Since the '90s, cereals resembling your favorite sweets have graced grocery aisles everywhere—but, of course, weren’t actually mini pieces of cinnamon toast or cookies. Picking up a new, sugary breakfast cereal gave you something to look forward to in the morning before heading off to your bus stop. But food options (and your taste buds) have certainly evolved since then.
One of the latest breakfast trends gives a nod to those classic cereals while taking them to the next level. If you haven’t heard of croissant cereal, pancake cereal, or even babka cereal, you’re in for a (literal) treat. These new flavors are about to be everywhere, and you're not going to want to miss out.
BHG / MICHELA BUTTIGNOL
What are food-inspired cereals?
It might be a little confusing to pour milk over tiny baked goods, but it's really no different than serving yourself a bowl of Cheerios or Rice Krispies. The Oxford Dictionary defines cereal as “a grain used for food, such as wheat, oats, or corn,” but over time, the term “cereal” has been established in American culture as synonymous with breakfast. Oxford also offers the following definition: “a breakfast food made from roasted grain, typically eaten with milk.” So if croissant and cookie cereals are made with grain and eaten with a spoon and milk, by definition, you can consider them "real" cereals.
Some trendy options, like L’Appartment 4F’s croissant cereal, focus on using simple, high quality ingredients. However, they can be quite an investment: L'Appartment's cereals are made in house—hand rolled, baked, dipped in simple syrup, and dehydrated—and one box costs you $50. Luckily, you can find homemade recipes online, if you want to try making your own mini croissants from scratch (while saving a few dollars).
You can find pancake cereal at Target for a more affordable price, and creators on TikTok love adding syrup to their bowls before the milk for an authentic experience. Magic Spoon recently launched dessert-like cereals in the flavors Oatmeal Cookie and Chocolate Chip Cookie, and the brand also offers other breakfast food-inspired options, from cinnamon roll to blueberry muffin. You can even turn your leftover, stale babka pieces into cereal with this inventive recipe from Bon Appétit.
How do food-inspired cereals taste?
Magic Spoon describes its Oatmeal Cookie cereal as bringing a warm cinnamon and buttery vanilla taste, and its Chocolate Chip Cookie as crispy and fudgie. As for the infamous croissant cereal, TikTok user @Chewyorkcity gave L’Appartment 4F’s a 10 out of 10 rating in this video, which has accumulated over 2.8 million views, saying it stays crunchy and makes "such a cute breakfast."
The pancake cereal on the grocery market is also dehydrated to keep a good amount of crunch that holds up. Add syrup or extra sugar if you like more sweetness. And if you already like babka, chances are you’re going to like it in its dried, cereal form.