The Shockingly Simple Way Jacques Pépin Turns Bland Breakfast Cereal Into Rich Chocolatey Treats

Many people start the day with good-for-you breakfast cereals, but let's face it, those more nutritious options aren't exactly taste sensations. That's why some of us add fruit like bananas and blueberries to the bowl to get more flavor. But renowned French chef, Jacques Pépin — one of Ina Garten's dream dinner guests — makes bland breakfast cereal more fun by easily transforming it into crispy chocolate treats.

The idea is simple: mix cereal with melted chocolate and let it harden. Pépin demonstrated how to do it with Rice Krispies and corn flakes (a cereal with a history that's more surprising than you knew) in one of his "Cooking at Home" videos. The chef poured melted chocolate — he suggested using bittersweet or semisweet — over corn flakes in one small bowl, and Rice Krispies in another. Then he mixed the cereals with the chocolate, and spooned the mixture out in small bundles onto a foil-covered baking pan. After about an hour in the refrigerator, and they were set and ready to eat. Pépin claimed he borrowed the concept from his friend and esteemed chocolatier, Jacques Torres.

The only "cooking" that needs to be done involves melting the chocolate, which you can do incrementally in the microwave, or by setting up a double boiler. Be careful not to get any water in the chocolate or it could seize and turn grainy.

These chocolate-covered cereal goodies are as easy to customize as they are to make. You could use milk or white chocolate instead of bittersweet or semisweet, or melt butterscotch chips in equal amounts with the chocolate. Substitute other cereals, like Cheerios or Chex — and since these are treats after all — you could also use some of the brands with cartoon characters on the box. Just avoid any that are over-the-top sugary, because that could be too sweet combined with the chocolate. Think about flavors too; Cinnamon Toast Crunch would likely taste great with chocolate, but Froot Loops? Maybe not.

Jacques Pépin said he sometimes swaps out the cereal altogether and makes the clusters with nuts, an ingredient you could also add to the cereal for extra flavor and crunch. Consider other mix-ins as well, like sunflower seeds, shredded coconut, raisins, cranberries, or other chopped dried fruit, and mini marshmallows. Use Lucky Charms cereal, and the marshmallow pieces are already included. Plus, you can finish them off with flaky salt or sprinkles.

You can also play around with shape and consistency too. Try mixing the cereal with honey or nut butters before adding the chocolate. You could also spread the chocolate-coated cereal out flat in a parchment-covered baking pan instead of making individual bundles. After chilling in the refrigerator, break it into pieces for a more rustic look. However you choose to make them, chocolate will turn your ho-hum everyday cereal into something special.