Homemade Cinnamon Toast Crunch
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.I am excited to share my ultimate homemade cinnamon toast crunch cereal recipe! Packed with cinnamon-sugar flavor and crunchy texture, this easy recipe will quickly become a breakfast staple and go-to snack. Plus, it’s vegan, gluten-free, and tastes great, while being way healthier than the store-bought stuff. If you’ve been wanting to make your own cereal at home, I’ve got you covered with all of my expert tips and easy-to-follow instructions!
Cinnamon toast cereal is definitely a favorite of mine, and brings back all kinds of childhood memories! When General Mills created this cereal in the 80s, it was meant to be a bite-sized version of cinnamon toast. The problem is, the store bought version is loaded with sugar, artificial color, and even BHT (source).
So I decided to make a homemade version that not only tastes amazing, but keeps you feeling great all day long. It’s much healthier than those sugary cereals at your local grocery store, while still giving all the satisfaction of a sweet breakfast!
Enjoy it with milk, on its own, or check out my recommended serving suggestions further down in this post.
👩🏽🍳 Why I Love This Recipe
My healthier cinnamon toast crunch swaps out traditional ingredients for more wholesome alternatives like rolled oats, almond flour, applesauce, and vanilla. Coated in a delicious cinnamon sugar mixture, it’s a comforting treat that satisfies both me and my kids (even though I sometimes want to gobble it all up myself)!
And what I love most is that my kids genuinely prefer this version over the processed, sugary alternative. This is a game-changer for breakfast time, since I know they’ll both feel full and ready to take on the day. And honestly, this isn’t just for kids – my husband and I love this version too and will sometimes enjoy it as a snack!
While it may seem complicated to make cinnamon toast crunch at home, I promise it’s actually super easy and achievable! The simple ingredients come together quickly and effortlessly, with only 15 minutes of prep and 30 minutes of chill time. Even on busy days I can whip this up with no problems!
My healthier version is crisp, flaky, and has just the right amount of sweetness and warm spices. After one bite, you’ll become instantly hooked just like me!
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🥘 Ingredients
You only need 8 ingredients to make my homemade cinnamon toast crunch from scratch! Find all of the necessary ingredients at any of the grocery stores in your area!
Cinnamon Sugar Ingredients
Aquafaba: In this homemade, healthy cinnamon toast crunch recipe I use aquafaba (chickpea water) to help the cinnamon sugar stick, but you can also use water, maple syrup, or melted coconut oil.
Coconut Sugar & Cinnamon: I combine ½ cup coconut sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon for the most delicious mixture to dust upon the cereal pieces.
Cereal Ingredients
Rolled Oats & Almond Flour: I use blended rolled oats or oat flour, along with almond flour, for this easy cinnamon toast crunch recipe. Whole wheat flour or traditional white flour can be used in place of the flours, for a nut free option. If you want to stick to a gluten free recipe, you can also use a GF all purpose flour.
Coconut Sugar & Cinnamon: In addition to a sugary coating, I like to add both coconut sugar and cinnamon into the homemade cereal dough for extra flavor. Use brown sugar or cane sugar in place of the coconut sugar if you prefer.
Applesauce: Unsweetened applesauce serves as an egg-like binder in this diy cinnamon toast crunch. I’ve also used a flax egg made from combining 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds and 3 tablespoons of water as a substitute for applesauce.
Vanilla Extract & Salt: Both of these ingredients enhance the overall flavor in this cinnamon toast cereal recipe!
🔪 How To Make Homemade Cinnamon Toast Crunch
It might seem ambitious to make your own cereal at home, but I know you will quickly get the hang of it with my step-by-step directions. Here is how to make cinnamon toast crunch cereal:
Make Oat Flour: I start by adding the rolled oats to a high speed food processor and blending until finely processed.
Blend Cereal Ingredients: Next, I add all remaining cereal ingredients to the bowl of a food processor. I always start with ½ tbsp of water and adjust if needed. Blend until dough forms. If the dough is too dry add a little more water to reach a texture that is easily rollable.
Chill The Dough, Make Cinnamon Sugar: Then, I place the dough in the fridge for 30 mins to chill. While the dough is chilling, I prepare my cinnamon sugar by mixing the coconut sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl.
Preheat Oven, Roll The Dough: Now, I preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit / 180 degrees Celsius. Divide the dough in half. Using a rolling pin, I roll one half of the dough in between 2 sheets of parchment paper until very thin. The thinner the dough is rolled, the crispier it will be when cooked.
Form Even Rectangle, Coat With Cinnamon Sugar: Next, I remove the top sheet of baking paper and trim the edges of dough forming a rectangle. I lightly brush with aquafaba and then sprinkle with ¼ of the cinnamon sugar mixture, gently pressing into the dough.
Flip & Repeat: I then place the parchment paper back on top of the dough and flip the dough over. I remove the top layer of paper and brush with aquafaba, sprinkling cinnamon sugar over top.
Cut Into Squares: Using a pastry cutter, sharp knife, or pizza cutter, I cut the dough into ¼ inch squares.
Bake: Now, I carefully transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes until crunchy and golden brown.
Cool, Repeat, Serve: Finally, I remove and allow the baked dough to cool before separating the squares. Repeat the above steps with remaining dough. Serve with your favorite chilled milk and enjoy!
💭 Expert Tips
My #1 Secret Tip for this homemade cinnamon cereal recipe is to make sure you keep a close eye on the cereal as it bakes.
When baking, I always stay close to the oven as the pieces can burn quite quickly. Since they are small and thin, there is a fine line between perfectly crispy and burnt.
Cooking time may vary based on the oven used, so I recommend checking in at the halfway mark, and each minute after that to be safe!
Other Tips To Keep In Mind:
- For The Crunchiest Cereal: To ensure my cereal is extra crisp and crunchy, I roll the dough as thin as possible without it being so thin that it tears.
- Remove Outer Pieces First: I sometimes find that I need to remove some of the thinner outer edges and return the tray back to the oven to continue to cook if they become too brown.
- Cool Completely: After some trial and error, I’ve found it best to allow this breakfast cereal to cool completely before separating into smaller squares. This is also important before you add it to a container — if the cereal is slightly warm when you put it in an airtight container, it will lose its crispiness and will become soft.
📖 Variations
There are so many cinnamon toast crunch recipes that you can make with this cereal! Here are a few of my favorite ideas:
Cinnamon Crunch Puppy Chow: Mix the cereal pieces in a large bowl with melted peanut butter and melted chocolate chips. Stir until evenly coated and then let the mixture cool to room temperature. Then add in the powdered sugar, mix it all up, and enjoy a tasty cereal treat. I love this recipe for my kids’ birthday parties!
Homemade Cinnamon Crunch Pancakes: Whip together a cinnamon streusel mixture and swirl it into each pancake as they cook on the griddle. Top pancakes with cinnamon crunch pieces and cream cheese. I’ll typically make this as a brunch recipe for special occasions like Mother’s Day!
Cinnamon Rice Krispies: Combine the diy cinnamon crunch cereal into a melted marshmallow mixture with a bit of butter, as you would with regular rice crispy treats. Form them into cereal bars for a delicious snack. These cinnamon toast crunch bars are perfect for busy mornings when I need something quick to add to my kids’ lunch boxes.
Cinnamon Toast Crunch French Toast: Make this vegan french toast, but add crunched up cereal pieces to the egg batter. Dip bread slices in the batter and cook on the stove top over medium heat. Enjoy this as a big breakfast with other favorites.
Lower Sugar Option: For a low-sugar cereal, use half the amount of sugar this recipe calls for both in the dough, and in the cinnamon sugar topping!
🍽 Serving Suggestions
While I love munching on these cereal pieces as an easy snack, I typically enjoy this vegan, gluten-free cinnamon crunch cereal as part of a healthy breakfast or as a topping for dessert! Here are some other ways to serve these cinnamon crunchies:
With Other Breakfast Foods: My cinnamon crunch cereal recipe tastes amazing alongside a bowl of fresh fruit, and when I am feeling a little more ambitious I will serve it with my breakfast fruit salad! You can even make a whole feast with classics like scrambled eggs, toast, and cinnamon streusel muffins.
As A Topping: For a more filling breakfast, I use this cereal as a topping over creamed cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, or even smoothie bowls like this strawberry smoothie bowl.
With Beverages: When I want a simple breakfast I will just enjoy a bowl of this cereal with nut milk, with a yummy drink on the side! My favorites are a biscoff latte or protein hot chocolate.
For Dessert: I love to crumble this diy cereal over vanilla ice cream with a sprinkle of white chocolate chips or mini marshmallows! If you are looking to level up the flavors here, try out my caramel nice cream.
🫙 Storage Instructions
At Room Temperature: Once the cereal has cooled completely, I transfer it to an airtight container and store it on my countertop or in the pantry. The baked cereal doesn’t keep well in the fridge or the freezer. But, if I have any unbaked dough that I’m wanting to save for later, I wrap it securely and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. This also works well for meal prep!
❓Recipe FAQs
What is the best way to roll out the dough to get an even thickness?
There are a few tricks I use to get the dough to be perfectly even when I’m rolling it out: First, chilling the dough is important to make it firmer and easier to handle. Then, I use a rolling pin with thickness rings, so I can make sure I’m applying even pressure across the rolling pin the entire time – and I can control the thickness that way too. Finally, I always put the dough between parchment paper to roll it out, since that prevents sticking and the use of extra flour (which can also make the dough uneven).
Are there any tips for making this cereal extra crispy?
The thinner your dough, the crispier it will be! I recommend rolling it to 1/8 inch thick. Also, if your oven has a convection setting, use it! Convection ovens circulate air more efficiently, which helps in even baking and achieving a crispier texture.
Does homemade cinnamon toast crunch taste exactly like the store-bought version?
While this recipe may not taste exactly like the store-bought version, I think it’s pretty close!! It has all of the crispiness of the original with that same great cinnamon-sugar flavor. My kids, who absolutely love store-bought cinnamon toast crunch, think this tastes pretty great too!
What can I do if the dough is too sticky to work with?
If the dough is too sticky, I will often lightly flour my work surface to make it easier to work with. I’ll also make sure to use the parchment paper as much as possible, and I may even chill it again after rolling it out to help firm it up.
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🎥 Watch How to Make It
Homemade Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Homemade cinnamon toast crunch is the most delicious breakfast or snack any time of day! With amazing cinnamon-sugar flavor and crunchy texture, this will quickly become a breakfast staple in your house. It is vegan, gluten-free, and so much healthier than the original version. If you’ve been wanting to make your own cereal at home, give this healthy recipe a try!
Servings: 8
Calories: 178kcal
Ingredients
For The Cinnamon Sugar
- 2 tbsp aquafaba (can also use water or maple syrup)
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon ground
For The Cereal
- 1 cup rolled oats or oat flour
- 1 cup almond flour
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp applesauce
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ – 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- Add the rolled oats to a high speed food processor and blend until finely processed.
- Next, add all remaining cereal ingredients to the bowl of a food processor. Start with ½ tbsp of water and adjust if needed.
- Blend to form a dough that’s easily rollable. If the dough is too dry add a little more water.
- Place the dough in the fridge for 30 mins to chill.
- While the dough is chilling, prepare the cinnamon sugar by mixing the coconut sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F / 180 C.
- Divide the dough in half. Roll one half of the dough in between 2 sheets of parchment paper until very thin. The thinner the dough is rolled the crispier it will be when cooked.
- Remove the top sheet of parchment paper, trim the edges of dough forming a rectangle.
- Lightly brush with aquafaba and then sprinkle with ¼ of the cinnamon sugar, gently press into the dough.
- Place the parchment paper back on top of the dough and flip the dough over. Remove the top layer of paper, brush with aquafaba and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
- Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into ¼ inch squares.
- Carefully transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes.
- Remove and allow to cool before separating the squares.
- Repeat with remaining dough.
- Serve with your favorite chilled milk.
- Store the cereal in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Roll the dough as thin as possible without it being so thin that it tears, this will make the cereal as crunchy as possible.
- When baking, stay close to the oven as they can burn quite quickly. You may need to remove some of the thinner outer edges and return the tray back to the oven to continue to cook if they become too brown.
- Allow the cereal to cool completely before separating into smaller squares.
- Aqufaba can be substituted with water or maple syrup.
- Coconut sugar can be substituted with white sugar.
- Cooking time may vary based on the oven used, just keep an eye on the cereal to ensure it doesn’t burn.
Nutrition
Calories: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 106mg | Potassium: 45mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 12g
The cereal was actually easier to make than I thought it might be. And so delicious! Thanks for a great and healthy new option for breakfast!
Awesome! Thank you so much Jill! 🙂
Amazing! I never knew I could make this classic cereal at home! It was just like the store bought one!
Yay!! That’s great to hear!
One of my favorite cereals, now I can make it at home! Easy and delicious recipe, thanks so much!
So glad you liked this Heather!
This is so good. I made it with maple syrup and the entire family loved it! I actually put some in a sandwich bag and brought it to work just so I can snack on it throughout the day.
Awesome!! So happy to hear that Chenee!
I can’t wait to make this for the kiddos. They love the boxed version, but I hate all of the preservatives!
Yes!! This is so much better than store bought – hope your kids love it!
This is such a great recipe. The kids (and I) all love it, and I love knowing I am giving them a wholesome snack.
Yay! So happy to hear that, thanks Wendy!
Cinnamon Toast Crunch is one of my all-time favorite cereals, but as I’ve gotten older the amount of sugar has become less and less appealing. This recipe is the perfect remedy for that! So excited to try it, I’ve never made my own cereal before!
Awesome! Thanks so much Nathan – enjoy!