Better than Rice Krispie Treats – Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal Treats

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal Treats are the dessert treat you never knew was missing from your life. They are crunchy and gooey like a Rice Krispie treat then also have this amazing surprise burst of delicious cinnamon and sugar – so good.

These treats are like a melty, crunchy, gooey cinnamon roll and Rice Krispie treat had a delicious baby.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal Treats are like Rice Krispie Treats on a whole new level. They have the cinnamon and crunchy goodness of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal mixed with the melty, gooey sweetness of butter, sweetened condensed milk, and marshmallows. They are so addicting and are just so good.

(Not the most important detail, but they are also surprisingly not that high in calories considering how delicious they are, which is somewhat reassuring as you will want to eat the whole pan in one sitting.)

🥘 Ingredients Needed

• Butter – I always use salted Irish butter (Kerrygold or the kind from Aldi, but you can use whatever you have!)
• Sweetened Condensed Milk – The organic sweetened condensed milk from Whole Foods is one of my favorites – it is really thick – but use whatever you can get!
• Mini Marshmallows – Use mini-marshmallows because they melt much easier, but if you can’t get them you can cut up regular marshmallows into bite-sized pieces. (Otherwise they will take forevvverrrr to melt.)
• Vanilla Extract – I like to make my own in my Instant Pot. I’ll share that recipe soon but here is one that is close to how I make it! It is a great Christmas gift 🙂
• Kosher Salt – I almost always use kosher salt because I love the big chunks of salt. I feel like it is less salty yet things just taste like they have been salted more evenly. That makes sense, right? (I recommend buying this in the store and not online because on Amazon it is absurdly expensive. Here’s the brand I love though – I almost exclusively use Morton’s Coarse Kosher Salt – it should be like $2 – 3 depending on where you live for a 3 pound box. My second choice is Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt – but as much as I want you buying from my affiliate links – buy this in the store and save $10 but you can look at it there for reference.)
• Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal – You have to use the real deal, Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. I tried this with Aldi’s version, the version from Publix, and even Golden Grahams and none of them were as good as regular Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

🥣 How to Make Them

These Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal Treats are so easy to make. They are just like making a regular Rice Krispie Treat, with the addition of some sweetened condensed milk – oh, these are so good!

Begin by melting some 4 tablespoons butter in a large pot. Once the butter is melted, mix in ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk and stir until it is well combined. It will get really bubbly and thick.

Next, add the 5 ounces or (½ regular-sized bag) marshmallows and let them melt, stirring until the mixture is smooth. It will take longer than you think – a few minutes at least – but it will be pretty obvious when the mixture is smooth. (It will be smooth like marshmallow fluff but also bubbly from the heat.)

Once the marshmallows are melted, add 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract and ½ teaspoon salt.

Now, stir in 5 cups of cereal and the second batch (½ cup) of marshmallows. Adding these marshmallows later on in the process will keep them whole and gooey and melty. (And don’t worry – they do melt, and it will be awesome!)

Now, spread the mixture into a casserole dish that has either been buttered or spray with cooking spray. I have made this recipe with the 10.5 x 7.5-inch dish linked here, and it makes 8 really thick treats but you can also use a 9 x 13-inch dish and make 8 thinner treats as well. You can also cut the pieces smaller for kids to make even more treats!

I was told that this picture looks like someone got snot on my Cinnamon Toast Crunch, but I promise it doesn’t taste like that.

Cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap and set it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour – the longer the better. (If you are bringing the treats somewhere in the morning, make them the night before – bringing them somewhere in the afternoon, make them the morning of. )

Slice into bars/squares and enjoy!

🍱 Recipe Yield

This recipe makes 8 fairly large treats. As you eat the gooey squares, they soften and kind of just melt in your hands – they are so messy but so good.

🙋‍♀️ Frequently Asked Questions

🥫 Storage/Shelf Life/Reheating

These treats should be stored in the refrigerator only because they will melt. They are fine kept at room temperature if you want to bring them to a part and the air conditioning will be on, they will just be a little soft and gooey. (At a picnic, they will just be really gooey – but honestly, that is the best part.)

These treats are best eaten within 24 – 48 hours but will last 3 – 5 days. We store them either in an air-tight container or just with some plastic wrap over the top.

✏️ Helpful Tips

• Add extra marshmallows when you stir in the cereal. They leave these delicious marshmallow-y pockets of melty deliciousness throughout the treats.
• Give these treats plenty of time to set up. If you are bringing them somewhere in the morning, make them the night before – bringing them somewhere in the afternoon, make them the morning of. (If you are just snacking on them and hour or two is plenty of time.)

Looking for More Dessert Recipes?

Breakfast

Easy Biscuit Beignets Recipe

Desserts

Buttermilk Cookies with Honey Buttercream Frosting

Desserts

Pecan Tarts

Breakfast

The BEST Buttermilk Muffins Recipe