Honestly, Magic Weet-Bix Pudding Cake Is My Cheat Code Dessert

So, get this: the first time I made Magic Weet-Bix Pudding Cake, we’d run out of basically everything except milk, eggs, and—yep—half a pack of ancient Weet-Bix, lurking at the back of the cupboard like a forgotten sock under the bed. And somehow, this absolute mishmash turned into my go-to last-minute evening treat. There’s just something so silly about turning a humble, kinda dry brekkie cereal into a gooey, sticky, chocolatey cake. My cousin Josh once called it “wizardry” (though he’ll eat anything sweet, so… grain of salt). Anyway, I’ve probably made this more times than I’ve lost my keys in the couch. Which is saying something.

Why You’ll Love This. Or At Least, Why I Do

I pull this recipe out when I’ve got guests coming but can’t be fussed with anything fancy—or when it’s rainy out and the kids are howling. My family goes a bit wild for it because it’s nostalgic and new at the same time. I mean, a pudding you can make in one bowl? (Well, sometimes two if I’m feeling messy.) Plus, Weet-Bix are cheap as chips. Once I tried to fancy it up and add pistachios. Didn’t help; everybody just wanted the original. Don’t you just love when something this easy gets so many cheers? (Even if it does mean washing sticky dishes at the end.)

What’s In It (And What Isn’t, If You Mess About Like I Do)

4 Weet-Bix biscuits (sometimes if I have the crumby ends, I just eyeball it…)
1 cup full-fat milk—or almond milk is also good, oat milk worked okay once in a pinch
1/2 cup brown sugar – my gran swore by dark Muscovado but honestly, I often use regular brown
1/3 cup self-raising flour (or plain flour and just chuck in a tsp baking powder, if you forget—not that I ever do…)
1/4 cup cocoa powder—I’ve tried both Dutch and regular. Dutch is richer, but you do you
1 egg (I use free-range—less for the moral high ground and more because the yolks are so yellow)
60g melted butter or margarine—have used coconut oil when desperate… turns out a bit odd, but edible
1/2 tsp vanilla extract – not the “essence” if you can help it, but, well, I’m no snob
A pinch of salt (all the best cakes have one, fight me)
For the sauce: 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp cocoa, 1 1/4 cups boiling water (ignore your inner voice that says just use kettle leftovers—boil it fresh!)
Optional: handful of chocolate chips, or chopped nuts, or a smattering of sultanas (kids hated these, but I liked them. Oh well.)

How I String the Whole Thing Together

Turn your oven to 180°C (350°F), get it good and hot. Grab a medium baking dish—greased; don’t skip that or you’ll be scraping for days.
Crumble the Weet-Bix roughly into a bowl—don’t bother making them powdery. Add milk and let it sit a sec. Should look a bit like a soggy mess, don’t panic, that’s right.
Add sugar, flour, cocoa, egg, melted butter, vanilla, and a good pinch of salt. Mix until, well, mixed. Not too precious; a few lumps never hurt anyone. This is where I usually sneak a taste—salmonella be damned.
Pour batter into your prepared dish and spread it out a bit. If you’re feeling jazzy, scatter those choc chips or nuts on top. (Kids like patterns. Me? I forget and just dump them in.)
Now for the sauce: in a separate mug or bowl, combine the 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp cocoa, then, while whispering an apology to your future self, carefully pour over the boiling water and stir. It’ll look watery and unconvincing—don’t worry, the magic is about to happen.
Gently, gently, pour that chocolatey water over the batter in the dish. I use the back of a big spoon so I don’t wash away all that lovely batter. I think it just spreads better this way, not sure why.
Bake for about 30–35 minutes—until the cake part looks puffed and solid-ish and there’s a bit of a wibble if you shake it. The top’ll probably crack, but that’s the best bit.
Scoop straight into bowls and eat warm. Or, let’s be honest, stand at the counter blowing on spoonfuls because no one wants to wait.

Notes: Only Kinda Figured Out The Hard Way

Real talk: if you let it cool, the sauce thickens up, and the cake gets denser—taste is deeper somehow. I actually like it better the next day, but the kids object. Loudly.
Don’t overmix. I once did it with the electric beater thinking it’d be lighter, but it got a bit rubbery. Lesson learned.
If your Weet-Bix are super stale, microwave them with the milk to soften up first. It works, mostly.

Ways I’ve Mucked With It (Some Actually Work!)

Swapped cocoa for carob. Not my finest hour, but hey, it’s a choice for the health nuts.
Used coconut milk instead of dairy—gives a very slight coconutty vibe, which I quite like, though it’s not for everyone.
Tried orange zest in the batter once. Smelled great. Tasted strange. Won’t repeat soon…
If you’re looking for a gluten free option, I’ve used these gluten free Weet-Bix with success.

What If I Don’t Have Fancy Baking Gear?

You’ll want a medium baking dish, around 20cm square (mine’s not perfectly square but who cares). If you’ve only got a small cake tin, just use that, but keep an eye on the timing—might bake quicker. Once, out of pure desperation, I made this in a massive ceramic mug, microwaved it three minutes at a time and… it was edible enough, if a bit molten.

How Do I Store The Leftovers? (What Leftovers?!)

If you somehow have extra, pop it in the fridge, covered, for up to three days. It thickens up, like I said, and makes an epic afternoon snack cold, or you can zap a piece in the microwave for about 30 seconds and it’s just as lush. That being said, it almost never makes it past breakfast in my house. (I even found a slice missing once before sunrise. Suspicious.)

How I Like To Dish It Up

Full disclosure: the first time I made it, I just ate it out of the pan. Later, I got all fancy with scoops of vanilla ice cream, or pouring cream on the side. These days, I sometimes do a sprinkle of instant coffee in the sauce—adds a grown-up kick. My mate puts marshmallows on top, like a child at heart. If you’re feeling adventurous, serve it with this homemade custard—that’ll impress your nan.

What I’ve Learned (Usually The Hard Way)

Don’t rush the sauce step. Once, I just dumped cold water over and it never thickened, just made a cereal swamp. Always use hot water, and give it time to bake into a proper goo.
If you’re tempted to bake it longer to “set” the sauce, don’t; the whole point is for the base to stay sticky. Trust the process. It always looks weird before it looks right.

Burning Questions (That Actually Came Up)

Can I make it dairy free? Yep! Use any plant-based milk and swap in vegan margarine. Did that for my niece last Christmas and she didn’t even notice.
Can I halve it? For sure. I just use two Weet-Bix and split the rest—math isn’t my strong suit, but close works.
Do I have to eat it steaming hot? Actually, I think the flavours mellow and get deeper when it cools. So, yes and no?
Can I make it gluten free? Yes! There are gluten free Weet-Bix (see above link), and they work just as well, though maybe a tad drier.
Could I freeze it? You could. But I won’t lie—never made it that long. If you do, wrap it tight and rewarm to bring back some softness.
Does it taste like Weet-Bix? Not really! All the chocolate and sugar morph it into a proper dessert, not a sad breakfast remix. Pinky swear.
Where can I see other people’s versions? I check out recipe shares on Taste.com.au’s Weet-Bix recipe page—really fun to see the spin folks put on it.

And that’s a wrap on my favourite sneaky pudding! If you give it a crack, let me know how yours turns out (bonus points for pics if you’ve conquered the pouring sauce step with NO spillage!). Go on, have a proper natter with your family around a big, warm bowl—there aren’t many better ways to end a Saturday, in my book.

Magic Weet-Bix Pudding Cake