Cheerios and raisin bran played starring roles in our household when my husband and I were first married. Not as nourishing, I know, but thankfully we have mended our ways. 😉
It’s been fun to tackle the cereal challenge over the years, discovering everyone’s preferences and searching for the perfect crunchy texture. This may sound silly, but we like a cereal that doesn’t immediately go soggy once submerged in milk. For a long time, I achieved all of this with my oven, but my husband blessed me with an Excalibur dehydrator this last Christmas, which has greatly improved the texture of our cereal!
Homemade Sourdough Cold Cereal
Ingredients
Sponge
- 3 cups sprouted flour or whole grain flour
- 3 cups rolled oats not quick
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter
- 3 cups soured milk or yogurt, unsoured milk will also work
Cereal Base
- 2/3 cup coconut oil
- 3/4 cup raw honey maple syrup, or Rapadura
- 1-1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Sponge
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Mix ingredients all together in large glass bowl.
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Make sure to leave a bit of extra space, since the grains will rise a bit during the souring process.
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Cover and let sit at least 12 to 24 hours.
Cereal Base
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Combine cereal base ingredients.
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Add any desirable variations, such as these below.
Finish
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Once the base and variation ingredients are mixed together, pour your creation into a glass baking dish, filling it about 2/3 of the way up to the top.
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You may have to use another baking dish. Bake it in the oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
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Let it cool, and then crumble it into small pieces, spread it out onto a dehydrator sheet and dry it at 115 degrees Fahrenheit.
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I normally start mine in the evening, turn it a few times before bed, and get up in the morning to find it at the perfect texture. However, feel free to tweak the timing based on your own preferences.
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If you don't have a dehydrator, spread the cereal pieces out on cookie sheets and bake them in your oven on the lowest heat possible.
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I propped my oven open with a knife to decrease the temperature even further, but even so, this method will probably be quicker than with a dehydrator, so make sure to keep an eye on the cereal.
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Turn it every few hours.
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Once dried, serve in bowls and pour milk overtop to enjoy with your family!
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Store the remainder in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
Recipe Notes
Peanut butter cereal: 1 cup peanut butter, 1 teaspoon organic maple flavoring
Apple cinnamon cereal: 2 apples diced, 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Walnut banana cereal: 3/4 cup soaked walnuts, 2 bananas, 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Maple cereal: 1 teaspoon organic maple flavoring, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Cranberry, orange, and walnut cereal: 3/4 cup soaked walnuts, 3/4 cup cranberries, 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
Have you made homemade dried cereal before? What is your favorite flavoring?
Also see: Sourdough Nutty Cereal (Like Grape Nuts) — which uses the oven.
Photos by Melissa K. Norris.
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We made this cereal in order to take the photos and it’s great! I used cinnamon and raisins and we like it in milk (it stays crunchy) or as just a snack. Will be trying a chocolate peanut butter version next. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Thanks for the great pictures!!!! SO glad you like the recipe. We haven’t tried choco PB- let me know how it is. : )
Do you need a sourdough starter? Or could you make the recipe the same way you make your grape nuts and just soak it overnight?
Hello Shelby,
For this particular recipe, you would need a starter, although I have made the same recipe without a starter – I just prefer to sour most of our grains. If you do not have one, just omit and the recipe should still work.
Hope that helps. : )
Tracey
One of the things that I miss about cold cereal is that it was something I could easily have on hand if we were in a hurry. So glad to come across this recipe! We’ll have to give it a try.
That is exactly why I was determined to find a cereal that worked for us- to quell all of the “I’m hungry” needs if fruit/veggies are sparse. I hope it works well for you!!! : ))
Hi, I’ve read a lot of negative stuff about wheat lately, hence I’m trying to cut down but finding it very difficult. When the wheat is soured, as in sourdough bread, cereal , etc, does this counteract the negative effects of the wheat. This is something I’ve been very confused about for a long time.
Hello Sadaf,
First, I must begin by saying i am not an expert on this, but I will share what I have learned from you, said best, I believe, by Sally Fallon:
“Proper preparation of grains is a kind and gentle process that imitates the process that occurs in nature. It involves soaking for a period in warm, acidulated water in the preparation of porridge, or long, slow sour dough fermentation in the making of bread. Such processes neutralize phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors. Vitamin content increases, particularly B vitamins. Tannins, complex sugars, gluten and other difficult-to-digest substances are partially broken down into simpler components that are more readily available for absorption.”
Though this may not completely answer your question, I hope it begins to break the surface. Here is the link to the tidbit I took from one of Fallon’s articles: http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/be-kind-to-your-grains-and-your-grains-will-be-kind-to-you/
Our family personally consumes grains daily- however, not in excess and balanced with many other things. All of our grains are either soured, soaked, or sprouted however and many times a combination of all three. By the grace of God, neither my husband, myself, or four children exhibit grain intolerance that I can tell.
God bless you as you seek to learn.
Tracey
Did I miss something? What do you do with the sponge? I don’t see where you used the sponge in the baking process. Thanks in advance.
Good catch, Vicki. Sorry about that. Once the overnight soaking is complete, add the cereal base to the sponge and whatever other additions you may want. Sorry about the confusion. : )
We have been on GAPS diet for two years and are weaning off. I make homemade gluten free sour dough bread so I have a gluten free sourdough starter. Has anyone out there tried a gluten free flour to make this recipe? Wondering which one( or combo) would work best?
Wish I could help, but I have not tried that yet.
If one doesn’t have a dehydrator, can one bake it in the oven for the second step at 175 degrees and just shorten the time.
Let me know!
Thanks,
Yes- I think that would work just fine- just watch it.
I am so happy to have found this recipe. I used to live off cereal in my younger years, but haven’t had it for a couple years now… I have my sponge sitting right now, and can’t wait to try this. I think I may try apple cinnamon first, as we are in the season right now. Thank you!
I love this version of homemade cereal. Cereal is one of the only things I “miss” from the processed food world so I am glad to have a delicious and crunchy alternative. You mentioned you didn’t know how long this would store, so I thought I would share. I am a single girl so I don’t go through this all that fast. I made a batch over a month ago and it is still just as crunchy and delicious as ever! So make a big batch!
Thank you for this recipe! I have just lately known about the cereal process being used for our cereal and this is a good substitute. I know I can give this to my grandchildren and it is safe to eat.
Great! I hope it works well for you!
I’m always looking for more cereal recipes to give us more variety. I have two questions:
#1 Why do you use sprouted flour if it’s going to be soaked anyway?
#2 Would this work with soured cream too?
Thanks.
Hi Sherri,
Some people like the double protection of sprouting and souring. If I have extra on hand, I will do both, but usually I will just soak.
and
Yes, soured cream is just fine. I use whatever I have on hand in the dairy department. : )
Blessings.
Brilliant! Love that this recipe also doubles nicely as a beautiful cake.
Wonderful!!!!
Do you have any recipes using Freekeh? I just got 2 boxes of it and am interested in differing recipes with it. Thanks.
I used to love coconut and strawberry overnight oats but am healing my teeth having yogurt instead…its not the same. I thought oats had to be soaked for 48 hours to be nutralized ? I do like the sound of the cinamon and rasin but theres not long left before we cant get vitamin D here again :o(
My daughter is allergic to oats. Is there anything else I can sub? Thank you!
Help! I started some last night and about 9 PM and I will not have time to finish it today. I wonder if I can put in the fridge and bake it tomorrow…?
I did not use any sourdough starter because I don’t own any.
Love this cereal recipe. I’m wondering tho, about using dried cranberries and raisins, don’t they get really hard baking then dehydrating them again? Also, wondering if previously steeped crio bru would work as an add in. I may give it a try in my banana walnut that I’m making this morning.
How about other flavors? Pumpkin spice with puréed pumpkin and papitas has been on my mind. What would you recommend for the measurements? Another one I’m thinking of is tropical, coconut, macadamia, mango or pineapple
How long at 115 degrees to dehydrate the cereal?
Hi, Lydia.
You will want to dehydrate until FULLY dry, usually about 24 hours. 🙂
~Makenzie, TCS Success Team
My dehydration methods are slim in availability. Could we not eat it like a “cake” once done baking in the oven versus dehydrated for the cereal result?