Honey Nut Cheerios Cereal Cupcake Treats

There are two foods that both my son and I can always eat: Cereal and cupcakes! Ok, so a diet of carbs and sweets isn’t exactly healthy. But, since that’s not all we eat -- a little treat once in a while isn’t so bad. Cooking has never been my strong suit. I love eating, but really enjoy food more when someone else has prepared it. That said, I do enjoy getting a little creative with baking.

I’m not a from-scratch type of mom. A few years ago I tried to make the cookie cake that my son’s friend’s mom is kind of famous (in our suburb) for. The result? A rock hard disk that made my son say, “Mom, you really shouldn’t cook anymore.” So, my type of baking is more like jazzing up easy-to-make mixes. While I can’t make a marshmallow from scratch and my butter cream would make you look away, my “recipes” (I use this term loosely – as they are more of activity instructions) are perfectly suited for kids to try. If I can measure and mix; so can your 4year-old.

I’ve made all kinds of artsy-inspired cupcakes (Monet, Jackson Pollock), science-focused color mixing ones and an ooey, gooey s’mores version. This time I’m adding one of my favorite types of cereal (Honey Nut Cheerios) to cupcakes. Ever since my son could eat solid foods, he had a passion for Cheerios. Now that he’s older we’re mixing the honey nut version with some sweet icing to make a breakfast-inspired dessert!

Here’s What You’ll Need:

·        Cupcake mix – You’ll also need items to mix in (eggs, water and oil).

·        Cupcake tin and liners

·        White frosting

·        Honey Nut Cheerios

·        Honey – The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents avoid giving honey to children under 1-year of age because of the botulism risk.

Here’s What to Do:

1.     Mix the cupcakes. Let your child measure and mix the ingredients.

2.     Pour the mix into the liners. Give your child a spoon so that she can help.

3.     Pop the cupcakes into the oven. Do this step yourself. Never allow your young child to use (or near) the oven.

4.     Take the cupcakes out of the oven – again, do this step yourself. Let the cakes cool.

5.     Fill a cereal-sized bowl with Honey Nut Cheerios. Have your child help you to crush the cereal. She can use her (washed) hands or she can smoosh the cereal with a spoon.

6.     Fill another bow with the frosting. Add a few drops of honey. Mix the honey into the frosting. Taste the mixture. If it’s not honey-flavored enough, add more.

7.     Sprinkle some of the crushed cereal into the mix. Make sure that the cereal is finely crushed to avoid a choking hazard.

8.     Frost the cupcakes.

9.     Add a sprinkle of cereal to the top.
 

10. Drizzle honey over the cupcakes.
 

Are you looking for more cupcake ideas? Follow my Pinterest board for sweets galore!

 

Follow Mini Monets and Mommies's board Cupcakes! Yum! on Pinterest.