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Retro Cereal Milkshake Recipe
Everyone knows that the best part of cereal has always been the milk at the bottom. So we made a milkshake out of it and gave it a Klondike upgrade. This isn't just cereal milk in a glass. It features a Klondike Original Vanilla Bar for a thick, creamy shake that lands somewhere between an old-timey diner treat and a sepia-tinged Saturday morning breakfast memory.
Whipped cream, crunchy cereal, fruit-flavored rings as toppings take this treat from simple milkshake to full-blown dessert. If you've ever wondered how to make a cereal milkshake that feels a little nostalgic and a little over-the-top, you're in the right place.
What You’ll Need
- Medium mixing bowl
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Blender
- Tall serving glass
- Straw
How to Make a Cereal Milkshake
- Combine the milk and cereal in a bowl and let it soak in the fridge for 30 minutes, until the milk turns sweet. The cereal soaks up a fair bit of milk as it sits, which is why you start with extra. Pop your serving glass in the freezer while you wait.
- Strain the milk mixture through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing gently to get every drop. Snack on the soggy cereal or toss it.
- Prep the chilled glass: swipe melted chocolate around the top edge of the glass, then press on crushed cereal so it forms a crunchy rim.
- Blend the cereal milk with two Klondike Original Vanilla Bars and the ice cubes until thick and smooth. Pulse rather than run it, so it stays cold and thick. For the speckled look, pulse in a small handful of unsoaked cereal at the very end.
- Pour into a tall serving glass.
- Top with whipped cream and extra cereal as a garnish.
- Drizzle chocolate over the top, let it run down the glass, add a straw, and serve right away.
How to Customize Your Cereal Milkshake
Part of the fun of a cereal milkshake is that it doesn't have to look the same every time. Switching cereals is the easiest place to start. Chocolate cereal creates a richer, more dessert-like shake, while fruit-flavored rings lean into a colorful, comics-in-front-of-the-TV breakfast angle. Pick your favorite.
The milk choice is flexible, too. Whole milk delivers a creamier result, but oat, almond, or other plant-based alternatives work well if that's what you prefer or have on hand.
You can also change the flavor profile simply by swapping the Klondike bar. A Cookies & Creme Bar adds cookie pieces and a little extra texture, while a Mint Chocolate Chip Bar takes things somewhere completely different. Watching your sugar? The No Sugar Added Vanilla Bar slots right in. Then there's the question of consistency. The shake leans thick from two bars and a little ice, so a splash more milk loosens it toward sippable, while adding less milk will create a thicker shake.
PS. While you’re here, take a look at our Frozen Mudslide and Ice Cream Bar Cake recipes.
READ NEXT: How to Create a Klondike Bar Dessert Board for Your Next Party
When to Serve
Cereal milkshakes don’t really need to wait for a special occasion, but there are definitely moments when they’ll feel like the perfect reward
- Weekend afternoons when you're craving something a little more exciting than a standard milkshake.
- Hot summer days when an icy-cold dessert drink suddenly seems like the best idea in the world.
- Birthday parties, sleepovers, and family movie nights.
- Retro-themed gatherings, dessert tables, or any occasion that could use a little nostalgia.
- Those moments when you buy cereal for breakfast and somehow end up making dessert instead.
Upgrade Your Cereal Milkshake with Klondike
A cereal milkshake is only as good as what you build it around, and a Klondike Original Vanilla Bar is a pretty great place to start. From there it's yours to play with.
Made one you're proud of? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram @klondikebar.
FAQs
A cereal milkshake is a milkshake made with cereal-infused milk, which is milk that has absorbed the flavor of cereal through soaking. The result captures those familiar sweet, toasty notes that usually disappear with the last spoonful of breakfast.
Yes, almost any cereal works for a cereal milkshake. Chocolate cereals create a richer flavor, while fruit-flavored varieties bring a brighter, more colorful twist. Half the fun is finding out which cereals turn out to be surprisingly good in a milkshake. Try both and let us know your favorite combinations!
A cereal milkshake tastes creamy and sweet, with a clear flavor from whatever cereal you choose. Use chocolate cereal and it leans toward chocolate milk; use fruit rings and you get that bright, sugary flavor left at the bottom of a childhood breakfast bowl.
Yes, a cereal milkshake can be made without ice cream by blending cereal milk with frozen bananas, whipped topping, or other creamy ingredients. The texture will be a little different, but you'll still get those distinctive cereal-inspired flavors.
