How A Mistake Led To The Invention Of Wheaties

One of your favorite childhood cereals almost didn't make it to your breakfast table. Why? Because the creation of Wheaties was an accident. The "Breakfast of Champions" only exists because a worker at the Washburn Crosby Company, now known as General Mills, got a bit sloppy on the job. At the time, Washburn Crosby was primarily focused on milling flour. When this absent-minded staff member splashed a runny wheat bran mixture onto a hot surface, the gruel sizzled its way into a crisper shape, forming pieces that would become the inspiration for the now internationally-known cereal. 

The worker, a rumored dietician, discovered that this cooked-up spill offered a more appealing crunch than a spoonful of mushy gruel. While the initial mishap reportedly occurred in 1921, the manufacturing plant didn't release the cereal for purchase until three years later. The company performed three dozen experiments before the team finalized and packaged its unique recipe for crunchy, thin bites of wheat crisps that could be drenched in milk.  

Not only was the making of Wheaties cereal inspired by a happy accident, but the naming process of the cereal itself was also a type of dance with luck. Company executives at Washburn Crosby thought it would be great fun to host an in-house contest for its employees to come up with potential names for the cereal product. While Nukeys, Nutties, and Gold Medal Wheat Flakes joined the ranks of rejected submissions, Wheaties eventually claimed the winning title and ended up printed on boxes. And Wheaties isn't the only cereal that was stumbled upon by a surprised mill worker. 

In the 1800s, neglected wheat dough meant for hospital patients that had been forgotten about was rolled out, drying into flat flakes rather than bread. A doctor then added milk to the wheat pieces to make them more digestible. This particular mishap led to what we now know as American cereal in general, and specifically paved the way for Corn Flakes, where, similarly, a forgotten batch was discovered to be easier to work with and bake. Perhaps the inadvertent invention of these cereals can encourage you to embrace accidental mistakes of your own as you pour your favorite cereals to make homemade chocolate crunch bars and come up with creative ways to use breakfast cereals in your snacks and meals recipes.