If you want a playful summer treat, try Fruity Pebbles Ice Cream. This no-cook, rainbow-colored cereal milk ice cream tastes just like the sweet milk at the bottom of your favorite fruity cereal bowl—only frozen. It’s simple, nostalgic, and perfect for a party.
This is a churned ice cream recipe, so you’ll need an ice cream maker—any style will work. The method uses a few common ingredients available at most grocery stores and avoids making a custard, so there’s no tempering eggs or cooking on the stovetop.
For best flavor, soak the cereal in milk for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight. Planning ahead yields the richest, most cereal-forward milk. If you’re short on time, you can “speed infuse” the milk by blending the cereal and milk together briefly and chilling the mixture for about 30 minutes before straining.
Cereal Milk Ice Cream Recipe
The idea is simple: extract the flavored milk from a bowl of cereal and turn it into ice cream. You can use whole milk, almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk, or other milk alternatives. The texture will be creamiest with whole milk, since lower-fat milks tend to produce more ice crystals.
Traditional custard-style ice creams require cooking cream, sugar and eggs, then cooling the custard before churning. This cereal milk version skips that step: soak, strain, whisk, and churn. No custard, no scrambling eggs, and much less fuss.
If you want to hurry the infusion, blend the cereal and milk until smooth, chill for about 30 minutes, then strain through a fine mesh sieve. Press the solids with a spatula to extract as much milk as possible—this shortcut produces results close to a long soak.
Fruity Pebble Ice Cream
Simple ingredients make this recipe approachable and fun. Use your preferred fruity cereal if you don’t have brand-name Fruity Pebbles—generic fruity cereals, Fruit Loops, Cocoa Pebbles, or other sweetened cereals will all work and change the flavor profile.
- Fruity Pebbles cereal (or similar)
- Heavy whipping cream
- Whole milk
- White sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Kosher salt
I recommend whole milk rather than skim for a smoother texture. If you want a dairy-free version, substitute coconut cream for the heavy cream and full-fat canned coconut milk for the whole milk; the result is creamy and delicious.
Dairy-Free Option
To make a dairy-free version: use coconut cream in place of heavy cream and full-fat coconut milk for the whole milk. This keeps the texture rich while removing dairy.
How to Make Fruity Pebbles Ice Cream
Equipment you’ll need: an ice cream maker (or frozen bowl attachment), a liquid measuring cup, whisk, fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth, a rubber or silicone spatula, and a container for freezing (loaf pan or airtight container).
Freeze your ice cream machine components as required by the manufacturer. If your machine uses a frozen bowl, make sure it’s thoroughly chilled before you start; otherwise, churning won’t work properly.
If you don’t have a fine mesh sieve, a clean cheesecloth or tea towel works—just twist and squeeze to extract the milk from the cereal solids.
Fruity Pebbles Ice Cream
Add 2 ½ cups of fruity pebbles cereal to a container with a tight-fitting lid and pour 2 cups whole milk over the cereal. Seal the lid, shake a few times, and refrigerate. Let the cereal soak for at least 2 hours, preferably up to 24 hours for maximum flavor.
When the milk is infused, strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl and press the cereal solids with a spatula to extract as much milk as possible. Measure the strained milk—if you have less than 1 1/4 cups, add whole milk to reach that amount. Reserve any extra for another batch or to drink.
Whisk together the cereal milk, 1 1/4 cups heavy cream, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and a pinch of kosher salt until the sugar is dissolved. Chill if desired, then freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
When the ice cream reaches a soft-serve texture, stir in the remaining 1 cup (approximately) of fruity pebbles cereal. Serve immediately for a soft-serve experience or pack into a loaf pan or airtight container, press plastic wrap on the surface to prevent ice crystals, and freeze until firm (a couple of hours).
This ice cream is best within 7–10 days. Enjoy it in cones, bowls with toppings like strawberry syrup and whipped cream, or sandwiched between cookies for a playful dessert.
