20 Creative Ways to Turn Cereal Into Something Amazing

Cereal is not just for your morning bowl with milk. It can also be used to create many fun snacks and desserts. You can make all kinds of treats, from crunchy coatings for chicken to sweet and chewy bars that are great for both kids and adults. It is a simple way to try something new in the kitchen without a lot of effort, and there are so many different flavors and ideas for you to test out.

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Cereal Milk Tartlets

Three small tarts topped with piped whipped cream, colorful marshmallows, and rainbow sprinkles are displayed on a marble surface. One tart is served on a white plate with a fork beside it. — Cereal Milk Tartlets. Photo credit: Live To Sweet.

A creamy pudding that tastes like the milk left after eating cereal is poured into small, colorful funfetti crusts. These Cereal Milk Tartlets are then topped with whipped cream and the marshmallows from the cereal, creating a dessert that is a fun and sweet version of a breakfast favorite.
Get the recipe: Cereal Milk Tartlets

Fruity Pebbles Donuts with Cake Mix

A group of colorful donuts topped with fruity cereal pieces are arranged on a white marble surface. A plate with three additional donuts is on the right, next to a bottle of milk with a blue straw. The arrangement creates a bright and cheerful display. — Fruity Pebbles Donuts with Cake Mix. Photo credit: The Savory Cipolla.

A simple cake mix is used to make soft and cakey donuts that are then covered with a layer of bright and colorful Fruity Pebbles cereal. These Fruity Pebbles Donuts have a really fun look and a great crunchy topping that contrasts with the soft, warm donut underneath for a tasty treat.
Get the recipe: Fruity Pebbles Donuts with Cake Mix

S’mores Chocolate Marshmallow Rice Krispies Treats

A close-up of a gooey dessert bar topped with melted chocolate, cereal pieces, and a rectangular piece of Hershey’s chocolate. The bar appears chewy with visible texture from the cereal and chocolate. — S’mores Chocolate Marshmallow Rice Krispies Treats. Photo credit: Modern Honey.

Golden Grahams cereal and rice krispies are mixed together with a gooey melted marshmallow and chocolate mixture to create these bars. These S’mores Chocolate Marshmallow Rice Krispies Treats have all the classic flavors of a s’more, with a crunchy texture from the cereal and a deliciously sticky feel from the marshmallow.
Get the recipe: S’mores Chocolate Marshmallow Rice Krispies Treats

Chex Muddy Buddies

A bowl with red stripes is filled with chocolate-covered snack pieces dusted with powdered sugar. In the background, there are green pine branches and a snowman decoration, giving a festive holiday feel. — Chex Muddy Buddies. Photo by Mama Maggie’s Kitchen.

Chex cereal is coated in a mixture of melted chocolate and peanut butter and then tossed in a layer of powdered sugar. This recipe for Chex Muddy Buddies creates a sweet and crunchy snack that is perfect for putting out at a party or for making when you want a quick chocolate snack.
Get the recipe: Chex Muddy Buddies

Chocolate Lucky Charms Bark (Marshmallow Cereal)

A plate of colorful white chocolate bark decorated with rainbow sprinkles, marshmallows, and candy shapes like stars and moons. The bark pieces are piled on a light-colored plate against a marble background. — Chocolate Lucky Charms Bark. Photo credit: Kim Schob.

Melted white chocolate is spread out thin and then covered with the colorful marshmallows from a box of Lucky Charms cereal. Once it hardens, this Chocolate Lucky Charms Bark is broken into pieces, giving you a treat that is both a little crispy and a little chewy and looks very fun.
Get the recipe: Chocolate Lucky Charms Bark (Marshmallow Cereal)

Air Fryer Lucky Charms Marshmallow Donuts

A white-iced donut topped with colorful marshmallow shapes sits on a white plate, with a jar of pastel marshmallows and more donuts in the background. — Air Fryer Lucky Charms Donuts. Photo credit: xoxoBella.

You can make donuts quickly by using canned biscuit dough and cooking it in an air fryer until it is puffy and golden. These Air Fryer Lucky Charms Marshmallow Donuts are then topped with a simple glaze and the marshmallows from the cereal for a fast and magical-looking breakfast or snack.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Lucky Charms Marshmallow Donuts

Rice Krispie cake

A colorful cake with layers of pink, gray, and teal rice cereal treats topped with white frosting dollops and three lit candles. The cake is placed on a glass stand, and there are pink balloons in the background. — Rice Krispie Cake. Photo credit: The Cinnamon Jar.

Instead of baking a cake, you can press the classic rice krispie treat mixture into a cake pan to form the shape of a cake. This Rice Krispie cake is a great no-bake project that kids can help decorate with frosting and sprinkles, making it a fun and easy dessert.
Get the recipe: Rice Krispie cake

Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats (Easy & Quick)

Close-up of homemade chocolate granola bars cut into rectangles. The bars are topped with chocolate chips and have a rough, textured appearance from oats and nuts. They are arranged on parchment paper. — Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats (Easy & Quick). Photo credit: Easy Quick Rich and Delish.

Cocoa powder is mixed into the melted marshmallow and butter mixture before it is combined with the rice krispies cereal. These Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats have a rich chocolate flavor that makes them feel a lot more special than the original version, but they are still just as quick and easy to make.
Get the recipe: Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats (Easy & Quick)

Cornflake French Toast Recipe

Two slices of French toast topped with mixed berries, including raspberries and blueberries, are drizzled with syrup on a white plate. A fork rests to the side of the plate. — Cornflake French Toast. Photo credit: I Heart Eating.

Thick slices of bread are dipped in an egg batter and then pressed into crushed cornflakes before they are cooked in a pan. This Cornflake French Toast Recipe gives you French toast with an incredibly crunchy outside while the inside of the bread stays soft and warm, which is a great mix of textures.
Get the recipe: Cornflake French Toast Recipe

Crunchy Baked Chicken Nuggets

A tray filled with crispy golden chicken nuggets and crinkle-cut French fries, accompanied by two dipping sauces: one red and one orange. The tray is on parchment paper, and a checkered napkin is partially visible nearby. — Crunchy Baked Chicken Nuggets. Photo credit: I Heart Eating.

Pieces of chicken are coated in crushed cornflakes and then baked in the oven until they are cooked through and golden. These Crunchy Baked Chicken Nuggets have a crispy crust without needing to be fried in oil, making them a healthier option that is still very delicious and perfect for dipping in sauce.
oGet the recipe: Crunchy Baked Chicken Nuggets

Golden Graham S’mores

A close-up of gooey s’mores cereal bars made with melted marshmallows, graham cereal, and chocolate, showing a hand pulling apart one sticky, melted bar from the stack. — Golden Graham S’mores. Photo credit: I Heart Eating.

Golden Grahams cereal is combined with chocolate chips and marshmallows and then pressed into a pan to make simple bars. These Golden Graham S’mores have a gooey and crunchy texture that tastes just like the classic campfire treat, and they do not require any baking at all to prepare.
Get the recipe: Golden Graham S’mores

Chocolate Crunch Cake

A German chocolate cake topped with swirls of chocolate frosting and a glossy layer of chocolate ganache in the center, with a coconut-pecan filling around the sides, displayed on a white plate. — Chocolate Crunch Cake. Photo credit: Corrie Cooks.

Crushed-up cereal is folded right into the batter before a chocolate cake is baked, which adds a surprising crunchy texture. This Chocolate Crunch Cake is a fun dessert because the cereal pieces stay a little crispy even after the cake is baked, giving you a different feel in every single bite.
Get the recipe: Chocolate Crunch Cake

Fruity Pebbles Meringue Cookies

A white plate filled with colorful Fruity Pebbles cereal topped with several white, swirled meringue cookies, each sprinkled with crushed cereal pieces. — Fruity Pebbles Meringue Cookies. Photo credit: xoxoBella.

Colorful Fruity Pebbles cereal is gently folded into a fluffy mixture of whipped egg whites and sugar to make these cookies. These Fruity Pebbles Meringue Cookies bake until they are crispy on the outside and a little chewy on the inside, with a sweet and fruity taste in each one.
Get the recipe: Fruity Pebbles Meringue Cookies

Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets

A plate of crispy fried chicken nuggets garnished with salt flakes, accompanied by a small dish of ketchup for dipping. One nugget is cut open, showing its juicy interior. — Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets. Photo credit: Love and Other Spices.

Chicken pieces are covered in a coating of crushed cornflakes and then cooked in an air fryer until they are golden and crispy. These Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets come out with a great crunchy texture without any deep frying, and they taste much better than the frozen nuggets you can buy at the store.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets

No-Bake Cornflake Cookies

Close-up of clusters of crunchy, golden peanut butter cornflake cookies, coated in a creamy, glossy peanut butter mixture and set in irregular shapes. — No-Bake Cornflake Cookies. Photo credit: Curry Trail.

A simple mixture of melted marshmallows and peanut butter is used to bind together cornflakes before they are shaped into cookies. These No-Bake Cornflake Cookies have a sweet and salty flavor with a wonderful crunchy texture, and they do not require any oven time to become ready to eat.
Get the recipe: No-Bake Cornflake Cookies

Fruity Pebbles Rice Krispie Treats Sandwiches

Colorful cereal treats shaped into rounds are sandwiched with white frosting, resembling ice cream sandwiches. A jar of rainbow chip frosting sits nearby on a wooden surface. — Fruity Pebbles Rice Krispie Treats Sandwiches. Photo credit: Dancing Through the Rain.

Two different kinds of cereal treats are made—one layer with fruity pebbles and another with chocolate rice krispies—and then pressed together. These Fruity Pebbles Rice Krispie Treats Sandwiches give you two great flavors in one bar, making a fun and colorful dessert that is sure to be a hit.
Get the recipe: Fruity Pebbles Rice Krispie Treats Sandwiches

3-Ingredient Easy Peanut Butter Cereal Breakfast Bars

Close-up of homemade cereal bars made with round, honey-colored oat cereal pieces that are stuck together, likely with a sticky syrup or honey, and cut into rectangular shapes. — 3-Ingredient Easy Peanut Butter Cereal Breakfast Bars. Photo credit: Simply Five Ingredients.

Just three ingredients—peanut butter, honey, and your favorite cereal—are mixed together and pressed into a pan to make simple bars. These 3-Ingredient Easy Peanut Butter Cereal Breakfast Bars are a great no-bake option for a quick breakfast or snack that is both chewy and sweet and easy to take with you.
Get the recipe: 3-Ingredient Easy Peanut Butter Cereal Breakfast Bars

Avalanche Bars

Three stacked rice crispy treats with visible mini marshmallows and chocolate chips, surrounded by more treats, scattered chocolate chips, and bowls of marshmallows and chocolate chips on a white surface. — Avalanche Bars. Photo credit: A Little Spoon.

These are like rice crispy treats but are made with a mixture of melted white chocolate and peanut butter that holds the rice krispies together. Avalanche Bars have a fantastic combination of crispy and creamy textures that makes them a very moreish treat which is hard to stop eating once you start.
Get the recipe: Avalanche Bars

Peanut Butter Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats

Chocolate squares topped with mini peanut butter cups and orange and yellow candy-coated chocolates, arranged on a white surface. — Peanut Butter Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats. Photo credit: Homemade Heather.

The classic rice krispie treat is made and then dipped into a rich mixture of melted chocolate and peanut butter to create a coating. These Peanut Butter Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats are even more indulgent than the original, with a delicious shell that makes them a very rich and satisfying sweet snack.
Get the recipe: Peanut Butter Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats

Fruity Pebbles Treats

Colorful cereal bars made with a variety of brightly hued cereal pieces are cut into squares and arranged on a white surface. One bar is slightly pulled away from the rest, showing a gooey, marshmallowy texture. Small cereal pieces are scattered around the bars. — Fruity Pebbles Treats. Photo credit: Rich and Delish.

Instead of using rice krispies, this recipe uses the bright and colorful Fruity Pebbles cereal mixed with the melted marshmallow mixture. These Fruity Pebbles Treats have a fun fruity flavor and a really vibrant look that makes them an exciting and tasty change from the usual cereal bar.
Get the recipe: Fruity Pebbles Treats