Am I the only one who remembers Dunkaroos? My mother certainly does, but then again she remembers just about every one of the snacks my siblings and I craved during childhood. For all of you who can’t remember, Dunkaroos were the best. Point, blank, period. They were simple vanilla cookies with a vanilla frosting flecked with rainbow sprinkles, what we now lovingly refer to as funfetti frosting. There were also the cinnamon graham flavored cookies with the signature vanilla sprinkled frosting that always hit the spot. These were my go-to snack. I have a major sweet tooth and Dunkaroos satisfied it every time. For those of you who do not remember, here is what they look like:
Dunkaroos ceased to exist in the United States after 2012 for who knows what reason. Probably the same reason Disneyland is getting rid of Tower of Terror in place of a Guardians of the Galaxy ride: they want to watch the world burn. Apparently, Dunkaroos are still manufactured in Canada, however, score for our neighbors to the north! Not only do they have the coolest Prime Minister (Justin Trudeau), they have a Harry Potter themed bar in Toronto, and if, God-forbid, Donald Trump becomes President of the United States on Tuesday (PSA: please, please, please don’t vote Trump), they welcome us poor, unfortunate Americans there. (See here how you can move to Canada in the unfortunate event of a Trump Presidency here).
Do not despair American Dunkaroo lovers, for you can still get the sweet treat without crossing the border and getting a few stamps on your passport (do they still do that? Last time I traveled internationally was four years ago to Europe). General Mills, the manufacturer of the legendary snack, has launched a web campaign encouraging Canadians traveling to the United States to bring Dunkaroos to us nostalgic Americans who cannot easily access the treat, called Smuglaroos. General Mills hopes that this will boost sales of Dunkaroos so as to not discontinue them in Canada as well, for Dunkaroos to go permanently extinct would be a travesty.
But, are Smuglaroos worth it? Currently without the connection, Americans can pay upwards $70 Canadian for a pack of a dozen Dunkaroos. As sketch as this whole thing may sound, contacting a Canadian supplier online and setting up a meeting where you get your Dunkaroos and they get some money, it may not be all bad. I loved Dunkaroos as a kid (which wasn’t that long ago if we’re being completely honest and I still act like a child when adulting gets too hard). I’m not going to pay $70 to import them from Canada, though. I’m also probably not going to utilize the Smuglaroos system to get my fix because I’m not entirely too familiar with the current city I live in and don’t want to die. For those brave souls who remember Dunkaroos and want to try it out, I encourage you wholeheartedly and just ask that you share the boon of your bravery because I haven’t eaten Dunkaroos in at least five or six years. (Here is the link for those of you who would like to get yourself some slightly illegal cookies.)
I don’t know if Smuglaroos is worth it, but I got very excited when I found out that Dunkaroos still exist in this world. If you are in Canada, please continue to buy them, do not let them go out of production. Also, General Mills should perhaps do what they do with cereal in Canada with Dunkaroos in the States - bring them back on a temporary basis so we can stockpile like bears preparing for hibernation. But, now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to book a flight to Canada to get some 90s treats.
