15 Dessert Recipes to Use Up Your Leftover Cereal (2024)

Whether you go for the sugary sweet stuff or stick to the healthier variety, cereal is a definite pantry staple. But what’s a girl to do with that last little bit left in the bag that’s not enough for an entire bowl, but feels so wasteful to throw out? Make dessert, of course! That’s right. You can totally whip up a delicious dessert featuring your leftover breakfast go-to that’s just as good as a slice of molten chocolate cake. Whether you choose an easy no-bake s’mores bar or a full-on ice cream cake, the possibilities are endless. And since National Cereal Day is March 7, now is the perfect time to try. Here are 15 easy dessert recipes to use up your leftover cereal.

Cereal Pops

15 Dessert Recipes to Use Up Your Leftover Cereal (1) These treats are like a party in popsicle form. The sugary cereal-flavored milk and touch of ice cream make them perfect for a delicious mid-day snack or the perfect dessert… or both. (via Paper and Stitch Blog)

Cereal Milk Baked Donuts

15 Dessert Recipes to Use Up Your Leftover Cereal (2) You can never go wrong with donuts, especially when they’re baked instead of fried. So pull out your donut pan, and whip up a batch of vanilla cake donuts, topping each one with a cereal-infused glaze and crunchy cereal bits. These would also be great with a chocolate peanut butter flavor. (via American Heritage Cooking)

Cereal Macarons

15 Dessert Recipes to Use Up Your Leftover Cereal (3) You may think you know what a good macaron tastes like, but you’ve never had one like this before. The tops are covered with crushed cereal before baking, and they’re sandwiched around cereal milk frosting. Take care of all those almost-empty boxes in your pantry, and make several varieties of this fancy confection. (via The Busy Spatula)

Cereal Cannolis

15 Dessert Recipes to Use Up Your Leftover Cereal (4) Save yourself some extra time, and pick up pre-made cannoli shells at your local Italian bakery. The star of this show is the filling. Dip each end of the shells in melted chocolate and fill with a mixture of mascarpone, ricotta, powdered sugar and a dash of lemon and vanilla. Add cereal bits to each end and dig in. (via Paper and Stitch)

Milk and Cereal Smoothies

15 Dessert Recipes to Use Up Your Leftover Cereal (5) Indulge in an easy-to-make, kid-friendly smoothie tonight after dinner. Don’t forget to sprinkle some of the crunchy stuff over top before serving. (via A Spicy Perspective)

Cereal Yogurt Bark

15 Dessert Recipes to Use Up Your Leftover Cereal (6) This bark is one of the simplest (and most colorful!) desserts you could possibly make. Get help from your kiddos for a fun after-school activity, then freeze until after dinner for a majorly rewarding dessert. (via Hello, Wonderful)

Peach Cobbler Ice Cream Cake

15 Dessert Recipes to Use Up Your Leftover Cereal (7) Whip up this ice cream cake for those first warm days of summer. Layers of sweet peach and vanilla are stacked between crushed cinnamon cereal and topped with sliced peaches + more cereal. A ring of fresh whipped cream is the perfect finishing touch. (via Life Made Sweeter)

Peanut Butter Crunch Cereal Bars

15 Dessert Recipes to Use Up Your Leftover Cereal (8) This no-bake dessert will become your go-to potluck offering. These bars are loaded with peanut butter, brown sugar and two types of cereal, and that spells crowd pleaser. (via Sweet Peas and Saffron)

White Chocolate Lucky Charm Cookies

15 Dessert Recipes to Use Up Your Leftover Cereal (9) Cookies and milk are the epitome of easy desserts, and this recipe is no exception. With marshmallow cereal baked right into the cookies, you might as well make a double batch right from the start, because there’s no way these are going to last more than a few minutes. (via The Recipe Rebel)

Fruity Pebble Ice Cream Cake

15 Dessert Recipes to Use Up Your Leftover Cereal (10) We don’t know about you, but we’re thinking this would be perfect for our next birthday cake. It’s a grown-up dessert — you’ll need to bust out your springform pan — with a decidedly throwback main ingredient. Saturday morning cartoons, anyone? (via The Gunny Sack)

Lucky Charms Blizzard

15 Dessert Recipes to Use Up Your Leftover Cereal (11) Any excuse to eat out of a mason jar, amirite? Put that half-empty box of cereal to good use to make this frosty treat, which is basically a milkshake with sugary, crunchy, marshmallow-y cereal mixed in. Why didn’t we think of that? (via Boys Ahoy)

Samoa Cereal Bars

15 Dessert Recipes to Use Up Your Leftover Cereal (12) Take a nod from your favorite Girl Scout cookie flavor, and channel it into these no-bake bars. Made with peanut butter, rice cereal, shredded coconut and caramel sauce, these bars will give those Samoas a run for their money. (via Life Made Sweeter)

Cinnamon Milk and Cereal Cake

15 Dessert Recipes to Use Up Your Leftover Cereal (13) This dessert is like a traditional tres leches cake, but it’s made with sugary sweet milk that has absorbed all the yummy flavors of cinnamon cereal instead. Say hello to your new favorite after-dinner treat. (via Mariah’s Pleasing Plates)

Cupcake Puppy Chow

15 Dessert Recipes to Use Up Your Leftover Cereal (14) This totally addictive snack will have you reaching for handful after handful. The combination of almond and butter extracts gives the cereal an impeccable cake batter taste, and the white chocolate and sprinkles make each bite taste like a delicious cupcake. (via Sally’s Baking Addiction)

S’mores Bars

15 Dessert Recipes to Use Up Your Leftover Cereal (15) Now you can have s’mores any time you want without leaving the comfort of your own kitchen. Made with only four ingredients, these bars come together in a matter of minutes. When that craving hits, this recipe will save the day. (via Crazy for Crusts)

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Ashley Tyler

A South Florida native, Ashley is a new mom who is just trying to figure it all out while still finding time to blog at TWO TYLERS AND A BABY. There, she shares bits of her everyday life, DIY projects, recipes and everything in between.

15 Dessert Recipes to Use Up Your Leftover Cereal (2024)

FAQs

Can I have cereal for dessert? ›

If a cereal has more than 8 grams of sugar per serving, it is a dessert and should not be eaten on a regular basis. If your child wants to eat cereal in the morning, consider choosing a cereal that is lower in sugar. Zero to two grams of sugar is ideal.

Can you use stale cereal in baking? ›

Stale cereal has been used in everything from cookies to cakes with much success. Cereal that's high in fiber can be crushed finely to create a “flour” and substituted for a quarter of the regular white flour in most recipes.

How do you make cereal taste better? ›

Chopped or grated apple or pear, strawberries or blueberries, and cherries are all tasty cereal add-ins that are rich in fiber, making your bowl more filling. If you're feeling adventurous, add some veggies, too! Grated zucchini and matchstick carrots are veggies that pair well with fruits.

How do you make cereal healthier? ›

It's easy to make your cereal bowl packed with fibre. Just add some pumpkin seeds, ground flaxseed, oats, chia seeds or nuts. Fruits are also a great healthy addition. Go for fruits that are packed with fibre and antioxidants, such as blueberries, raspberries, bananas and sliced apples.

Is it OK to eat cereal as a snack? ›

Or just call it what it is: Dessert. There's room in your life for a little sugar (up to six teaspoons a day for women and nine for men) and if you love sugary cereal, enjoy it as a snack or dessert. As such, it's a lot healthier than many other super sugary things you could be eating every day.

What can I do with old cereal? ›

Here are a few examples:
  1. Cereal Bars: Crush leftover cereal and mix it with melted marshmallows and butter. ...
  2. Cereal Cookies: Use leftover cereal in place of some of the flour in a cookie recipe. ...
  3. Cereal Trail Mix: Mix together leftover cereal, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit for a tasty trail mix.
May 7, 2023

What can I do with uneaten stale cereal? ›

Oops, is it already stale? Try this TikTok trick to recrisp: There's an easy way to bring stale cereal back to life in an oven or air fryer, thanks to another TikTok hack. Spread the cereal in an even layer on a baking sheet and crisp it in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for about 5 to 10 minutes.

What is the healthiest cereal? ›

This article will cover the 14 healthiest cereals you can eat.
  • Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Cereals. ...
  • Nature's Path Organics Superfood Cereals. ...
  • Barbara's Shredded Wheat Cereal. ...
  • Arrowhead Mills Spelt Flakes. ...
  • Cauliflower “oatmeal” ...
  • DIY peanut butter puffs cereal. ...
  • Love Grown Original Power O's. ...
  • DIY flax chia cereal.

How do you pimp up cereal? ›

Fresh, frozen, canned or dried fruits also count, a portion of fruit can count towards 1 of your 5 a day!
  1. Bananas. The natural sweetness of the banana is enough of a good reason to add a few slices to your favourite cereals. ...
  2. Blueberries. ...
  3. Strawberries. ...
  4. Raspberries. ...
  5. Raisins. ...
  6. Pineapple. ...
  7. Dried fruits.

What cereal keeps you full? ›

Opt for a high-fiber cereal, like bran flakes or oatmeal, to help keep you feeling full until lunchtime. Pair it with protein-rich toppings, such as nuts or Greek yogurt, for sustained energy.

How do you sweeten cereal without sugar? ›

Instead of adding sugar to your cereals, try adding fruit such as strawberries and blueberries or dried fruit for a natural sweet fix. 2. Buy wholegrain breakfast cereals, but not those coated with sugar or honey.

What does cereal do to your body? ›

Cereal provides complex carbohydrates including dietary fibre and proteins. They are typically low in fat, nutrient dense and in most cases fortified with many essential vitamins and minerals. They are not only convenient but also provide the much needed nourishment.

How much cereal can I eat in a day? ›

As a result, teens and adults are likely to consume more than children, and so we would recommend larger cereal portions. Keep things simple by remembering the following approximate cereal portion guidance: 25 to 30 grams for children and 30 to 45 grams for adults.

Is cereal a breakfast or dessert? ›

It is traditionally eaten as part of breakfast, or a snack food, primarily in Western societies. Flaked breakfast cereal may be served in milk and topped with fruit such as raspberries.

Can I eat cereal for all meals? ›

There is no rule that says you can't have cereal for dinner,” Katherine Shary, a registered dietitian at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, tells TODAY.com. “There's nothing wrong with having cereal for lunch or dinner.”

Can you have dessert with breakfast? ›

In Jakubowicz's book The Big Breakfast Diet, she highlights that the hormones which control our appetite, energy and metabolism differ around the clock. So, she recommends a breakfast that is full of protein with a sweet treat to top it off.

Can cereal be considered a meal? ›

Cereal for breakfast is traditional, but not necessary. Originally Answered: Is cereal a snack or meal? Well, since it's usually eaten at breakfast, then it's considered a meal. But if you want to have it any time of the day, then that's fine also.

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