Frosted Flakes Cereal: History, Flavors & Varieties

Snack History Nostalgia Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Frosted Flakes,” the deliciously crunchy breakfast cereal, has been a staple of many family’s mornings since Kellogg’s introduced it in 1952. Originally called “Sugar Frosted Flakes,” the cereal is a sweetened version of the company’s Corn Flakes. The word “Sugar” was dropped from the name in 1983, though the flakes remain as sweet as they were when they first hit grocery store shelves.

If you are a fan of Frosted Flakes, you are not alone. The cereal is the third most popular in the United States by revenue and the second most popular by units sold. Frosted Flakes brings in more than $400 million in sales each year. 

Mascot

That success may be in part due to the iconic mascot for the cereal: Tony the Tiger, and his signature line, “They’re grrreat!” But Tony wasn’t the only character considered for “Frosted Flakes,” or “Kellogg’s Sugar Frosted Flakes of Corn” as it was known in 1952.

Kellogg’s created a contest for packages of the cereal, with Katy the Kangaroo, Newt the Gnu and Tony the Tiger in the running. Tony won out, and he became the signature mascot for the cereal box, and beyond. In 1953, he was featured in a print advertisement in Life Magazine. From there, Tony the Tiger became a star in his own right, making “Frosted Flakes” part of everyday life across America and abroad.

How Frosted Flakes Cereal is Made

Though Tony the Tiger became a household name, the tasty crunch is what put Frosted Flakes on so many kitchen tables. That flavor starts with corn, planted and nurtured by Kellogg’s farmers. It takes about two months for the corn to grow to about 5 feet, and each kernel makes about three flakes. Once the corn flowers in the fall, it is harvested and taken to a mill. At the mill, the corn is sifted and rolled then sent to a Kellogg’s factory for the final steps: Cooking, drying, rolling, toasting. Add the sugar frosting, and viola, Corn Flakes become Frosted Flakes.

That frosting is what makes the flakes sparkle, but it hasn’t always been a selling point. In the 1980s, cereal companies were called out for the amount of sugar in some of their breakfast brands. In 1983, Kellogg’s dropped “Sugar” from the cereal’s name, and it became simply “Frosted Flakes” and then “Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes.”

International Market

Travel around the world, though, and you’ll find some other common names for the breakfast cereal. In the United Kingdom, search the shelves for “Frosties” to find your Frosted Flakes. That’s their name in most European countries. In Latin America, you might find Tony the Tiger on a box of Zucaritas. In Brazil, look for Sucrilhos, and in Japan and South America, you’re most likely to find your favorite flakes called Corn Frost.

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Flavor Varieties

And for those who like more than just a name spin, Kellogg’s has also introduced some new Frosted Flakes flavors over the years. In 1981, Banana Frosted Flakes made their debut. The cereal featured the traditional Frosted Flakes, which were covered with real bananas for a fruity flavor. The box featured Tony the Tiger in a beach hat and holding a bunch of bananas.

On the back, Tony proclaimed, “My new Kellogg’s Banana Frosted Flakes have real appeal.” Kellogg’s also ran a commercial for the breakfast cereal featuring children wearing straw hats welcoming in a banana boat and singing a jingle with Tony the Tiger. Tony calls the cereal “Banana Sugar Frosted Flakes” in the commercial. While the name on the box didn’t include “Sugar,” the description said, “Natural Banana-Flavored Sugar Frosted Flakes of Corn with Real Banana Bits.”

Kellogg’s discontinued the flavor in 1984 but released a limited-edition Banana Crème Frosted Flakes in 2019.

Kellogg’s tried other flavors as well. In 1997, you could buy Birthday Confetti Frosted Flakes, though if you didn’t buy them that year, you were out of luck. They were discontinued in 1997. Cocoa Frosted Flakes also hit the shelves in 1997 and were available for about three years. They were discontinued in 2000.

Tony’s Cinnamon Crunchers were available in 2003 and were around until 2005, as was Whole Grain Tiger Power, a version with extra protein, fiber and calcium. That variety lasted just a year. Another entry into the flavor field: Frosted Flakes Gold, which boasted a honey flavor. It was discontinued not long after it debuted in 2008.

But those who love cinnamon, chocolate or honey need not go hungry. Kellogg’s brought in Frosted Flakes Chocolate in 2011 and again in 2013, Cinnamon Frosted Flakes in 2016 and Honey Nut Frosted Flakes in 2018. Each of those varieties is still available – and popular – in 2022.

For those who prefer their Frosted Flakes a little bit less frosty, Kellogg’s also offers a reduced sugar variety in the U.S. and in other places around the world. And in other countries, you may find some additional flavors including toffee, caramel or strawberry.

Ingredients

• Milled corn
• Sugar
• Malt flavor
• Contains 2% or less of salt
• Vitamins and Minerals: Iron (ferric phosphate)
• Niacinamide
• Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride)
• Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
• Vitamin B1 (thiamin hydrochloride)
• Folic acid
• Vitamin D3
• Vitamin B12

Nutrition

Serving Size:	0.8 cup (29g)	% Daily Value*
Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat	0
Calories	110
Total Fat	0g	0%
Saturated Fat	0g	0%
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg	0%
Sodium	150mg	6%
Potassium	35mg	1%
Total Carbohydrates	26g	9%
Dietary Fiber	0.5g	2%
Sugars	10g
Protein Iron 25%	1g
Vitamin A		10%
Vitamin C		10%
Calcium		0%

• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Tony the Tiger’s History

Just as Frosted Flakes flavors have evolved since 1952, so has the famous Tony the Tiger mascot. In the early years, Tony was depicted as a tiger and was sometimes shown walking on all fours. Eventually, he became more human-like and walked on two legs. From the start, he was always shown with a red bandana around his neck.

Tony became quite the character over the years. His signature voice was provided by Thurl Ravenscroft, who was also the voice of the Grinch in a popular holiday song. Ravenscroft spent five decades as the voice of Tony and is even credited with creating the iconic catchphrase, “They’re Grrreat!”

In the 1970s, Tony the Tiger became ever the more human. He was given an Italian-American heritage and a family: Mama Tony, Mrs. Tony, a daughter Antoinette and a son, Tony Jr. In 1974, Tony the Tiger was featured on the cover of Italian GQ magazine.

Continuing the trend toward humanizing Tony, Kellogg’s released a Frosted Flakes commercial that showed Tony celebrating the birth of baby Antoinette in an effort to reach the parents of the millions of infants coming into the world each year. The commercial featured the baby tiger trying Frosted Sugar Flakes for the first time. No surprise, the breakfast cereal was deemed, “Grrreat!”

Tony Jr.

Tony Jr. became a character of his own called Frosted Rice in 1975. While the cereal wasn’t long-lived, Tony Jr. has emerged to take his father’s place. Tony Jr., with a younger, more athletic build is now the mascot for Frosted Flakes, replacing Tony the Tiger, who though tweaked over the years was always depicted as a whimsical cartoon figure.

In nearly all the commercials for Frosted Flakes, Tony the Tiger is seen interacting with real people – human children and adults. Oftentimes, the children are shown playing a sport, either in a gym or outdoors. Tony even did a commercial with one very much larger-than-life human, Shaquille O’Neal.

The emphasis on the athleticism of Tony Jr. is nothing new for Frosted Flakes. In 1958, a campaign urged children’s sports teams to “Put a Tiger on Your Team.” Fast-forward to 2019, and Kellogg’s sponsored the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas. The college bowl game was dubbed the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl.

The Voice of Tony the Tiger

While Thurl Ravenscroft was the voice of Tony the Tiger for so many years, he wasn’t the only voice. Tony, the Tiger’s Frosted Sugar Flakes character was born with the pipes of Dallas McKennon, who was Tony from 1952 to 1953. Lee Marshall served as an understudy to Ravenscroft and provided a singing voice from 1999 to 2005 and took over for Ravenscroft in 2005 until 2014. Tex Brashear and Jim Cummings have taken over since then, and several other voices can be heard in other countries.

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