Cereal is a breakfast staple for so many reasons, but we could probably all agree that its most regarded quality is its convenience. However, some home chefs on TikTok have been wondering—aloud, with dozens of videos depicting their process—if cereal is actually better when you put in some (read: a lot of) effort.
In a now-viral TikTok posted by Nara Smith (@naraazizasmith), the creator introduced the concept by saying her toddlers wanted cereal for breakfast. Instead of grabbing the box out of the cupboard and calling it a day, she said she decided to make Cinnamon Toast Crunch from scratch. In the video, which has 2.9 million likes, she mixes up a homemade dough, rolls it out and cuts it into little squares, bakes it in the oven, allows it to cool, breaks the squares apart, and—finally—pours the final product into bowls.
If that sounds like an exhausting amount of work for a couple of bowls of cereal, you aren't alone. Users bombarded the comments asking Smith what she’d do if her kids wanted seconds and wondering how she has so much time on her hands. The video generated a range of conversations surrounding the amount of privilege it takes to be able to make these all-consuming dishes and why society is so drawn to posts like this.
But there’s another question at hand: Is making cereal at home even worth it?
"Personally, I've only made homemade granola, but to me that is way better than store bought," says Test Kitchen food stylist Annie Probst. "So I would think homemade cereal would also be a lot tastier than store bought kind—I would love to try to make Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Honey Nut Cheerios because those were some of my favorites growing up. Making your own cereal will definitely require more work than running to the store and grabbing a box, but again, I do think it would be a fun weekend project."
Test Kitchen culinary specialist Emily Nienhaus agrees it could be a fun experiment if you have the time—but definitely not an everyday endeavor.
"This trend reminds me of the homemade goldfish trend," she says. "I love making things from scratch, but this is a fairly time consuming process for the cutting and rolling aspect."
But that's not stopping creators from giving it a go—you can find a number of viral tutorials, from homemade Cornflakes created by @rocketman_dee (1.2 million likes) to puffed rice cereal by @kitchentool (nearly 140,000 likes).
Some swear by the elevated taste and customization potential. One creator, @erinsimpsonlozier, posted a whole series in which she makes different kinds of cereal at home, with her Cinnamon Toast Crunch-inspired recipe receiving 1 million likes (it's also the one Smith used in her viral video). The ingredients are simple and consist of rice flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking soda, light olive oil or canola oil, water, and a dash of cinnamon.
There are some clear benefits to making cereal at home: You know exactly what goes into it, and you can alter any recipe to fit your preferences. Just make sure you make enough if there's a chance someone will want another bowl.