At just 2g net carbs a serving and with a wonderful crisp texture, this keto cinnamon toast crunch cereal might just be the ultimate low carb breakfast (or fun treat!).
Grain Free & Keto Cinnamon Toast Crunch 🥛
Now Extra Crunchy!
We’ve got grain free keto cinnamon toast crunch cereal, and we’re (most definitely!) sharing. Here’s your childhood’s cereal bowl dream, low carb and with all non-processed ingredients. And most definitely, one of my favorite sweet treats we’ve cooked up as of late.
Who doesn’t remember getting home from school, and devouring a bowl of good-old cinnamon toast crunch with iced-cold milk. Or that late-night snack. That flavor will forever be engrained in our tastebuds. And since we’re in this woe for good, we thought we’d revive this classic for the sake of nostalgia.
Though do note that the taste cannot be replicated exactly, blame it on artificial flavorings, refined sugars and processed carbohydrates. But trust me when I say that it will more than satisfy your cinnamon toast crunch cravings. And more.
And talking about ideal, you can always freeze half the dough for a rainy day. 🌧
Keto-fied
Keeping keto macros in mind, aside from making this classic cereal low carb, I made sure to introduce a good amount of healthy fats into the mix.
And I absolutely adore grass-fed butter as the fat here. Though do note that coconut butter can be subbed in, just the resulting cereal will be denser and therefore slightly less crunchy.
So at 2g net carbs, I find these keto cinnamon toast crunch to be a very good deal. Particularly compared to the whooping 19g net carbs of the original!
Though let’s face it, just like with the original, you might be doubling the serving size on occasion always. Still, 4g net carbs!
Essentially a cookies & milk sorta thing, it makes for one truly special keto breakfast treat.
The Deets
Creaming the butter properly with the sweeter is paramount here to build a nice structure for the cereal (think rise and crunch!). And creaming with sweetener, in case you haven’t done it before, takes a bit longer to incorporate than with good-old sugar. But don’t give up, and keep going until you’ve got the sweetener well incorporated into soft and fluffy butter.
The other indispensable thing, is that the dough be thoroughly chilled before rolling and baking. Why? The butter in the dough has to solidify once again before you can roll it out and cut it up. Think 1 to 2 hours (or overnight).
And if the dough becomes too sticky while rolling and cutting, just pop it in the freezer for a few.
The Flours
I found that super fine almond flour did a super duper awesome job (solo!). Add a touch of xanthan gum, and we’re golden.
In terms of brands, for the almond either Anthony’s or WellBees work great. Both are super fine grinds.
The Sweetener
Erythritol lends a very similar crunch and chew to sugar for crisp cookies, and no other low carb natural sweetener does that (xylitol takes up to a day to crunch up and will result in chewy cereal!).
My current favorite for these guys? Lakanto golden without a doubt. Least cooling effect, nice maple-like taste. But Swerve and Pyure (at half the amount) are awesome too.
As for the ‘sugar’ cinnamon topping, you can either carry on with erythritol or use xylitol (with a preference for the later, as it has less of a cooling effect).
And if using xylitol, make sure to be careful if you have a pup or cat around the house, as it’s highly toxic to the little guys! 🐕
The Cut-Up
This really depends how OCD you are (needless to say, I rank high on the scale). But please forget your pastry cutter or knife here, it’s all about the ruler.
Wash up a ruler and use one of its edges to press down on the dough and cut it up. Then take a small fork and prick down each square to avoid excessive puffing.
But note that I timed myself and it took 3 minutes 40 seconds to cut up and do the pricking for the whole batch. i.e. totally worth it for the sake of a true bowl of keto cinnamon toast crunch.
And… the video story!
Keto Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal
Ingredients
- 192 g almond flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum or 1 tsp flax meal
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 80 g grass-fed butter at room temperature*
- 96 g golden erythritol or erythritol-based sweeteners
- 1 egg
For the cinnamon topping:
- 28 g grass-fed butter melted
- 2 tablespoons xylitol or Swerve
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- See recipe video for guidance!
- Add almond flour, cinnamon, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt to a medium bowl. Whisk until thoroughly combined and set aside.
- Cream butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer, 2-3 minutes. Add in sweetener and continue to beat until thoroughly light and fluffy and much of the sweetener has dissolved.
- Add in egg, mixing until just incorporated. The mixture will appear slightly 'broken' (i.e. not thoroughly smooth).
- With your mixer on low, add in half of your flour mixture- mixing until just incorporated. Mix in the rest.
- Wrap cereal dough with cling film (saran wrap) and refrigerate for at least an hour and up to 3 days.
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
- Roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper until nice and thin. Using a ruler, cut dough lengthwise and then crosswise into squares. Prick each piece with a small fork (optional).
- Transfer parchment paper with the keto cinnamon toast crunch to a baking sheet or tray, and place in the freezer for 10 minutes prior to baking. The shaped dough can be frozen for up to 3 months, and baked straight from the freezer (adding 2-3 minutes more to the baking time).
- Bake for 8-12 minutes, until fully golden (depending on size and thickness). Keep an eye out for them, and note that if you like them crisp you'll want to push the baking time as much as possible (until deep golden).
- Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon 'sugar'. You can also do this prior to baking for a more 'crusty' result, both work well just depending on your preference so feel free to experiment.
- Allow to cool for ten minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely, as they'll continue to crunch up (this may take a few hours for the sweetener to harden up again!).
- Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Just have to say this recipe is amazing. I missed cereal most. Bfast was hard and its still my least fav keto meal cause i miss the sweet. Not anymore! Wish i had tried this recipe months ago. Would have cured a lot of cravings. Started a cereal factory in my kitchen so i never run out! Thank u so much for shaing. Its a great help to keep our keto lifestyle!!
I am going to give this recipe a try. Can I just say, though, that your metric instructions mix metric and imperial. If using metric, teaspoons and tablespooons should not be used. Instead it should read mls or gms. Not trying to be critical, but it is a very important fact.
Hi Lisa… I get you, but it’s common practice to give things such as baking powder and salt in teaspoons as most peeps don’t have scales with decimal points 😉 xo!
Is the butter used in the recipe salted or unsalted?
Thanks, and I can’t wait to try this recipe!
I’m on my second batch! I didn’t realize how much I’d missed simple cereal. Keto breakfast can get monotonous. I tossed some walnuts in the bowl with these and the milk. Yummmm…These are tasty, and reminiscent of graham crackers. Thanks for another great recipe.
So what is the serving size? Did I miss it somewhere?
Two dumb beginner questions lol. I just made the dough. It’s in the fridge. Now when I cut it do I sperate it then and bake it all in individual pieces or do you cut it and then sperate/break it apart after it has cooked? I don’t have a ruler so I plan on using a pizza cutter wheel. You roll this on top of the parchment paper with the dough underneath correct? Secondly for the crackers and this do you freeze the dough in a flattened ball so to speak or do you actually make it the cracker and cereal shape and then freeze it like that?
Absolutely love this. Made mine a little thick so they didn’t come out crispy but it was still delicious. Kind of like a cookie or thin piece of bread.
For extra crispness try double baking it (like biscotti!). So allow it to cool then pop it back in the oven for roughly 5 😉
For the topping can I use stevia drops or erythritol? I don’t have swerve or xylotal.
Swerve is erythritol 😉
I had no idea:) Wish I knew this before lol
What is the “flour” substance you use in the video to roll these out?
TIA
Delicious! I have been craving cereal since I started doing LCHF again, and this really hits the spot! I found it didn’t need any extra sweetner sprinkled on it. It was perfectct just with a sprinkle of cinnamon. It took me a little while to roll/cut and get a rhythm, but this is definitely going to be a staple in my house.
My I suggest this instead of a ruler: https://www.amazon.com/Norpro-NOR-3095-4-Wheel-Adjustable-Pastry/dp/B01E7T0TJG/ref=sr_1_67?ie=UTF8&qid=1542136427&sr=8-67&keywords=pastry+cutter+roll
😉
ooooh how neat!!
Hi, Second time asking… What can I sub for the butter? We are a DF household but all of the cereal recipes call for butter. Ghee? Avocado oil?
Details are in the post and notes Roberta xo
Coconut butter
I made these today. Fantastic! The taste and texture of these are almost identical to cinnamon sugar graham crackers. Now if there was only a recipe for keto marshmallows…
There is!!! Just search the blog for marshmallows 😉 xo!
How many pieces are in a serving? I see where it says the serving is 2 net carbs but technically how many pieces is that?im confused about that part
Help! I’ve turned off my adblocker and still can’t see the recipe video, despite refreshing my browser and everything! 🙁 I so desperately want to make this cereal lol
Have you cleared your cache Ana? Can you see other ads? From what I heard from readers it takes a little bit
Do you grind the sweetner or leave it grainy when making the dough?
I’ve left it grainy xo
What can I sub for the butter? We are a DF household but all of the cereal recipes call for butter. Ghee? Avocado oil?
This looks yummy! I just watched the video. After the refridgeration step and before the rolling pin part, you sprinkle something white on the parchment to aid in rolling. In regular baking, this would just be flour. What did YOU use in the video? 🙂
You have the cinnamons a bit mixed up, I think. Mexican cooking uses Ceylon (verum) cinnamon, which is milder tasting and generally expensive. The link you posted for “Mexican cinnamon” is apparently Saigon (loureiroi) cinnamon, which is the strongest in flavor. The usual cheap American cinnamon is Burmese (burmanii), generally grown in Indonesia. Chinese cinnamon (cassia) is less common, but tastes very like the Burmese. Burmese and Chinese cinnamons are both often called “cassia.” And all three of those naturally have high levels of blood thinners that people who take blood thinners need to watch out for. Ceylon cinnamon is the only one that doesn’t.
Hi Julie! I’m not sure about the blood thinners etc, but I’m certain that Ceylon cinnamon isn’t Mexican (because it’s to Sri Lanka!) xo!
There isn’t really any “Mexican cinnamon.” But Ceylon cinnamon is used in Mexican cooking and is sometimes sold as Mexican. Yes, grown in Sri Lanka.
Julie, I definitely agree with you regarding Mexican cinnamon (which is truly Ceylon and comes from Sri Lanka and the southwest coast of India) but called “canela” in Mexico; it is milder in flavor compared to Saigon cinnamon (which is the “spicier” cinnamon). I am going to try this recipe out and mix both types together and see how it turns out!
Hello…I have a question about coconut palm sugar it is so good it’s just like sugar? Is th his any healthier for someone on a keto zone diet?
I’m just courious. I bought coconut flour n coconut sugar …. i will try getting hazelnut flour. Thanks for that!
Also xanthan gum is that a thinking agent like arrowroot? Can you sub arrowroot for xanthan gum?
Thanks so much ,
Harmony
Hi Harmony! I wouldn’t use coconut palm sugar if on a keto diet, keep in mind that it will spike your sugar and kick you out of ketosis… and unfortunately xanthan gum is more than just a thickener, so arrowroot isn’t a sub in this case 🙁 xo!
This is awesome. Mine didn’t turn out that crunchy but think I need to roll them thinner next time. However when I put the nutritional info in MFP it sys its 15g per serving 😭😳 why would this be? It’s looks like all the carbs are coming from the erythritol? I’ve out not in as 10 servings too. Any help greatly appreciated
Claire
Hi Claire! You can always pop this batch back in the oven now that its cool and it will surely get a lot crunchier 😉
Also, keep in mind that its common practice to subtract sugar alcohols such as erythritol as you do fiber- so that should account for the discrepancy? xo!
I’m thinking you could make a mixture of peanut butter powder, powdered xylitol or erythritol sweetener, and cocoa. Think Reeses’ cereal in square shapes!
Check out the Cocoa Puffs! You can sub the cocoa for the peanut flour 😉
Hey Paola, thanks for sharing this great recipe!
My first try, though, went not all too smooth, I am afraid.
I mean the taste was really great, the first batch also got a nice crunch to them, but with the second half of the dough I had even more difficulties rolling it out, because it was all crumbling apart and the bits that stuck together I could’nt roll out too thin because of that.
Can you think of anything I might have done wrong with the dough for it to end up that crumbly? For sugar, I used half powdered Erythriol and half Swerve. Maybe that’s a problem? Or did I not beat the butter enough (do you warm it up before so you can actually beat it?).. when do you know the texture of the butter+sweetner is just right?
Thanks a lot!
Hi JayNa! If you had difficulties rolling out the second half of the dough, I’m thinking that the butter in the dough likely began to melt away… are you working in a warm environment? The easy trick is to keep the dough you aren’t working with in the fridge, and if it begins to become unmaneagable simply pop it in the fridge or freezer for a bit! xo
The dough was hard to handle from the beginning..i even added some little more butter but dis not dare add too much. But ir was very crumbly from the start….maybe I should try some more butter next time. It should be comparable to “normal cookie dough”, right?
thank you!
Wow this looks amazing!! I’m going to make them soon but I’m wondering how I should store the ones that haven’t been eaten (if any will be left 😜) thanks for all the wonderful recipes. Xo
LOL! In an airtight container (roughly a week? depends on your humidity, but you can always pop them back in the oven if they get soft on you). Or you can freeze the shaped and unbaked for a month or two xo!
What type of “milk” do you recommend to keep it keto?
Any nut milk will work great (I’m currently OBSESSED with macadamia milk! You can either make your own or check out the brand Milkadamia- solid product) xo!
What flavor? Original?
Turned out great! I baked mine on 300 and it took a long time, maybe 30 minutes. I rolled it super thin. Took it out close to being finished, brushed on the topping then back in the oven. I tried it alone and with a little half and half. It is fantastic!
Do you think the dough would roll out using a pasta roller? Just curious if you’ve tried it
Thanks! Going to try these, my youngest loves CTC but they’re so unhealthy – this sounds like a much needed ‘mom guilt’ free version!
No it would melt and break 😉
Ok, thank you!!!
I made a couple of changes I would recommend…
– I like to replace the cinnamon and with 2-3 tablespoons of cocoa nibs. Crush them first or add them while creaming the butter to break them up into little pieces. I also add a little vanilla and don’t bother with the cinnamon coating. This makes a a nice subtle chocolate flavor.
– Since I usually ended up just eating these by the handful as a snack, I instead rolled them into 1″ balled and baked them as drop cookies. Saved the steps of rolling and cutting. They have a nice crunchy outer shell and soft, chewy insides.
– I forgot the egg once and they came out crispier. I still tend to use the egg, especially when making it as cookies, but if they aren’t coming out crispy enough for you, you might give it a try (they tend to fall apart more in milk without the egg).
You noted to use half the amount for pyure, is it half the amount for swerve as well?
No, Swerve is 1-1 to sugar (Pyre is twice as sweet) xo!
Can I use Vitafibre instead in the main bake?
I’m Sorry Elizabeth, I don’t know what that is! Though do keep in mind that the recipe was modeled around almond flour xo!
How could I do this with ghee? Or non dairy and non coconut?
Turned out pretty dang yummy!! So what EXACTLY is a serving size? I’m assuming 2 ounces as in the title CTC 2.0. I ask cuz I could have just kept eating the whole batch! Lol ❤️
Awesome Kay! 40g is the serving size. In all honesty if you don’t have a scale this can look VERY different depending on how you rolled it out etc 😉