Pillsbury's Buddy The Elf Cinnamon Rolls and Maple Syrup Chex Are Welcome Early Greetings To The Holiday Season

Christmas came early in 2003 when the film "Elf" debuted in theaters on November 7. The Will Ferrell comedy became an instant classic, worthy of a rewatch every year along the likes of "It's a Wonderful Life," "A Christmas Story," and "Christmas Vacation." As a proven commodity, it's opened itself onto a world of merchandising and tie-ins, including food and drinks. In the past we've been treated to "Elf"-related products such as Brach's Elf candy⁠, Goldfish Maple Syrup Flavored Grahams⁠, Krispy Kreme Elf doughnuts⁠, Mrs. Butterworth's Elf pancake kit and syrup, and even Elf Coffee Creamers.

To kick off the 2026 season, General Mills is churning out all kinds of Buddy the Elf-related things to eat up. The Elf cereal is returning, as are Pillsbury Ready-to-Bake Elf Shape Sugar Cookie Dough and Elf Fruit by the Foot Mini Feet, and the various flavors of Chex are having their boxes decked out in "Elf" iconography. Joining the fun this holiday season are Maple Syrup Chex Cereal and Pillsbury Elf Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Icing. Chex previously went down the maple route back in 2023, and Pillsbury dropped Maple Brown Sugar Rolls in its Grands form in 2017. The two new products have a similar ingredient makeup to their earlier counterparts, with a few differences.

With the clock already ticking to December 25, The Takeout tried both of these newbie products to see if they're Elf-s worth a place on your shelf, or worthy of exclaiming "bah humbug." Now all can be revealed in this chewy and crunchy chew and review.

The fine folks at General Mills sent me every "Elf"-branded item the company's releasing this fall and winter. Some were returning products, but my focus was on the two brand new items — Maple Syrup Chex Cereal and Pillsbury Elf Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Icing. The cereal was taste tested first, dry and then with milk. The rolls were baked following the directions on the packaging, and munched on fresh out of the oven.

I have seen the movie "Elf" only once, but I tried not to let that lack of experience influence how I conducted this taste test or the end results. The criteria I used to draw my conclusions was based on taste, flavor, temperature, texture, appearance, smell, familiarity, originality, value, maple-ness, and ultimately whether either or both new products are something worth your time and your dime.

Recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

My tall Family Size box of Maple Syrup Chex was adorned with a cartoony bottle of syrup, spelling out that this product is made with it. I pulled back the plastic bag and a waft of maple aroma filled the air. I leaned my nose into the bag for further investigation, and the maple receded, while letting the corny cereal smell take the lead.

The cereal itself didn't look any different or all that special from the standard range of Chex cereals. The yellowish-brown, puffed square pillows with their cross hatched design was a welcome, familiar sight. Maybe I expected to see cereal pieces more browned, or completely covered in maple glaze, or even a rusty mound of sweetened seasonings, but it all just looked like business as usual. Upon closer inspection I did see a little bit of clear glaze, but it almost looked more like a dab of dried glue.

I started with a lick, and it emitted a small hint of comely sweetness. I let the Chex piece sit in my mouth, sucking away at it like it was an old-school Werther's Original, and it too revealed a mild amount of maple flavoring. I then tried chomping on a handful of dry pieces, and was surprised that they're not drowning in maple flavoring. That all changed when I let whole milk enter the picture. The milk elevated the maple-ness of the cereal, letting it pop a bit more, but again, not overdoing it.

I love me some Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls, but it's been a minute since I had one. While the rolls were in the oven, I spent some alone time with the maple icing. It came in the usual container and had an off-yellow hue, almost like a cake batter. I leaned in for a whiff. The familiar scent of super-sugariness filled my nostrils, but here, the deal was further sweetened with its maple attributes. It had more to say smells-wise than the Chex cereal did.

After spending the night in the fridge, the glaze remained very uniform — in a thick state. I took the smallest spoonful, and the regular genius flavoring of icing made my lips smack, and did even more so with that maple seasoning in tow. It tasted great on its own, and the anticipation was running high when it was about to be spread among the cinnamon rolls.

The icing spread easily as it melted over each of the piping hot eight rolls nestled together. Its yellow coloring helped these rolls take on a new level of visual pleasure over the standard issue white. The first bite was indeed a delight — which is par for the course for freshly baked rolls, where squishy softness is joined by a light crunch from the bottom and cinnamon spice from the top. The dash of maple was, well, literal icing on the cake. Again, it too was employed in a more conservative manner, which I was fine with, but I also wouldn't have complained if its flavor was amped up further.

For this new cereal, good old corn Chex gets a new sweetened twist with just the right amount of maple. Anything more would have been overkill, turning this into something more akin to Cap'n Crunch. No offense to the Cap'n, but that's just not what the Chex brand is all about. I didn't get the chance to make my own Chex mix with this new cereal, but it would probably work wonders when joined by white chocolate covered bark and pretzels in a bowl.

If you're looking for a touch more maple-goodness under this Buddy the Elf-branding, then definitely make the Pillsbury Elf Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Icing appointment eating. It too took something fabulously familiar and added a new delicious wrinkle to it. Like any cinnamon roll, it suffered from a small problem — there's just never enough icing in that tiny tub. Although one side effect I relished well after the taste test ended was that my hands and kitchen reeked of the maple icing for hours.

Branding something in the good name of the movie "Elf" can be a draw, but the only thing that matters is if the products within the tie-in are any good. The answer — for both the new Maple Syrup Chex Cereal and Pillsbury Elf Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Icing — is very much so. The flavoring added a good taste and a sense of warmth, making it not only a perfect Elf-ish product for your shelves for the Christmas holidays, but also suitable for those cozy autumnal days. Someone alert the Gilmore Girls.

The "Elf"-related products are available this fall and winter for a limited time only, and while supplies last. The Maple Syrup Chex Cereal is available exclusively at Walmart stores nationwide. The cereal comes in a 20.5-ounce family size box. It retails for $4.97, but as of publication, was on rollback sale for $3.76, and could only be purchased in store.

Like most of the other Buddy the Elf-brand items, the Pillsbury Elf Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Icing will be more widely available at nationwide retailers and grocery stores. The rolls come in one size only, where eight are included in a 12.4-ounce refrigerated package. Price may vary by retailer, but the rolls were seen selling at Hy-Vee for $4.49.

Based on the best by date on the cereal box, unopened, Maple Syrup Chex should remain good to go for about 10 months. The Cinnamon Rolls have a shorter-shelf life, with less than three months before they reach their best by date.

Pillsbury Elf Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Icing has an ingredients list that includes enriched bleached wheat flour, water, sugar, vegetable oil, dextrose, corn starch, baking powder, salt, modified whey, cinnamon, corn syrup solids, monoglycerides, caramel color, potassium sorbate, polysorbate 60, natural and artificial flavor, maple syrup, dough conditioner, molasses, annatto extract, and wheat starch. It contains the allergens wheat and milk. The package includes eight rolls, with one roll with icing as a single serving. That one roll is good for 150 calories, 5 grams of total fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 340 milligrams of sodium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 10 grams of total sugars, including 9 grams of added sugars, and 2 grams of protein. 

Maple Syrup Chex Cereal brings together the talents of whole grain corn, corn meal, sugar, corn starch, maple syrup, salt, canola and/or sunflower oil, baking soda, natural flavor, and vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) added to preserve freshness. It also contains the following vitamins and minerals: vitamin D, calcium, iron, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, and zinc. It is a gluten-free product, but does contain bioengineered food ingredients. One cup of Maple Syrup Chex Cereal without milk nets an eater 160 calories, 1.5 grams of total fat, 260 milligrams of sodium, 37 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 10 grams of total sugars including 10 grams of added sugars, and 2 grams of protein.