When it comes to sugary breakfast cereals, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Frosted Flakes are probably among a few that come to mind.
Kids and adults can’t get enough of them when it comes to flavor, but which is best between the two when it comes to nutrition and cost?
In this article, I’ll be comparing Cinnamon Toast Crunch head-to-head against Frosted Flakes to find out the difference between the two, which is best in the most categories for nutrition, and which cereal is the best value for money.
Also, you get a chance to vote for your favorite in our poll to find out which is best for taste.
Also in This Article
In a hurry, or looking for something specific? Use the links below to jump to the relevant section:
- Ingredients Comparison
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch Vs. Frosted Flakes Nutritional Comparison:
- Best for Calorie Content
- Best for Carbs & Sugar Content
- Best for Protein Content
- Best for Fat Content
- Best for Fiber Content
- Best for Sodium/Salt Content
- Best for Vitamins/Minerals
- Best for Flavor/Texture
- Best for Price
- Overall Winner
Ingredients Comparision
Let’s start by taking a look at the ingredients of each cereal to find out what’s the main differences between the two.
The ingredients show, the main difference between the two kinds of cereal is the main ingredient, with Cinnamon Toast Crunch being mainly made from whole grain wheat, whereas Frosted Flakes are a corn-based cereal.
As you can see from the table below, Cinnamon Toast Crunch contains more ingredients for flavor and color as well as added sunflower oil, whereas Frosted Flakes ingredients are a little more simple.
Both kinds of cereal have added sugar and salt and are fortified with added vitamins and minerals to make them healthier for the consumer (see more information later in this article).
| Cereal Type | Ingredients | Added Vitamins and Minerals |
| Cinnamon Toast Crunch (General Mills) | Whole Grain Wheat, Sugar, Rice Flour, Canola and/or Sunflower Oil, Fructose, Maltodextrin, Dextrose, Salt, Cinnamon, Trisodium Phosphate, Soy Lecithin, Caramel Color. BHT Added to Preserve Freshness. | Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin C (sodium ascorbate), Iron and Zinc (mineral nutrients), A B Vitamin (niacinamide), Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), Vitamin B1 (thiamin mononitrate), Vitamin A (palmitate), Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), A B Vitamin (folic acid), Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3. |
| Frosted Flakes (Kellogg’s) | Milled corn, sugar, malt flavor, contains 2% or less of salt. | iron (ferric phosphate), niacinamide, vitamin b6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), vitamin b2 (riboflavin), vitamin b1 (thiamin hydrochloride), folic acid, vitamin d3, vitamin b12. |
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Vs. Frosted Flakes Nutritional Comparison
Moving onto the nutritional comparison and for information, the products I’ll be comparing are Cinnamon Toast Crunch made by General Mills and Kellogg’s brand Frosted Flakes.
Because each type of cereal has different recommended serving sizes, I’ll also be comparing them weight-for-weight (per 100g) to make sure the comparison is fair and accurate.
Best for Calorie Content
If you’re tracking calories and need to know which is best for you, the cereal with the least calories between Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Frosted Flakes is Frosted Flakes with 64 fewer calories per 100g.
| Cereal Type | Calories Per 100g | Calories Per Serving |
| Cinnamon Toast Crunch | 415kcal | 170kcal (Per 41g Serving) |
| Frosted Flakes | 351kcal | 130kcal (Per 37g Serving) |
Best for Carbohydrate Content
Neither Cinnamon Toast Crunch nor Frosted Flakes are low-carbohydrate cereals and both contain the same amount of carbs per serving, however, weight-for-weight Frosted Flakes are slightly higher in carbs per 100g.
| Cereal Type | Carbohydrates Per 100g | Carbohydrates Per Serving |
| Cinnamon Toast Crunch | 80g | 33g (Per 41g Serving) |
| Frosted Flakes | 89g | 33g (Per 37g Serving) |
Best for Sugar Content
As you’d expect, both kinds of cereal are pretty high in sugar and they both contain 12g per serving which is equal to 24% of the recommended amount and is the equivalent of more than two teaspoons of sugar per serving.
Because a serving of Frosted Flakes is smaller, weight-for-weight they contain slightly more sugar than Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
| Cereal Type | Sugars Per 100g | Sugars Per Serving |
| Cinnamon Toast Crunch | 29g | 12g (Per 41g Serving) |
| Frosted Flakes | 32g | 12g (Per 37g Serving) |
Best for Protein Content
Neither kind of cereal is particularly high in protein when compared to some others that are available, but of the two, Frosted Flakes contain slightly more protein than Cinnamon Toast Crunch per weight.
| Cereal Type | Protein Per 100g | Protein Per Serving |
| Cinnamon Toast Crunch | 4.9g | 2g (Per 41g Serving) |
| Frosted Flakes | 5.4g | 2g (Per 37g Serving) |
Best for Fat Content
If fat content is an important consideration for you when choosing a breakfast cereal, then Frosted Flakes is the better option in this comparison because they’re fat-free when compared to Cinnamon Toast Crunch which contains 4g of fat per serving.
I can confirm that neither kind of cereal contains any saturated fat, trans fat, or cholesterol.
| Cereal Type | Fat Per 100g | Fat Per Serving |
| Cinnamon Toast Crunch | 10g | 4g (Per 41g Serving) |
| Frosted Flakes | 0g | (Per 37g Serving) |
Best for Fiber Content
Neither Cinnamon Toast Crunch nor Frosted Flakes are in the high-fiber breakfast cereal category, but of the two, Cinnamon Toast Crunch is the better option for fiber with double the amount compared to Frosted Flakes.
| Cereal Type | Dietary Fibre Per 100g | Dietary Fibre per Serving |
| Cinnamon Toast Crunch | 5g | 2g (Per 41g Serving) |
| Frosted Flakes | 3g | 1g (Per 37g Serving) |
Best for Sodium/Salt Content
Both Kinds of cereal have added sodium for flavor with Cinnamon Toast Crunch having slightly more than frosted flakes.
To put this into the context of a daily recommended value, Cinnamon Toast Crunch contains 10%, compared to Frosted Flakes which contain 8%.
| Cereal Type | Sodium/Salt Per 100g | Sodium/Salt per Serving |
| Cinnamon Toast Crunch | 561mg | 230mg (Per 41g Serving) |
| Frosted Flakes | 514mg | 190mg (Per 37g Serving) |
Best for Vitamins/Minerals
Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Frosted Flakes are both fortified with added vitamins and minerals which is something you find in most breakfast cereals because it helps the consumer get towards their daily recommended values.
Cinnamon Toast Crunch contains a wider selection of added vitamins and minerals than Frosted Flakes, Although Frosted Flakes contain higher levels of iron, riboflavin, niacin, and folic acid.
| Vitamin/Mineral Type | Cinnamon Toast Crunch Daily Value % | Frosted Flakes Daily Value % |
| Vitamin D | 10% | 10% |
| Calcium | 10% | – |
| Iron | 20% | 40% |
| Phosphorus | 6% | – |
| Potassium | – | – |
| Magnesium | 6% | – |
| Thiamin | 20% | 20% |
| Riboflavin | 10% | 20% |
| Vitamin B6 | 20% | 20% |
| Vitamin C | 10% | – |
| Vitamin A | 10% | – |
| Vitamin B12 | 20% | 20% |
| Niacin | 10% | 20% |
| Folic Acid | 20% | 30% |
| Zinc | 20% | – |
*mcg = microgram (1000th of a milligram) / mg = milligram (1000th of a gram)
Best for Flavor/Texture
When it comes to flavor, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Frosted Flakes taste pretty different, however, to find out which is best for taste, we need a broad opinion across a wide selection of voters.
Please can you help us to find which is your favorite cereal for flavor by voting in the boll below and once you vote the results so far will be revealed.
Best for Price
Each kind of cereal are sold in different box sizes, so to keep things fair, I’ll be working out which is best for price based on a cost per ounce. Below are the average prices of each cereal which is correct at the time of writing.
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch – 18.8oz box = $3.64 / 19¢ per ounce
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch – 29.1oz box = $5.48 / 19¢ per ounce
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch – 12oz box = $3.28 / 27¢ per ounce
- Frosted Flakes – 34oz box = $5.23 / 15¢ per ounce
- Frosted Flakes – 24oz box = $3.98 / 17¢ per ounce
- Frosted Flakes – 13.5oz box = $2.98 / 22¢ per ounce
Based on this information, the best value cereal of the two is Frosted Flakes which range from 15-22¢ per ounce compared to Cinnamon Toast Crunch which cost an average of 19-27¢ per ounce.
Please note, these costs may fluctuate depending on offers, pack size and may vary from store to store.
Overall Winner
All categories have now been compared and we have a tie for the best cereal for nutrition, with Frosted Flakes winning best for price.
When it comes to nutrition, Frosted Flakes are best for calories, protein, fat content and sodium, whereas Cinnamon Toast Crunch contain slightly less carbs and sugar while containing more fiber and vitamins and minerals.
It really comes down to which you like best and what’s most important to you and your diet, but hopefully, this article has helped you to make an informed choice based on the data.
| Nutrition Category | Winner (Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Frosted Flakes) |
| Best for Calorie Content | Frosted Flakes |
| Best for Carbohydrate Content | Cinnamon Toast Crunch |
| Best for Sugar Content | Cinnamon Toast Crunch |
| Best for Protein Content | Frosted Flakes |
| Best for Fat Content | Frosted Flakes |
| Best for Fiber Content | Cinnamon Toast Crunch |
| Best for Sodium Content | Frosted Flakes |
| Best for Vitamins/Minerals | Cinnamon Toast Crunch |
| Overall Winner | Joint Winners |
| Best For Price Winner | Frosted Flakes |
Related Articles
I hope this article has helped you to find the information you were looking for; you might also find the following articles helpful too:
References Used for this Article
To ensure the nutritional information used in this article is accurate, I have used data from the manufacturers; the links below contain the source information: