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Hot Buttered Cheerios are a beloved childhood snack, perfect for almost any party! Toasted cheerios tossed in cinnamon sugar have all the flavors of mini doughnuts, and are perfect for movie night, game day and a must for road trips.


Thanks to a classic, ’80s recipe from Betty Crocker, I’ve found what has quickly become a family favorite snack! I’m not sure if it’s the hint of butter in the toasted cereal or the coating of cinnamon sugar that lures me in. All I know is that I’m a fan!
Hot Buttered Cheerios is an old-school recipe that’s super easy to make. With just a handful of ingredients and a few minutes, you’ll have a batch of Mini Doughnuts to snack on. Reminiscent of your favorite county fair food, you’ll find reasons to make this super yummy snack.
Make This Recipe For…
I have to warn you, after just one bite, you’ll become obsessed with this yummy snack. And, along with that, your mind will run wild with ways to serve them! Here are a few of my favorites:
- Game Night
- Movie Night
- School Lunches
- Camping Trips
- Picnics
- Road Trips
- Teacher Appreciation Day Snacks
- Game Day or Tailgating

Ingredients Needed To Make Hot Buttered Cheerios
- Cheerios
- Butter
- Vanilla
- Granulated Sugar
- Cinnamon
- Salt
What Makes This Snack So Good?
The big secret to making this recipe is the toasting or “frying” the cheerios. This step does not need to be rushed. It takes 4 to 5 minutes for the cheerios to get fully toasted in the melted butter and vanilla. You’ll be glad you took the time.
Variations For This Recipe
It’s easy to put a flavor twist on this recipe. Substitute classic Cheerios with Honey Nut or Apple cereal for a little something extra.

How To Store Hot Buttered Cheerios
Store the Mini Doughnuts in a sealed container at room temperature. I use a zip top bag which works great.

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Hot Buttered Cheerios – Mini Doughnuts
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 cups Cheerios
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt – optional
Instructions
- Add sugar, cinnamon, and salt to a small bowl and mix. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, melt butter. Add vanilla and stir. Add cereal to butter and toss to coat. Toast Cheerios over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes.
- Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over buttered cereal and toss. Let cool and enjoy!

Judy Whitford says
I do have a question. While these are very god, I’m finding it leaves an aftertaste. Could it possibly be because I made it in a Teflon coated pan? I’m going to try using my stainless steel pan he next time and see if that’s the case.
Donya says
Hey there Judy!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe and your phenomenal rating, I am glad you enjoyed it! I’m not quite sure what the aftertaste could be, I’ve personally never run into that issue, but I think you’re right that it could be the pan. Using a stainless steel pan next time is a great idea, the only other thing I can think of is that maybe your cinnamon is stale, overtime it can loose it’s flavor and aroma. I hope that using a different pan gets rid of the aftertaste, let me know how batch #2 turns out. Thank you for your support and if your have any other questions feel free to reach out!
~Donya