Photos updated 2/1/19
One of the things we miss most in this house is cereal of the commercially-prepared variety. We just don’t buy it much anymore.
Once you start researching and learning about ingredients you realize that most cereals in the aisle at the grocery store are not much more than variations of corn, soy and chemicals. Oh, lots of fat too, usually an unhealthy kind.
Our family had a few favorite cereals that one by one fell by the wayside as the primary shopper (that’s me!) in the house stopped supporting the GMO industry, the nasty “vegetable” oil industry (you do know they’re not made with veggies, right?) and the chemical industry. We still buy one or two organic commercial cereals but recently I was looking for something new. Something that would satisfy us and fill that sweet tooth we all have.
Honestly, I just wanted to create a real-food cereal that my 20 year old son would eat. That was pretty much my only goal.
For that reason I started with our favorite cereal from the past. Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Pre gluten-free days we all ate it and loved it. It was a little spicy, a little buttery and a lot sugary. Considering all of that, I really didn’t have any health parameters for preparing this cereal. I didn’t pay attention to the fat content, the sugar content or the carbs. All I wanted was a cereal to satisfy a kid (I use that term very loosely) who is used to commercial foods and sadly, prefers them most of the time.
If you’ve never made granola you’re going to smack yourself for waiting so long to try it. It’s simple, with minimal ingredients and lots of flavor. There are plenty of other recipes that cut fat, add fruit and extra nutrition. If you’re looking for those things, this is not it. This recipe is all indulgent and fattening so consume wisely.
“Cinnamon Toast Crunch” Granola {gluten-free}
You’ll LOVE this copy-cat, gluten-free cereal recipe if you miss Cinnamon Toast Crunch because you can’t eat wheat.
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 3 1/2 cups
Ingredients
3 cups whole, rolled oats (Preferably soaked and dried. If you’re not sure how to do this, start here.)
3 Tbls flax seed, ground
½ cup butter, melted
¼ cup cane sugar
¼ cup maple syrup
2 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. vanilla
Topping:
2 Tbls. cane sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
{Mix together}
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350˚.
Combine the oats and flax meal. Set aside.
Combine the melted butter, cane sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt and vanilla. Mix well.
Pour over oat mixture and combine completely.
Pour onto large, ungreased, baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven, stir granola and return to oven for 5 minutes.
Continue stirring and baking in 5-minute intervals until granola is very lightly browned.
Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle the cinnamon sugar topping mixture over warm oats.
Stir thoroughly and allow to cool to room temperature.
Store granola at room temperature for up to a week or in the refrigerator for up to a month – although there’s no way that it’ll last that long!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: baked