22 Ways to Cook With Cornflakes
Want to add crispy crunch to whatever you're cooking? A box of cornflakes breakfast cereal is the answer.
The light, crispy, sweet flakes are a home cook's secret ingredient, and work in both sweet and savory recipes. No need to fry when you can bread your chicken or fish with these delicately sweet crunchy flakes and oven-bake instead.
In cookies, they stay crisp even when baked; and they are also the key ingredients in easy-to-make candy clusters and a Tin Roof sundae. The crushed golden flakes are so popular as a substitute for breadcrumb coatings they are even sold crumbled. (But you can easily crush them in a plastic bag with a rolling pin.) Scroll through for 22 ways to cook with cornflakes.
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Buttermilk Chicken and Corn Flake Baked Casserole
If you're craving comfort, you'll love this dish that recipe creator Donna Henderson Hopgood says combines the flavors of chicken pot pie and buttermilk fried chicken, and is "the ultimate in yummy casseroles!" It's a great way to use freezer staples such as frozen peas and chicken breasts, and the parsley and dill add freshness.
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Mom's Ranger Cookies
Why are they called Ranger Cookies? We're not really sure, but the combination of cornflakes, oats, and coconut is a winner. Recipe reviewer Dr. Cyndi says this cornflakes recipe is a family favorite, and recommends adding raisins and doubling the recipe during the holidays so there's enough to share with friends.
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Breaded Parmesan Ranch Chicken
Only five ingredients are needed for this quick and easy recipe that uses staples you probably already have on hand. Parmesan cheese and ranch dressing mix add flavor, and crushed cornflakes add crunch to skinless, boneless chicken breasts that are baked instead of fried. Recipe reviewer Nurse Jess used spicy ranch and said, "My whole family loved this, even my picky tween daughter."
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Cornflake Slice
This is a five-ingredient recipe that may remind you of another cereal and marshmallow-based no-bake square treat. Recipe reviewer Island Girl says these are "yummy and crunchy! Super easy and a fast treat to make in a hurry!"
Related:Â 14 Desserts That Start With Cereal
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Baked Chicken Thighs Coated With Corn Flake Crumbs
The secret to this recipe is a unique combination of flavorful ingredients: teriyaki sauce, sriracha, sweet paprika, and rice wine vinegar. Recipe creator Doug in Manhattan says, "For overall crispiness, I usually bake the thighs on a baking rack that's been placed over a foil-lined half-sheet pan. And don't omit the sugar, as it helps the coating adhere to the chicken."
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Cornflake Macaroons
Chewy on the inside and crunchy on the outside, these cookies are loaded with cornflakes and flavored with coconut and vanilla. Recipe creator Bewytcher says, "If you prefer a more cake-like cookie increase the flour slightly and decrease the cornflakes slightly."
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Super Crunch Oven Cooked Honey Dipped Wings
Marinate chicken wings in seasoned buttermilk, then dip in a crunchy mix of cornflake crumbs and cornmeal before baking. Drizzle with a red pepper-infused honey for an appetizer that hits all the right notes. Several reviewers report success making this recipe with chicken breasts too.
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Cornflake Clusters
You won't need a candy thermometer to make these easy candy clusters. Simply add crunchy cornflakes, walnuts, and coconut to a boiled sugary syrup, stir, and you're done. Recipe reviewer Sarah McKeown Schafer says, "After spooning onto the wax paper they are easy to shape into balls."
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Cheddar Chicken
"The best Cheddar chicken I have ever eaten," raves recipe reviewer Maria. A quick and easy recipe, a simple combination of Cheddar cheese, Parmesan, and crushed cornflakes create a flavorful and crispy coating for skinless, boneless, chicken breast halves.
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Cornflake Candy
These golden gems are packed with peanut butter, peanuts, butterscotch chips and of course, cornflakes. Recipe creator Susan Hignight shares, "This has been a longtime family favorite. Very easy to make and a great choice for peanut butter lovers. The lighter you press the mixture into the pan, the more tender the candy will be."
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Delicious Chocolate Cornflake Cakes
They made be called cakes, but these clusters of chocolate coated cornflakes are more like candy. If you can't find golden syrup or light treacle — a thick and amber-colored type of inverted sugar syrup — you can use honey or corn syrup, or a combination of the two instead. If the candy is sticky, pop it in the freezer until firm.
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Easy, Crunchy Hot Dogs
No buns? No problem. These hot dogs are rolled in ketchup, mustard, and cornflake crumbs, and then baked for 15-20 minutes. They're easy and delicious, and give you something you just can't get from a bun: an irresistible crispy texture. Try adding Parmesan to the cornflake mixture to give them an extra boost of flavor.Â
Related:Â 8 Easy Kid-Friendly Hot Dog Dinner Ideas
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Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole
"My boyfriend doesn't like cauliflower, but he said he'd eat it if I put cheese on it," says community member ilkaisha. "I followed this recipe exactly, and it was absolutely delicious. I felt really skeptical for a moment before I tossed the cauliflower in with the other ingredients -- I felt that it would be too little to coat everything. However, it was the perfect amount. Each bite was cheesy and delicious. As for the corn flakes, I figured that I would crush them in a plastic baggie. Little did I know in advance that a snack-sized bag filled with corn flakes crunches down to exactly half a cup! Now you do, and you can save yourself a bit of time measuring! :)"
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Baked Cornflake Chicken
Nearly everyone loves fried chicken, and cornflake chicken offers a lighter, easier, and healthier way to get a similar result. Crumbled cornflakes make a crunchy coating for chicken, and baking it is a lot less messy than frying. Take recipe reviewer Danakay's advice and consider adding a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese before baking.
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Sweet French Toast
Here's another way to have cornflakes for breakfast: Crumble them and use them to give this French toast a crust with just the right degree of crispiness. Use thick slices of bread that won't soak up the egg as quickly so prevent your toast from falling apart.Â
Related:Â The 5 Best Breads for French Toast
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Tin Roof Sundae Pie
Based on a sundae made with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, and peanuts, this ice cream pie gets the added bonus of a crunchy cereal crust made with honey and nut-flavor cornflakes cereal, peanut butter, and corn syrup. The flavors may also remind you of the classic drumstick ice cream cone.
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Corn Flake-Crusted Halibut
Rely on kitchen staples — cornflakes and light mayonnaise — to create crispy coated halibut that is a real crowd pleaser. Some recipe reviewers swap other white fish for halibut, such as haddock, mahi mahi, or orange roughy, and use dried dill in place of fresh. Recipe reviewer Buckwheat Queen used chicken in place of fish and reported, "Thumbs up from everyone here."
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies
These three-ingredient no-bake cookies come together in five minutes, although you will have to chill them for 30 minutes to let them firm up before eating. Some reviewers said they'd increase the amount of peanut butter, but that's totally up to you.
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Air Fryer Cornflake Chicken Fingers
You already know that cornflake-crusted chicken works like a dream in the oven, so if you haven't applied that magic to your air fryer yet, this recipe is your sign. The simple seasoning blend is entirely made of pantry staples and perfectly complements the cornflake breading.
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Cherry Winks
Since winning the Pillsbury Bake-Off in 1950, these cookies have been a holiday staple. The secret to their foolproof formula is pitted, chopped dates, which provide an ample dose of moisture and natural sweetness. Community member Memack recommends refrigerating the dough for a few days: "The juices from the cherries and dates just seeped into the batter."
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O'Brian's Potato Casserole
This potato casserole is so simple, inexpensive, and tasty it's almost unfair, and it's just as welcome at a weeknight dinner as it is at a Sunday lunch. To save some time, you can blitz the sour cream, soup, cheese, and onions in a food processor.Â
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Butterscotch Drops
"These were easy to make and have a good flavor mix with the peanut butter and butterscotch chips," says community member Shar. "I took these to our cookie exchange at work and one of the ladies just flipped over them saying this was what her grandmother made her when she was little. Brought back great memories for her."