Keto Cereal
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This keto cereal recipe is the BEST make-ahead breakfast made with just four ingredients! Crispy, crunchy, and perfect served with milk! 2 grams net carbs per serving.
Whenever I crave cereal on a keto diet, I have a few go-to recipes. I sometimes make keto granola, and sometimes keto overnight oats. If I want something quick and fast that reminds me of my childhood, I make my homemade keto cereal.
I developed this recipe to mimic the texture and flavor of the cereal I grew up eating, without the sugar or carb spike. It’s sort of a mix between Cocoa Puffs and Peanut Butter Puffs, but with a much cleaner ingredient list. After multiple test batches to get the size, crispiness, and sweetness right, this version holds its crunch and stores really well.
I’ve been making them in big batches, so I always have them on hand for a quick breakfast.
Table of Contents
Why make my keto cereal recipe
- 4 Ingredients. No hard-to-find or expensive ingredients are needed, just four you probably have in your pantry right now.
- Cheaper than store-bought. Most commercial keto cereals cost over $10 per box, and nearly all are only available online.
- Crispy, crunchy, and perfect with milk! This is NOT the cereal that turns soggy when you add milk. It remains perfectly crunchy throughout and naturally sweetens the milk!
- Easy to customize. This cereal forms a fabulous base, and it’s so easy to customize. You can add your favorite nuts, seeds, or flavor extracts to change up the flavors.
Key Ingredients
Here’s what goes into homemade keto breakfast cereal, along with my kitchen notes. Measurements are in the recipe card below:
- Almond Flour. Blanched almond flour or superfine almond flour must be used, NOT almond meal.
- Coconut Flour. Works with almond flour to achieve that crispy, fluffy texture on the inside. Do not substitute this for other flour. Otherwise, it will affect the overall recipe.
- Keto maple syrup. To add some sweetness while also helping hold the cereal balls together. Skip the expensive store-bought kind and make your own! If you use a store-bought syrup, opt for one with allulose, not monk fruit, erythritol, or other sweeteners.
- Coconut oil. Adds a buttery flavor while also keeping the cereal intact, so it doesn’t crumble and fall apart when added to milk. You want your coconut oil to be melted.
- Vanilla extract– Optional, if you want some vanilla flavor.
How to make keto cereal
Step 1- Make the mixture. Start by adding the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisking them together. Add the keto maple syrup and coconut oil, and mix until a thick dough remains.
Step 2- Shape. Next, using your hands, form bite-sized balls and place them on a lined baking sheet.
Step 3- Bake. Bake the cereal for 10-12 minutes until ‘just’ done.
Step 4- Cool. Remove the cereal from the oven and let it cool completely before adding it to a cereal bowl with your favorite milk and enjoying.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Do not over-bake the cereal at all, as it is fragile, and continue cooking as it cools. You can remove the baking pan from the oven if it looks golden brown.
- Don’t worry about the size and shape. As long as they are pea-sized, they will still bake up to a crispy cereal.
- For extra crispy cereal, bake for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
- For chocolate flavor (as pictured). Add some chocolate flavor by stirring in cocoa powder to the dough. For an extra chocolate hit, add 1/4 cup of sugar free chocolate chips.
Storage instructions
To store: Cereal should always be stored in an airtight container. It will remain fresh for at least a month.
To freeze: Freeze extra portions of cereal in a ziplock bag and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you didn’t bake the cereal long enough, it will soften as it cools down. The cereal should have a firm exterior before removing from the oven.
I don’t recommend using generic sugar-free syrups (like sugar-free pancake syrup) because they have the same texture and viscosity as water. This means they will dry out the cereal as it bakes and also lose its sweetness. Allulose-sweetened syrups are naturally thicker and maintain sweetness throughout.
✅ Nutrition reviewed
“For anyone missing cereal on a keto diet or wanting a low-carb alternative, this homemade version offers a familiar crunch without the added sugars found in traditional cereals. The fat and protein content can help promote fullness and reduce mid-morning hunger.” – Felicia Newell, MScAHN, RD, CPT.
Keto Cereal
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 6 tablespoons keto maple syrup
- 6 tablespoons coconut oil melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add your coconut flour and almond flour and mix well. Add your keto maple syrup and coconut oil and mix until a crumbly texture remains. Using your hands, form into a ball of dough.
- Form tiny balls of dough (cereal sized) and place on the lined tray. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely, before transferring to a sealable container.
Notes
- Tips: See my recipe tips above for the best crunchy cereal.
- Leftovers: Keep in an airtight container for up to one month (room temperature) or 6 months (freezer).
Nutrition
More keto breakfast recipes
- Keto bagels– Doughy, tender, and perfect when toasted.
- Keto breakfast muffins– Get another chocolate fix first thing in the morning.
- Keto pancakes– My famous recipe that calls for just five ingredients.
- Keto cinnamon rolls– Your sinful start to the morning. These are gooey and fluffy.
Originally published July 2020
I loved this recipe. It was simple and tasted great. It was a little time consuming making the balls. Other than that it was great.
Thanks, Joy! Yes, it is a little time consuming, isn’t it! I wish there was a quicker way! I typically do a 3 x 4 batch so I have a big serving on hand at all times 🙂
Could you just make them squares instead and roll them out and slice small with pizza cuttee?
Yes, of course! I think that would be a delicious way- it probably won’t slice easily, but as long as there’s some seperation, the cereal will be delicious! 🙂
Do these balls stick together pretty good, or are they pretty crumbly?
I adore this low carb cereal. SO crunchy!
So much cheaper and better tasting than anything store-bought. Yummy!
Thanks so much for your lovely review, Denise- it is so much cheaper, isn’t it? I saw a box at my local Whole Foods for $18!!!!!!
Is there anything I can substitute for the coconut flour? I’m allergic to coconut. I know that the coconut flour must help with the texture, so I’m unsure what else I could use.
In my house we like Cap’n Crunch more than anyone should. The flavors are basically brown sugar and strawberry. I think maybe I could try this flavored with sugar free strawberry gelatin powder.
Hi Spirals- sorry for the late reply! I think that could work, especially since its the powder. Another option I thought of is straweberry crystal light!
I was in a hurry and didn’t read all your notes till after I had made this – oops. Would you be able to say why to use a sweetener with allulose instead of the other sweeteners? I have read to use allulose in ice cream instead of erythritol to keep it softer rather than harder. But what does it do in a recipe like this?
Right now it is already done cooking but it isn’t crunchy so I put it back in for about 45 minutes or so at 200 degrees to remove moisture. But it still wasn’t what I would call crunchy… so maybe it was the sweetener I used? The flavor is good though – thank you!
Hi Sharon- apologies for the oversight with this. Yes, the sweetener does matter, which is why I recommend allulose over others. The moisture part? some brands of monk fruit or eyrthritol does that- it never hardens. I suggest allulose because it dissolves like sugar and keeps the cereal crisp.
Such a fun recipe. I love Keto cereals but they are expensive and usually filled with ingredients that I don’t like.
I’ve made this recipe countless of times but with variations….
I usually double this recipe…but for the most part I do the following:
Preheat- 300 degrees
1 cup Walnut Flour
1/2 cup Flaxseed Meal or Coconut Flour- (Be creative. You can even do 1/4 flax & 1/4 coconut flour)
1/3 cup sweetener( I usually use Monk Fruit Powder)
2 tsp cardamon ( again, be creative. Try cinnamon, ground allspice, or a mixture of all)
2 tsbp- whole psyllium powder ( seems to make the mixture extra crispy)
6 tbsp avocado oil (Be creative- try butter/oil of your choice. Just make sure the oil won’t overpower the recipe)
Once everything is mixed and crumbly, I line my baking sheet with parchment paper and press out the mixture as much as I can with my hands. I then use another parchment paper and cover the top of the mixture and use a mini rolling pin to flatten the mixture and get it is as even all the way around as possible.
Once done, I pop it on my middle level in the oven and bake for about 17 – 20 minutes. Start to keep an eye on it around 18 minutes. That really is the sweet spot.
I take it out the oven, once done and let it cool for about 30 minutes. Sometimes with a mini fan blowing on it. Then I lift the parchment paper and fold it inwards. It starts to break naturally in mini squares. Not uniformed but I enough for it to be stored away.
I may try mini cookie cutter or a pizza cutter on the mixture before I put it in the oven. I’m curious to see what will happen. Good luck 😊
Thank you for sharing your homemade cereal recipe. I’d love to give it a try soon!!
Thank you for your wonderful recipes, Arman, I’ve tried a bunch of them with enormous success and love them all!
There are many more that are so tempting and I’d like to try them as well, especially sweet ones, but unfortunately allulose isn’t approved for sale in Canada, so I can’t get it here. Is there anything else I can use for recipes like your candied pecans and homemade maple syrup?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Ola- sorry for missing this comment! I recently tested this with two monk fruit sweetened maple syrups (choc zero and swerve) and it worked pretty well. In terms of allulose access, I’ve had a few Canadian readers purchase it from iherb.
I’ve been on keto for 2 years, and have tried pretty much every recipe I can find. This is fantastic and better than your keto granola.
I appreciate your kind words, Dorit!
I have not made this yet but anticipate 5 stars! I would like to add raw wheat bran to raise the fiber content. Also, I would like to add some baking powder and reduce the fat (I don’t follow a keto diet per se). I will see what happens! Thank you.
Excellent staple item for the house! I made 2 batches, one maple flavored and one chocolate. For the chocolate, I used the same recipe, but added 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder. That made it a little too crumbly and it wouldn’t stay together so I added another tbsp maple syrup and it fixed it.
I started attempting to roll this into balls but quickly gave it up as too time consuming. Instead I flattened a large ball like a tortilla (ok ok I cheated and used my tortilla press, just really gently so it didn’t make it too thin). I put the flat tortilla-shaped pieces on my parchment paper and ran a pizza cutter through it, criss-crossing to make small squares.
Thanks for this recipe — a great item!
Thanks, Amy!
Wonderful recipe, and fun to experiment with variations. Make whatever flavor you want! Quality of ingredients huge step up from the expensive keto cereals out there.
These look amazing. I have someone allergic to coconut and nuts is there other flours that can be used?
Sunflower seed flour should be a good replacement for the almond flour. Not sure for coconut.
This recipe was super easy to make! I added some coco powder and the combination of almond, coconut, and cocoa is very reminiscent of an Almond Joy. I also used about half the dough to make crackers for my toddler and she loves them too!
How much coacoa powder did you use?
Sorry for the oversight- 1/4 cup 🙂
Looks great. Thanks for the recipe.
Just wondering, is it ok to leave out the maple syrup or use another sweetner like Monk fruit powder?
Thanks.
You can try 🙂
Can I use allulose or erythritol (granulated) instead of maple syrup?
You’re going to make me the greatest husband that ever lived.
I want to try a peanut butter flavored version. I saw one commenter used PB powder. How much? Did they taste like peanut butter? Thanks!
Not sure- I haven’t tried it!
Could I add some flax seed to the recipe for extra fiber, and if so would you recommend cutting down on the oil slightly for the texture to stay crispy?
Would sugar free honey work in place of sugar free maple syrup? Sugar free honey has a thick sticky texture like regular honey.
Yes 🙂
This was phenomenal- exactly what I was looking to make for my healthier lifestyle 🙂 (I also added a half a cup of chocolate protein powder) it may have come out a bit dry but in almond milk it will be great
My 9 year old son has been placed on the ketogenic diet by his neurologist due to unstable epilepsy. He’s doing really well but is missing cereal (& hates keto granola). I made these and put a hole in the middle of each ball to make them sort of cheerio shaped. They are delicious!! Thanks so much
So welcome, Sarah- Wishing your son the best health!
Can I use regular sugar free syrup?
You can it will just be slightly dry 🙂
Can’t wait to try this. I’ve only tried 1 cereal in 9 months-a boxed cereal that cost a fortune and tasted like rotten cardboard. Someone asked about maple syrup and I couldn’t reply, so here’s my ssuggestion: ChocZero makes a maple syrup to die for.
I make this for my breakfast meal prep and its so good with all kinds of milk.
Hello! Can you confirm on the measurements for Coconut Oil and Syrup please? I didn’t get that crumbly consistency… Thank you!
Hi Maria- it’s 6 tablespoons of each 🙂 Just re-tested it again for a recipe video.
Does this mean there’s 4 cups per batch? You keep saying 4 servings but what is the serving? Serving Size 1 cup and 4 cups per batch?
Hi Mike- Nope, it’s 4 servings per entire recipe.
I was thinking of substituting sunflower seed flour or pumpkin seed flour for the almond flour because of my nut allergy. Is there a way to add cocoa powder to this recipe?
Hi Dylan- I haven’t tried with those flours. Cocoa powder would be a great addition 🙂
Just made these and they remind me so much of Reese’s Puffs. I’ll be making it on repeat.
Aw, thank you so much, Tania- I appreciate it!
I’m new to counting carbs. How did you come up with neg carbs? I calculate it quite a bit higher than 3 net carbs.
Excellent! Making more. Tried adding powdered peanut butter, and also cocoa powder for different flavors. What is the serving size?
4 servings per batch 🙂
What a great idea! I feed a family of 6 – I loved the high ratings on this cereal, but was SO not willing to make tiny balls for cereal for this many people!! lol.
My favorite cereal recipe.
Hi, Seungnyang Ki.
When you added the cocoa powder and the peanut flour to the recipe, did you make any other adjustments to balance out the ratio of dry ingredients to wet ones?
I love this. So yummy
Thanks so much for this recipe, it turned out so well! Instead of rolling them out, I just piped the flour in a line and scored each line so that it can break up. I added 1/4 cup peanut flour and 1/4 cup cocoa powder and it made it so good! It kinda reminds me of cocoa puffs with the peanut flour and cocoa powder. God Bless!
Sounds super delicious! 🙂
I love the sound of this recipe. It has me thinking!
TEMU offers a 468 round cavity silicone sheet…they suggest small candies, chocolate chips….
But with a spatula…your batter could probably be spread onto this baking sheet right?
Is it wet enough to be spread with a silicone spatula? It would make uniform cereal shapes, to be sure. Only $7.49🇨🇦Canadian dollars.
Or…could a pancake batter be used! Yes…that is it…if this recipe is too dry to spread…medium thick pancake batter would work well…well baked to be golden and crunchy! Add fruit extracts for a fruity cereal!
Thanks for all your inspiration!
Gladys🇨🇦Toronto🇨🇦Canada🇨🇦
Could you add PB powder for a keto pb cap n crunch?
Hi Crystal- YES! I tested this out recently and it worked really well. You’ll need to add a little milk or water to thin the dough out.
Hello what at the chocolate piece in the bowl
Keto chocolate chips.
Hi, thank you for sharing this recipe. Like others, I just can’t see forking over $10 for a box of low carb cereal. Before I make this, just curious if anyone has attempted a chocolate, cinnamon, or peanut butter version. Either way, I look forward to giving it a try!
Thank you!
Hi can I swap coconut flour and oil for anything else as I’m allergic to coconut?
Not that I’ve tried!
Hi! I just have a question regarding the serving size. How much is 1 serving for the cereal?
The recipe divided by 4.
Hi! I’ve been craving cereal but refuse to pay $10-12 a box. So i’m excited to try this one. Is there a substitute for maple syrup because i can’t seem to find a good one in stores. TIA
Hi Brandy! You can try adding some liquid stevia and add a little milk, but it will be soft.
Made this, and it is amazing!!! The flavor was great, and the recipe was super easy. Well, besides rolling them in balls-contemplating how to make that step less time consuming-maybe a cookie press and some scissors?? Thanks again for another amazing recipe, so appreciated!!!
You could roll it into a thin tube (like a snake) and use a dough cutter to chop into little pieces? Not perfect balls but far easier.
In the intro net carbs are 2 grams per serve, but the nutrition info states 3 grams per serve. Can you please indicate which is correct. Thank you
Hi Linda! It is 2 grams net carbs, we will fix the recipe card.
is there chocolate chunks in the picture?
Yep, not in the recipe though unless you make this like I do as a trail mix sometimes.