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Cacao Buckwheat Puff Cereal

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~ raw, vegan, gluten-free ~

I will admit, I was a huge fan of boxed cereal growing up.  It was a staple in our pantry.  I loved every single cereal that ever existed.  Everything from Coco Puffs to All Bran… yes, All Bran, I was a weird child, and I guess a whole lot hasn’t really changed.

Well, over the years I have stopped eating boxed cereal. So I have to rely on making my own.   Now, I am not here to claim that this recipe tastes JUST like Coco Puffs, this just is my take on it.

I was just looking to make a raw cereal that had crunch, would soften a bit in milk. The kind of cereal that would create a yummy chocolate milk that was left in the bowl after the last spoonful… in which the sacred act of raising the bowl to the lips and partaking of this luscious liquid took place.  You know just what I am talking about.  :)

I might not have been able to create perfectly round balls that with that light crunch/pop in the mouth when you bite down, but then again my recipe doesn’t the contain the following ingredients that process cereals contain; “sugar, corn meal, cocoa, canola and/or rice bran oil, corn syrup, corn starch, modified corn starch, cocoa processed with alkali, salt, calcium carbonate, fructose, beet powder and caramel color, trisodium phosphate, artificial flavor.  Freshness preserved by BHT.”

So, if you are OK with NOT eating all that stuff, and would love to enjoy a bowl of raw, gluten-free cereal, please try this!

Ingredients:

Yields 4 cups cereal

Preparation:

  1. If you don’t have the time to sprout the buckwheat, you can soak it for just 30 minutes.
    • Once done soaking, drain and rinse for about 2 minutes under cool water.
    • Add to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
  2. Add the cacao nibs, date paste, almond butter, cacao powder, stevia, and salt.  Mix well. I prefer to use my hands.
  3. Spread this mixture out onto the non-stick Teflex sheets on your dehydrator trays.
  4. Dehydrate at 145 degrees (F) for 1 hour, then reduce to 115 degrees (F) for about 8 hours or until dry.
  5. Once dry, break into smaller pieces or (what I like to do) place the cereal in the food processor and break it down to a smaller crumble.
  6. Store in an airtight glass container.  This will freeze well too!
  7. Serve with nut milk, topped with fresh banana and a dollop of almond butter for a nutritious breakfast.

The Institute of Culinary Ingredients™

Culinary Explanations:

  • Why do I start the dehydrator at 145 degrees (F)?  Click (here) to learn the reason behind this.
  • When working with fresh ingredients, it is important to taste test as you build a recipe.  Learn why (here).
  • Don’t own a dehydrator? Learn how to use your oven (here). I do however truly believe that it is a worthwhile investment. Click (here) to learn what I use.

Amazing Gluten-Free Cacao Buckwheat Puff Cereal with fresh bananas in a glass bowl

Amazing Gluten-Free Cacao Buckwheat Puff Cereal with fresh bananas in a glass bowl

27 thoughts on “Cacao Buckwheat Puff Cereal

  1. Alicia says:

    Thank you for sharing such great recipes!! I can’t wait to try this one. What kind of milk do you use?

  2. Chris says:

    Hi Amie Sue! This recipe sounds awesome!!!!! And yes, I know exactly what you mean by enjoying the “chocolate milk” that remains at the bottom of a cereal bowl!!! I am putting this at the top of my list for the day that I am able to purchase a dehydrator! Waiting will be an exercise in developing the virtue of patience :)

    Anyway, I want to let you know that the liquid steia from Young Living is unprocessed unlike many of the ones on the market (including NuNaturals and SweetLeaf…though I have used them). It’s not always easy to find unprocessed stevia, so I thought I would share. Many don’t een know that there is a difference.

    • amie-sue says:

      Oh interesting Chris. I didn’t know that Young Living made a stevia. That would be interesting to try for sure! Thanks for sharing that. Have a great day, amie sue

  3. Chris says:

    Do you dehydrate the buckwheat plain (after sprouting) and then again after mixing everything? Or do you soak/sprout the buckwheat, combine with other ingredients and then dehydrate all together? Thanks!

    • amie-sue says:

      Hi Chris, you could do it either way. I always try to keep sprouted, dehydrated buckwheat on hand for quick recipes.

  4. Carley says:

    Delicious! As usual :)

  5. Judy says:

    I really wanted to THANK YOU for this AWESOME website. I have been pouring over all your recipes and reading your comments on them. I can see your heart for people and health. Your are Inspiring to me. I’m new to raw eating and dehydrating. You see my picture? I WAS a custom baker for years and became VERY Ill. I no longer cook or bake with gluten and my eating habits are healthy now, THANKS to you for helping me make better choices for myself and family while keeping the pure JOY of learning new ways to eat and cook! I have now lost 72 pounds and have regained my health. Here is a great big HUG to you!!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for sharing your sweet heart and recipes! Many blessings,
    Judy Perri

    • amie-sue says:

      Good evening Judy,

      Your message brought tears to my eyes. Thank you so much for sharing this with me… but not just because you are enjoying the recipes but in all the achievements you have made! You are a true inspiration. Your skills as a baker can actually translate over quite well into adapting techniques, etc to raw. If there is any way I can better support you please don’t hesitate to ask, I don’t always know the answers, but I love researching and experimenting. :) I look forward to hearing more from you. Many blessings! amie sue

  6. Judy says:

    Amie Sue,

    I made the cocoa buckwheat puffed cereal yesterday. I have one word to say…YUMMY!!!!! I’m having to sprout my second batch today, my family LOVES it that much!! *HUGS*

    Blessings,
    Judy

    • amie-sue says:

      Wonderful Judy…. this cereal tends to go very quickly. Need to make BIG batches. hehe Have a blessed day and thank you so much for sharing, it means a lot..amie sue

  7. Lisa Ramos says:

    Hi, We are a family of 8 and have been Raw for 1 year. Going Raw saved my daughter’s life, literally. The medications she was on stopped her heart and only by the grace of God did I get my tiny little girl back. Thanks to a Raw lifestyle she is now 100% free of medications and healed! As I’m sure you can imagine it’s hard to find enough recipe’s that kids love, but yours they seem to like. I’m wondering if there is a substitution for the Stevia in your cereal recipe’s. We don’t care for the taste of Stevia. I look forward to your reply. Thank you!

    • amie-sue says:

      Hello Lisa,

      What a powerful testimony you have! I appreciate you sharing that with me. And wow, a family of 8, you are busy, I can tell. hehe You can use about any liquid sweetener in place of the stevia, just be aware that you are adding more liquid so you might need to add a bit more of the buckwheat. I would add it 1 Tbsp at a time and taste test to fit your families likes. The only liquid sweetener that I would maybe skip for this recipe is honey because it tends to stay more chewy and not dry out as well. I hope this helped. Have a wonderful Christmas, amie sue

    • Lisa Ramos says:

      Yes, thank you, that helps. Look forward to trying it! Appreciate your website!

  8. Pilar says:

    Hi, again!
    What if I don’t have the cacao nibs? Should I go buy them or replacing them for more cacao powder would do?
    I wanna eat it now! ;-))
    Thanks!

    • amie-sue says:

      You can omit them if you want. They add a nice chocolately crunch factor to the recipe. You may not need more cacao powder, test it first without adding more to see how intense the cacao is for you then add as needed. You could easily make this and skip dehydrating it and eating it “wet”. :) slurp. hehe

  9. Pilar says:

    hehe, ok, thanks :-))

  10. Mariya says:

    Hello Amie Sue! Just tried “Cacao Buckwheat Puff Cereal” on your recipe. incredibly delicious! finally found the perfect breakfast! Thanks for the great recipes and wonderful website!

  11. Lori says:

    Hi…You said not to sprout more buckwheat than you can eat in about two weeks. Does it go bad that soon even after dehydrating? I have a jar of sprouted, dehydrated buckwheat in a jar in the freezer that is about a month old. Thanks :)

    • amie-sue says:

      Hello Lori, if you froze it, you are fine. But fresh sprouts can get moldy if left to long. :) Have a great day, amie sue

  12. pier marie says:

    amie sue this is a very good tasting buckwheat, i am just learning to eat buckwheat and was glad to find your recipes. thank you pier marie

  13. yvonne/flar says:

    this is so yummy! ..even without the called for stevia..i added maca and lacuma powder to my creation…it hasn’t made it to the dehydrator–maybe next batch will..hehehe

    • amie-sue says:

      I have had that happen many times when making recipe too Yvonne :) It’s a good sign if you ask me. hehe Thanks for sharing. Have a wonderful evening, amie sue

  14. Nikki Kostyun says:

    Hi there! When you start with sprouted buckwheat in this case, do you start with it having been dehydrated or just when its been stored after sprouting? Thanks!

    • amie-sue says:

      Hello Nikki… you could really use either form. I have used both. But in most cases, I soak them, get a tiny sprout going (too long of a sprout can make them taste bitter… at least to me anyway) and then use them in the recipe. Does that help? amie sue

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