If you love the sweet and crunchy cinnamon flavor of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, you'll love making this Cinnamon Toast Cereal Cheesecake! This fun dessert is a twist on your favorite breakfast cereal and has a great flavor. Make this no-bake cheesecake for your next party or gathering!
If you grew up having Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal for breakfast, then you know just how delicious it is!
It's a cereal made with sweetened wheat and rice flakes that are coated in cinnamon and sugar. It's a favorite nostalgic breakfast food for many people!
The cinnamon sugar flavor is a great combination to use in a variety of desserts including this no-bake cheesecake!
The crust is made with the dry cereal on the bottom of the cake followed by a classic cheesecake base made with cream cheese and sugar. Add in soaked cereal for a sweet cinnamon flavor throughout and a great texture.
Once it chills and sets completely, it's ready to slice and enjoy with no baking involved. Great when you need an easy dessert and you don't want to turn on your oven!
Serve it up at a party alongside Blueberry Bread, Mini Chocolate Pastry Rolls, and Cream Cheese Lemonade Pie!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
The combination of sugar, cinnamon, and crunch offers a variety of textures and flavors.
This has the flavors of a cinnamon cheesecake or churros cheesecake!
You don't need to be a kid to enjoy this special nostalgic treat.
Great for the warmer months as there's no need to heat up the house by turning on the oven.
Cereal is a fun way to flavor cheesecake.
It's made with simple ingredients that can be found at any grocery store.
Ingredients
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch - You can use the official brand or any type you see at the grocery store. The cereal is used for the base of the cake and is also used for the crust and the garnish.
- Whole Milk - The cereal that goes inside the cake gets soaked in milk in order for it to be soft enough to mix smoothly into the ingredients.
- Brown Sugar - Used to help with the texture of the crust and to enhance the sweetness.
- Butter - Adds richness to the crust and helps hold it together.
- Heavy Whipping Cream - Gives the cheesecake a rich creamy texture while thinning it out to the perfect consistency.
- Cream Cheese - This makes up the base of the cheesecake adding a classic tangy flavor and thickness.
- Powdered Sugar - Finely milled sugar helps sweeten up the base of the cheesecake while mixing in smoothly.
- Lemon Juice - A bright pop of citrus acidity helps make balance and enhance the flavors of the cream cheese.
- Vanilla Extract - Gives the cheesecake a warming fragrant vanilla flavor.
Please see the recipe card below for quantities.
Instructions
Wondering how to make this Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cheesecake recipe? It's easy! Just follow this step-by-step photo tutorial. Then, scroll down for the recipe card for the full ingredients list and recipe method.
Soak the cereal: To a small bowl, add one cup of the cereal along with the milk and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. Stir fully to combine, then cover and chill for 30 minutes in the fridge to soften.
Prepare the crust: Divide the remaining cereal and set aside for garnish. With the remaining cereal, add it to a food processor and process until a fine breadcrumb texture is formed. Then, add the crumbs to a mixing bowl with melted butter and brown sugar and stir to combine. Press the crust into the bottom of a springform pan and let it chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to solidify.
Prepare the cream and cereal: Remove the soaked cereal from the fridge and extract any excess moisture, saving the milk and cereal for later. Add the whipping cream to a stand mixer and whisk until stiff peaks form, then fold in the soaked cereal with a rubber spatula.
Prepare the cheesecake base: In another bowl, add the cereal-infused milk, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and lemon juice together and mix until smooth. Then, fold in the whipped cream and cereal mixture until combined.
Assemble and chill: Add the filling to the top of the chilled crust and spread out evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit overnight or for at least 6 hours.
Serve and enjoy: Loosen the edges of the cheesecake with a knife and remove the rim of the springform pan. Decorate with the remaining cereal, sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar, slice, and serve.
Cook's Tips
Let your cream cheese come to room temperature before mixing it with the cheesecake base. This will help the ingredients mix smoothly.
You can use any type of milk you have on hand for soaking the cereal. I used whole milk, but you could also use skim milk, almond, or soy.
Make sure you remove as much moisture as possible from the soaked cereal to ensure it doesn't create moisture in the base of the cake.
If you don't have a food processor, you can place the cereal in a ziplock bag and bash it with a rolling pin until it resembles breadcrumbs.
The cheesecake will thicken and set as it chills in the fridge overnight.
Variations
For even more cinnamon flavor, try adding a teaspoon of cinnamon to the base of the cheesecake.
Add a layer of chocolate ganache or frosting in between the crust and cheesecake for an extra decadent dessert.
You could also try using another type of cereal in place of the cinnamon toast crunch such as Golden Grahams, Honey Smacks, or Lucky Charms.
This recipe can easily be halved to make a smaller cheesecake or mini cheesecake.
To make a chocolate cheesecake, add a few tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to the cream cheese mixture.
Decorate the cheesecake with chocolate shavings, chocolate chips, or a drizzle of melted chocolate on top.
Storage & Freezing
Storing: Any leftovers can be stored in a covered container in the fridge for up to five days.
Freezing: If you'd like to freeze leftovers, the best way to do that is to wrap individual slices in plastic wrap, then in foil. Place them in a freezer-safe bag for up to three months. When you're ready to eat them, let them thaw overnight in the fridge before enjoying them.
FAQs
Nope! There are plenty of crunchy cinnamon cereals out there that taste just like the real thing, sometimes better!
Of course! If you're short on time, you can use a store-bought graham cracker crust or an Oreo cookie crust. Just make sure it's big enough to fit a standard-size springform pan.
There are a few things that could have gone wrong. First, make sure you're using full-fat cream cheese and not the spreadable kind. Second, make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature before mixing it with the rest of the ingredients. And finally, make sure you've whisked the whipping cream until peaks have formed.
I highly recommend using one because it will make removing the cheesecake from the pan much easier. But if you don't have one, you can use a regular cake or pie pan. Just be aware that it might be more difficult to remove the cheesecake from the pan in one piece.
More dessert recipes
We hope that you love this tasty Cinnamon Toast Cereal Cheesecake recipe! Be sure to also check out these other dessert recipes too!
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📖 Recipe
Cinnamon Toast Cereal Cheesecake
Equipment
- 9-inch (23cm) springform pan
- Blender or Food Processor
- Electric mixer
Ingredients
- 5 cups Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal 250g
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar light or dark, divided
- ½ cup butter melted
- 1 cup whipping cream (or heavy cream) (250g)
- 16 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar confectioner's sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Soak the cereal:
- Add 1 cup (50g) of the cinnamon toast cereal to a small bowl, along with the milk and 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar.Stir well, cover and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Make the crust:
- Of the remaining 4 cups of unsoaked cereal, set aside ½ cup of the cereal for decoration, then add the remaining 3 ½ cups of cereal to a blender or food processor and process until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Alternatively, add them to a large ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin.
- Add the cereal crumbs to a medium mixing bowl along with the melted butter and the remaining 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and stir well to combine.
- Pour into the springform pan and press it down firmly and evenly all over the bottom of the pan.
- Place it into the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
Make the filling:
- Strain the soaked cereal and milk into a sieve over a mixing bowl, pressing down on the cereal to extract as much milk as you can. Save the strained out cereal.
- Beat the whipping cream with an electric mixer for 4 minutes or until stiff peaks form.
- Fold in the reserved soaked cereal pieces.
- In a separate mixing bowl, beat the cereal-infused milk, cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice and vanilla until smooth.
- Fold in the whipped cream and cereal mixture gently by hand until combined.
- Remove the crust from the fridge and spread then filling over it evenly.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or for best results chill overnight.
- To serve, use a knife to loosen the edge of the cheesecake from the rim of the pan, then remove the rim.
- Decorate the top with the remaining cinnamon toast crunch cereal and cut into slices to serve.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.
Casey says
This is my kids' FAVE cereal! They are going to go crazy over this--so glad I found your recipe!
Tara says
Amazing cheesecake recipe! The crispy, crunchy cereal perfectly mixes with the creamy cheesecake.
Tayler says
This is my absolute favorite breakfast cereal, so I couldn't wait to try this! It was amazing!
Wendy says
This sounds amazing!…my daughter has requested it for her Birthday Cake in July!
One question though!….I have read the instructions twice and #2 and #5 ask for use of the same reserved soaking milk!…#2 the whipping cream is added and then whipped…..#5 the reserved milk is folded into the whipped cream until combined!…so…please….which is it?
Kate says
Sorry, the instructions are much clearer now! I hope you enjoy the cheesecake.