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Dunkaroos

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Dunkaroos
Product typeCookie snack
OwnerGeneral Mills
CountryUnited States
Introduced1990 (first run)
2020 (second run)
Discontinued2012 (original)
MarketsUnited States (1990–2012, 2020–)
Canada (1990–2017, 2020–)
Australia (2019–)
Websitewww.dunkaroos.com

Dunkaroos is a brand of snack food manufactured by General Mills, first launched in 1990. It consists of a snack-sized package containing cookies and frosting; as the name implies, the cookies are meant to be dunked into the frosting before eating. Individual snack packages contain about ten small cookies and one cubic inch of frosting.

The cookies were made in a variety of shapes, including a circle with an uppercase "D" in the center (the only shape featured in the 2020 version), feet, the mascot in different poses, and a hot air balloon.[1]

Marketing

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The Dunkaroos mascot is a cartoon kangaroo, explaining the product's name which is a portmanteau of dunk and kangaroos. The original mascot was Sydney, a caricature of modern Australian culture, who wore a hat, vest, and tie and spoke with an Australian accent, and was voiced by John Cameron Mitchell.

At the height of their popularity in 1996, a contest known as "Dunk-a-roos Kangaroo Kanga-Who Search" was held, resulting in the new mascot: Duncan, named the dunkin' daredevil.[2]

History

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The product was discontinued in the United States in 2012, but continued to be sold in Canada. In 2016, General Mills announced a campaign called "Smugglaroos", which encouraged Canadians traveling to the United States to bring the snack to Americans who wanted it.[3] Dunkaroos continued to be sold in Canada until General Mills suspended production there in 2017.[4]

In December 2019, Dunkaroos were briefly brought back in Australia by Nestlé with a chocolate-hazelnut flavour and kangaroo-shaped biscuits. While General Mills owns the brand in North America, Nestlé produces the snack in Australia due to its acquisition of Uncle Tobys, which originally launched the product there. However, Nestlé Australia confirmed the line was discontinued again in 2020.[5]

On February 3, 2020, a BuzzFeed article was published claiming that General Mills sent them exclusive info regarding a return of Dunkaroos.[6] The official Twitter account for Dunkaroos claimed that they were scheduled to be re-released during the summer of 2020. It also used to link to the BuzzFeed article in the bio, but this was later changed to their official website.

In May 2020, Dunkaroos began arriving at 7-Eleven stores in the United States[7] until being brought to other stores, including Walmart, Target, and Kroger, a few months afterwards. The new single serving package went from 1 oz to 1.5 oz, and the sugar was reduced significantly.

On July 22, 2020, limited edition merchandise based on the brand was released, with each order including a pack of the aforementioned snack.[8].

In early 2021, a Dunkaroos cereal was released by General Mills as a limited-edition product. It featured small cookie pieces with rainbow sprinkles, similar in flavor to the brand's signature frosting.[9] The cereal was discontinued in 2022 after its promotional run ended.[10] Also around January 2021, Dunkaroos yogurt was released under Yoplait's Go-Gurt product line.[11]

Varieties

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Dunkaroos have been sold in multiple cookie-and-frosting flavor combinations, including vanilla cookies with vanilla frosting and rainbow sprinkles, chocolate cookies with vanilla frosting, graham cookies with chocolate frosting, vanilla cookies with strawberry frosting, and chocolate chip graham cookies with rainbow sprinkle icing.[12][13][14]

There was a special SpongeBob SquarePants edition in 2007, featuring yellow frosting and character-shaped cookies as part of a larger licensing deal between General Mills and Nickelodeon.[15] The brand also collaborated with DreamWorks Animation in 2010 to release varieties based on films such as Megamind, Shrek Forever After, and Shark Tale.[16]

On November 23, 2020, limited edition Dunkaroos cookie dough, complete with frosting, was released.[17].

In 2022, Dunkaroos released a limited-edition Orange Sherbet Frosting variety, and introduced Chocolate Cookies with chocolate chip vanilla frosting.[18][19]

References

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  1. ^ Kang, Anna (2020-05-21). "The Untold Truth Of Dunkaroos". Mashed.com. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
  2. ^ The 90s, Children Of (March 3, 2009). "Dunkaroos".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Krashinsky, Susan (October 26, 2016). "General Mills hopes to hit sweet spot with new 'Smugglaroos' campaign". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  4. ^ Painter, Kristen Leigh (February 4, 2020). "General Mills to relaunch Dunkaroos, selling 1990s nostalgia". Star Tribune. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  5. ^ Rodrigues, Lyndsey (May 16, 2024). "Facebook post sparks pleas to bring back popular 90s Aussie snack: 'I wish they still had these'". Yahoo Lifestyle Australia. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
  6. ^ Galindo, Brian (3 February 2020). "'90s Kids: Time To Get Hyped 'Cause Dunkaroos Are Coming Back In 2020". BuzzFeed.
  7. ^ "Dunkaroos Have Officially Been Spotted On Shelves And This Is The Best News We've Heard All Week". www.yahoo.com. 15 May 2020.
  8. ^ Dunkaroos [@Dunkaroos] (July 22, 2020). "It's here! Limited edition merch — get some before it's gone! Shop now at https://t.co/1ZoOFicXyA!! https://t.co/9huwVB6MfI" (Tweet). Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved January 17, 2021 – via Twitter.
  9. ^ Pearce, Gillian (December 10, 2020). "Dunkaroos Cereal Is Coming in 2021 for a Nostalgic Breakfast". Food & Wine. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
  10. ^ "Dunkaroos Cereal (General Mills)". Mr. Breakfast. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
  11. ^ Dunkaroos [@Dunkaroos] (January 4, 2021). "Dunkaroos for a mid-morning snack? Oh ya! Introducing a new twist to your favorite 90's snack. Go-GURT Dunkaroos, in three fun flavors to choose from. Coming this January! https://t.co/qXVOAMjSSN" (Tweet). Archived from the original on January 4, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2021 – via Twitter.
  12. ^ "Dunkaroos Vanilla Cookies and Vanilla Frosting with Rainbow Sprinkles". Dunkaroos. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  13. ^ "Chocolate Dunkaroos are officially coming back this summer". GeekSpin. 27 April 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  14. ^ "Sweet Memories Of A Favorite Childhood Snack". Foodbeast. 29 June 2016. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  15. ^ "Nickelodeon, General Mills Extend Partnership". License Global. September 24, 2007. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
  16. ^ "DreamWorks Animation Announces Ogre-Whelming Promotional Partner and Licensee Support for 'Shrek Forever After'" (Press release). PR Newswire. May 21, 2010. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
  17. ^ Dunkaroos [@Dunkaroos] (November 10, 2020). "Something BIGGER is coming! Now introducing limited edition Dunkaroos sugar cookie dough and frosting. You can now DIY and customize your Dunkaroos with 6 large cookies or 24 mini cookies. https://t.co/NxD552nblQ" (Tweet). Archived from the original on January 3, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2021 – via Twitter.
  18. ^ Reiter, Amy (August 24, 2022). "Dunkaroos Releases New Flavor: Orange Sherbet". Food Network. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  19. ^ Harris, Shaun (February 1, 2022). "Dunkaroos' New Variety Pack Includes a Side of Chocolate Chip Frosting". Hypebeast. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
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