Are the best Lucky Charms actually Lucky Charms? When I was in high school and I was finally permitted to consume sugary breakfast cereal because my parents discovered that attempting to control me had become futile, I felt strongly that Publix’s generic Lucky Charms (aka Magic Stars) were leaps and bounds better than actual Lucky Charms. Sadly, since Sporked is based in California, we couldn’t get our hands on Magic Stars (booo), but we did source every suspiciously whimsical marshmallow cereal we could find to see if any have successfully outdone their source material. Lucky the Leprechaun is fuming!
To be clear, we didn’t judge these bootleg cereals (no offense, bootleg cereals) by how much they taste like Lucky Charms. We judged each on its own merits, those merits being cereal morsel quality, marshmallow taste and texture, and overall theme. For instance, Kroger Shining Stars (which didn’t make the list) appear to be space inspired, so why are some of the marshmallows ostensibly magic themed? In fact, those marshmallows are identical to the marshmallows in Aldi’s Marshmallows & Stars, which actually have a magical wizard on the box. These are important issues and I’m incredibly proud to be the person to tackle them. Today marshmallow cereal, tomorrow world peace!
If you’re a Lucky Charms fan and you’ve always wondered if the slightly demented looking box of marshmallow cereal a shelf or two closer to the floor could compete, read on. These are the best Lucky Charms marshmallow cereals (that aren’t actually Lucky Charms).
- Millville Marshmallows & Stars
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The only faux version of Lucky Charms that didn’t make our list is Kroger Shining Stars. Incidentally, Millville Marshmallows & Stars look identical to Shining Stars (same star-shaped morsels, same marshmallows), but Marshmallows & Stars are much better. Where Shining Stars had a cloying marshmallowy flavor, the morsels in the box of Marshmallows & Stars had a subtle citrusy flavor. Very tangy and good, but not too much of a departure from Lucky Charms, over all. Anyway, Aldi cereal is very cheap; save some money and pick up a box of these.
Credit: Liv Averett / Aldi
- First Street Magic Shapes
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First Street Magic Shapes, which we picked up at Smart & Final, are a little confusing. There’s a baby dragon on the box, but the marshmallows are shaped like celestial objects and, for some reason, crowns. And the singular cereal morsel shape is a triangle with a hole in the middle—major illuminati vibes. Anyway, this is still a very good cereal, muddled theme aside. The morsels are very airy and crispy and have a good, grainy flavor as you chew. There’s textural variety here that really appeals to me.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Lucky Charms
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You know it. You love it. It’s Lucky Charms and it is roughly the third best whimsical marshmallow cereal. This cereal’s greatest strength is the oaty flavor of its cereal morsels—not many of the generics pull that off. But here’s where Lucky lets me down: The oat bits are almost the exact same texture as the marshmallows, and I think that makes for a less fun eating experience. A lot of bootleg Lucky Charms-ish cereals have much more textural variety. Can’t win ‘em all, Lucky!
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Malt-O-Meal Marshmallow Mateys & Great Value Magic Treasures
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Malt-O-Meal Marshmallows Mateys and Great Value Magic Treasures are basically the same cereal. I can’t tell you without a doubt that they are made in the same factory, but they have the same marshmallow shapes, the same nautical-themed morsels, and the same exact flavor—my naked tongue cannot tell these apart. And, most importantly, both of these cereals are just a little bit tastier than real-deal Lucky Charms. The cereal morsels—which are made of oat flour, just like Lucky Charms—are lighter and crispier than Lucky Charms cereal morsels, and I love that you get a little bit of salt from them as you chew. Don’t get me wrong: This cereal is still a total sugar bomb; in fact, the cereal morsels almost look glazed. I just think they have a little more nuance than Lucky Charms. Magic Shapes cereal gets dinged just a touch for having a magician-themed box and nautical morsels; but if you can look past that thematic laziness, you’ll like them. Did I mention they’re cheap as hell, too?
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
Best Fruity
Best Crispy
Best Oat Flavor
Best of the Best
Other products we tried: Kroger Shining Stars
