Are you up for a low carb cereal treat? This super crunchy Keto cereal recipe is a sugar free take on the popular cinnamon toast crunch. This version is gluten free, grain free and tastes delicious. Only 2.8g net carbs per portion!
For many people it's difficult to wave good-bye to breakfast cereals. But when you're on a low carb diet or on the keto diet, regular cereal is one of the things that need to go.
Whether it's Kellogg's or Nestle, cereal is generally made from grains, and grains are high in carbs.
I'm not even going to get started on the high added sugar content of breakfast cereals. Don't believe a moment when it says it's "healthy" on the box. Instead, check the nutrition facts and find out for yourself.
The truth is, the only healthy thing about breakfast cereal is the bank balance of the companies who make it. And maybe the cardboard box itself.
Time for the good news. It is really simple to make low carb cereals at home! You replace the grains with nuts and seeds. Then, add a bit of erythritol or your favourite sweetener and let it crisp up in the oven.
Strictly speaking, the term "cereal" is misleading. We're talking about the "cereal experience" here, and that's just as good.
Knowing that I am not filling up on junk right at the start of your day and keeping my blood sugar levels stable feels great!
Instructions
1.) Put cold chopped butter and granulated erythritol into a food processor and blend. I like using a brown sugar alternative in this recipe, Check out NKD Living in the UK or Lakanto in the US.
2.) Mix your dry ingredients and add them.
3.) This is what Keto cereal dough should look like - crumbly and moist.
4.) Now you scoop it up and form a ball with your hands. Place it between 2 sheets of parchment paper.
5.) Roll out the dough! The parchment paper prevents your rolling pin from sticking.
Scatter some more cinnamon and erythritol on top and press it in with your hands. This way it won't fall off after baking.
6.) Now you cut the dough into cute little cinnamon toast crunch squares. Last, prick each square with a fork to prevent unnecessarily large air bubbles.
7.) Hello, Keto cinnamon crunch! Wait until the cereal is cooled completely. Then, break it into squares.
Expert Tips
Roll out the dough nice and thin. This will give a better crunch.
Watch it closely while it's in the oven. Check after 10 minutes and rotate the baking sheet if the back is getting too brown.
Moving the sheet to the lowest shelf can also help. The oven time will vary depending on how thin your "cereal" dough is rolled out.
When you cut the dough, make the incisions wide. This way the squares, which will puff up a little, are easy to separate post-baking. You could also use a ruler to do this as it has a wider edge.
Be patient! All low carb cereals are soft and fragile when fresh out of the oven. They firm up and become crunchy once they're cold, and this cinnamon crunch is no different.
Don't even think about touching it while it's still warm - unless you want to sneak a little taste.
Recipe Notes And Variations
Some Keto cereal recipes use egg whites. I liked the idea of the protein powder instead. It gives the same protein kick without having to beat egg whites first.
The psyllium husk powder increases the crunch in this recipe. If you have psyllium husks, you must double the amount. Psyllium husks look like powder at first glance. But when you look closely, they resemble little sticks.
You can use ground flaxseed instead of the psyllium. In this case, double the quantity as it's less fine than the psyllium powder.
Xanthan gum is important for binding. You can replace it with guar gum.
Golden/brown erythritol works well in this recipe, but any granulated sweetener is fine. If you use a different sweetener than erythritol, check the pack and make sure it's a 1:1 sugar replacement. Some granulated sweeteners are twice as sweet as sugar.
Disclaimer: This recipe contains more erythritol than most of my sweet recipes. Therefore, you do notice that slightly cooling sensation erythritol delivers. But if you want that cinnamon toast crunch cereal experience, it's gotta be sweet and it's gotta have that sugary crunch.
If you can't be bothered with cutting squares, don't. You can simply break it into bite-sized pieces post-baking!
This recipe is rich and buttery, that's why your portions don't need to be large. Serve it with your favourite nut milk or some Greek yogurt. A few squares would also make a nice sweet treat with a cup of coffee or tea.
More Keto Cereal Recipes
- Peanut Butter Granola
- Low Carb Granola
- Keto Coconut Flour Oatmeal
- Creamy Keto Low Carb Porridge
- Low Carb Keto Muesli Recipe
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Recipe
Keto Cinnamon Crunch Cereal Recipe
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup / 60g butter cold
- 4 tablespoon granulated erythritol
- 3 tablespoon whey protein powder
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 tablespoon psyllium husk powder or 2 tablespoon flax meal
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum optional
For the topping
- 1-2 tablespoon granulated erythritol
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170 Celsius / 340 Fahrenheit.
- Cut the butter into small pieces and whizz in a food processor together with the erythritol until creamy.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and add to the butter/sweetener mix. Blend until your dough resembles moist crumbles.
- Form the dough into a ball and roll out thinly between 2 sheets of baking paper. This prevents the dough from sticking to your rolling pin.
- Peel off the top layer of baking/parchment paper and sprinkle the the dough with a topping made from more cinnamon and erythritol. Press the topping onto the dough with your hands.
- Cut into squares with a knife and prick each square with a fork to prevent large air bubbles.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until browned.
- Let the cereal cool COMPLETELY before you break it into squares. It is VERY soft when hot but will be crunchy once it's cold.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Clare
Can I use whey protein isolate in place of the whey protein powder? Not sure of the difference
Katrin Nürnberger
Yes, absolutely! I sometimes have isolate at home, sometimes the powder. As far as I understand it, the isolate contains less fat.
Jenny H
Love this cereal. It doesn’t last long. Plan on using dough for biscuit snacks as well.
Sarah Veenswyk
Hi there,
I tried this today amid the lockdown and omg yum!
I did two batches, one this recipe and another where I used your recipe as a base but the added coconut chips, almond slices, walnut pieces, linseeds, and sunflower seeds (just whatever I could find around) and you know what, it works as a delicious granola too!
*I added a touch of nutmeg too, just because.
God job and thank you! Saves me from buying $12 keto granola at the super market when I can make this deliciousness at home for half the price (or double the quantity).
Katrin Nürnberger
Result! your granola sounds DELICIOUS!!
Chris Smith
I haven't made this yet. Looking forward to it, but must order erythritol since I live in the middle of nowhere.
Katrin Nürnberger
Keep me posted, I'd love to hear what you think once you've made it!
Addie
Hi, Katrin - I made these today and had a couple of minor issues; I couldn't get it rolled into a rectangle or a square so the sides were all uneven. I used a pizza cutter to make the lines so that was easy. But when I went to break them apart there was no way most of them would break on the lines so I ended up just breaking them up will nilly. I gave you five stars because they are so delicious!
Yesterday I made your Creamy Keto Milk Chocolate and I actually got it right the first time. After one bite I knew I should have doubled the batch - even my chocolate-loving Brit husband was impressed!
Katrin Nürnberger
Hi Addie, I always think that it's all about the taste. But maybe you'll get them to look perfectly square next time 😉
Sue
Question
Would this survive a few weeks on the road (camping trip)? I know "real" cereals will last through the end of time, but since this is made with actual food.....
Katrin Nürnberger
Hi Sue, I'd take the Low Carb Granola on your trip instead because it does not contain butter.
cuceesprouts
have you tried modifying it to be dairy-free?
Katrin
No, but thinking about it you could replace the butter with coconut oil and use a dairy free protein powder. Or experiment with coconut butter, which may be tastier.
Matt
Thanks for this great recipe! If i wanted to use egg whites as you mention instead of protein powder how many should i use?
Thanks, Matt
Katrin
I have never tried it - but I should think that 1 egg white would be enough. That's what I use when making crispy biscuits.
Cayla
Would coconut flour be okay instead of almond flour?
Katrin
I have never tried in this recipe, but normally I would use half the amount of coconut flour in place of almond flour as coconut flour is much more absorbent. Let me know how you get on with it!
Karen Moyes
Hi Katrin,
Somehow the reply button under your reply of 2 August is not responsive so this may look like a new post but it's just continuing the thread. Your suggestion of adding ground chia to the mix was spot on. I added 1 tbsp but also made sure I used a 1:1 sweetener this time (Pure Via Stevia Leaf, actually a mix of stevia and erythritol). The result is a lovely crunchy cereal. Brilliant! Thank you again for sharing all these wonderful recipes. Tonight it's going to be your Keto turkey chili recipe. Looking forward to it!
Katrin
Great news!!! And let me know how the turkey chili went down 😉