Growing up, we never had sweet cereals in our house. Our breakfast options were usually plain Cheerios or plain Rice Krispies. I only enjoyed cereals, like “Cinnamon Toast Crunch,” when I slept over at a friend’s house. It was like having dessert for breakfast!
And that’s actually how this cereal recipe came about– it was the solution to a dessert craving. My husband and I both occasionally crave a bowl of sweet cereal for dessert in the evening, so I wanted the fastest and easiest solution possible, without going on a special grocery run. I’ve had a bag of coconut flakes sitting in my pantry for what seems like forever now, so this seemed like the perfect way to use them up!
Tossed with a splash of pure maple syrup and a dash of cinnamon, this baked cereal is surprisingly reminiscent of the store-bought cereal, but with a toasted coconut flavor. The natural oils in the coconut help this cereal crisp-up, just like real cereal, so it’s delicious even without milk as a sweet and crunchy snack!
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Paleo Cinnamon Crunch Cereal
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup coconut flakes
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 250F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients and toss well to coat evenly. Spread the mixture out onto the lined baking sheet, making sure to separate the flakes as much as possible into a single layer. (They clump together, so you’ll have to use your fingers to separate them.)
Bake at 250F until they are lightly golden, about 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, as they get crisper as they cool. Serve with almond milk or as a crunchy snack anytime!
Paleo Cinnamon Crunch "Cereal"
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup coconut flakes
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients and toss well to coat evenly. Spread the mixture out onto the lined baking sheet, making sure to separate the flakes as much as possible into a single layer. (They clump together, so you'll have to use your fingers to separate them.)
- Bake at 250F until they are lightly golden, about 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, as they get crisper as they cool. Serve with almond milk or as a crunchy snack anytime!
Nutrition
Per Serving: Calories: 475, Fat: 41g, Carbohydrates: 28g, Fiber: 10g, Protein: 4g
Notes:
I used the flaked coconut for it’s cereal-like size, but if it’s difficult for you to find, you could probably use shredded coconut instead. (Just make sure it’s unsweetened!)
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Reader Feedback: What was your favorite childhood cereal? Mine was Multigrain Cheerios– they were marketed as “healthy” when I was growing up, but they tasted sweet enough that I felt like I was really getting away with something!
Thank you, Megan! I’ve always loved cereal! As a kid, I loved Honey Nut Cheerios, Frosted Flakes and Rice Krispies. Now as a treat, I like Erewhons corn flakes and brown rice cereals. But I try to stay away from anything processed along with gluten/flour/sugar/dairy so I always love your recipes. Do you know if there are any carbs that could be added to this recipe to keep it still cereal like? I’m trying to increase carb intake and decrease fat intake due to some minor health issues. Also, do you know if a natural sweetener could be used in place of maple syrup (apple sauce, dates, banana etc)? I wonder if your caramel date dip would crunch well with the coconut?! Hmmm 🙂
I LOVE big flakes of coconut! This looks delicious spiced with a little cinnamon. Thanks so much for sharing!
I love the coconut too and this is (I know this is terrible) a snack I can keep in the house from my husband as he does not like coconut. And he eats ALL the snacks and doesn’t save any. I love cereal as a treat/dessert. Gave up eating cereal for breakfast in the morning because it drops my blood sugar too quickly and I get dizzy.
What a creative idea!!! Looks amazing
This is genius! I can’t wait to give it a try!
I’ve made a copy-cat version of Trader Joe’s coconut chips, but never thought to try this instead of cereal! I’ll have to make this for my husband- he eats so much healthier than when we met, but his one vice is still cereal 🙂
Hi Megan,
I made this last night – OMG – this is totally addictive. So incredibly easy to make and a sweet and guilt free after dinner snack. I pre-ordered your cookbook on Indigo (Canada). So excited to receive it. Thank you for all your work – your recipes are all tasty and a joy to eat 🙂
Since you’ve made this, I’m wondering if it’s super crispy. I don’t want it to be even a little chewy. TIA!
I also grew up in a household where no sugary cereal was allowed, so my favorite cereals are corn flakes, rice and corn chex, and corn bran. In a wold of cookie crisp, I was the kid who wanted corn bran, and still do!
I loved plain weetbix with hot milk and brown sugar or Special K or sultana bran with plain Greek yoghurt. These days my breakfast looks quite different; usually homemade pumpkin soup or just a whole plain avocado with some sauerkraut haha
This is how I eat my Special K (with maple syrup and cinnamon). It tastes just like Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I also sometimes toss in some berries. Never thought to just use coconut flakes! Thanks for sharing
This was delish…with or without milk! I made this on Mother’s Day, while my hubby was making me paleo waffles, and was telling him this was a Detoxinista recipe…so I knew it would be a hit. He seemed to have his doubts when I said everything I make from here is awesome. It wasn’t until the pan was sitting on the stove, and he kept going back for more, that he finally agreed 😉 He eats everything I make anyway, thankfully, and will be partaking in many more of your recipes once your book comes out! SO excited!
I really want to try this so I’m glad you tried it and gave it a great review. I’m wondering if it was chewy or crunchy. I don’t want any chewy and would like to know before I make this. Thanks!
I was wondering if this is ok for an insulin resistance diet? Can I substitute honey or something else for the syrup?
Three of my daughter’s LOVE cinnamon toast crunch! I was so crazy excited to see this recipe, but, we all loathe coconut in my house…ugh! If you have anything else up your sleeve that I can use instead of coconut, please pass it on. I’m not a vegan, if that helps with ideas. Thanks for your great information and recipes!
Hi Megan,
What could you properly combine jam with? Any simple recipe ideas…
I bought a plain sprouted almond yogurt (though it does have some sprouted brown rice in the ingredient list) that I thought to add it to for sweetness. That’s probably not proper combining, right?
I made this, and it was SUPER delicious. I checked it for CRISPNESS after 8 minutes, and it was still chewy. I stirred it around and baked for another 10 minutes. I checked it again and IMO it still wasn’t crispy enough. All in all, I baked it for an hour. It’s almost perfectly crispy, melt in your mouth, delicious! I think I’ll bake for another 5-10 minutes next time, and there WILL be a next time. Thanks for sharing this recipe! I gave the recipe four stars because it wasn’t crispy enough for me after baking for 18 minutes.
That should say that I checked it after 18 minutes rather than 8. Sorry.
I just made these and they are fantastic as an afternoon snack. I don’t know if I will be able to save any for breakfast or not. I will definitely be doing a double batch next time! Thank you yet again for a great, easy and tasty paleo recipe.
Hi! My son has a coconut allergy, I know, I know, rare. He would love something like this, but could we substitute with anything? Thanks in advance whether you can think of something or not! Love all your recipes, keep up the wonderful work.
Just discovered this site and made the cereal. I used flaked almonds and it was delicious!
Love this recipe!! I bake a double batch each weekend to last us for the week. I add some pecan bits and bake these with the coconut flakes ($1.99at Trader joe’s) I like my cereal extra crispy so I bake it for 1 hour.
Fantastic recipe! Delicious and crispy when cooled. Only took minutes to mix up. It has a granola vibe to it and is good enough for dessert!! I used honey instead of the maple bc I seem to tolerate that better. Worked great. Can’t thank you enough for this amazing recipe! Really appreciate it! Desperate for some new, more traditional breakfast options