Mini Rugelach Cereal

Because mini pancakes just weren’t time-intensive enough.

Just kidding. But these were very much inspired by those mini pancakes everyone’s making over on TikTok. Which are kind of amazing and adorable, no??

Oh. PAUSE. I guess I should admit that I’m not cool enough to have actually seen them there—on TikTok. It was only when they spilled over to Instagram that I perked up and started paying attention. In the past few days, I’ve spied them on I Am a Food Blog‘s feed, and then on Hummingbird High‘s feed, and then…on…everywhere.

Aaaaaand then Molly Yeh went and did this.

And I thought to myself, “Wait. RUGELACH CEREAL!!!!!!!!” (For the uninitiated, Molly’s sprinkle-coated rugelach are the stuff of internet LEGEND and truly one of my favorite things to make.)

And that’s the story of how these adorable sprinkle-y cookie cereal pieces came to be.

Also because cookies + milk = natural combo. Whereas pancakes + milk = huh?!! I’m down with the miniature part and the pancake part and the syrupy part and the giant pat of butter. But the milk…the milk…

This cereal experience, meanwhile, feels a little more seamless to me. It’s like eating a few of Molly’s rugelach dipped in milk. Well, dunked. Well, drowned.

Also, if you think about it, one bowl of this cereal is probably only equivalent to, I don’t know, four or five or six normal-sized rugelach?

…On second thought, let’s not think about that.

I know, I know. You have questions. Do you eat these with a spoon or a fork? Do you serve them in a bowl or on a plate? Do you have to pour milk all over them or can you just eat them plain and dry?

Alas…those are questions that only you can answer. As with anything in food and life, the choice is yours. Pour milk all over them, don’t pour milk all over them, use a fork, use a spoon, use both, whatever.

Whatever you do, you’re in for a treat. The resulting cereal is so, so, so satisfying—in my humble opinion, it’s got just the ratio of crunch to milk (if you go the milk route, that is) to sprinkliness to chocolate to adorability.

The tutorial follows. Many, many thanks to the people of TikTok and Molly for the inspo! I hope this idea brings you as much joy as it brought me—it’s a fun one.

Mini Rugelach Cereal

Base recipe by Molly Yeh / My Name Is Yeh; makes 3-4 small bowls of “cereal.”

What You’ll Need:

• 1 batch Molly Yeh’s chocolate sea salt rugelach dough, chilled for at least an hour or up to two days (only make the dough and chill; don’t continue to the end of the recipe!)
• 1 1/2 c (260g) chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (I used semisweet chocolate chips)
• Egg wash (1 egg mixed with 2 tablespoons of water)
• Rainbow sprinkles (optional)
• Parchment paper
• Milk, for serving

What You’ll Do:

1. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler while stirring or in a microwaveable bowl in 30-second increments, stirring after each. Set aside to cool slightly while you roll out the dough.
2. To form the rugelach “cereal” pieces: Working with half of one dough disc at a time (so as to keep the dough as cold as possible as you work!), pull apart 1-inch pieces and place on a lightly floured surface, dusting with flour as needed to prevent it from sticking. Roll each individual piece into a small, thin rectangle (they don’t have to be perfect, but you can use a knife to trim off any really wonky parts so that they at least look a little more like rectangles).
3. Working quickly to keep the dough relatively chilled, use a small knife to spread the chocolate in a thin, even layer, leaving a small (~1 centimeter) border along the “long” edge that’s furthest from you. Brush that “blank” border with a thin layer of egg wash and then roll each dough section into a tiny log, starting on the end closest to you and rolling toward that border. Place it seam side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to two days. If you’re only refrigerating for an hour or two, no need to cover the tiny logs; if longer than that, cover with plastic wrap. 
4. Preheat the oven to 350º F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. Remove the logs from the fridge and brush with a thin layer of egg wash. Sprinkle on some colored sprinkles. Cut the logs into 1-centimeter slices (keep in mind that they’ll “shorten up” a little as they bake) and transfer them over to the clean baking sheets, keeping them a few centimeters apart. Bake until golden brown on top; begin checking for doneness at 15 minutes.
6. Let the tiny cookies cool on the pans for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Add to a bowl with milk, if you want the real cereal experience, and enjoy! Leftovers can be stored at room temp for several days.