Cereal can be so many things: nourishment, comfort, a quick fix, nostalgia, even art. It can also transcend meal times, and not just in the way that eating a bowl doused in milk is occasionally an acceptable—even necessary—supper. There are other, far more inventive guises in which to consume cereal for breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, and dessert, and there’s no better day than National Cereal Day on March 7 to try one of these cereal recipes.
Admittedly, the sweet options far outnumber the savory, but there are several dinner-worthy cereal applications too, primarily using cornflakes, but sometimes Shredded Wheat or even Cheerios (Honey Nut breaded pork chops, anyone?). When it comes to the sugary end of the spectrum, though, there’s much more flexibility, so if you practice cereal monogamy, swap in whatever childhood breakfast treat still has your heart.
Just leave the bowl in the cabinet for a change, and try something a little different, like some of the cereal recipe ideas below. And while Netflix food shows, their Hulu equivalents, or food podcasts may be more your speed these days, feel free to cue up some Saturday morning cartoons for old times’ sake!
1. Fruity Pebble Baked Vanilla Donuts
!doctype>
Why not start the day off with doughnuts? They’re perfect topped with cereal of all sorts; you can simply use it as a garnish on basic yeast doughnuts to lend color, crunch, and extra flavor, or if you prefer cake donuts, these easy baked beauties have a batter infused with cereal milk that matches the topping of choice. Get the Fruity Pebble Baked Vanilla Donuts recipe. (What better way to wash them down than with cereal milk lattes?)
Wilton Non-Stick 6-Cavity Donut Baking Pans, 2 for $13.50 on Amazon
Homemade donuts have never been easier.
2. Crunchy Cereal Crusted French Toast
!doctype>
Try crusting your French toast with cereal for extra texture. Pretty much any kind should work (Cap’n Crunch is a classic and Cinnamon Toast Crunch would be deliciously meta), but this version uses Honey Bunches of Oats and eschews syrup for a drizzle of golden honey. Get the Crunchy Cereal Crusted French Toast recipe.
3. Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch Banana Crumb Cake
!doctype>
This straddles the line between indulgent breakfast and light-ish dessert (not to mention the ever-mutable line between banana bread and banana cake), but either way, it sounds like a perfect match for coffee. Get the Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch Banana Crumb Cake recipe.
4. Cornflake Chicken Tenders
!doctype>
Using cornflakes as a crust on fried or baked chicken is a time-honored tradition, and probably the most common savory cereal move. The principle works on all sorts of other proteins (for instance, our Breakfast Sausage and Cornflake Scotch Eggs), but for a classic, easy dinner, these perfectly crunchy chicken tenders are great. Bonus points if you pair them with more breakfast food and make chicken and waffles. Get the Cornflake Chicken Tenders recipe.
5. Whole Wheat Cheddar Garlic Snacks
!doctype>
If you’re looking for more of a snack but still skewing savory, you can use Shredded Wheat for a twist on the usual Chex Mix. (It can also serve as coconut shrimp coating, zucchini fritter binder, and streusel topping for squash, but this turn is a bit more familiar.) Crispy, buttery, cheesy, and garlicky, you may end up eating enough of these for it to count as a meal anyway. (And then of course, you can always use more Chex in puppy chow for dessert!) Get the Whole Wheat Cheddar Garlic Snacks recipe.
6. Honey Nut Cheerios Milk Punch
!doctype>
When you’re ready to unwind with a drink at the end of the day, cereal can come into play again. Cereal milk martinis and similar cocktails abound, so you can definitely find a way to drink your fave, but this milk punch infuses the booze itself: Honey Nut Cheerios are steeped in rum, to be exact, then shaken with honey syrup, milk, and pie-inspired bitters. Get the Honey Nut Cheerios Milk Punch recipe.
7. Lucky Charms Milkshake
!doctype>
If you require something even richer, these Lucky Charms milkshakes are just the ticket, and if you’re only serving them to adults, feel free to slip in a little booze for good measure. They won’t let you do that at Burger King (actually, we don’t think they even sell cereal shakes there anymore, but you can still get your fix). Get the Lucky Charms Milkshake recipe.
8. Trix Krispies Treats
!doctype>
We all know and love Rice Krispies Treats, and while they still hold up, they do start to seem a little boring next to these rainbow-bright confections. The semi-recently revived, artificially neon-colored, original-recipe Trix is the most striking choice for these treats, but you can use the same formula to showcase any kind of not-just-for-kids cereal you can’t get enough of. Get the Trix Krispies Treats recipe.
9. Grape-Nut Pudding
!doctype>
On the other end of the color spectrum, there is this endearingly beige Grape-Nuts pudding, which is actually a classic New England dessert, and ultra comforting even if you’re not normally a fan of the much-maligned grain-pellet cereal. If you’ve never tried it, you’ll just have to trust us—and generations of Yankees. Get the Grape-Nut Pudding recipe.
10. No-Churn Nutella Swirl Ice Cream Cake with Cocoa Puffs Crust
!doctype>
Creamy, Nutella-swirled vanilla ice cream plus a crunchy, chocolatey cereal crust is a genius equation; the addition of fresh hazelnuts classes it up but it’s still so fun (and easy!). Get the No-Churn Nutella Swirl Ice Cream Cake with Cocoa Puffs Crust recipe. And to really drive home the theme, try a cereal milk ice cream too—the brilliant idea started with Christina Tosi, but has since been adapted by countless other cooks; here’s a Cocoa Pebbles Ice Cream recipe for proof. Try our Chocolate Rice Krispies Ice Cream Cake recipe too, or swap in whatever your favorite cereal may be.
11. Snickerdoodle Crunch Pudding Cookies
!doctype>
Basically super-easy snickerdoodles with crunchy cereal bits that complement the soft crumb, these call for Cinnamon Pebbles, but you could also use Cinnamon Toast Crunch. You’re probably gonna want milk with these, but at least it’ll be in a glass for a change. Get the Snickerdoodle Crunch Pudding Cookies recipe.
12. Cereal Killer Cheesecake
!doctype>
Puns and pretty colors? Not to mention a no-bake cheesecake filling and the always-satisfying contrast of creamy and crunchy textures? This is a legitimately adorable dessert. Get the Cereal Killer Cheesecake recipe.
The Pie Hole Cereal Killer Pie, $65 on Goldbelly
Or you can order something similar online.
13. Apple Jacks Cereal Milk Ice Cream Sandwiches with Applejack Caramel Swirl
!doctype>
These are a mouthful in every which way, but who would have thought Apple Jacks (which, as every commercial obnoxiously reminded you, don’t actually taste like apples) could ever be so sophisticated? The addition of a very grown-up applejack brandy caramel swirl, and the chewy ginger-molasses cookies that sandwich the cinnamon-scented ice cream make it clear that this is cereal that has gone way outside the box. Get the Apple Jacks Cereal Milk Ice Cream Sandwiches with Applejack Caramel Swirl recipe.