discontinued treats like Oreo Cakesters or Scooby Doo Fruit Snacks on shelves right now, although they might not be exactly the same as their original release. For example, Scooby Doo Fruit Snacks dropped all artificial coloring back in 2015. Why even eat them if they don’t look and taste like “blue?”  

But despite the recent explosion of 2000s nostalgia, not all of our favorite snacks have returned to shelves. So we decided to explore those few, forgotten treats that we wish we could be nomming on right now.

Ritz Bitz S’mores

These tiny cracker sandwiches were filled with a “chocolatey marshmallow filling.” They even partnered with The Simpsons in 2004, offering a version with graham crackers, although they still kept the “Ritz Bitz” name. And while they were gone from shelves by 2016, they were brought back in 2022 to promote National S’mores Day (August 10), although it was through a limited promotion of 300 boxes that fans could try to win online. Reportedly, they were available in Canada for a while after that, but the line has since been completely discontinued, leaving us all desperate for s’more.

3D Doritos

The defining shape of Doritos has always been two-dimensional triangles, until Frito-Lay created these 3D snacks that puffed them out into a shape more reminiscent of Bugles. Launched in 1998, they were originally available in Nacho, Jalapeño Cheddar, and Zesty Ranch flavors, but were discontinued by 2005. However, Frito-Lay continued making them in Mexico, where you can still find them, and you can even get them in the traditional Mexican chip flavor of Chili & Lime. Man, why do Canada and Mexico get all the breaks? It’s true, your neighbors always have the best snacks.

Hershey’s Kissables

Launched in 2005, these chocolate treats were basically miniature Hershey’s Kisses with a sugar coating like M&Ms. While they apparently sold well, in 2007, Hershey’s changed their formula and replaced the cocoa butter with vegetable oil. The change led to candies like Kissables being labeled as “chocolate candy” instead of “milk chocolate” and some fans reportedly disliked the new taste.  

By 2009, the company had removed the product from shelves. But I remember enjoying the taste of the original milk chocolate Kissables and I’d love to have those back. Plus, there’s something to be said for not worrying about having a chocolate candy “melt in your hands.” It’s certainly helped M&Ms continue to be best-sellers, right?

Yogos!

Described on the box as a “Yogurty-Covered Fruit Flavored Snack,” this 2005 Kellogg’s treat was basically a fruit candy wrapped in the kind of yogurt shell you get with yogurt-covered raisins. Unfortunately, a 2010 New York Times article singled out Yogos! as an example of lax nutritional guidelines, pointing out that its main ingredient was sugar. And within a year, Yogos! were gone from shelves. And while there are currently several fruit and yogurt snacks on the market, including Nature’s Garden’s Yoggies and Welch’s Fruit ‘N Yogurt Snacks, I’d love a chance to try the original, not despite all of that sugar…but because of it.

Fruit Roll-Ups Fruit Stackerz

While Fruit Roll-Ups are still around today in all their sticky, corn-syrupy goodness, this spin-off version only lasted a few years, despite a later name change to “Fruit Stickers.” The gimmick was that you could peel out different shapes, like stars and swirls, then pile them up to create different flavor combinations. It’s a fun twist on the concept and adds a play value that I think today’s kids would enjoy. And to me, the fun of Fruit Roll-Ups was smashing a couple into my mouth at the same time, so this would be a huge time saver. 

Jell-O Pudding Bites

These “soft, chewy pudding snacks,” were basically fruit snacks, only with pudding-inspired flavors like vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate. As for why they didn’t succeed, I’d bet on just that they seemed too weird to 2000s shoppers. After all, they weren’t as chewy as gummy bears, but also didn’t offer the typical fruit flavors you’d expect from something with a chewy texture. However, I bet people would go crazy for them now, as gummy enthusiasts have come to expect a wide range of textures and flavors. And if you told someone these were chewy chocolates from Japan, they’d buy them faster than you can say, “sorry, we’re out of Pocky.”