This $6 Limited-Edition Breakfast Find Is My Favorite TikTok Recipe Reincarnated

Who could forget pancake cereal? ICYMI, in the spring of 2020 videos of tiny pancakes piled up in a bowl, as if they were cereal, took over TikTok and our morning menus. There were chocolate chips, of course, sprinkles, whipped cream, and even rainbow-hued batter. It was a mash-up we didn’t know we needed, and as someone who adores both pancakes and cereal, the trend felt tailor-made for me. (I’m sure I’m not alone in that sentiment, but humor me, please.)

Fast forward nearly three years and several dozen (hundred?) viral recipes later, and I’d venture to guess it’s been a while since many of us broke out our squeeze bottles to construct the coin-sized cakes. Which is why I was excited to learn about the limited-edition launch of Belgian Boys Pancake Cereal. 

Could I retire from mini-pancake flipping for good? There was only one way to find out!

Before even opening the cartoonish box, I had high hopes for this pancake cereal. The ingredient list is short and sweet, not unlike what you’d find in a from-scratch pancake recipe. And like other Belgian Boys breakfast foods (waffles, crepes, French toast), these are refrigerated — not frozen.  

Inside there are four sealed bags with roughly 30 golden-brown pancakes each. The cakes are tender to the touch, and look as if they could have been made earlier that morning. But would they taste homemade?  

I don’t have a microwave, so I heated a pack in a nonstick pan on the stovetop for the full three minutes recommended, stirring them occasionally. I didn’t grease the pan with butter (or oil) because I was planning on eating my first bowl as I do any other breakfast cereal: with milk. Plus, I wanted to taste them on their own. For a more pancake-style serving, though, I highly recommend heating yours in some melted butter, then drizzling with syrup.

After a short stint on the stove, I poured the baby cakes and then milk into a shallow bowl. The box suggests adding “a splash.” I tend to flood my flakes and clusters with milk, but I was concerned about chilling the freshly warmed pancakes. So I settled on somewhere in the middle, which for me meant roughly a third of a cup. 

The pancakes are light, fluffy, and slightly sweet — as if I made them from scratch 10 minutes earlier. When combined with milk, they absorb just enough to create a delightful sponginess without becoming soggy or chewy. If I wasn’t so full from the first bowl, I would have gladly eaten another right then and there. 

I haven’t tried them with the classic butter-syrup combination yet, but it’s only a matter of mornings. I could also see adding them to a breakfast board or doubling them up with another popular TikTok trend: the butter board.

Buy: Belgian Boys Pancake Cereal, $5.99 for 4 cereal packs at Target

Have you tried this pancake cereal? Tell us about it in the comments.