Magic Middles Are The Discontinued Cookies Still Shrouded In Mystery

When a new snack is born into the world, there's no guarantee that it will stick around. Many consumers adjust to this sad reality by replacing their favorite discontinued treats with the next best option. Others believe that the balance of the universe will not be restored until the original product is back on the shelves. The latter sentiment applies to Keebler Magic Middles, a fudge-filled shortbread cookie that disappeared from grocery stores without a trace. Why would Keebler put the kibosh on one of its most beloved products? No one knows for sure, but theories abound. 

According to one such theory, Magic Middles were discontinued to make room for another line of Keebler treats, which required the same equipment. It's a story that might be believable if Kellogg's, which acquired Keebler for nearly $4 billion in 2001, were a small company, but considering the fact that it's valued at more than $20 billion in 2023, that explanation is hard to swallow.

Another hypothesis says that the process required to make Magic Middles at speed was too complicated. Since Kellogg's has never provided too many details about its decision to 86 Magic Middles, there's no way to know for sure. Whatever the case, cravers of the cookies are still holding out hope for a return.

The original shortbread cookie flavor, immortalized in a 1989 commercial, was followed by chocolate chip and peanut butter varieties in 1990. By 1991, the novelty baked good had gotten so popular that Keebler released a bite-size version called Mini Middles. Imagine a melted chocolate center that oozes from a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie when you take a bite; it's no wonder Magic Middles fans are still up in arms about the loss of the treat.

There have been several petitions — not to mention impassioned pleas on social media — to bring back the line of gooey-on-the-inside cookies, to no avail. Still, fans of the store-bought confections are not giving up, and people are continuing to search for answers. Replying to one of those fans on Twitter, Kellogg's said that it would "pass [fans] comments along" to the cookie higher-ups. However, in a May 2023 Twitter response, Kellogg's wrote to another wistful snacker that discontinuing products is a way to "keep our product line interesting and give consumers innovative flavors [...] which was the case with our Magic Middles."

If you missed the boat on Magic Middles and are wondering what all the fuss is about, look no further than the customer testimonials that crowd the internet. It seems that the cookies were more than just a delicious combination of crisp shortbread and gooey filling; they were also a nostalgic centerpiece to happy memories of the '80s and '90s. 

"These amazing little cookies hold such an engrained place in my heart," wrote Mattheu Sell, who started a Change.org petition to bring the cookies back. "I remember the look of immense joy and satisfaction on [Nana's] face while biting through that beautiful shortbread cookie into the sweet, heavenly chocolate center." 

Kamal Grant, the Sublime Doughnuts owner who makes his own version of Magic Middles under his direct-to-consumer brand Kamal's Kitchen, also has fond memories of the Keebler cookie. "As a pastry chef and entrepreneur, I've made it my mission to bring this nostalgic snack back," he told Bake.

With enough public demand, maybe Magic Middles will rise like a phoenix from the ashes, never to be discontinued again — after all, it worked for Taco Bell's Mexican Pizza.