Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal Milk Pie
Where cinnamon-sugar fans and cereal fans unite: Cinnamon Toast Crunch pie. Made even better, with cereal milk to drive home that nostalgic childhood cereal treat flavor.
Now, I got down with some Cinnamon Toast Crunch as a kid (when I was allowed to). I grew up in a Cheerios and Shredded Wheat house and, understandably now, I’m not a massive cereal fan.
But the gooood stuff, the Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs, and Cinnamon Toast Crunches of the world, they were reserved for birthdays or special occasions. And as a cinnamon sugar gal, I loved me a bowl of these tasty little crispy toasts.
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CINNAMON TOAST CRUNCH PIE
This pie shows you how much cinnamon flavor is packed into this cereal, cause there is zero extra cinnamon added. It truly tastes like a delightful, cinnamon custard pie.
We’ve got a Cinnamon Toast Crunch crust (you’ll be drooling over the smell as it bakes in the oven), filled with a Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal milk custard. It’s finished with whipped cream and an optional (but highly recommended) Cinnamon Toast Toffee Crunch.
How many times can I say Cinnamon Toast Crunch?
What’s the key to the cereal milk flavor? The soak! Don’t rush the time needed to soak the cereal in the milk and heavy cream. Otherwise, you’ll risk losing key flavor in your pie.
INGREDIENTS
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal: Brings the cinnamon-sugar flavor to the crust and the creamy cereal milk custard filling.
- Unsalted butter: Binds the crust together, adds richness to the custard, and forms the buttery caramel coating for the toffee crunch.
- Salt: Balances sweetness while enhancing the cinnamon flavors in the pie.
- White chocolate: Creates a thin moisture barrier that helps keep the crust crisp.
- Whole milk and Heavy cream: Serves as the base for the cereal milk, soaking up all the sweet cinnamon flavor from the cereal.
- Granulated sugar: To sweeten the custard and pop the Cinnamon Toast Crunch flavor.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the custard into a smooth, sliceable filling.
- Egg yolks: Add richness and create a silky, creamy custard.
- Vanilla extract: Makes the warm cinnamon and buttery flavors pop throughout the filling.
- Light brown sugar: Melts with butter to create a rich toffee coating for the crunchy cereal topping.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens and stabilizes the whipped cream.
Why do you brush chocolate on the crust? The white chocolate doesn’t add any flavor, but it does provide a barrier between the crust and custard filling. This acts as a moisture barrier so the crust doesn’t soften once filled.
HOW TO MAKE CINNAMON TOAST CRUNCH PIE
Make the Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal milk…
In a large bowl, combine the whole milk, heavy cream, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, stirring until all of the cereal is coated.
Let the mixture soak for 90 minutes to infuse the milk with the cereal’s signature cinnamon flavor.
Prepare the crust…
In a medium bowl, stir together the finely crushed Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal and salt. Add the melted butter and mix until the crumbs are evenly coated.
Press the crust firmly into a 10-inch pie plate, pressing the sides first before evenly covering the bottom. Use the flat bottom of a measuring cup or glass to firmly compact the crust, then freeze for 15 minutes.
While the crust chills, preheat your oven to 350°F. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then let it cool completely.
Once cooled, brush the bottom of the crust with a thin layer of melted white chocolate. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set while you prepare the cereal milk custard.
Make the Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal milk custard…
Strain the soaked cereal milk through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, gently pressing on the cereal to extract as much flavor as possible. Measure out 2 cups of the cereal milk, discarding (or enjoying!) any remaining liquid.
In a medium pot, whisk together the granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add the cereal milk and egg yolks, whisking until the mixture is completely smooth.
Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until the custard thickens and begins to bubble, about 6–8 minutes. Once it starts bubbling, continue whisking for 10 more seconds to fully activate the cornstarch to get that perfectly set pie.
Remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the butter, one piece at a time, followed by the vanilla extract. Stir until the custard is smooth and glossy.
Pour the custard into the prepared crust and press a piece of parchment paper directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.
Make the Cinnamon Toast toffee Crunch
Set your oven temperature to 325°F. Place the Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal in a large heat-safe bowl and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small pot, combine the butter and brown sugar over medium heat. Stir constantly until the mixture comes to a boil, then continue cooking for 2 minutes, stirring the entire time.
Remove the toffee from the heat and stir in a pinch of salt. Immediately pour it over the cereal and toss quickly to evenly coat each piece.
Spread the coated cereal onto the prepared baking sheet in an even layer, leaving the pieces touching so the toffee sets into clusters. Bake for 3 minutes, then cool completely before breaking into bite-sized pieces.
Make the whipped cream and assemble the pie…
Add the heavy cream and powdered sugar to a large mixing bowl and beat until medium peaks form.
Remove the chilled pie from the fridge and peel off the parchment paper. Spread the whipped cream evenly over the top of the cold pie.
Just before serving, sprinkle the Cinnamon Toast Crunch toffee crunch over the whipped cream so it stays crisp. Store any extra topping in an airtight container with a paper towel until you’re ready to use it.
3 reasons you’ll love this Cinnamon Toast Crunch pie
TIPS & VARIATIONS
- You’ll need between 1 and 2 boxes of cereal for this recipe
- Make sure to allow time to soak the cereal in the milk and cream mixture. This is key to that Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal milk flavor.
- When straining your cereal milk, if you have a little less than 2 cups’ worth of liquid, just top it off with whole milk until you reach 2 cups. If needed, it shouldn’t be much, or you’ll dilute the cereal milk flavor!
- It’s important that your cereal is crushed into fine crumbs for your crust to set and slice well. You can use a food processor or a rolling pin and a zip-top bag to crush your cereal.
- Don’t overcook your custard, or it will become stodgy. When whisking, you’ll notice the custard will start to thicken on the bottom first, then turn a bit lumpy before smoothing out. When it “boils” (you’ll just see 1-2 bubbles pop at a time) is when you give a good whisk for 10 seconds and then immediately pull from the heat
- Your cereal milk custard needs time to set in the fridge, or it will become a puddle when you go to slice it. Don’t skimp on fridge time!
- The toffee sauce will start to harden relatively quickly once you pour it over your cereal for the crunch topping. Have a spoon ready to stir it quickly to coat evenly (but, I mean, it’s still delicious if there are a few bigger bites of toffee)!
STORING CINNAMON TOAST CRUNCH PIE
Your cereal milk pie should be covered and stored in the fridge. You can serve the whipped cream and toffee crunch topping as you slice and serve it, if desired.
I highly recommend storing the toffee crunch separately, in a container with a paper towel, to keep it crunchy. If you store it on top of the pie, it will soften quickly.
Once assembled, this Cinnamon Toast Crunch pie is best served within the first 1-2 days, though it will last up to four days. The longer it sits in the fridge, the softer the crust will become, and your whipped cream might lose some structure.
MORE CINNAMON RECIPES
- Drop Biscuit for One with Cinnamon Plum Compote
- Mini Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls
- Easy Cinnamon Scones
- Cinnamon Roll Pie with Cream Cheese Filling
- Cinnamon Olive Oil Cake with Salted Vanilla Glaze
Equipment
- 10-inch Pie Dish
- Food Processor
- Mixing Bowls
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Spatulas
- Fine Mesh Sieve
- Pot
- Baking Sheet
- Whisk
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups finely crushed Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal
- 11 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 oz white chocolate melted
- 3 cups whole milk
- 3 cups Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 6 tbsp granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter cubed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- Pinch salt
- 1 cup Cinnamon Toast Crunch
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar
Instructions
- Start by making your cereal milk. Combine the milk, cream, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch in a bowl. Stir to make sure the cereal is coated in the milk/cream, and set aside in the fridge to soak for 90 minutes
- For the crust, stir together the Cinnamon Toast Crunch crumbs and salt, then mix in the melted butter until combined
- Press your crust firmly into a 10-inch pie plate. I like to press the sides in first, before pressing the bottom into an even layer. Use a flat-bottomed cup to gently but firmly give the crust a final press so it’s nice and compact. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Bake for 10 minutes, remove from the oven, and cool completely
- Once cooled, gently brush the bottom of the crust with a thin layer of the melted white chocolate and place in the fridge to set while you prep the cereal milk custard
- Strain your cereal milk into a bowl through a fine mesh sieve, pressing gently on the cereal to extract flavor. Only keep 2 cups’ worth and discard the excess (or drink it!)
- In a pot, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt
- Whisk in the 2 cups of cereal milk and egg yolks until smooth
- Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and starts to bubble (approx. 6-8 minutes). Once your mixture bubbles, whisk for another 10 seconds to fully activate that cornstarch so the pie sets properly
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, one piece at a time, and then the vanilla
- Pour into the cooled crust and press a piece of parchment paper directly onto the surface. Chill for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight
- Set your oven to 325°F
- For the Cinnamon Toast Crunch, place your cereal in a heat-safe bowl and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Add the butter and brown sugar to a small pot and place over medium heat. Stir constantly until it comes to a boil. You’ll notice the edges rapidly bubble first. Once this happens, set a timer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly
- Remove from heat and stir in a pinch of salt before pouring over your cereal. Toss quickly with a spoon to coat the cereal, then spread onto your parchment-lined baking sheet into an even layer (you want the pieces touching)
- Bake for 3 minutes, remove from the oven, and cool completely before breaking up
- Make your whipped cream by adding the cream and powdered sugar to a bowl and beating until it reaches medium peaks
- Remove your chilled pie from the fridge, take off the parchment paper, and top with your whipped cream
- Wait to add the Cinnamon Toast Crunch streusel until right before serving so it stays crunchy. Store the rest in an airtight container with a paper towel until ready to use
