Trader Joe’s Fans Are Calling This New Cereal A Lucky Charms Dupe

Trader Joe’s generally avoids the dupe allegations (unlike, of course, Aldi, which has basically made a business out of making items that feel veerrrrryy close to those from bigger brands – like Coca-Cola). However, cereal’s hard to innovate. Most people don’t really want cereal that pushes the boat out flavor-wise, in the way that Trader Joe’s can do with much of its other products; the joy is in the predictable.

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As a result, Trader Joe’s cereals tend to be pretty close to what you’d find elsewhere, with a duping quality to a couple of ‘em. Its latest one is, apparently, a dead ringer for Lucky Charms – but just without one key element. Here’s what customers are saying. 

Trader Joe’s Vanilla O’s

Trader Joe’s Vanilla O’s (or, to give this product its government name, Trader Joe’s Vanilla O’s Sweetened Whole Grain Oat Cereal) are a new arrival at the store, and they’re already reminding fans of Lucky Charms, according to Reddit. That is, they’re reminding fans of the non-marshmallow part of Lucky Charms: Apparently, the vanilla o’s taste exactly the same as the base cereal. If that’s the part you’ll like, you’ll love these, and if you’ve ever fancied making Lucky Charms at home (look, I don’t know what you people get up to), these + mini marshmallows = a DIY breakfast. Look, anything to make Monday morning a bit more exciting.

In true TJ’s fashion, the store hasn’t gone for an artificial vanilla substitute to flavor its cereal here, nor a mere extract. Instead, it uses ground vanilla beans to flavor them. The cereal is made with whole grain oat flour (although one person in the same Reddit thread pointed out that they’re now in fiber, and they really are – there are just two grams here), and is fortified with vitamins and minerals. Apparently, they have a very nostalgic feel: One Redditor said they took them straight back to childhood. It’s what all good cereals should do, really. 

Available Now!

Trader Joe’s Vanilla O’s come in at $3.49 per 13-ounce box, and given that there’s no sign of a limited-time sticker on the website, these will likely be sticking around for a while. Elsewhere in store, Trader Joe’s has been busy turning its cereal into spreadable butter, so if you’re in the market for a puréed version of your standard breakfast, pop a slice of bread in the toaster and head to the spread aisle.