Sugar-Free, Trim Healthy Mama E Cocoa Krispies? Yup!
Nothing makes me feel more like a kid than sugar cereal. For Christmas, I let my kids each pick one box of junky cereal that I added to their presents. Breakfast is eggs most mornings in my house with cereal on the menu a few times a week. But it is normally healthy cereal and not the type full of food coloring and loaded with sugar. But I also decided years ago that everything has a place in moderation.
My kids are allowed to have soda if we are at a party but we don't keep it in the house. They enjoy drinking flavored seltzer and naturally sweetened lemonade packets when they get a special drink. They have fruit for dessert most of the time but sometimes have candy or ice cream instead.
In this free 5-day email series learn all my tips for incorporating a low-carb lifestyle into the life of your family.
Which brings me back to the sugar cereals that appeared Christmas morning. Fruit Loops does nothing for me but I did gaze longingly at both the Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Cocoa Krispies. I've been craving cold cereal lately but haven't felt ambitious enough to make it.
I decided to try Uncle Sam's cereal when I saw it at the local grocery store. When I poured it into my cereal bowl I noticed that it already looked like cocoa cereal. That's when the wheels started turning. I had the idea to melt down sweetener, add cocoa powder, and then toss the cereal in the chocolate syrup. And it worked. You even get the classic chocolate milk left in the bottom of the bowl.
Uncle Sam's cereal is not grain or gluten free (which I do stick to most of the time) but it is on plan for Trim Healthy Mama. If you are gluten free you can try this method with any unsweetened gluten free cereal. For a low carb version, you can sub in unsweetened coconut flakes.
Copycat Cocoa Krispies - Sugar Free, THM E
Ingredients:
Uncle Sam cereal (or other unsweetened flake cereal of your choice)
Cocoa Powder
Note: I buy Uncle Sam cereal locally for under $4 a box. Here is a store locator if you want to check near you.
I love Fairlife milk. It has a lot less carbs than regular milk and is on plan for THM! I only had whole milk in my fridge though which made this a delicious crossover 🙂 To keep it as an E use a non-fat milk.
And for another childhood favorite copycat try my Keto Pop Tarts!
Ingredients
- 1 ten ounce box Uncle Sam cereal or other unsweetened flake cereal of your choice
- ½ cup Joy Filled Eats Sweetener (or see alternatives in recipe notes)
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
Instructions
- In a small saucepan heat the sweetener over medium heat, stir frequently, until it is melted. Turn the heat off and whisk in the cocoa powder.
- Drizzle the syrup over the cereal in a large bowl. Toss, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, until all the cereal has chocolate on it.
- Spread on a baking sheet lined with wax paper to dry.
Notes
Nutrition
For more great THM E recipes try my Gluten Free Sprouted Bread and Single Serve Baked Oatmeal.
Sheri Coughlin says
This turned out amazing. I followed the recipe to a tee. I am so happy to have "cocoa krispies" that are healthy. I haven't enjoyed them for years and years. Now I can!!!
Mary Strotkamp says
Post Grape Nut Flakes are very similar to Uncle Sam Cereal minus the flax seed. It's made from wheat and barley. Not gluten free though.
Dawn says
Did you ever make a peanut butter version using Uncle's Sam's? I thought I saw one, but I can't find it anywhere...
Taryn says
I have not but I'm sure you can mix in some defatted peanut powder.
Amy says
I love this recipe! It helps me with my late night craving for something sweet and chocolatey.
I always make a double batch. Thanks so much!
Christine says
Anybody had success doing this with erythritol? I tried it with Pyure and it turned hard before it would cost the cereal. Maybe if I'd ground the Pyure to be like Gentle Sweet?
Taryn says
I don't think grinding it would help since you just melt it anyway.
Amanda Jabczynski says
Mine crystalized using Pyure as well. I guess I will need to get some gentle sweet to make this.
Heather says
I can’t have whole seeds (like the flax seed in Uncle Sams) due to diverticulitis. Can you recommend another kind of unsweetened flake cereal that would have a similar texture?
Taryn says
I don't know of another flake cereal but there is a brown rice crisp cereal that should work. http://amzn.to/2BSnRbK
Lindsey says
Turned out yummy! 🙂 can I eat this by itself (with on plan milk) or do I need to add protein for a proper E?
Taryn says
This cereal does have quite a bit of protein (9 grams) so you should be fine.
Charlsy says
I just tried it with Pyure and it melted nicely then turn hard as a rock. Any suggestions?
Taryn says
Did you get it on the popcorn before it hardened? Most caramel corn does have a bit of a crunch. Is pyure just erythritol and stevia?
Allison says
Yes, pyure is just erythritol and stevia.
Allison Zimmerman says
I have made 3 batches of this cereal in 4 weeks. It's one of the few things I can eat for breakfast that isn't dairy or eggs (my nursling has an allergy). Have you heard if anyone trying it with cinnamon? I'm afraid if ruining a box of Uncle Sam's--it's expensive! Looking to change up my mornings.
Allison says
It is also yummy with cinnamon!
Ally says
I just made this and am eating it, and I'm kind of flabbergasted. It actually does taste like Cocoa Krispies! Only it doesn't get soggy in the first thirty seconds! And for a cup of cereal and half cup of whole Fairlife (yeah Crossover, I'm 34 weeks pregnant), 19g of protein - not bad for something that tastes like the cereal that stopped being a filling breakfast by first grade. Thank you for the wonderful treat!
I could handle it a wee bit less sweet; the sweetness is right for sugar cereal but my tastebuds aren't used to that level anymore, and a little more cocoa flavor (and maybe some peanut powder?) would be welcome too. I'm going to play with the amounts of Gentle Sweet and cocoa next time I make it. I bet it would be really delicious with a bit of thinly sliced banana and some berries on top.
Mary-Ann says
Hi there, I tried to find a way that I could send this to you through a contact me link, but there weren't any, so I guess I'll have to go about it this way lol. I signed up for your email newsletter, but I never received the Easy Family Dinners eBook. Also, I tried reading the comments for this recipe, but for some reason it won't "open" the comments for me to see. I wanted to see if anybody addressed the fact that you use unsprouted whole wheat in this recipe. You say that it is on plan for THM, but I thought we could only have the sprouted flours on this "diet"? We don't have Uncle Sams cereal here in Canada, so idk what I would use in place of that for this recipe. :/
Taryn says
My email is on my 'about me' page. If you are a member of the THM groups on Facebook admins have said the Uncle Sam cereal is on plan. You could try to order it online. You could possibly make a sub with toasted oats but I haven't tried it yet.
Karen Amberson says
The cereal turned out very good though!
Karen Amberson says
Be very careful as the melted sugar becomes very superheated. I had a small drop the dropped on the counter. My arm got against it momentarily and it took the skin right off!
Gina says
Looks like you stored it in a mason jar. How long do you think it would last?
Taryn says
At least a few weeks.
Nikki says
Did you add anything to the sweetener to melt it down?
Taryn says
Nope. It melts without anything added.
Natalie says
I do not have gentle sweet (not safe for dogs). Can I use super sweet blend (1/2 as much)? Or will that not melt?
Taryn says
I think it will melt but it won't make enough syrup to cover the cereal. I would try using erythritol with just a little bit of stevia to have more bulk for the syrup.
Diana Harness says
I was so excited to discover your post! Coca Krispies was DESSERT for me before THM - I love it that much! I tried your recipe but had some difficulty. I didn't have the Sam's cereal so tried it with some Ezekiel 4:9 which says it is flax cereal. They aren't flakes, more like nuggets (think Grape Nuts cereal). When I poured the "syrup" over the cereal, it immediately started hardening and did little balls of chocolate (a bitter chocolate) in among the cereal. Did not coat the cereal at all. Can you give me some pointers? Thank you!
Taryn says
I have not tried this with Ezekiel cereal but I'm not sure why that would happen. I tasted the syrup and it definitely was not bitter. Did you use gentle sweet or another sweetener? How long did you cook the syrup for? I just cooked it until it was completely melted.
Gina says
I use Pyure with no problem. Do you think you might be leaving it on the heat too long?
Kris W says
Can't speak to the little balls, but the bitterness may be the brand of cocoa powder used. Look for a brand that is dutch processed. Hershey's is not dutch processed, therefore it is a lot more bitter.
Angela says
Do you know if there is something we can substitute in place of uncle Sams cereal up here in Canada?
Serina says
I wonder if Ezekiel cereal would work?
LeeAnne says
do you just put the sweetener in a pan by itself? No water? I will be using pyure.
Taryn says
I haven't tried melting pyure but I did just put the gentle sweet in the pan with nothing else. It does melt. I'm afraid if you add water it would end up making the cereal too wet and soggy.
Sarah says
Ahhhhhhh! Taryn, you are my hero!! These look amazing! I am such a cereal junkie!