My keto cinnamon toast crunch cereal is super crunchy and packed with flavor. Even better, it is only 2.8g net carbs per portion and ready in less than 30 minutes!
For many people, it is hard to wave goodbye to breakfast cereals. But when you're on a 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 sugar content of breakfast cereals. Don't believe a moment when it says it's "healthy" on the box. Check the nutrition label and find out for yourself.
Time for the good news. It is simple to make low-carb cereals at home! I have a bunch of recipes on my website, ranging from low carb granola to keto muesli and low carb porridge.
And of course, this keto cinnamon crunch cereal!
This recipe is inspired by the "Curiously Cinnamon" cereal that I used to munch during my time at Uni in London.
Of course, there isn't a shred of wheat in this awesomely crunchy low carb "cereal" - and none of the sugar.
Jump to:
Why You Need To Make It
Gluten-free, grain-free and keto-friendly: One serving is only 2.8g net carbs. Knowing that I am not filling up on junk right at the start of my day and keeping my blood sugar levels stable feels great!
Versatile: This is a wonderful breakfast treat but also works well as a sweet treat. A reader recently told me that this recipe has become her mid-day snack at work. She said: "It is easy to place in a baggie and take anywhere."
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you'll need:
- Butter - Should be cold and cubed
- Sweetener - I am using a brown sugar substitute because the caramel notes work well with the cinnamon. It is an erythritol monk fruit sweetener blend. Erythritol-based sweeteners such as Swerve or Lakanto are good for this recipe because they make the cereal crunchy.
- Almond flour - I use ground almonds, which is the same as regular almond flour in the US. Super-fine almond flour also works.
- Whey protein powder - Provides a finer texture
- Psyllium husk powder - Acts as a binder and helps with crunch. If you have whole psyllium husks, you must double the amount. Psyllium husks look like powder at first glance. But when you look closely, they resemble little sticks.
- Cinnamon - obviously!
- Baking powder - for a little rise
I also added xanthan gum. This gives the cinnamon crunch a stronger texture and prevents it from crumbling. It is an optional ingredient. In its place, you could use ground flaxseed or ground chia seeds.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Instructions
Let me show you how to make keto cinnamon toast crunch "cereal". Here are the basic steps.
Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed method, ingredient amounts and nutrition information.
STEP 1
Blend the cold chopped butter and sweetener in a food processor until smooth. You can also use a large mixing bowl and a handheld electric mixer.
STEP 2
Add the remaining dry ingredients.
STEP 3
Blend until a crumbly dough forms.
STEP 4
Form a dough ball and press it down between 2 sheets of parchment paper. The parchment paper prevents the rolling pin from sticking.
STEP 5
Roll out the dough and scatter over more cinnamon "sugar". Press it into the dough with your hands. This way it won't fall off after baking.
STEP 6
Pre-cut the dough into squares with a sharp knife. Last, prick each square with a fork to prevent air bubbles.
STEP 7
Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned and crunchy all over. Then, wait until the cinnamon crunch cereal has cooled completely before breaking it into squares.
Katrin's Top Tips
#1 Roll the dough thinly. This will make the cereal crunchier.
#2 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.
#3 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.
#4 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 as it has a wider edge.
#5 Be patient! All low-carb cereals are soft and fragile when hot. They firm up and become crunchy once they are cold.
Disclaimer
This recipe contains more erythritol than most of my sweet recipes. Therefore, you do notice the cooling sensation erythritol delivers. But if you want that cinnamon toast crunch cereal experience, it's got to be sweet and it's got to have that sugary crunch.
Variations
You can use ground flaxseed instead of the psyllium. In this case, double the quantity as it's less fine than the psyllium powder.
No whey protein powder: Simply use more almond flour. It makes the texture more rustic, but works just as well.
Dairy-free: Use coconut oil in place of butter and egg white protein powder instead of whey protein.
And guess what: The recipe also works as a pie crust! I also used it as a starting point for my keto Graham crackers.
Serving Suggestion
Keto cinnamon toast crunch tastes delicious with your favourite nut milk or with Greek yogurt.
A few squares also make a nice afternoon snack alongside a cup of coffee or, my personal fave, almond milk matcha latte.
Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
More Keto Cereal Recipes
- Keto Peanut Butter Granola35 Minutes
- Easy Keto Granola Bars30 Minutes
- Keto Oatmeal (Coconut Flour)4 Minutes
- Pumpkin Porridge2 Minutes
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Recipe
Keto Cinnamon Toast Crunch
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 butter cold, 60g
- 4 tablespoon granulated erythritol
- 3 tablespoon whey protein powder
- 1 cup almond flour 100g
- 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 with the sweetener until creamy.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and add them to the butter/sweetener mixture. 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 parchment paper and sprinkle 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 in the oven 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.
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 😉