Alrighty-then. Here is it finally. I shared my attempts at a nut-free raw cereal with you on Facebook a while back and it has taken me many tries to get this puppy share-worthy. And I'm so excited to share!
First off let me say that making homemade cereal is driven by two forces. First off, it's part of my dedicated attempts to keep a low-waste green kitchen (see more about that here and here). You see, cereal produces a lot of waste. There's that nasty plastic bag, then the cardboard box...and you don't even get THAT much cereal. What's up with that!? Secondly, and perhaps most obvious to us all, making homemade ANYTHING is preferred as there is total control over the ingredients (and it's usually waaaay cheaper). So ditching store-bought cereal is actually one of my latest omissions from my kitchen cupboard And I have to say, I don't miss the store bought stuff at all. In reality, I don't eat cereal very much (mainly because it all has stuff I can't eat) but I love my homemade recipe. The verdict, thumbs up all around from the family on mommy's homemade cereal. We enjoy it on yogurt too, which always makes a nice breakfast or snack. Let me know if you give it a try. And perhaps with some homemade dairy-free milk: almond, hemp, walnut, or macadamia (my fave is walnut).
My lovely and supportive friend Shirley from Gluten Free Easily and All Gluten Free Desserts, All The TIme is hosting this month's Go Ahead Honey. And the theme: “When You’re Grain Free and Feeling Like A Nut, But Can’t Eat Tree Nuts or Peanuts!”
I'm SUPER pumped about this month's theme, as I don't personally eat a lot of tree nuts (can't digest almonds worth a darn these days) and I'm DEATHLY allergic to peanuts. So I knew this recipe would be perfect to bring to the party. I can't wait to check out all the other entries. Make sure you follow my sweet friend Shirley on Facebook and subscribe to her blogs. She is one lady you want to stay connected with! Thanks for hosting, Shirley.
Raw Apple Cinnamon Cereal
nut free, grain free, dairy free, cane-sugar free, vegan
Ingredients:
-2 cups organic raw sunflower seeds
-1 cup organic raw pumpkin seeds
-1 cup shredded coconut
-1/4 cup raw hemp seeds
-3/4 cup coconut sugar
-2 cups peeled and small diced apples
-3 tablespoons chia seeds (optional)
-1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
-1 teaspoon liquid stevia
-2 to 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon (I used 2 T in this recipe)
-1 teaspoon ground chia
-1 teaspoon psyllium husk
-1/4 teaspoon salt
How To:
1. In a large bowl add the sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds and cover with filtered water (about 2 inches over) and soak for at least 8 hours. I like to soak mine as long as I can, so I gave mine about 15 hours.
2. After they have soaked, drain and rinse (do not pat dry or try to dry the seeds, you need the moisture).
3. To the drained seeds add all the ingredients except the applesauce and stevia.
4. In a separate bowl (I used a 1-cup Pyrex) mix together the applesauce and stevia. This will evenly distribute the stevia.
5. Mix the applesauce with the seed mixture (your hands work best) and then evenly spread onto your dehydrator I spread the mixture onto these screens that come with the dehydrator. I do not use these fruit roll sheets.
6. I set my dehydrator on about 110 degrees, put in the laundry room and let it rock. After about 18 hours I check for the crisp level. I dehydrate longer until that perfectly crisp texture is achieved.
7. The final mixture will be very stiff and pop out in a sheet, very stiff and crisp. Break into pieces and store in an air tight container. This will keep for weeks. But it never lasts that long.
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Here are the sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds in the early sprouting stage after soaking for about 15 hours
(soak the seeds at least 8 hours)
Here are all the ingredients piled on the seeds
I like to mix the stevia with the applesauce so it's evenly distributed
Mixing everything together
Here is a link to the dehydrator I use.
It's nothing fancy, but it gets the job done.
Press the mixture evenly around...
and make sure it's not too thick.
You can see it makes A LOT.
I dehydrate on 115 degrees for 18- 24 hours
But the ultimate test for doneness is when it's super-duper crispy!
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I've also made Lauren's 5-Ingredient Healthy Cocoa Crispies (another great homemade cereal), and and if you like the CRUNCH factor in your cereal, this recipe is for you!! Lauren's recipe does NOT go soggy in milk (reminds me of grape-nuts). It's super delicious and I love how chocolaty it makes the milk. This is a must try. Here is my picture of her cereal.
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Shared on: Wellness Weekend, Raw Foods Thursday, Whole Food Fridays, Healthy Vegan Friday, Healthy 2nd Wednesday
Oh Amber this looks gorgeous! How I wish I had a dehydrator though I'm sure this would work slow baked in the oven like mine!
ReplyDeleteI've pinned Lauren's recipe a while back - so pleased you've made it and can recommend it. It looks yummy and VERY chocolatey!
Well done for creating such a "tasty alternative" to the cereals out there, I'll be trying this sometime in my oven! xo
Hi Vicki,
DeleteYes, I think we have similar convection ovens. I would set it at the lowest temp for 4 or 5 hours and see how it turns out. I think it would crisp up just fine. :-) We should start our own line of cereals my friend.
Thank you for the tip Amber. Wouldn't it be lovely to be able to buy cereals as healthy as these! I wonder if there would actually be a big enough demand - otherwise I wish we could!
DeleteLooks good! Vicky, check your local thrift store. I recently scored a dehydrator for six bucks!
ReplyDeleteGreat score, Sarah. Wow!!
DeleteWow! But I don't think anyone in the UK will have had one long enough to give to a charity shop yet! But thanks for the suggestion!
DeleteYummy yum yum! Is that glue in your bowl? Hehe, I read once that cereal commercials use glue to make the cereal look more appetizing on film...and yours looks mighty tasty my dear!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the mention too! I'm so happy that you liked it! :-D
Ha ha, yes, walnut glue.
DeleteI am really enjoying your cereal, Lauren. You, me and AND Vicky should make our own line of cereals. Between the three of us, I am all set with homemade cereal for days. :-)
Amber! WOW! I just love this cereal! Apples and crunchy protein would be such a delicious way to start the day. Of all of the raw things I've made I've only made buckwheaties for cereal. I can not WAIT to try your recipe! Sure hoping you're bringing this to Raw Foods Thursdays tomorrow! :)
ReplyDeleteHeather
Thanks Heather. And you bet I will be sharing this tomorrow for RFT. See you then. :-)
DeleteI'm so glad that you did, Amber! I'm going to feature it tomorrow at RFT! Such a wonderful raw recipe!!
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