The '80s Peanut Butter Snack You Likely Forgot About

Many nostalgic goodies have gone the way of the dinosaur, but they live on in memory for those who enjoyed snacking on them in times gone by. If you lived in the 1980s, your kitchen likely had certain things in it, and that may have included a supply of snacks known as Peanut Butter Boppers. Now discontinued, these beloved Nature Valley brand treats were little log-shaped goodies consisting of a peanut butter center coated in a crunchy coating like cookies and graham crackers.

Offered in flavors that included Fudge Chip, Honey Crisp, Peanut Crunch, Fudge Graham, and Cookie Crunch, these snacks debuted in 1985 and were a big hit at their launch, reportedly snagging 9% of the wholesome snack segment of the food market in their first three. Why General Mills nixed the apparently successful and certainly popular snacks is a mystery, but they vanished from store shelves in 1989.

Though gone, Peanut Butter Boppers are certainly not forgotten — the fact that they're missed is clear. As one member of "The True Generation X! 1965-1980" Facebook group wrote, "I would sacrifice a Care Bear under the pale moonlight for just one taste!" 

Copycat recipes have popped up over the years to help folks try to recreate the treats, and Nature Valley finally posted an official recipe (originally made by Betty Crocker) to help longing fans replicate the bygone taste. In 2025, General Mills temporarily re-released Fudge Chip Peanut Butter Boppers to commemorate the final season of popular Netflix series "Stranger Things," a show on which the snack is featured, among other retro goodies that make an appearance. The limited-edition Boppers sold out quickly, and an overwhelming number of responders also entered to win 250 packages that were being given away.

Many beloved treats come and go despite their popularity or, at the very least, their cult followings. Bottle Caps are a movie theater candy you barely see nowadays, for instance, and there are many discontinued Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavors we wish we could revive.

Despite the big response to the limited-time re-release of Peanut Butter Boppers, that snack seems to be permanently stuck in the "bygone" category. General Mills and Nature Valley have no stated plans to permanently revive the treats. On the contrary, Nature Valley's public release of the recipe rather confirms that the snack isn't returning, as fans wouldn't be empowered to make the bars themselves if the company had any notions of returning them to active production.

There can be various reasons for a product's discontinuation. Sales obviously figure big — if a product isn't selling well, the maker is more likely to pull the plug. Factors like changing consumer trends can have a major impact, as well. In the case of throwback treats like Peanut Butter Boppers, consumer shifts away from sugary snacks in the wholesome category could've been a factor in why the goodies went away. The late 1980s, when Peanut Butter Boppers got the ax from General Mills' product line, was a time of changing consumer priorities when it came to food. Folks were getting more label-conscious and ingredient-aware, which didn't necessarily bode well for a sugary snack targeted at their children.

We may never know the official reason Boppers bopped out of our lives. But, at least, we can now attempt to re-create the treats and bask in some peanut buttery nostalgia in the comfort of our own kitchens.