Mini Chocolate Pancake Cereal

Treat your family to this online sensation! Mini Chocolate Pancake Cereal is the newest recipe trend from TikTok that’s challenging regular breakfast. Try them in a bowl with milk or with maple syrup and soft butter.

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What The Heck Is Pancake Cereal?

When your food is cute, it makes it that much more fun to eat! I jumped on the chance to try this TikTok recipe trend because it’s not only adorable, it’s a fun twist on a normal breakfast. Plus, with the addition of cocoa powder, they become a sweet and satisfying treat.

Pancake cereal is 10 times better than regular cereal because:

1. It’s a bowl of a warm and satisfying pastry.
2. You can eat it with milk and berries, or with even more chocolate (hello Nutella!).
3. They make up for not being able to hit up your favorite breakfast spot.

This recipe quickly became a welcome distraction while in quarantine. Pancake cereal isn’t exactly a quick recipe but offers a chance to try something new. In the end, it’s so fun to eat and oh so cute, which adds a positive spin to your day!

How to Eat Mini Pancakes

These cute lil’ guys can be thrown in a bowl with some milk, or slathered with your favorite pancake toppings. I love them with a little butter, maple syrup, and powdered sugar. To me, it’s the perfect combination! If you want to get a little more creative, top the mini pancakes with a variety of fresh berries, a spoonful of Nutella, and whipped cream.

Why These Are More Fun Than Normal Pancakes

Many of us have been experimenting with making bread, whipped coffee, or planting gardens while stuck in quarantine. It’s time to try something new and test our skills. Spending the time to make tiny, mini pancake cereal is a bit time consuming, but a welcome distraction from the uncertainty in the world.

Besides, doesn’t small, adorable food just make you happy?

They’re an online, viral sensation right now. You only need a few simple ingredients from your cupboard and an empty squeeze bottle. Once you make them, you’ll understand what all the hype is about!

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Pancake Cereal Ingredients

Like normal breakfast, but make it cute. There’s nothing funny about the ingredients for mini pancakes. Pantry-staples are what makes this recipe so easy:

• Pancake mix, like Trader Joes buttermilk mix or Krusteaz pancake mix.
• Cocoa powder
• An egg
• Milk
• Vanilla extract
• Optional: Milk, fruit, maple syrup, powdered sugar, or whipped cream for topping.

Can I Make My Own Pancake Mix?

Absolutely! You don’t need to use an out of the box mix for this recipe, but it does help in speeding up the process. If you’re looking to make your own pancake mix for this Mini Chocolate Pancake Cereal, follow my homemade pancakes recipe.

How To Make Pancake Cereal

The steps to making your own pancake cereal are pretty basic and easy to follow:

1. Make The Pancake Batter: In a bowl, add the dry ingredients together and whisk to combine. In another bowl, beat the egg, then add the milk and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine. Add the wet ingredients into dry, whisking together until well combined. Pour the pancake mix into a clean squeeze bottle or piping bag. I used a cleaned out ketchup bottle.
2. Make the Pancakes: Heat a non-stick pan on medium-low heat. Melt a thick slice of butter, then, using your squeeze bottle or piping bag, squeeze quarter-sized mini pancakes all around the pan. Make sure to give a little room between each for easy flipping.
3. Cooking: Cook the pancakes for 1 minute or until you see bubbles forming. Flip using a spatula, chopsticks, or a butter knife. Cook for another minute, then place the finished pancakes in a bowl. 
4. Serving the Pancake Cereal: To serve, top a bowl of warm mini pancakes with a little knob of butter, a drizzle of maple syrup, and a sprinkle of powdered sugar. For pancake cereal, add a splash of milk over top with your favorite toppings, such as fresh berries, fruit, or Nutella.

Recommended Tools

• Spatula or Chopsticks: Flipping a lot of mini pancakes with not much room in the pan can be a challenge. Use a small tool, like a spatula, chopsticks, or even a butterknife to flip each one. Do not use a fork.
• Squeeze bottle or piping bag: You can use any bottle that has a small hole to squeeze out the pancake mix, such as a used ketchup or mustard bottle. You can also use a small tipped piping bag. I personally think a squeeze bottle is easier and you can store it that way as well.
• Non-stick pan or griddle: I used a non-stick pan for this recipe, but you can also use a griddle or cast-iron skillet for even cooking.

Cooking Tips

• Because these pancakes are small and lose their heat quickly, keep an oven-safe bowl in the oven at the lowest temperature as they’re cooking. As each batch finishes, add the pancakes to the already warm bowl and keep them in the oven to retain their heat until you’re ready to serve.
• Save yourself some time and make the pancake batter a day ahead. Keep it covered in the fridge overnight, and allow it to come down to room temperature before cooking (about 30 minutes to 1 hour when left on the kitchen counter).
• If you’re not a fan of crispy pancakes, cook each batch for 30 seconds per side instead. This will help them stay slightly softer.
• Make the pancakes in small batches or else you might get tired. It’s a tedious job to continue cooking and flipping tiny pancakes, so take it easy and make them in batches of 15 to 20 at a time. They’ll also stay warm longer this way.

Storing Pancake Cereal

The pancake batter can be made a day ahead and kept in your squeeze bottle or in an airtight container in the fridge overnight. When using it the next day, allow it to come down to room temperature by leaving it on the kitchen counter for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Alternatively, leave the batter in the fridge for up to 3 days and make pancake cereal a few days in a row.

Pancake cereal is best served warm and right out of the pan. If you end up with leftover pancakes, place them in an airtight container or plastic bag once they’ve cooled down. They’ll stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To freeze cooked pancakes, let them come down to room temperature, then store in an airtight container or plastic bag for up to 3 months. Leave them to thaw overnight in the fridge.

When you’re ready to reheat the premade mini pancakes, warm them in a buttered pan over medium heat or in the oven at 350ºF for 10 minutes. I wouldn’t recommend reheating them in a microwave unless you like soft and soggy pancakes!

More Breakfast Recipes

I have a lot more fun and tasty breakfast recipes for you to try. Check out these recipes that will go perfectly alongside the Mini Chocolate Pancake Cereal:

• Easy Keto Bacon Chaffles
• Strawberry Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast
• Sweet Or Savory Crepes
• Banana Coconut Breakfast Pudding
• Breakfast Egg Bread Bowls

If you give my Mini Chocolate Pancake Cereal recipe a try, let me know what you think! Leave a comment and don’t forget to take a picture, tag it with #lenaskitchenblog on Instagram. I love seeing what you come up with!