Bright boxes, marshmallow bits, chocolate puffs and cartoon mascots—brand-name cereals are designed to delight kids at breakfast. But behind the colorful packaging lies a serious sugar story that parents can’t ignore.
While these cereals might make mornings fun, many are packed with more sugar than you’d expect. And in some cases, the numbers are enough to make you rethink what’s pouring into your kid’s bowl.
Curious which kids’ cereals are the biggest sugar offenders? So were we. Thanks to data from the Harvard School of Public Health’s Cereal Sugar Content List, we dug into dozens of popular brands and ranked the top 10 cereals with the highest sugar content by percentage.
Top 10 most sugary cereals
10. Corn Pops – 10% Sugar
With just a whisper of corn in the name, Corn Pops leans more sweet than veggie—coating each puff in a shiny glaze of sugar that still hits 10%.
9. Apple Cinnamon Cheerios 23% Sugar
Don’t let the fruit in the name fool you — these flavored Cheerios are sweetened with 12 grams of sugar per 1 cup serving.
8. Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs, Reese’s Puffs, Froot Loops – 24% Sugar
What flavor you’re craving for breakfast? Either way, you’re getting 24% sugar—and a whole lot of childhood nostalgia.
7. Waffle Crisp – 30% Sugar
You won’t always find Waffle Crisp on the shelves of your grocery store (it’s been discontinued several times) but as of 2022, the cereal is back, bringing 15 grams of sugar per serving with it.
6. Cap’n Crunch, Cap’n Crunch’s OOPS! All Berries – 31% Sugar
Mr. Crunch is at it again. And his little berry mishap has resulted in nearly 31% sugar, based on weight.
5. Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries, Count Chocula – 33% Sugar
The Cap’n brings fruity crunch, the Count brings chocolatey charm—and both deliver a “balanced” breakfast loaded with 33% sugar. Choose your sweet side.
4. Smorz – 34% Sugar
A Conjuring images of up all-American fun and campfires, the cereal packs in the sweet stuff – along with box-touted “goodies” like fiber and Vitamin D.
3. Honey Smacks – 36% Sugar
When it comes to the sugar smack-down, there’s no question: That frog gets the job done. This Kellogg’s product has 18 grams of sugar per serving. Appropriately enough, it launched in 1953 as – wait for it – Sugar Smacks. Dig’em!
2. Quaker Oats Oh!s – 44% Sugar
Quaker oatmeal may be a hearty, nutritious breakfast but the Quaker cereals? Not so much. Those “good things in the middle”? Probably all sugar.
1. Post Golden Crisp – 42% Sugar
Topping the list, appropriately enough, is Sugar Bear. For over 50 years, this guy’s been sharing his sweet tooth. “Can’t get enough of that… ” may be his tagline, but not exactly a healthy breakfast table mantra!
Looking for some alternatives to other common sugary snacks? Browse this list of healthy alternatives.
This post was updated on April 16, 2025 by Metro Parent’s Audience Development Manager, Katina Beniaris. Her update included adding the latest sugar percentages for the most popular cereals. Questions? Reach out to katina@metroparent.com
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