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.
Table of Contents
(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.)
🥘 Ingredient Notes
- 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.
🍽 Equipment Needed
- A Large Pot
- A Rubber Spatula - I highly recommend using a rubber spatula instead of a wooden spoon for this because of how sticky the marshmallows are. The rubber is easier to clean and it is easier to scrape down the sides of the pot. (I will continue to buy this set for gifts until everyone in my family has it.)
- A Casserole Dish - The smaller the dish, the thicker the treats will be and the longer they will take to cool.
🥣 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
YES. I created this recipe in this quantity because there are only two people at our house and after 4 days, these treats can get a little soggy. (It makes 8 pretty large treats.) If you want to make a huge batch, just double or triple all of the ingredients and use a larger pan!
Absolutely! We have made this recipe with Rice Krispies, Cocoa Krispies, Fruity Pebbles, Fruit Loops, and Lucky Charms. (The Lucky charms was a little strange with the cereal marshmallows and the real marshmallows, but the others were really good!) Cinnamon Toast Crunch is still my favorite.
🥫 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.)
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📝 Recipe
Better than Rice Krispie Treats - Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal Treats
Equipment
- a large pot
- a casserole dish or baking pan
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 5 ounces mini-marshmallows half of a 10 ounce bag
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 cups Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal
- ½ cup mini-marshmallows
Instructions
- Melt 4 tbsp. butter in a large pot.4 tablespoons butter
- 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.4 tablespoons butter, ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
- Next, add 5 ounces of marshmallows (half a bag) and let them melt, stirring until the mixture is smooth. (About 3 - 5 minutes.)5 ounces mini-marshmallows
- Once the marshmallows are melted, add the 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract and ½ teaspoon kosher salt.1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Now, stir in 5 cups cereal and the remaining ½ cup marshmallows.5 cups Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal, ½ cup mini-marshmallows
- Spread the mixture into a 10.5 x 7.5-inch casserole dish that has either been buttered or spray with cooking spray.
- Cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap and set it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Slice into bars/squares and enjoy!
Notes
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. 🥫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. 📋 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 an hour or two is plenty of time.)
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate and is automatically calculated, so should only be used as a guide.
James Warren III
Cinnamon toast crunch is my number 1 favorite cereal of all time and always will be. I love the taste of cinnamon so much!!!
Kari
It is one of my favorites as well!