Honey Nut Cheerios Banana Cream Pie Shot Recipe
Having had a happy upbringing, I adore anything that provokes in me feelings of nostalgia—reminiscing about my childhood always brings a wide smile to my face. So when Honey Nut Cheerios invited me up to Orlando to visit a special beehive that was being used to make a limited edition of their beloved cereal, I was overjoyed. Honey Nut Cheerios were one of my favorite breakfasts growing up, and my inner kid adores them to this day.
This limited edition variation of Honey Nut Cheerios was being made with local honey at a farm just outside of Orlando. From the second I arrived at the estate, I was instantly a fan of both the bad-ass beekeeper couple and their sugary, delicious product. This family takes pride in creating a truly exquisite product. From just one mouthful, I could taste the love that had gone in to making this honey something exceptional—it had an extra-sweet, noticeably pure quality that left me wanting to indulge straight from the bottle.
The display that these farmers and Cheerios had set up was amazing. Their “living billboard” was filled with over 100,000 bees creating some of the freshest honey on the planet. The placard was set up so that the bees’ nectar would flow straight from the hives into the display, filling up the letters of the slogan: “Made With Real Honey.” This beehive billboard was completely inventive and utterly astounding.
Even more impressive was the taste of these limited edition Honey Nut Cheerios. It’s hard to improve upon a classic, but Honey Nut Cheerios made with local honey were the best I’ve ever had. The local ingredients made the taste a bit sweeter but in a very floral and natural way. The texture was also the freshest I’ve enjoyed, with an ultra-crisp crunch that would not let me stop munching. I unashamedly ate more than half the box in just one sitting!
The event, which was open to the public, wasn’t all just cereal, as it also featured an epic barbecue, fresh-made funnel cakes, a fantastic farmers market, and, of course, a variety of Honey Nut Cheerios-inspired treats.
One of the highlights of the cereal-based offerings was the Honey Nut Cheerios Banana Cream Pie Shots. This fantastic play on a dessert shot, made by Chef Kristy Carlucci of Osprey Tavern, was a brilliant blend of childhood flavors. Chef Kristy graciously agreed to share her recipe with us, which is reprinted below.
From buzzy beginning to epicurean ending, the entire day was a true marvel. I hope that General Mills mass produces this special edition of their cereal one day so that Honey Nut Cheerios lovers around the world can partake in this extra sweet version of their lifelong favorite.
Honey Nut Cheerios Banana Cream Pie Shot Recipe (non alcoholic 😉
Crust Ingredients
3 cups Honey Nut Cheerios
1 stick butter, unsalted, melted
1/4 tsp. salt
Directions
Place Cheerios in a food processor and pulse to a crumb consistency.
Transfer Cheerios to a bowl, add the brown sugar and salt and stir to combine. Add the melted butter and stir until well combined (small clumps are okay).
Spread onto baking sheet and bake at 325 degrees F for about 8-10 minutes, tossing every few minutes. Let cool.
Cream Ingredients
1.5 cups Honey Nut Cheerios
6 cups whole milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
5 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/2 stick butter, unsalted, room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Spread Cheerios onto sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Place in 325 degrees F oven and toast for about 5-8 minutes, until lightly toasted.
Immediately place in large bowl, and add milk. Let steep for 30 minutes to infuse milk with the cheerios flavor.
Pour the Cheerios-infused milk through a strainer, and reserve 4 cups for the pastry cream.
Pour the reserved milk into a pot and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer.
While milk is heating, place sugar, cornstarch, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Whisk together until there are no lumps. Add both the eggs and yolks and whisk to completely combine. When milk is simmering, carefully pour the milk into the egg mixture, and immediately whisk to temper the eggs.
Pour everything back into the pot and return to medium-low heat, whisking constantly. When the mixture starts to bubble, cook for a full two minutes more, whisking quickly and consistently.
Remove from heat, add butter and vanilla extract. If desired, use a hand blender to smooth out any lumps and strain through a fine mesh strainer.
Pour the pastry cream on top of the crust and enjoy!
*This is a sponsored post. I was paid for my time and travel, but all opinions are still my own.