Kellogg’s Honey Smacks and Post Golden Crisp first appeared on store shelves some 70 years ago. Golden Crisp, however, was first on the market and was quickly a success. This inspired Kellogg’s to develop its own puffed wheat cereal called Sugar Smacks (later renamed Honey Smacks).
Below we outline the differences between these iconic cereals. At the end, there is a poll where you can vote for your favorite assuming you’ve tried them both.
Honey Smacks Vs. Golden Crisp
Taste Test
One of the major differences between Honey Smacks vs. Golden Crisp is in their sweetness. Golden Crisp tastes much sweeter than Honey Smacks. You can taste the sugary flavor of Golden Crisp the entire time it is in your mouth while Honey Smacks you taste its sweetness more toward the end as you are about the swallow. In other words, you taste more of the cereal flavor with Honey Smacks while Golden Crisp is more dessert-like.
Another notable difference is that Honey Smacks are chewier and have a more solid structure. Golden Crisp have a light and airy texture that we preferred over Honey Smacks.
Overall, these are similar cereals but we think that the one that people prefer depends on how sweet they like their cereal. Our taste testers were split down the middle on which one they preferred with the sugariness or lack thereof being a major factor.
Be sure to vote for your favorite (if you have one) in our poll at the end of this article.
Appearance
The cereal pieces of Honey Smacks are slim puffs of wheat. The glaze of sugar is less abundant on this cereal compared to Golden Crisp.
Golden Crisp features a shinier sugary coating compared to Honey Smacks. The cereal pieces are also puffier.
Nutrition
The nutrition facts below are for the cereals alone without milk. Honey Smacks are the better option for fewer calories, sodium, carbs, and sugars. Golden Crisp has more added vitamins and minerals such as Thiamin and Niacin.
| Honey Smacks | Golden Crisp | |
|---|---|---|
| Serving Size | 1 Cup (36g) | 1 Cup (38g) |
| Calories | 130 | 150 |
| Total Fat | 0.5g | 0.5g |
| Saturated Fat | 0g | 0g |
| Trans Fat | 0g | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 0mg | 0mg |
| Sodium | 45mg | 85mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 32g | 34g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2g | 0g |
| Total Sugars | 18g | 21g |
| Incl. Added Sugars | 18g | 21g |
| Protein | 2g | 2g |
| Vitamin D | 0% | 0% |
| Calcium | 0% | 0% |
| Iron | 0.6mg, 2% | 0.5mg, 2% |
| Potassium | 70mg, 0% | 70mg, 2% |
| Thiamin | – | 60% |
| Niacin | – | 6% |
| Folate 30mcg DFE (20mcg folic acid) | – | 8% |
| Pantothenic Acid | – | 10% |
| Phosphorus | – | 6% |
| Magnesium | – | 4% |
| Zinc | – | 4% |
| Copper | – | 8% |
Ingredients
The most predominant ingredient in Golden Crisp is sugar whereas it is whole grain wheat for Honey Smacks. As we stated in the taste test section above, there is a noticeable difference in the sugary taste of Golden Crisp compared to the less sugary Honey Smacks.
Honey Smacks – whole grain wheat, sugar, glucose syrup, honey, 2% or less of: palm oil, fruit juice for color, salt, canola lecithin, mixed tocopherols (vitamin E) for freshness.
Golden Crisp – sugar, wheat, corn syrup, salt, honey, caramel color, vitamins & minerals: thiamin, mononitrate (vitamin B1), calcium pantothenate (a B-vitamin), folic acid.
Introduction Dates
Honey Smacks – Honey Smacks were originally called Sugar Smacks and they first appeared on store shelves in 1953.
Golden Crisp – This cereal was first released in 1949 as Sugar Crisp. Through the years it has also been called Super Sugar Crips, Super Golden Crisp, and Golden Crisp as it is currently called.
Who Makes Them?
Honey Smacks – Honey Smacks has been produced by Kellogg’s since its debut.
Golden Crisp – Post has made this cereal since it was introduced in 1949.
Cereal Mascots
Honey Smacks – Honey Smacks has had a long list of cereal mascots that have pitched its cereal since it was introduced in the 1950s. Some of these mascots were Cliffy the Clown, Smaxey the Seal, Quick Draw McGraw, Wally the Bear, and others.
The current mascot is Dig’em Frog who first appeared as the mascot in 1972. Kellogg’s replaced him with Wally Bear in 1986 despite Dig’em’s popularity. Dig’em quickly returned as the mascot after fans of the frog voiced their displeasure about him being replaced.
Dig’em is known for saying “Dig’em” in commercials in reference to the delicious cereal.
Golden Crisp – This cereal is represented by one of the all-time classic cereal mascots known as Sugar Bear. He has been around since the beginning helping sell the crunchy puffed cereal to kids. Sugar Bear initially had the persona of a cool, hip character like Dean Martin. However, during the 1980s he changed from hip to more of a superhero-type character. He is often heard singing, “Can’t get enough of that Golden Crisp”.
Here is Sugar Bear in action during one of his late 1970s commercials:
Poll: Honey Smacks vs. Golden Crisp
Please vote for your favorite between Honey Smacks and Golden Crisp! If you prefer not to vote, simply click the “results” button to view how others voted.