Cinnamon Toast Crunch & Cereal Milk Pint Recipe

This Cinnamon Toast Crunch / Cereal Milk Pint Recipe captures everything you love about that last sweet sip at the bottom of the cereal bowl and turns it into ultra-creamy ice cream. The base is made by steeping crunchy cinnamon-sugar cereal in warm milk and cream, then churning it into a rich, silky pint that tastes like Saturday mornings in frozen form. It is sweet, nostalgic, and lightly spiced, with tiny cinnamon specks and optional cereal bits folded in for crunch. Serve it in bowls, cones, or straight from the pint with a spoon.

This pint is perfect for birthdays, movie nights, or anytime you want a fun dessert that feels playful but still tastes like a bakery-style treat. You can keep it smooth, or stir in extra cereal at the end for added crunch. It works beautifully in waffle cones, sandwiched between cookies, or scooped over warm cinnamon rolls. Make a couple of pints in advance and stash them in the freezer for an easy, impressive dessert that always sparks nostalgia.

Ingredients

A short steep in warm milk and cream pulls all the cinnamon-sugar flavor out of the cereal, creating a deeply flavored base that churns into an ultra-creamy pint.

• Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal – 2 cups (about 80 g), plus extra for garnish
• Whole milk – 1 cup (240 ml)
• Heavy cream – 1 cup (240 ml)
• Granulated sugar – 1/3 cup (70 g)
• Light brown sugar – 1 tablespoon (packed)
• Egg yolks – 2 large
• Vanilla extract – 1 teaspoon
• Fine sea salt – 1/4 teaspoon

Servings

This recipe makes about 1 pint of ice cream, enough for 3–4 small dessert portions or 2 very generous bowls. It is ideal as a shared treat after dinner or for topping warm desserts.

How to Make It

Toast the cereal (optional but recommended).

Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Spread the Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal on a baking sheet in an even layer and toast for 5–7 minutes, until fragrant and lightly crisp. Let cool slightly.

Steep the cereal in warm dairy.

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salt. Warm over medium heat until steaming but not boiling. Remove from heat, stir in the toasted cereal, and let steep for 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Strain to make cereal milk.

Set a fine-mesh sieve over a clean bowl and line it with cheesecloth or a thin kitchen towel if you have one. Pour the mixture through the sieve, pressing firmly on the cereal to extract as much flavored liquid as possible. Discard the soggy cereal. You should have about 1 1/2 cups of cereal milk.

Cook the custard base.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Return the cereal milk to the saucepan and warm until steaming. Slowly whisk about 1/2 cup of the warm cereal milk into the yolks to temper, then pour the yolk mixture back into the pan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula, until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon. Do not let it boil. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Chill thoroughly.

Pour the custard through a clean sieve into a bowl or jug. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hours or overnight. The colder the base, the smoother the ice cream.

Churn and freeze the pint.

Churn the chilled cereal milk custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions, until soft-serve consistency. If desired, fold in a small handful of roughly crushed Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal at the end. Spoon into a pint container, smooth the top, sprinkle a few cereal pieces on top, and freeze 3–4 hours, until firm enough to scoop.

Pro Tip

For extra crunch that does not go soggy, toast a small handful of cereal and fold it into the churned ice cream just before packing into the pint.

FAQs

Q1. Can I make this without an ice cream maker?
A1. Yes. Chill the custard, then whip 1/2 cup extra cold cream to soft peaks and fold in. Freeze in a loaf pan, stirring every 30–40 minutes until thick.

Q2. How long does this ice cream keep in the freezer?
A2. Stored in an airtight container, it keeps well for about 1–2 weeks. After that, it may form ice crystals and lose some creaminess.

Q3. Can I make it egg-free?
A3. Yes. Skip the egg yolks and increase heavy cream to 1 1/2 cups and milk to 1 1/4 cups. The texture will be slightly less custardy but still creamy.

Q4. What if I only have low-fat milk?
A4. You can use low-fat milk, but add more heavy cream to keep it rich. Aim for at least half the total liquid coming from cream for best texture.

Q5. How do I keep the cereal bits from getting soggy?
A5. Toast any cereal you plan to stir in at the end, and add it only after churning, just before freezing. Use small amounts so it stays pleasantly crunchy.

Q6. Can I double this recipe?
A6. Yes, you can double it to make two pints, as long as your ice cream maker can handle the volume. Chill the base very well for smooth results.