Cereal Pancakes Recipe

Of all the fun dishes and drinks we saw come out of quarantine, these viral cereal pancakes have got to be one of our favorites! First off, everything — and we mean nearly everything — is cuter when it's been miniaturized. We don't know why, but it's definitely true and these adorable, tiny, and delicious cereal pancakes prove it. 

So what are cereal pancakes, you might be asking? They are teeny, tiny pancakes. Once you've made a few stacks (which is pretty easy given their size), you then typically put them in a bowl and eat them like you might a bowl of cereal, only way better. Seriously, you can use good old-fashioned pancake batter, as long as it's on the thicker side, and then you just make really, really small pancakes.

How do you eat cereal pancakes? Well, that's up to you! You can serve them up in a bowl with milk just like you would a scrumptious bowl of your favorite cereal. You could also stack 'em high and top them off with butter and maple syrup, as you would do with regular-sized pancakes. Heck, we even loved to eat them right off the pan, they're that good!

Follow along as chef Tara Rylie of RylieCakes walks you through the few simple steps it takes to make this freshly imagined classic pancake breakfast. These are the cereal pancakes you've been dying to try

The best part about cereal pancakes is that they are just as easy to whip up on a Saturday morning as regular pancakes are! First things first, pull together all your ingredients, many of which are probably already in your pantry and fridge. These are ¾ cup all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ cup buttermilk, ¼ cup butter, melted, 1 egg, 2 teaspoons canola oil, divided, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract.

There aren't many substitutions you can make with this recipe but there are a few. You can substitute the canola oil for vegetable oil or even coconut oil. Remember though, that coconut oil will add a coconut flavor to your pancakes. If you love the taste of coconut, then go for it, but be aware if that's not your favorite flavor. In place of the buttermilk, you can use whole milk thickened with a small amount of vinegar or lemon juice to mimic the acidic tang of buttermilk. 

And lastly, rather than vanilla extract, you could use lemon or almond extract for a touch of a different flavor. You could even use sprinkles or cocoa powder in its place to add a pop of color, Funfetti-style, or some chocolate flavor. The vanilla extract is just there to lend some flavor to the batter so don't be afraid to get creative here.

Just like regular good ol' fashioned pancakes, the first thing you want to do when making your cereal pancake batter is to combine your all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Then whisk to combine and set aside.

Next, in a 16-ounce liquid measuring cup, whisk together your buttermilk, melted butter, egg, 1½-teaspoons canola oil, and vanilla extract.

Finally, pour your wet ingredients into your dry ingredients and fold with a spatula to combine. Your batter should be on the thicker side as far as pancake batters go. If there are a few lumps in your batter, don't fret it, as it's actually just right. Resist the temptation to keep stirring, as overmixing can lead to too much gluten development and tough, chewy pancakes. Let your batter sit while you're heating up your pan or skillet.

The easiest way to make cereal pancakes is to dig into your cake decorating toolkit and pull out your piping bags. A piping bag fitted with a small, round tip works best when making mini pancakes. However, if you're not much into cake decorating, you can use a gallon-size zip-top bag and cut a small hole at one corner of the bag. A condiment squeeze bottle also works here if you happen to have one, though we know not many home chefs will have extra of these containers just lying around.

A small offset spatula works perfectly to flip your mini pancakes. However, if you don't have one, you can use a butter knife or even a larger offset spatula. Flipping mini pancakes is not rocket science. Indeed, once you get the hang of it, it's just pure fun!

Once your pan or skillet is warmed up, brush the remaining ½ teaspoon canola oil all over your hot surface. Then, pipe small dots onto the pan or skillet, aiming to make them between the size of a nickel and a dime. Keep in mind that the batter will spread slightly, so don't overdo it. Cook the mini pancakes for approximately two minutes on one side. The edges of the pancakes will look set and the centers may have a few tiny bubbles. Once that's happened, flip all pancakes and cook for another minute. Cereal pancakes are done when they are golden brown on both sides.

If you're not so fast at piping or flipping, cook your mini pancakes in smaller batches rather than one big batch. Because they're so tiny, they'll burn easily if not flipped or removed from the pan fast enough. Good news though, as they heat up beautifully in the microwave in just a few seconds.

We wouldn't recommend making these cereal pancakes for a brunch party as you'd spend all morning flipping them and surely you'd like to spend some time relaxing. However, they do make the perfect treat for one or two!