Breakfast cereal was a part of my childhood. I would sometimes have it in the morning, along with fruit and maybe a cup of tea or hot chocolate. It was an easy fix, no need to turn on the stove, no need to get the help of a grownup. My favorites were rice krispies and just regular corn flakes.
Now, when I feel for it, instead of purchasing the more expensive gluten free cereal, I make my own. Most of the time, it gets eaten as a snack because it's just so convenient to pack and go. Understandably, since I love all things chocolate this recipe was my first choice.
It's simple to put the dough together and you can always adjust the flavor or the amount of sugar to your liking. The challenge for me is patiently cutting the dough into more or less equal sized pieces. After cutting the millionth piece (gross exaggeration is firmly a part of my culture), I ignore my own suggestion to space the pieces in the tray so that they do not touch. Therefore, after baking for the first 8 minutes, I would separate any of the pieces that stuck together which in retrospect does not take that long at all. There is no strict rule to follow here, so you can decide what works best for you.
I like a crunchy cereal, one that does not get soggy too quickly when milk is added. To achieve that I let the cereal dehydrate until it’s very crisp but of course not hard enough to break my teeth when I bite into it dry. Again, let your preference dictate the final result.
I hope you enjoy this recipe, shoot me a message if you try it, I’d love hearing from you.
Gluten Free and Vegan Cocoa Breakfast Cereal Recipe
Ingredients
½ cup brown rice flour
¼ cup potato starch
¼ cup tapioca starch
¼ cup almond flour
¼ tsp xanthan gum
1 tbsp finely ground flaxmeal
¼ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ cup brown sugar (more or less to preference)
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp coconut oil
¼ cup water (add more by tablespoon)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
potato or tapioca starch for dusting work surface
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
Prepare a work surface to roll out the dough, dust liberally.
Place all of the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, stirring until completely combined. To the dry ingredients add the oil and water, not the vinegar. If using a mixer, attach the dough hook and on low beat the mixture to form a firm but sticky dough, adding a little water at a time if it is dry to the touch. Let the dough sit for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes check the dough. Some of the water may have been absorbed. If the dough feels more firm and less sticky add a little bit of water. Add the vinegar, start on a low speed to incorporate the vinegar, then raise to high. Beat until the dough comes together, sticky but firm.
You can shape the cereal in whatever way works best for you. If you use a piping bag you may have to add more water to the dough and increase the baking time for a few minutes. I pinched off pieces of the dough and rolled it into elongated “noodles”. I placed the noodles on the tray one at a time, then I cut the noodle across the length into small pieces. Ensure that there is a bit of space between each piece. Work as quickly as you can to get the cereal into the oven, you do not want the leavening agents to lose their potency.
Place the tray in the oven and bake at 425 F for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes drop the oven temperature to 225 F and bake for 15 – 20 minutes. This last step dehydrates the cereal. The longer it stays in the oven the crunchier it will be. That influences how long it will take to soak up the liquid when you are eating the cereal. Since this is a personal preference, try varying times until you achieve a texture you like. The cereal will also firm up a bit more as it cools
Allow the cereal to cool completely on the tray, store in an airtight container. The cereal should be fine up to 2 weeks in a cool place.