Pancake Cereal Is The Bowl Of Sweet, Fluffy Bites That Will Brighten Your Morning

If the prospect of a serving of home-made granola isn't giving you the drive to get out of bed in the morning, we've got something that will do the trick nicely: A bowl of sweet, fluffy, mini-sized pancakes, served in a cereal bowl (with or without the milk). Yes, pancake cereal is the breakfast treat that will brighten your morning and rev you up for the day ahead. Better yet, all you'll need to make it is the same equipment used to cook regular-sized pancakes, along with a piping bag and your favorite toppings — from maple syrup and butter to fresh fruit and whipped cream. The only real difference between traditional pancakes and their miniature counterparts is that they take a little more time to individually blob out onto a hot pan.

Some might say that making tiny pancakes is a waste of time and energy. But we say, there's something joyous about changing up a traditional pancake breakfast, and partaking in some culinary fun that will make your little ones smile or awaken your inner child. Making pancake cereal is an enjoyable activity for a slow-moving weekend morning and you could double the recipe, stash the leftovers in the fridge, and reheat for some Monday morning sparkle before work.

To make pancake cereal, like the kind seen in an Instagram video shared by Sam Schnur, prepare your pancake batter as normal. Plain batter is best to avoid blockages. Then, instead of ladling the mixture into a hot pan to make saucer-sized pancakes, decant the batter into a piping bag without a nozzle (here's a foolproof method for filling a pastry bag). You can also make a pastry bag with parchment paper if you aren't a regular baker, or use a teaspoon to create mini-pancakes that taste just as heavenly. Next heat up your pan, adding a touch of butter if you aren't using a non-stick skillet, and gently pipe on dollar coin-sized blobs of batter. Fill the entire pan with these baby pancakes, allowing enough space between each one to prevent them from merging into a single pancake. Finally, flip them over once bubbles appear on the surface and give them a few more seconds to cook through on the other side. Repeat this process until you have enough pancakes to fill a cereal bowl.

To serve your pancake cereal, toss all the mini-pancakes back into the hot pan with a knob of butter to warm them through. Then add them to your bowl with more butter and lashings of maple syrup, or milk, before tucking in. For the ultimate, decadent brekkie you could even top your cereal with diced fresh fruit, whipped cream, and melted chocolate.