The 3-Ingredient Dessert I Can’t Stop Making

What’s your favorite cereal, and why is it Cinnamon Toast Crunch? That’s really the only acceptable answer—at least in my house, anyway. We go through more boxes of it each month than I care to admit. My husband and I love big bowls of it with milk as a late-night snack in front of the TV. But as much as I love that classic preparation, I came up with an easy Cinnamon Toast Crunch dessert that’s even better than cereal with milk.

I got the idea after tasting one of the most delicious bites of food I had ever eaten. My sister Sarah is a baking blogger, and one of her favorite things is to take a classic dessert and mix it up a little bit. On her blog, you can find tons of variations on Rice Krispies-style treats. One that blew my mind was a “s’mores” version made with Golden Grahams, marshmallows, and chopped Hershey’s chocolate bars. So, I thought, why not take my favorite cereal and turn it into an easy treat?

The Ingredients

All you need to make my spin on this classic recipe are three main ingredients: salted butter, marshmallows, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. Just melt the butter and marshmallows together, stir in the cereal, press it into a parchment-lined pan, cool it in the fridge, and slice it into bars.

The result is a crunchy-yet-chewy bar that’s cinnamon-y, buttery, and absolutely delicious. I live for a salty-sweet moment, so if you’re like me, I highly recommend topping these bars with a little sea salt (I use flaky Maldon).

How To Make My 3-Ingredient Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bars

For 16 bars, you’ll need:

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 6 tablespoons salted butter
• 1 (10-ounce) bag mini or large marshmallows
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 5 cups Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal
• 1/2 teaspoon flaky salt, for topping, optional

Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides, and spray it with nonstick cooking spray. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the marshmallows and salt and stir with a rubber spatula until melted. Turn off the heat. Add the Cinnamon Toast Crunch to the pot and use the rubber spatula to mix well until the cereal is thoroughly coated with the melted marshmallows.

Transfer the cereal mixture to the parchment-lined pan and use the rubber spatula to spread it into an even layer. Use a clean rubber spatula sprayed with nonstick cooking spray to firmly press the mixture down so that it’s densely packed into the pan. Transfer the pan to the refrigerator to cool for 30 minutes.

Remove the pan from the fridge. Use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut the block into 16 bars. If desired, sprinkle flaky salt on top. Enjoy!

Storage Info

If your friends and family don’t gobble these bars up right away, you can easily store them in the fridge. After cutting the bars into squares, use the parchment sling to place them back into the baking pan. Cover the pan tightly with foil or plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The bars will firm up in the fridge, but you can let them sit out at room temperature for about an hour to soften before eating.

More Easy Treats

• Cake Mix Cookies
• 3-Ingredient Nutella Brownies
• 2-Ingredient Jam Bars
• Chocolate-Dipped Orange Segments
  
• Japanese Fruit Sandos