After last weekend, I am convinced – more you relax, more tired you feel. In 2 full days, the only useful thing I managed to do was to test this healthy homemade cereal aka cinnamon toast crunch recipe. Again, out of pure selfishness because I am bored to death with oatmeal, quinoa breakfast bake and quinoa egg muffins.
We got this window of opportunity when kids do not have sports for 2 weekends and both, me and Alex, looked at each other and pretty much thought the same: “Screw storage space cleaning, basement repainting and backyard re-sodding. Doing nothing!”.
I watched all possible episodes of Amazing Race, Flip or Flop and Caribbean Life while browsing my phone and stroking my little one’s hair. I showered by 2 PM and spent evenings on a couch sipping wine and watching heartbreaking “Amy”. We went for a walk to Starbucks and Alex cooked all dinners.
I swear, on Monday morning I felt even more tired than on Friday night WTF. However, I managed to go for a 5K run with my 9 year old. I could barely keep up. That hockey makes one hell of strong muscles and lungs, and let me tell you a huge belly too. My last Costco run was $650!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am a lousy rule follower because this Easter weekend I’m planning to do the same for at least half of it. I probably should colour some eggs with the kids, buy candy for the Easter egg hunt and make some cake for Saturday night dinner with friends. This is my Easter without fuss and craziness. I just want to stare at my kids every second I can because they are growing too damn fast!!!
Let’s be clear, I didn’t grow up eating cereal in Ukraine. I was raised on homemade cooked grains and seeds, mixed with milk, butter and sugar. I first tried cinnamon toast crunch at my girlfriend’s house, Jennifer, while visiting a few years ago. That shit was good, I admit! My kids’ eyes like tripled because clearly it is like crack. Their “deprived” tastebuds were in a coma for a whole day I think. I never bought it after and I think Jennifer doesn’t either (right, Jenn?!) because I told her everything I think about toxic cinnamon crunch.
So, this healthy homemade cereal recipe has no toasts in sight in it. The day I hand make hundreds of little squares to eat for breakfast will be the day I turn 60. The same day I will be an owner of a little doggie carrying poop in baggies home for 10 blocks. My healthy cinnamon crunch cereal is more simple than that – made with rolled or quick oats which large surface is coated in maple syrup and cinnamon, toasted in the oven and then dusted with coconut palm sugar. This sugar has lower glycemic index, is unrefined and organic.
The idea of using oats came to me after I made quinoa granola. I loved how crunchy rolled oats became after roasting and they were quite large size flakes. The whole idea of making cinnamon flavoured cereal came from one of the walks I smelled cinnamon and Fall spices. That moment I missed Fall dearly although it was like first day of Spring. Cinnamon has crazy health benefits like blood sugar control and cancer prevention. Organic spices are so good for us and we often neglect that part thinking what a mediocre amount of powder can do?! Let’s eat chicken.
This time I used quick oats because I asked my neighbour to buy me some and that is what she found. I will not complain because I was in bed flipping channels while she was shopping for me (I am developing a major grocery stores intolerance due to my job). So, both kinds of oats are fine. It is just that rolled oats have more nutrition and larger flakes than quick. I then added chia seeds and shelled hemp seeds to keep my belly full for more than an hour because we all know cereals don’t do that job well (I love Nature’s Path cereals for kids though because it is real life). I also added nuts which were good for nutrition but kinda dulled the cinnamon taste. So, this time I left them out.
I have read that you are OK to store hemp seeds not refrigerated for up to a year after opening. They won’t lose their nutritional benefits before you eat this delicious superfood cinnamon toast crunch recipe. It was crunchy, cinnamon-y and sweet. You totally get the satisfaction of crunchiness and powder-y tasty coating. And that is how we do it, General Mills! Make organic cinnamon toast crunch and maybe then we can talk!
Healthy Homemade Cereal
Ingredients
- 2 cups quick or rolled oats*
- 4 tsp cinnamon divided
- 1/4 tsp himalayan pink salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp maple syrup**
- 1/2 cup shelled hemp seeds
- 1/2 cup chia seeds
- 2 tbsp flaxseed ground (optional)
- 2 tbsp coconut palm sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, add oats, 3 tsp cinnamon, salt and mix well. Add vanilla and maple syrup, stir very well to coat oats with syrup. Place in a large rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove oats from the oven and stir, breaking with spatula into small pieces. Transfer to previously used bowl along with remaining 1 tsp cinnamon, hemp and chia seeds, flaxseed and coconut sugar. Stir well and adjust cinnamon and sugar to taste if desired. Serve cold with milk of choice.
Store: Store in a cool dry place in an airtight container for months (I bet it will be gone sooner).
Notes
- *I prefer rolled (old fashioned) oats because of their larger size and nutrition.
- **You can use honey. Just make sure to stir well as honey is thicker than maple syrup (unless you have a runny consistency honey).
Nutrition
Recipes and images are a copyright of ifoodreal.com. It is against the law to republish recipes anywhere including social media, print and all world wide web. Nutritional info is provided for informational purposes only and to the best knowledge.
Fast, easy and delicious!
Could I switch the coconut sugar for honey also can I not add in the Hemp seed would that effect the taste or cereal
I have substituted honey for the maple syrup, but not for coconut sugar. If you don’t like hemp seed, you can omit it. The taste will be different.
goood
Are chia sees in this cereal safe to be eaten? I thought chia seeds have to be soaked in liquid at least 15 minutes.
No they don’t have to be.
Olena you are so funny ? I love your little stories before your recipes. They always make me laugh.. I’ve just bought a load of ingredients to try and make some of your recipes because they all look soooooo delicious. But I must admit I’ve never cooked/baked with a lot of these ingredients before so it will be a new experience for me. Thanks so much for this website, I stumbled upon it by accident because I was looking for healthy on the go breakfasts. You’ve done a really good job putting all of this together, and the photos you have taken of your food are outstanding and makes my mouth water every time I look at them. Good job!
Awe, you are so welcome and thank you for your kind words! So happy to hear you are enjoying my recipes and stories haha! Please don’t be shy to leave me a comment with a star review once you make any recipe. Have a great week!
Excellent but I totally eliminated the sugar and decrease the maple syrup by 1 Tablespoon. I’m trying to cut down on my sugars.
Fantastic! Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Kathy!
Yum! This is very good! I subbed turbinado sugar in place of the coconut palm sugar, because I can have a bit of unrefined sugars per day. I used cashew milk and the chia seeds absorbed all the milk, which was neat. I never had chia seeds in cereal before. I also added dried goji berries and raisins in mine and it was very tasty and filling.
Sounds super loaded.:)
Olena,
OMFG this is so good! I used Bob’s red mill gluten free steel cut oats and it was a success. It was crunchy, slightly sweet and oh so cinnamony. I added 1 more tsp of cinnamon in the last step and 1/4 cup coconut shreds. I think next time I will toast it with the oats. It was a last minute addition. 🙂
Haha. Good, huh?! Totally satisfies the craving for junk cereal. I have it when that craving hits me. With almond milk.
I can’t find the hemp seed where I live ?. Could I omit it? Or is there a substitute?
Hi Jackie. Yes, you can omit shelled hemp seeds or replace with sunflower seeds.
I LOVE this recipe! So many nutrients with a great taste!
You just took Cinnamon Toast Crunch to a whole other level! As a big fan of cinnamon, cereal, AND (use to be) cinnamon toast crunch… I am obsessed with this recipe!! xx
Hi Erin. Good, huh?! I love it! It fills that void for me. Had it this morning in my son’s unfinished bowl of milk from cereal. So good OMG. Glad you enjoyed it. I love having a jar of dry healthy cereal in the pantry.