National Cereal Day takes place on March 7, and this food is definitely worth celebrating as cereal has become much more than something you consume quickly in the morning before heading out to class or work.

The baking world has embraced cereal as part of a larger trend involving breakfast foods being consumed during all parts of the day. According to research from Packaged Facts, a quarter of consumers say they snack on cereal during non-breakfast hours.

Retail bakeries use cereal to add texture and taste to all sorts of products. Utilized as a topping on anything from donuts and ice cream to cupcakes and cookies, cereal makes desserts truly snap, crackle, and pop.

Bakeries across the country have found success through incorporating cereals into gourmet items. In the past, PV Donuts in Rhode Island has released a March menu banking on nostalgia for snack items from the 1990s. Among the donut flavors the shop offered were French Toast Crunch, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Rice Krispies Cereal.

Cereal adds a crunch to something sweet, and cereal flavors can be paired with dessert flavors to find scrumptious combinations. Additionally, they look visually appealing as many breakfast cereals have unique colors and designs. Lucky Charms, Fruity Pebbles, Cocoa Puffs, Captain Crunch, Frosted Flakes, and Golden Grahams are just a few of the options at your disposal.

These items like these can be their own marketing tools, bringing in curious customers looking for a treat that they can’t find anywhere else. While people have been eating dessert for breakfast for a long time, the tables have finally turned and breakfast is now part of the desserts they crave.

 

Kellogg's NYC Cafe is celebrating National Cereal Day with unique cereal-inspired dishes.
 
The breakfast cereal trend has caught on so well with consumers that we’ve even seen entire restaurants pop up that are dedicated to incorporating cereal into foods. The Kellogg’s NYC Café uses cereal in a large portion of its menu, which include “burgers” and “hot dogs” made with cereal as the “meat”.
 
“We set out to create an experience that would be just as familiar as enjoying a bowl of cereal in your own home, but with added elements that would surprise and delight just as much as discovering that hidden toy buried within,” the company says on its website.

The NYC Café has made National Cereal Day special in the past with an exclusive cereal-themed extravaganza and midnight countdown the night before with actress and recording artist Hailee Steinfeld. The celebration menu featured cereal-inspired items, including:

  • Confetti Bowl
    Kellogg's Rice Krispies, Treat House 'confetti' Krispie Treat, Yellow Cake Mix – inspired by Hailee Steinfeld
  • Strawberries & Champagne Bowl
    Kellogg's Special K Original, Strawberry Powder, Pink Champagne Gummies, Pink Chocolate Curls, Strawberry Milk
  • The Black Tie Bowl
    Kellogg's Cocoa Krispies, Silver Meringue Drops, Gold Confetti, and Whipped Cream
  • Loopy Kellogg's Froot Loops Cocktail (or Mocktail)
    Kellogg's Froot Loops- infused soda, Rum (optional)