22 Recipes That Prove Cornflakes Aren't Just For Breakfast

A top pick amongst fans of a quick, convenient breakfast, cornflakes offer a subtly sweet flavor and plenty of satisfying crunch. Typically served with a splash of milk and often adorned with toppings such as fresh fruit, honey, or chopped nuts, this trusty cereal is something that the whole family can enjoy on busy mornings. However, cornflakes' uses don't end there. There's far more to these crispy morsels than meets the eye, and they can, in fact, come in handy for your everyday cooking and baking, too.

Cornflakes are an effective add-in for a variety of sweet and savory dishes, where they bring their signature crunch without overpowering other flavors in the dish. One of the most common ways you'll see them used is as a topping for casseroles or a coating for baked and fried foods. Here, the flakes seamlessly replace breadcrumbs to provide an equally robust layer of crispiness, building an irresistible textural contrast. The cereal can also be the star of no-bake treats, holding its shape beautifully when combined with sweet, sticky ingredients and left to set. 

So, if you're ready to give that box of cornflakes sitting in your pantry a new lease of life, you're in the right place. Let's take a look at some delicious recipes that make this breakfast staple the star.

Chicken becomes all the more satisfying when cooked in a crispy coating, and breadcrumbs or batter are the most typical approaches for creating that moreish layer of crunch. But another technique, that's just as tasty and effective, is coating the chicken in cornflakes. In this recipe, the meat is first marinated in herby seasoned buttermilk, then coated generously in a mixture of crushed cornflakes, Parmesan cheese, and ranch seasoning before it's oven-baked to golden perfection. The tender-crisp chicken is amazing served with creamy ranch dressing and a side of fries.

Recipe: Crispy Cornflake Ranch Chicken

Funeral potatoes are well-loved for their gooey, cheesy base and delightfully crunchy topping, and cornflakes are one of the most popular ingredients for scattering on top of this crowd-pleasing bake. Here, they're crushed and mixed with melted butter before they're spooned over the rich potato layer, which features canned cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and some aromatic seasonings. Once baked, the cereal's golden color deepens, and it takes on a wonderfully toasty flavor that complements the creaminess of the other ingredients brilliantly.

Recipe: Cheesy Funeral Potatoes

These fun, festive treats are perfect for crafting with the kids during the holiday season. There's no baking required here, and the prep method is super simple. First, you'll melt butter with mini marshmallows, flavoring the mixture with a dash of vanilla, and using food coloring to tint it a vibrant shade of green. Off the heat, stir in cornflakes, then shape handfuls of the sticky mixture into mini wreaths on a lined baking sheet. Top each cookie off with some red M&Ms, and they're ready for chilling until set.

Recipe: Christmas Wreath Cookies

Loaded with rich, savory flavor, this ham and cheese strata is the ultimate comforting breakfast casserole. Slices of soft white sandwich bread are layered with a mixture of cheddar and Swiss cheeses and some chopped ham, then topped with an onion and mustard-infused mixture of milk and egg. The flavors are then left to meld overnight in the fridge, before buttery cornflakes are sprinkled on top, and everything is oven-baked until gloriously melty beneath, yet crisp on the top.

Recipe: Ham and Cheese Strata

These four-ingredient cookies couldn't be more straightforward to whip up, and here, crispy cornflakes are truly the star of the recipe. Just melt together butterscotch chips and peanut butter with a pinch of salt, and stir in cornflakes until well-coated. Then, you can scoop out portions of this delightfully sweet and nutty mixture and arrange the mounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet. After around 20 minutes in the fridge, the cookies will be completely set and ready to enjoy. Yum!

Recipe: No-Bake Cornflake Butterscotch Cookies

One of the best ways to make a salad infinitely more exciting is to top it with something warm, namely these irresistibly crispy fried goat cheese rounds. Whilst the recipe calls for panko breadcrumbs, you can absolutely coat the cheese in crushed cornflakes instead, to create an equally mouth-watering crunchy exterior. Paired with a leafy peach and tomato salad and dressed with a tangy honey-Dijon vinaigrette, the resulting dish serves as a well-rounded and flavorful lunch or dinner.

Recipe: Summery Fried Goat Cheese Salad

Yes, you can absolutely turn avocados into a perfectly crunchy and dippable batch of fries. This dish strikes the most amazing balance between creaminess and crispness, and cornflakes can help you achieve that all-important textural contrast. Just use the crushed cereal in place of the panko breadcrumbs in this recipe, seasoning them with garlic powder and spices in the same way. After coating the avocado wedges in beaten egg, then dredging them in flour, you'll finish with a layer of the cornflake mixture and pop everything in the oven to bake.

Recipe: Easy Baked Avocado Fries

With their earthy, nutty flavor, turnips are an ideal veggie for crafting an elegant, cheesy gratin. And of course, a crispy topping is a must. This one features ground almonds, Parmesan, and parsley, as well as breadcrumbs, which are once again interchangeable for crushed cornflakes. The rich mixture serves as a wonderfully elegant yet satisfying way to enhance the layers of tender, saffron-infused turnip slices, yielding a rather moreish, golden-brown crust.

Recipe: Golden Turnip Au Gratin

For a meat-free take on your usual chicken wings, try whipping up these mouth-wateringly crispy cauliflower bites. The florets are first dunked in a garlicky spiced batter, with the panko or crushed cornflake layer coming next. Once baked, each bite will be tender within, and ultra-crunchy on the outside. We finish the wings off by tossing them with an Asian-inspired sauce that blends sweet, tangy, and umami-rich notes with a hint of heat. And, briefly broiling the coated wings gets the sauce delightfully sticky and caramelized.

Recipe: Sticky Garlic Cauliflower Wings

For a hearty lunch that packs some serious crunch, treat yourself to this Nashville hot chicken wrap. The standard recipe sees the chicken coated in seasoned flour, but also includes instructions for an easy swap. After the initial buttermilk dredge, just coat the chicken in crushed cornflakes. Then, rather than deep-frying the meat, you'll bake it in the oven until golden and crispy. Brushed with homemade hot sauce, the chicken can then be wrapped up in a soft tortilla with the tangy pickle slaw.

Recipe: Nashville Hot Chicken Wraps With Pickle Slaw

Making chicken katsu is a top-tier way to use panko breadcrumbs, but did you know that cornflakes work just as well for crafting that signature crispy coating? Step one is to flatten the boneless chicken thighs. Dredge them in flour, then beaten egg, with the final layer being the crushed cereal. Deep-fried in hot oil, the chicken will crisp up in minutes, while remaining oh-so succulent in the middle. Serve the chicken with a generous drizzle of sweet and tangy tonkatsu sauce and some vibrant pickled veggies.

Recipe: Crispy Breaded Chicken Katsu

Since it holds its shape when heated, halloumi cheese is the perfect candidate for baking or frying. And, it's even better when enhanced with a crispy coating. In this recipe, we slice the cheese into batons, then dredge it in the usual trio of flour, egg, and breadcrumbs (or cornflakes!), before baking the fries in the oven to achieve that crunchy finish. These are fantastic served with a selection of dips, such as garlic mayo, ketchup, and sweet chili sauce. Or, you could try drizzling them with some sticky hot honey before serving.

Recipe: Halloumi Fries

Move over, popcorn chicken — there's an exceptionally tasty, vegan-friendly alternative on the scene. This crispy tofu certainly delivers on flavor and crunch, thanks to a medley of spices and a generous coating of breadcrumbs or cornflakes. We even whip up a completely plant-based egg substitute using flaxseed to help bind the cornflakes to the tofu. With each morsel prepped and coated, just arrange them on a baking sheet, spritz with cooking spray, and bake until golden.

Recipe: The Best Crispy Baked Popcorn Tofu

Made with fluffy potatoes and a trio of creamy cheeses, these crisp and gooey croquettes balance indulgence with lightness. Lemon zest and herbs add a lovely brightness to the filling mixture, and the mozzarella center ensures you get that spectacular cheese pull. The coating is created with the classic flour, egg, and breadcrumb method, and as always, switching up the latter for cornflakes is encouraged. Deep-fried and drained, the croquettes make for a tempting appetizer or side dish, especially when paired with a lemon-garlic mayonnaise.

Recipe: Surprisingly Light Cheese and Herb Croquettes

This is possibly the heartiest way we've ever prepared eggplant. Crushed cornflakes can easily replace the breadcrumbs in the Parmesan and garlic-infused coating that covers each veggie slice before being baked. But this dish doesn't end there. Those crispy and flavorful eggplant rounds are smothered in melty mozzarella, extra Parmesan, and a herby tomato sauce, yielding an ultra-comforting meal that won't have you missing meat one bit.

Recipe: Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Why settle for plain old mashed potatoes when you could transform them into a batch of irresistibly cheesy, crispy bites? This is a fantastic way to use up leftover mash, while leaning into the convenience of air-frying. First, we add a medley of savory ingredients to the potatoes, including crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar, and chopped chives, then roll the mixture into balls. Dip these in buttery crushed cornflakes and chill them briefly, then pop them in the air fryer for around five minutes to crisp up.

Recipe: Air Fryer Mashed Potato Balls

Onion rings are another deep-fried delight that's traditionally breaded or battered, but you absolutely have to try giving this beloved side dish the cornflake treatment. Here, we slice the onion into large rings and dunk them in a seasoned batter of milk, flour, and egg. Swap the final panko coating for your trusty cornflake alternative, and the onions are ready for deep-frying. You'll be amazed at just how gorgeously crispy they can become.

Recipe: Crispy Fried Onion Rings

We can't get enough of these easy air fryer crispy mushrooms. There's no chopping required; just the usual dredging procedure, with the prep only taking up 10 minutes of your time. For that final breadcrumb-like layer, mix crushed cornflakes with grated Parmesan, garlic granules, and a pinch of salt to create a rich, nutty coating for each whole button mushroom. You'll air fry these to crispy perfection, then serve them up with a spicy lemon and garlic aioli for the ultimate creamy contrast.

Recipe: Crispy Air Fryer Mushrooms With Spicy Aioli

A baked mac and cheese simply isn't complete without a crunchy topping, and cornflakes are guaranteed to impress both in terms of taste and texture. This recipe begins the classic way, with the macaroni boiled, and a silky cheese sauce whipped up on the stovetop. This one also gets enhanced with some warming spices and a dash of mustard. With the two elements combined in a baking dish, all that's left to do is top the mac with cornflakes and perhaps a sprinkling of Parmesan, then bake everything to create that crave-worthy crust.

Recipe: Baked Mac and Cheese

At this point, you'll have realized you can coat just about anything in cornflakes, and shrimp is no exception. Simply use the classic flour and egg dredging technique, finishing with the finely crushed cereal. Drop the coated shrimp into a pot of hot oil, and they'll be ready in around five minutes, delivering heaps of satisfying crunch. Serve them with a simple squeeze of lemon, or dunk them into your favorite dip, such as garlic aioli or spicy sriracha.

Recipe: Panko Fried Shrimp

Yellow squash brings a delicious dose of natural sweetness to this hearty, crispy-topped casserole. We're again recommending the cornflake swap here, which will see the crushed cereal combined with melted butter, garlic salt, Parmesan, and fresh parsley. The thinly sliced yellow squash first gets layered in a casserole dish with a creamy filling and plenty of shredded cheddar. Then, you can top it with the cornflake mixture and let the oven work its magic.

Recipe: Fabulous Yellow Squash Casserole

The firm texture of green tomatoes lends itself particularly well to coating and frying, since the slightly crunchy flesh has no trouble holding its shape during cooking. This classic Southern recipe is a favorite for good reason, blending a mellow, sweet-tart interior with a crisp, savory exterior. For the cornflake swap, just mix your crushed cereal with the cornmeal for the final coating step, and drop the prepared tomato slices into a pan of shimmering oil, cooking them until golden brown all over.

Recipe: Fried Green Tomatoes

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