It was in the wake of another Summer Olympics, in November 1977, that Saturday Night Live (then in its third season) debuted what would end up being one of its most enduring fake commercials, inspired by a series of Wheaties commercials: “Little Chocolate Donuts.”
Of course the joke of “Little Chocolate Donuts,” which cast a less-than-fit John Belushi as the star athlete, was the nutritious absurdity of donuts for breakfast. But in the years since, little donuts (chocolate and otherwise) have proven to be a concept too compelling for actual breakfast makers to resist.
Granted, they’ve mostly appeared in cereal form. And none have featured a pitchman quite like Belushi, who memorably smoked a cigarette as he extolled the virtues of little chocolate donuts: “They taste good, and they’ve got the sugar I need to get me going in the morning.” But the messaging is substantially the same.
Here’s a look at some of the (many) real-life cereal brands that have followed in SNL‘s fictional footsteps in the 47 years since “Little Chocolate Donuts.”
Donutz (1980)
Introduced less than three years after SNL made “Little Chocolate Donuts” a laughline for the ages, General Mills’ Donutz cereal came in two varieties: Powdered and Chocolate Flavor. Both were discontinued in 1989.
Dinky Donuts (1981)
Because one donut-themed cereal brand clearly wasn’t enough, in 1981 Ralston Foods introduced its own: Dinky Donuts. The brand’s memorable ad campaign featured child actors pretending to be lawyers, making the case that although Dinky Donuts looked and tasted like little donuts, they were actually part of “a good nutritious breakfast.”
Dunkin’ Donuts Cereal (1987)
Although technically just a rebrand of Dinky Donuts, Ralston’s short-lived partnership with Dunkin’ Donuts saw the addition of two new donut shapes (holes and twists) as well as a new high profile pitchman: Fred the Baker, the donut chain’s then-ubiquitous “time to make the donuts” guy, who was played by character actor Michael Vale. (Not to be confused with Dunkin’ Cereal, introduced in 2020, which—in keeping with the brand’s newfound coffee focus—comes in two varieties: Caramel Macchiato and Mocha Latte.)
Homer’s Cinnamon Donut Cereal (2001)
As celebrated as John Belushi’s “Little Chocolate Donuts” is, Homer Simpson is probably the pop culture icon who comes to mind first for most TV viewers when talk turns to donuts. So it only makes sense that when Kellogg’s and The Simpsons partnered on a pair of limited edition cereals in 2001, Homer’s love for donuts would take center stage. Although they were on the market for less than a year, unopened boxes of Homer’s Cinnamon Donut Cereal can still be purchased on eBay. (At 20-plus years past their best buy date, we don’t recommend eating them—although this guy did)
Cap’n Crunch Oops Choco Donuts (2002)
Quaker introduced this addition to their Cap’n Crunch “Oops” line of cereals in 2002, the mythos being a factory error somehow led to the limited release of a frosted chocolate donut variety of Cap’n Crunch. Some were such fans of the cereal that petitions were passed around online calling for the cereal to be reintroduced. It was not. But…
Cap’n Crunch’s Sprinkled Donut Crunch (2015)
…13 years later, Cap’n Crunch introduced another donut-themed cereal. According to one review, the sprinkles were the game changer in this otherwise buttery vanilla-forward donut cereal. This one had a bit more staying power than its chocolatey ancestor, but it too was discontinued by 2019.
Donut Shop Cereal (2017)
Although there have been decade-long stretches over the last 45 years without a single new donut-themed cereal, the late 2010s saw more than their fair share. Kellogg’s Donut Shop cereal, introduced in 2015, came in three varieties: pink/strawberry, chocolate, and glazed. Although boxes can still be found at some stores as of this writing, Kellogg’s stopped producing its line of Donut Shop cereals in 2023.
Hostess Powdered Sugar Donettes Cereal (2018)
Nearly 40 years after General Mills introduced Donutz, its rivals at Post went back to well, this time in partnership with an icon in packaged baked goods. Hostess Donettes cereal, which is still in stores as of this writing, was released alongside a similarly co-branded cereal, Hostess Honey Buns.
Honey Bunches of Oats Maple Bacon Donuts (2019)
Yep, they went there. Cereal fans hungry for a hint of maple bacon donut in their Honey Bunches of Oats got their wish in this limited edition released for National Cereal Day in 2019. If maple bacon isn’t your jam, perhaps Honey Bunches of Oats Chicken and Waffles would have been more your speed? (Neither variety contained any actual meat.)
Krispy Kreme Donuts Cereal (2021, Mexico only)
Like a forbidden fruit for U.S.-based fans of Krispy Creme donuts (and really, who among us isn’t?), this cereal was exclusively released to the Mexican market. As a partnership between the ubiquitous donut chain and Kellogg’s, hopes were high that it would eventually find its way across the border, but by 2023 it had disappeared altogether.
Froot Loops Cinnamon Donuts (2023, Australia only)
While American donuts have long come in many flavors, for decades Australia trafficked in one donut and one donut alone: the cinnamon donut. So it only makes sense that when Kellogg’s rolled out a donut-themed cereal last year in the Land Down Under, they went with the Aussie classic. No, there were no fruit ingredients in this limited edition Froot Loops flavor, but the same is famously true of the original Froot Loops, too. (Not to be confused with Fruit Loops mini-donuts, which were sold at Carls, Jr. and Hardee’s restaurants in the U.S.)
It seems cereal manufacturers will take any excuse to produce a donut-themed cereal, which begs the question: why hasn’t anyone produced an actual Little Chocolate Donuts cereal in partnership with SNL?
