Whatever Happened To Oreo Cakesters?
Oreos aren't just "Milk's Favorite Cookie." Judging by the response to the return of Oreo Cakesters, they're America's favorite too. According to a January 2022 press release, Oreos first re-introduced Cakesters at select retailers as part of a special collaboration with the last Blockbuster in the U.S. Proving to be too popular for a limited time run, by April the company announced on Instagram and Twitter that Cakesters would be here to stay.
So why would such a beloved product be discontinued for 10 years? Food Business News reports that Oreo never actually offered an explanation. Back in 2013, a concerned customer asked Oreo via Facebook why the product was slowly disappearing from stores and online, to which the brand only replied, "We're sorry, the Oreo Cakesters have been discontinued. We'll make sure to share your comments with our staff. Thanks!"
Coincidentally, this was around the same time that Kraft Foods split into two companies, which meant that the brand was essentially divorcing Oreo. Such a major change could've easily led Oreo to reevaluate its lineup of products.
Oreo didn't make many changes to its Cakesters recipe
Taste of Home speculates that the reason Oreo pulled Cakesters may have had something to do with the original recipe, and that Cakesters weren't as good as people were remembering. If that were the case, however, Oreo probably would've made some changes to the 2022 version. After all, that's exactly what the company did when it brought back Oreo cereal in 2017, according to a press release. But if you feel like Cakesters don't taste the same as they did back in the day, the truth is it has nothing to do with the recipe.
As it turns out, the relaunched Cakesters are not much different from the original ones. A glance at the nutrition facts of both the new Cakesters and discontinued Cakesters shows a nearly identical list of ingredients with a difference of 10 calories between them (with the newer edition having more). Even after a decade-long hiatus, the recipe is pretty much the same. So if you're sure the new one tastes better, it's probably that extra serving of nostalgia.