As the clock ticks down to All Hallows Eve (October 31), bakery and snacks producers are upping the ante on theme-favorited treats. Pic: GettyImages/AlexRaths
The animated silver screen has some of the finest pedigree of villainous, swashbuckling and adorable characters – from Cruella De Vil to Star Wars’ BB8 to the inimitable Minions – enticing on board some of the major breakfast cereal and snack producers.
Pups galore
For this year’s All Hallows’ celebration, Funko has unleashed a series of FunkO’s breakfast cereals featuring two of Disney’s most deliciously malevolent villains: 101 Dalmatians' Cruella De Vil and the apple-touting Evil Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Like all FunkO’s releases, the Halloween-themed cereals also come with a special Funko Pop of the villain hidden inside.
FunkO’s has also extended the holiday right up to Christmas by again drawing on inspiration from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas to let loose Jack Skellington’s best friend Zero.
Recently, the makers behind the well-known pop culture figurines launched the movie-inspired Oogie Boogie cereal, alongside one inspired by The Little Mermaid’s Ursula.
Its latest offering is more a nod to man’s best friend than a heinous henchman, but just as thrilling.
The FunkO's cereal – debuting as a BoxLunch exclusive – comes with a glow-in-the-dark Pocket Pop! Of the spooky pup.
All Funko Pop! Cereals can be ordered from Spirit Halloween and Spencer’s for an RRP of $10.90.
All aboard
Cap’n Crunch is also getting into the spirit with a limited edition variant.
The sweetened corn and oat cereal is filled with Cap’n Crunch’s classic pillow shapes, along with speckled ghosts that will turn milk a ghoulish green.
The Quaker Oats brand has a history of dressing up for the holiday.
In 2010, Cap’n Crunch wore a werewolf costume, while in both 2007 and 2009, he was dressed as a mummy, smiling wickedly and shooting fire out of his hand.
This year’s Halloween Crunch is available in selected outlets like Target and Shaw’s in the US.
The final frontier
General Mills has relaunched its special edition Star Wars cereal in two new limited edition boxes to celebrate the screening of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
This year’s limited edition boxes feature BB-8 – with new droid, D-O – and Kylo Ren – with a red Sith Trooper from the latest film.
Inside, the fruity-flavored cereal features BB-8, R2-D2, Jedi Starfighter, stormtrooper and lightsabre-shaped marshmallow pieces.
The limited-edition cereal last appeared in 2016, featuring Yoda, Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, Rey and BB-8.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will be released in theaters on December 20, 2019.
Icy treats
Nestlé Toll House has given its place-and-bake sugar cookies an icy makeover, just in time for the release of Frozen II.
The Sugar Cookie Dough comes with Frozen-themed toppings like snowflakes and blue sprinkles are surprisingly easy to make, producing freshly baked cookies with a perfect biscuit crisp.
The company is also releasing Frozen II-inspired baking chips in a cool blue-and-white marble design. It claims the chips are made with real vanilla and can be used to ice up any cookies and cakes baked at home.
Frozen II is set to be release on November 22, 2019.
Nestlé Toll House is also re-releasing its Dark Chocolate & Mint Morsels to make everything taste minty fresh this winter.
The baking chips comprise the standard dark chocolate chips mixed in with mint ones and can be used to add a zing to mint to any baked goods, from brownies to cookies.
Available in the US from Walmart for an RRP of $3.98.
World first
Agrarfrost launched a ‘world first’ at Anuga 2019, held in Cologne, Germany, last week.
The family-owned potato company showcased its Crunchy Riffled Frites, which it terms a crossover between a deep-frozen speciality and a chip snack.
The Frites – available in a Smoked Pepper variant – give consumers the opportunity to create a warm potato snack with an extra-thin cut and fine wave structure in the classic chip style at home.
Germany’s largest producer of sustainably produced potato deep-frozen specialities also presented a popular US classic – Tater Bites – in its popular 3D Minions shape.
The Bites are cylindrically shaped cubes made from a Rösti mass – approximately 3cm in height – that can be quickly prepared in the deep frying.
Successfully launched in retail, the cult figurines have now been targeted for the international foodservice market.
Like all Agrarfrost products, the innovations presented at Anuga 2019 contain no artificial flavor enhancers or colorings.
Over the rainbow
LA-based gourmet popcorn company Popcornopolis has debuted its Unicorn Popcorn Mini Cones in select Walmart stores across the US.
The Unicorn Popcorn is made with premium ingredients with all-natural fruity flavors, lemony frosting and the hues of pastel rainbows.
The popcorn is certified gluten-free and made with non-GMO American grown corn. It also contains no high fructose corn syrup or added preservatives.
Popcornopolis’ mini cone-shape package – which each contain 2oz of popcorn – does double duty as a fun-to-hold snack and as a unique gift.
The packages can be found in grocery and club stores, professional sports stadiums and movie theaters in the US, as well as online.
Go bump in the night
Award-winning Fatherson Bakery has launched a Halloween line of baked treats, including Halloween Cupcakes, Halloween Fairy Cakes and a Toffee Apple Loaf Cake.
The Ghost and Goole Cupcakes are vanilla cake decorated with orange colored vanilla buttercream and finished with a ghoulish topper.
The Halloween Creepy Fairy Cakes are individual chocolate sponge: three topped with chocolate buttercream and three with orange coloured vanilla buttercream, decorated with a sugar wafer motif.
The Toffee Apple Loaf Cake combines sweet toffee with a sharp apple flavor.
Made in small batches, the Halloween range contains no artificial colorings, are suitable for vegetarians and have a 14 day shelf-life. The blister packaging is 100% recyclable.
The Halloween range is available in stores across the UK – including Co-Op, Budgens, Londis, Dobbies and Morrisons – at an RRP of £2.99 ($3.75 for 6 x Fairy Cakes); £3.99 ($5 for 4 x Cupcakes) and £5.99 ($7.51) for the Toffee Apple Loaf.
