Make it Yourself – Cereals

Posted by Kelly Davis on 16 February 2011 | 2 Comments

When I was around 4 years old, my favorite book was “I Can Do It Myself,” which was about a very independent little girl, much like myself. This independence has been a theme throughout my life and even in my cooking as I have discovered that I don’t have to purchase processed foods — I can make them myself. This is the first in a series of posts showing that you too can take the foods you usually purchase from those middle aisles in the grocery store and make them yourself at home. 

When it comes to healthy cereal options, there are very few choices. Some cereal are as much as 50% sugar by weight. Even a “healthy” cereal like Wheaties has more additives and preservatives than I care to consume in one sitting. 

See for yourself:Whole Grain Wheat, Crisp Rice (rice flour, salt, malt extract, Sugar, Whole Grain Oats, Corn Bran, Honey, Canola Oil, Maltodextrin, Wheat Bran, Corn Starch, Brown Sugar Syrup, Salt, Cinnamon, Barley Malt Extract, Corn Syrup Solids, Color Added, Guar Gum, Cellulose Gum, Soy Lecithin, Artificial Flavor, Baking Soda, Trisodium, Phosphate, Corn Oil, Vitamin E (mixed tocopherrols) and BHT Added to Preserve Freshness. 

Making healthy breakfast cereals at home is a lot easier than most people think. When you make these cereals yourself, you decide how much sugar you want in your breakfast, you control the amount of processing that goes into your meal, plus making cereal is customizable and fun. These cereals contain little to no added sugar, so feel free to add more to meet your taste preferences. 

Almond Crunch Granola
Rather than using oil as most recipes do, this granola uses canned pumpkin. I’ve found that canned pumpkin gives a much crunchier texture to granola over apple sauce, which is commonly used in low-fat granola. 

4 cups rolled oats
1 tsp. salt
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup agave
2 tsp. almond extract
4 oz. almond pieces (~1/2 cup)
4 oz. raisins (~1/2 cup)

Combine oats and salt and mix well.  Add pumpkin, agave, and almond extract, mixing well. Add almond pieces and raisins and stir until mixed well throughout. 

Place granola on a large well-oiled baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Stir granola well, and cook for an additional 10 minutes for a total cooking time of 25 minutes. Allow to cool and store in an airtight container. 

Cinnamon Strawberry Breakfast Cereal
This breakfast cereal is easily customizable for your taste. If you can’t find Kamut, try puffed rice. Not a fan of cinnamon? Add a tsp. of orange extract instead. Substitute the almonds and strawberries with the nuts and dried fruit of your choice. Be creative and make it your own! 

8 cups puffed Kamut*
2 cups puffed Millet*
2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
½ cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp. salt
1 cup pre-made granola (I used the recipe above)
2½ oz. dried strawberries
½ cup almond pieces

In a bowl, combine puffed Kamut and pumpkin. Mix until pumpkin thoroughly coats the Kamut. Add cinnamon and stir to thoroughly coat the cereal. Bake on a well-oiled baking sheet at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. 

Put cinnamon Kamut in a large bowl. Add Millet and granola. Stir and store in an airtight container.

Suggested use: Pour ½ to ¾ cup cold milk of your choice over 1 cup of cereal. 

*These are ancient grains which are typically a richer source of nutrients than typical grains like wheat and rice. These grains are just a suggestion; feel free to substitute with the grains of your choice. Plain puffed grains can be found in grocery stores and health food stores.    

Apple Strudel Muesli
This is also an easily customizable recipe. Simply substitute the apples and nuts with the add-ins of your choice. 

3 cups of 10 grain cereal* (like Bob’s Red Mill)
3 oz. of dried apples, chopped (~1½ cups, loosely packed)
¼ cup + 2 Tbsp. walnut pieces
¼ cup + 2 Tbsp. raisins
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt

Mix all ingredients well and store in an airtight container. These can be eaten hot (like oatmeal) or cold. 

For hot muesli: Combine ½ cup of muesli with ½ cup water and ½ cup milk of your choice in a small pot. Bring mixture to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook until most of the liquid is completely absorbed. Optional: Add ½ tsp. of vanilla or almond extract while cooking.

For cold muesli: Pour cold milk over ½ cup muesli or use as a topping for yogurt. 

Other delicious flavor combinations to try:
- Dried blueberries + lemon extract
- Dried cranberries + orange extract
- Walnuts + dried figs
- Chopped dates + pecans
- Dried apricots + walnuts
- Dried mango + shredded coconut
- 1 Tbsp. of cocoa (in granola or hot muesli) + shredded coconut

The possibilities are endless!