Hubbards Amazing Clusters

Repurchased 1/01/2019

** Dairy Free Approved/ Vegan Approved**

I am very picky about my cereals. For me to repurchase a cereal, the cereal must:

• Taste good on it’s own
• Be easy to chew
• Be crunchy
• Be relatively affordable

Due to these reasons, I tend to stay away from Muesli, gravitating more towards Granola or the extremely bad-for-your-kids cereals like Fruit loops and Nesquik Cereal

For moments when I’m feeling a more mature breakfast, I’m most likely to pick up something from Hubbards. I initially felt compelled to try Hubbards because of its packaging, which is both whimsical and approachable.
The whole range emulates this vibe and that dangerously allures me to try out all the available flavors.

When I first saw Hubbards in stores, they had only Muesli on offer which I used to get before they eventually expanded their range to include Granola. I’ve yet only tried the Black Doris Plum Flavored Granola and I assure you, it’s well worth it but a review on that another time.

So I was most surprised to see their Hubbard’s new Amazing Clusters range in stores because it’s basically Granola. I don’t really understand the need for a new range. Looking on their website though, it seems to be marketed as some sort of Muesli. I do see myself, however, purchasing Amazing Clusters over the Granola because of price. Hubbard’s Granola is quite the splurge, $9 for a mere 400g and even though I can’t say the Amazing Clusters are a steal, it definitely hurts the pocket less.

You can pick up Hubbard’s Amazing Clusters for $6.50 with 100g more product than the Granola. In fact, I’d picked up this box during a sale and snagged it for $5; I’ve noticed the granola rarely goes on sale.
I would no doubt spend the extra $2.5 if there was a overwhelming difference in taste but there is simply no reason to say the Clusters are inferior to the Granola. The Granola range is much larger though so there is a flavor for everyone, as well as Gluten Free options. The Amazing Clusters has only 2 flavors currently, Raspberry & Cacao or Vanilla & Almond.

The Cacao is extremely pronounced as every oat is very thoroughly coated. Each bite tastes like a very adult Chocolate Cereal, the chocolate is dark, yet sweet. It appears to be tossed and dusted with Cacao Powder but because the Clusters are so well-baked, they cling onto the Cacao well so the cereal isn’t powdery. The Clusters are of varying sizes, some big, some very small, there are even rice puffs so the cereal is a textural delight. The Clusters are also very easy to crunch through.

Adding to the texture is the squishy cranberries and the dissolve-in-your-mouth freeze dried raspberries. They don’t skimp on the raspberries, its littered throughout the entire box, also of varying sizes, sometimes even whole. The raspberries have retained their flavor and are even sour to taste. I think they really add a luxurious element to the cereal.

I must say I don’t remember the last time I saw Pumpkin Seeds being used in a cereal but I really like it and much prefer it to sunflower seeds which are way more common. There is an abundance of them although its a bit drowned out by the cacao, so it can be hard to pick up if you aren’t looking for it because it has such a delicate flavor.

I was initially most skeptical about the Coconut. I love fresh coconut water and fresh coconut flesh but something about desiccated coconut just doesn’t sit well with me. I think it must have something to do with its graininess and it being hard to chew. The Coconut in this cereal is the first desiccated coconut I’ve actually liked. Hubbards has somehow made it extremely thin and crunchy, it basically snaps when you bite into it, very different from the chewing experience I’m used to. The Coconut is basically chip like, with sharp edges and sliced in a way where none of the exposed areas are grainy. I don’t know how they achieved this texture but I need Hubbards to sell these individually so I can use them in my baking and coming from me, that is extremely high praise.

Hubbards continues to impresses me with their high quality cereals and innovative fruit combinations. Their Amazing Clusters are yet another testament as to why I continue to shop their products. I’ll be sure to update you on other Hubbards Products I try in the future.