Unexpected Ways To Use Breakfast Cereal

Breakfast cereal is a pantry staple but it can get boring. Not to mention that so much of it is loaded with sugar and can feel like a lot when you first wake up. Eating it morning after morning can leave you desperate for something different, like avocado toast or a bowl of oatmeal. If there's no way you can stomach another bowl of Froot Loops in the morning, you might be interested in some of the unexpected ways to use breakfast cereal.

Whatever cereal you've got lurking in your pantry, there's a use for it. From crushing it up into a pie crust to using it to top ice cream, there are all kinds of ways to incorporate it into snacks and desserts. Then there are the savory uses, too. Although, for these you'll need to start with an unsweetened cereal rather than a pack of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. We're about to share 13 ways to use breakfast cereal that you've probably never thought of before.

Everyone knows that drinking the cereal milk leftover in your bowl is one of the best parts about the whole cereal-eating process. It takes you right back to being a kid again. But, there's a more grownup way to enjoy it: in a cereal milk latte.

Yup, it's just what it sounds like: a latte made with cereal milk instead of plain milk. To make this drink, all you need to do is heat cereal and milk in a pan on the stove, scoop out the cereal, and pour the milk over an espresso to make a latte. If you have a way of frothing or steaming your cereal milk, you can do this, but it tastes just as good without any froth.

Our recipe calls for cinnamon cereal, which pairs nicely with espresso. However, you could use cereal milk from any cereal of your choosing. Chocolate cereal will make a kind of weak mocha, while some cereals bring sweetness and not much else. But, scooping off the cereal and throwing it out is wasteful. So, either top it up with some fresh milk and eat it or choose one of our other ideas to reuse it. Some will work perfectly well with soggy cereal but others won't.

You've probably made Rice Krispie treats with melted marshmallows, but in the U.K., it's much more common to make cereal treats with chocolate. Growing up in England, these were the go-to quick and easy sweets children would make with parents and at school, simple enough for us kids to do most of the work and no baking required. Cornflake cakes and Rice Krispie cakes are the most common versions. But, in theory, you could use any cereal. You may just need to adjust the recipe to reduce the sweetness.

To make these cereal cakes, you melt together chocolate, butter, and golden syrup — though corn syrup or maple syrup would make decent alternatives. Once the chocolate-butter mixture is fully melted, stir in cereal so that chocolate fully coats it. Finally, spoon the mixture into cupcake cases and leave it to set. It takes barely any time to whip up these treats and they're way more tasty than you'd expect for something so simple. If you want to level them up, stick sprinkles or pieces of candy to them while they're still wet.

Pie crusts made from cookie crumbs are a classic, but you might not realize you can get similar results by using breakfast cereal. It's a great way to use up that half-empty box sitting in your pantry but it's also an easy opportunity to experiment with flavors.

Making a cereal pie crust is easy. The process is just like making a cookie crust. Start by crushing your cereal into fine crumbs — you can use a food processor or just put it in a Ziploc bag and smash it with a rolling pin. Sweet cereals like Cheerios or Cap'n Crunch work well, but so do neutral ones like cornflakes or Rice Krispies, if you have a particularly sweet filling or you add a bit of sugar to the crumbs. You can also use flavored cereal, such as Fruity Pebbles or Cinnamon Toast Crunch to bring something different to your pie crust. Chocolate cereals are also a tasty choice.

Mix the crumbs with melted butter and a little sugar — about 2 to 3 tablespoons — if the cereal isn't already sweet. Press the mixture into your pie dish, making sure to go up the sides evenly. Then bake it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 to 10 minutes to set it, and let it cool completely before filling. The bonus is, if you choose a gluten-free cereal, it's a simple way to make a gluten-free pie crust.

There are plenty of savory options for using up breakfast cereal, not just sweet ones. That said, you'll need to start with a neutral cereal, such as cornflakes or Rice Krispies. If you're looking for a new snack option, you can transform these kinds of unsweetened options into cheese crackers.

There are various ways to make these types of crackers. In some cases, you take your neutral cereal of choice and crush it into fine crumbs to form the base of the crackers, adding in cheese and other ingredients. In other recipes, you make a mixture of cheese and butter before stirring in whole Rice Krispies, though you could use other plain cereals.

But what about the cheese? Sharp cheddar works well for its bold flavor, but you can experiment with other varieties like Parmesan, Stilton, or pepper Jack. You should also add softened butter for richness and you may want to include spices like paprika, cayenne, or garlic powder to give your crackers some extra oomph.

These crackers are perfect as a snack on their own or you can serve them with dips like hummus or salsa. You could also double down and use these cheesy crackers as vessels for yet more cheese, or as part of a charcuterie board.

Clarified milk punch might sound like a weird science experiment, but it's an old cocktail technique that turns milk-based drinks clear. It's all down to milk's natural proteins. When you add something acidic — usually citrus juice — to the mixture of milk and booze, the milk curdles, and those curds filter out any solids or impurities. You then strain the mixture and you have a milk punch that's improbably clear.

But what does this have to do with breakfast cereal? Well, you can make a clarified milk punch with cereal milk. To do so, soak your cereal of choice in milk and vodka for 24 hours in the fridge. Strain out the soggy bits, then add a squeeze of lemon juice and wait for the magic to happen. Once the drink has curdles, strain out the solids with a cheesecloth. Your cloudy mess will transform into a drink that's crystal clear but packed with cereal milk flavor. To take it up a notch, serve it in a glass with crushed cereal stuck around the rim, like salt on a margarita glass.

Cereal and milk go together, we already know that. So, it follows that cereal and ice cream work together, too. A simple way to use breakfast cereal that you might not have thought of is to eat it as an ice cream topping. It can liven up plain pints. But, as we're sadly all too aware, even ice cream brands known for their chunks can benefit from extra toppings.

This is one of the simplest ways to use up unloved cereal. Just grab a handful and sprinkle it over. It not only brings flavor but also a crunch that contrasts the texture of ice cream. It's similar, in that way, to people adding nuts or sprinkles to an ice cream sundae.

So, pulling this off well isn't about technique but knowing how to pair ice creams and their complementary breakfast cereals. Fruity Pebbles might be a great choice for a fruity sorbet or just plain vanilla, but they won't work so well with something like salted caramel or mint-choc-chip. Reese's Puffs or Cap'n Crunch's Peanut Butter Crunch are great with chocolate ice cream for that classic chocolate-peanut butter combination. Think carefully about ice cream and cereal pairings and you might come up with something special.

You might have a picture of a classic doughnut in your head, topped with icing and sprinkles. But what about switching out those sprinkles for breakfast cereal? It tastes good, looks cool, and adds some texture to balance out the soft doughnut. So, basically, it's the perfect topping.

In our breakfast cereal doughnut recipe, we provide instructions for making baked cake doughnuts. But this also works with yeasted doughnuts and fried doughnuts, if you prefer either (or both) of those options. You can also buy plain glazed doughnuts and fancy them up with a breakfast cereal topping.

Whatever type of doughnut you decide on, start by dipping the top in a glaze and then dip it into a bowl of breakfast cereal so the pieces stick to the glaze. Alternatively, for a neater look, you can apply the pieces of cereal by hand. You can also crush the cereal if the pieces are too large to stick on.

Using breakfast cereal to make muffins lets you clean out your pantry while making something tasty. Depending on how you handle the cereal, you can end up with a muffin that's filled with crunchy morsels or one where the cereal becomes an integral part of the batter. Either technique is valid but gives you different results.

Some recipes take the simplest route. You stir the cereal right into the batter whole. This works best with cereals that already have a sturdy texture, such as granola or bran flakes. They'll hold their shape during baking, lending a crunchy texture to the muffin. However, you can also crush the cereal into a fine powder that blends into the batter. Or soak the cereal in milk, softening the pieces so they melt into the mix. This gives the muffins a moister texture.

The type of cereal you choose makes a difference. A sugary, fruit-flavored cereal will make muffins with a dessert-for-breakfast vibe. On the other hand, something like cornflakes or shredded wheat keeps things hearty. You could even mix cereals. The point is to experiment — and to turn your leftover cereal stash into an even more interesting breakfast.

Breakfast cereal in popsicles feels like it shouldn't work but it somehow does. You get a creamy milk-based popsicle with crunchy pieces of cereal, and there's loads to love about that. It's a simple way to make cereal into a legit dessert — and these popsicles are great for hot days too.

Depending on the recipe, you can take the concept in a few different directions. One popular method that we call on in our easy fruity cereal popsicles recipe involves making cereal milk. This is where you soak cereal in milk until it tastes like the dregs of your morning bowl. Strain out the soggy bits, and you've got a flavored base that's ready to freeze. It's sweet, creamy, and subtly infused with whatever cereal you choose. This recipe calls for Fruity Pebbles but you could use Cinnamon Toast Crunch if you like fragrant spices or Cocoa Puffs for the chocolate lovers.

For a more indulgent popsicle, some recipes mix cereal milk with softened ice cream before freezing. The result is creamier and a bit less icy. It's the kind of thing you'd want to eat on a too-hot day when you're feeling like breakfast doesn't have to follow any rules.

Turning cereal into pancakes is an unexpected way to shake up your breakfast routine. Transforming cereal into pancakes is straightforward, and the results are delicious — plus, it's hard not to smile at the idea of one breakfast food moonlighting as another.

If you want to make these pancakes, start by crushing the cereal. A food processor works best, but a freezer bag and rolling pin — or even a can — will do the job. The goal is to turn the cereal into fine crumbs, though it's okay to leave a few bigger bits if you like extra texture. Mix the cereal into your dry ingredients. From there, the recipe works like any other pancake batter. Combine the wet ingredients, mix until just combined, and you're ready to cook.

Different cereals bring their own flavors to the party. Cinnamon options like Cinnamon Toast Crunch pack extra spice, chocolate cereals bring a hint of cocoa to your pancakes which tastes amazing with chocolate chips, and even simple cornflakes add a nutty crunch. Cook them as you normally would, and top with whatever you like. Syrup, butter, or yogurt all work great, plus some extra crushed cereal as a garnish.

Using unsweetened breakfast cereal instead of breadcrumbs is a swap that works surprisingly well in a variety of recipes. It's especially handy for those who need to avoid gluten. Many cereals, like plain cornflakes or Rice Krispies, are naturally gluten-free and easy to find. This opens up a huge number of savory uses for cereal. Naturally, you can't use just any variety for this — unless you fancy Froot Loop fried chicken — but anything with a natural flavor works well.

To use it in this way, you first need to crush the cereal into crumbs. As we've explained for other recipes, you can do this with a food processor or a rolling pin. You can easily adjust the texture to suit your dish. You might want them finer for coatings or coarser for when you need that extra crunch.

Breakfast cereal is great for any breaded and fried dishes, such as fried chicken or crumbed mushrooms. Just use it in the same way as you would breadcrumbs. It also works well as a binder in recipes like veggie burgers or meatballs. It soaks up moisture and helps hold everything together without overpowering the other flavors.

If you've never baked with breakfast cereal, making a cereal and milk cake is a great place to start. This isn't just about sprinkling some flakes on top — you work the flavor all the way through the cake, frosting, and decoration. It works best with a cereal that has a bold flavor. Think Froot Loops, Cocoa Puffs, or Cinnamon Toast Crunch. They're sweet enough and won't get overwhelmed by the other ingredients in the bake.

Although it's much like making a regular cake, there are a few ways in which it's different. You'll grind some of the cereal into a fine powder, which goes in with the other dry ingredients. This provides a base of cereal flavor to work from. But the real work of art is a cereal milk buttercream. To make this buttercream, soak cereal in milk to infuse it with flavor, strain it, and use the milk to create the frosting. The final stage is decorating the cake with cereal. It looks great pressed into the sides of the frosting but you can also sprinkle it over the top or coat every inch. It's up to you whether you want to use whole cereal or crushed pieces for this.

To continue the saga of changing one breakfast food into another, you can use cereal to give your French toast an incredible crunch. It gives a texture and flavor to this morning classic that takes it to the next level. So, if you're sick of soggy, lackluster French toast, here's your chance to turn it all around.

You start as usual, soaking the bread in the egg custard mixture. But, before you fry it in the pan, you press it into a plate of cereal on each side. The cereal sticks to the surface and provides some contrasting texture. While you can use whole cereal pieces, it's best if it's slightly crushed. You don't want to turn it into a powder, just crunch it up a bit to more evenly coat the French toast.

While you can use plain cereals, like bran flakes and cornflakes, these give you texture and not much else. Cinnamon, chocolate, fruit, or peanut butter flavored cereals all bring some extra flavor. Then, there's Kylie Jenner's French toast hack that uses Frosted Flakes as a coating. Just remember that if you opt for a sweeter cereal, you may want to go lighter on the syrup or powdered sugar toppings.