Recipes That Use Corn Flakes As The Secret Ingredient

One of America's favorite cereals, corn flakes are synonymous with breakfast time. Pour some of these famous toasted flakes of corn into a bowl, add milk, and enjoy a fast and easy start to the day. You're probably familiar with the a.m. drill, but did you know that these satisfyingly crunchy gems make them ideal for use in many other culinary preparations as well? Oh, yes!

Brothers W.K. Kellogg and John Harvey Kellogg famously began flaking corn in 1898 after inadvertently flaking wheat berry initially. Now, for over a century, Kellogg has been the leading manufacturer of the corn flakes you know and love. While other brands have since started making cereals similar to the Kellogg version, it's all good. Whether you pick the original or the knockoff, sugared-up corn is usually delicious.

Crispy, light, and not overly sweet, corn flakes are tasty eaten alone, but they also lend themselves well to many other dishes. From coating chicken with the most delectable crust and adding unexpected crunch to your favorite cookie to infusing muffins with an extra dose of corn flavor, this breakfast cereal can be quite sneaky about its versatility. I'm here to let the corny cat out of the bag.

Dainty French macarons get a breakfast makeover in this delightful recipe from Bake-No-Fake. It plays around with classic pastry techniques and mixes childhood flavors with a strictly adult infusion of liquor. Almond macaron shells sandwich dollops of sweet, complex bourbon buttercream and broken-up pieces of corn flake cookies. I love the way these delicate cookie sandwiches harmonize high- and low-brow food elements, making them seem like they have always belonged together. While this recipe may prove challenging if it's your first time making macarons, the process is nothing but fun and the results are delicious. Go for it!

Change up your chicken routine when you whip these cutlets from Cup of Jo. If you're anything like me, you want the good chicken protein, but oh boy do you get bored with this commonplace ingredient sometimes. Before you snooze on chicken cutlets, try coating them with corn flake crumbs and frying them in olive oil. This deceptively easy fried chicken recipe cleverly uses flaky corn bits to achieve crunchiness and a side of irresistible corn flavor. By opting for lean boneless, skinless breasts instead of traditional fatty bone-in dark meat, you're already transforming this dinner into guilt-free fare. And since you're frying in shallow oil rather than deep frying, you can skip some of the greasiness associated with standard fried chicken.

Regular old corn muffins get an upgrade with these scrumptious muffins from the good folks at Food.com. Adding corn flakes to your muffin batter turns them into delectable treats that are perfect for enjoying with butter and jam. Add a cup of coffee to the equation, and you have yourself a breakfast of champions. These cute little cakes bake up light, tender, and not too sweet. As a fan of morning pastries that are distinctively not desserts, I appreciate the perfect balance of sweet and savory at work here. If I want a cupcake, I'll eat a cupcake. Just saying.

Cookie monsters, get excited. These adorable cookies from Not Without Salt may be the treats you've always wanted without knowing it. They walk the line between crispy and tender with more aplomb than I've ever encountered. Softened by butter and brown sugar, these include chocolate chips, oats, and crunchy corn flakes for the ultimate add-in trifecta. What you get are cookies that amaze and delight. A delicate crumb infused with subtle corn flavor, melty chocolate, and hearty oats. Start preheating your oven now.

Laddoo are tasty ball-shaped confections eaten in various parts of India. Traditionally made with flour, sugar, and shortening, these handheld sweets are often served to commemorate special occasions. In this recipe from Tarla Dalal, they are given a fun twist with the addition of beloved corn flakes. Here, the popular breakfast cereal is combined with nuts, coconut, raisins, sweetened condensed milk, and ghee (clarified butter) to create crunchy balls of goodness, perfectly portable for all your snacking needs.

Three childhood favorites come together in this dessert from Serious Eats for the young at heart. These indulgent bars easily combine peanut butter, corn flakes, and chocolate. Without any baking at all, you're rewarded with charming squares of unadulterated sweetness and crunch. The secret? Make sure you chill the finished concoction completely before attempting to cut. Exercising patience means you can guarantee clean slices that are easy to hold and chomp on.

What if you could enjoy your bowl of breakfast cereal in cake form? That's my not-so-secret wish every other day, so you can just imagine how happy this recipe from The Splendid Table makes me. The milky, corn flake-speckled layers of this light, fluffy, cloud-like cake are ingeniously cooked in a cast-iron skillet. Once prepped and cooled, they are filled with a corn flake ganache made by combining milk-steeped corn flakes and velvety white chocolate. Cover the entire cake in ganache and top with toasted corn flakes for the most outrageous take on hybrid foods ever.

Introduce two breakfast foods to each other and you get this bonkers recipe from Mess for Less. Whether you serve this corn flake-topped hash brown casserole for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, you're bound to win over everyone at the table. Hearty hash browns are combined with creamy chicken soup, tangy sour cream, shredded cheese, and onions to make the filling. Topped with a rich and crunchy mixture of butter and corn flakes, this dish gets baked until it's wonderfully cooked through and golden on top. You're welcome.

I pride myself on learning new things every day. I recently discovered corn flake fudge, and I'm forever changed. This recipe from Woman's Day aided my learning significantly. If you're crazy about all things chocolate and you like it in small, potent doses, read on, friend. These easy-to-make fudge bars are unapologetically soft, sweet, and gooey. A rich mixture of chocolate and corn flakes is spread generously on top of the confection and sprinkled with flaky sea salt. Chill the whole thing for about 30 minutes and enjoy.

This sweet recipe from Ina Garten changes the game when it comes to casual snacking. Using a mere four ingredients, you can whip up these English chocolate crisps in your sleep, which is a very dangerous realization. It's too easy to make and too tasty to resist. Here, a melted mixture of milk and bittersweet chocolate is folded together with crispy corn flakes and dried cranberries. Spoon mounds of this goodness onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and set them aside until the chocolate has hardened at room temperature. One serving is eight pieces, right?

The next time you reach for that box of corn flakes, you'll know its true power. Enjoy.