Dessert Cereal
Someone once asked after viewing my cereal cabinet, why I have so much. My reply was twofold. First is that some are the main course, others are dessert cereals. The term “dessert cereal” continues to spark conversation, so I decided to write it down. I’ll get to the second reason later.
Many years ago, while coaching an early morning kids’ baseball game, I overheard my wife telling one of the other parents that I mix Wheaties with my Honey Nut Cheerios. I said it’s not so much a mix, but a dessert. And that’s how the concept was realized.
Let me preface this by saying that Post, General Mills, Kellogg’s, Quaker- they all bring good stuff to the table- I’m a cereal connoisseur and I don’t discriminate.
You know when you have milk left over when you consume a bowl of cereal? Some people drink it some people pour it down the drain; well, I don’t like to waste it and in many cases I don’t want to drink it- especially if it’s left over from Cap’n Crunch, or that bluish milk after Lucky Charms, or the grit from Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
Just as some chocolatey goodness (like Oreos) go well after Spaghetti or items with a tomato-based sauce, Fruity Pebbles work fantastically to finish off the milk left behind from Frosted Mini Wheats. I don’t normally want an entire bowl of sweet, delicious Fruity Pebbles, but a few bites after a hearty cereal is a great way to end the most important meal of the day.
Tip: Mix Fruity Pebbles in to take some of bland out of Rice Krispies.
Here’s a few other combinations I fancy… (And these aren’t the law, you can change it up, mix and match, or find something new. I’m always on the prowl for innovative pairings.) You may notice I like to mix up my cereal food groups: Oats, Rice, Corn and Wheat.
Frosted Mini-Wheats followed by Fruity Pebbles
Raisin Bran Crunch paired with Froot Loops or Cap’n Crunch
There’s a bonus here- because Froot Loops and Cap’n Crunch float so well there’s often milk left over for a double dessert experience. I like to finish those with Wheat Chex.
Frosted Cheerios and Wheaties, Honey Nut Cheerios and Wheaties. My mind is racing, I think a chart format may be best– see below.
Obviously, these also work in reverse too…Start with the sweet stuff and finish with the slightly healthier. Try Cinnamon Toast Crunch followed by Corn Chex. Also, read the fine print. Some of these so-called healthy cereals might surprise you and vice versa with the sweets- e.g., Fruity Pebbles is reasonably good for you.
Have you ever added a few bits of Cap’n Crunch to a bake-it-yourself pizza? A hint of sweet corn with a crunchy texture- don’t knock it ‘til you try it. If you don’t find it interesting, you must have done something wrong.
Like pizza, where there’s no dessert needed (unless you’re at birthday party and there’s cake) some cereals can stand alone. Frosted Flakes is its own dessert. Special K with Strawberries is decent, though it would be nice if I could just get the flakes without the strawberries. (I tried regular Special K, they aren’t the same, it was a letdown.) With Honey Bunches of Oats, I never seem to have much milk left, and don’t need it, good ol’ HBO is just right. Though sometimes I add a little extra honey.
And speaking of honey, a little drizzle can make a drab Crispix experience most pleasant. Enough sidetracking, back to the list, here you go:
Frosted Mini-Wheats- Fruity Pebbles
Honey Nut Cheerios- Wheaties
Raisin Bran Crunch- Froot Loops, Cap’n Crunch
Multi-Grain Cheerios- Coco Pebbles
Lucky Charms- Wheat Chex, Corn Chex, Raisin Bran Crunch
Golden Grahams- Crispix
Frosted Cheerios- Wheaties
Cinnamon Toast Crunch- Corn Chex, Apple Jacks, Life
Coco Puffs- Golden Grahams (mix the two and get some S’mores action going)
Froot Loops- Honey Bunches of Oats
Cap’n Crunch- Wheat Chex, Corn Chex
Honey Bunches of Oats- occasionally S’mores Cereal or Froot Loops.
Frosted Flakes- Frosted Flakes (If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.)
Some final thoughts from a cereal hound…
Rice Krispie Treats are tasty, but a Cinnamon Toast Crunch marshmallow pull-apart is maddeningly delicious. Instead of popcorn, I prefer Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cap’n Crunch, or Frosted Flakes when watching a movie or TV binging.
Another tip: Make your milk last- don’t leave it out while you eat, it begins to go bad the instant it starts warming up. And I’ve found that milk in the paper cartons last longer than the plastic jugs.
In conclusion- Is it just me, or did something change? Corn Pops, Apple Jacks, and Honey Combs used to be sweeter and Alpha Bits didn’t taste like cardboard. What the hell happened?
And the other reason I have so many cereals- I can eat something different every day of the week.