This easy AIP “Raisin Bran” breakfast cereal recipe has only 3 simple ingredients. The result is a crunchy, spiced aip breakfast cereal with bursts of sweet raisins.
Ever since I adopted a real food diet years ago, I’ve tried to avoid processed foods. But, I grew up with cereal and daydream about it from time to time, so I thought I’d make a healthier AIP Paleo version of a popular breakfast cereal to ease my troubles. It’s pretty tasty too! I make a batch of this to bring with me for snacks when I travel.
Is Raisin Bran Healthy?
Although this homemade AIP “raisin bran” recipe is healthy, regular store-bought Raisin Bran is not very good for you. Store-bought raisin bran is loaded with processed grains and added sugar which is a blood sugar and health nightmare. See below why these things aren’t the healthiest choice when it comes to breakfast…
Why processed breakfast cereal like Raisin Bran is NOT healthy:
- It’s loaded with sugar, which is the last thing you want to have for breakfast. It spikes blood sugar and sets you on a day of blood sugar peaks and crashes leading to sugar cravings, increased hunger, metabolic issues, etc. In fact, raisin bran, which is supposed to be the boring healthy cereal actually has 20 grams of sugar per serving!! Add some 2% milk to that and you’ve got yourself a total of 32 grams of sugar for breakfast. Want to know how much sugar is in a snickers bar??? 27 grams. So now you’re eating more sugar than a snickers bar for breakfast…not good. Learn more about avoiding sugar here and here.
- It contains wheat, which mainstream recommendations love to say is healthy, but it is actually processed by your body like sugar is…even if it is “whole grain”. Wheat has the ability to spike blood sugar just like processed sugar does. The glycemic index (GI) of foods is a good way to tell how it affects blood sugar. To give you an idea, a snicker’s bar has a GI of 68, which is high, meaning that it spikes blood sugar. The GI of whole wheat is about 72! Eating a diet rich in high GI foods can contribute to chronic disease like diabetes (1). Wheat is also hard to digest, and along with other processed carbohydrates, it’s associated with increased inflammation, gastrointestinal issues, obesity, leaky gut and chronic disease (2, 3, 4). This book is a great resource for learning more about wheat and why it’s not so healthy.
- It contains synthetic added vitamins, because that wonderful “whole grain wheat” has been so processed that it doesn’t contain many natural vitamins or minerals anymore, so they have to add it back in in synthetic form. It doesn’t do you much good because your body has a hard time absorbing synthetic vitamins if they aren’t taken along with a food that contains a natural form of that vitamin. That’s why so many multivitamins contain way more than the 100% daily value of each vitamin, because your body can’t absorb it so most of it ends up coming out in your urine. Furthermore, many of the vitamins added are fat-soluble (like vitamin A & D), meaning that they need fat to be absorbed…and guess how much fat is in raisin bran? 1 gram. (5)
So now that I’ve ruined your breakfast (sorry…), why not try a healthier version of breakfast cereal without all that added sugar and wheat?
What can you eat on the Autoimmune Paleo diet (AIP)?
The AIP diet is designed to remove inflammatory foods that may trigger those with autoimmune disease.
The main foods that are not allowed on the AIP diet include:
- grains
- dairy
- legumes
- nightshades
- eggs
- nuts
- seeds
- processed vegetable oils
- refined sugars
- processed or artificial additives or sweeteners
The main foods included on the AIP diet are:
- pasture raised meats & poultry
- wild fish & seafood
- vegetables
- fruits
- healthy oils (coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil)
- bone broth
- fermented foods
There are more details to what is and isn’t allowed on the AIP diet, but the above is a brief summary. Click here to learn more about the AIP diet.
What do you eat for breakfast on AIP?
Although some classic breakfast foods are not allowed on AIP like eggs or grains, there are still many great options for tasty and hearty AIP breakfast!
Here are a few ideas for AIP breakfasts:
- Smoothies (like this pumpkin pie smoothie or gingerbread smoothie)
- AIP breakfast bowls
- Additive free sausage
- Chicken hash
- AIP “oatmeal”
- Bacon w/ veggies
- AIP Muffins
- AIP waffles
- And, don’t forget you don’t necessarily have to have “breakfast food” for breakfast. You can also have foods that you’d have at any other meal for breakfast like leftover roasted chicken with veggies or leftover shepherd’s pie!
Why I love this recipe:
- It’s incredibly quick and easy to make! It only has 3 ingredients and takes about 10-15 minutes to put together.
- The flavor and texture are perfect! Roasting the coconut flakes until they’re golden brown gives them an airy crunchy texture. The cinnamon adds a little sweet spiciness to the coconut flakes without adding any sugar. To top it all off the raisins add some sweetness and a nice juicy soft texture to add to the crunch.
- You can make a bigger batch to store and save for later!
AIP “Raisin Bran” Recipe Tips:
- Large coconut flakes are a crucial ingredient for this recipe. It won’t work with regular thinly shredded coconut, so make sure you get the flakes.
- When you are roasting the flakes in the oven, be sure to keep a close eye on them. Check them every 5 minutes or so because they can burn quickly. Mix them halfway through to get an even bake on them. You want to make sure they are that perfect golden brown color.
- It will keep for about 1-2 weeks in the pantry in a tupperware container.
- Enjoy this cereal with almond milk, coconut milk or whatever kind of milk you prefer. It’s also great on top of yogurt or homemade ice cream!
- I wouldn’t recommend having only this cereal for breakfast, because to avoid having those nasty blood sugar spikes and plummets, sugar cravings and increased hunger, you need to have a complete breakfast with protein. There’s not much protein in this cereal, so have it for breakfast, but have some pastured eggs, grass fed sausage or pasture raised bacon with it!
How to make this AIP “Raisin Bran” Breakfast Cereal:
Start by pre-heating the oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle the coconut flakes on the baking sheet so that it’s spread out. Sprinkle the cinnamon over the coconut evenly.
Once the oven has reached baking temperature, place the coconut into the oven and bake for 5 minutes, if they are not golden brown yet, then mix the coconut around and let bake while checking every 3 minutes until finished. Keep an eye on them because they can burn quickly. Once they have gotten to a golden brown color, remove from the oven.
Allow the coconut to cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a bowl or tupperware container and add in the raisins and mix.
Enjoy with dairy-free milk or yogurt! Save for later in a tupperware container in the pantry.
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This easy AIP “Raisin Bran” breakfast cereal recipe has only 3 simple ingredients. The result is a crunchy, spiced aip breakfast cereal with bursts of sweet raisins.
- 2 cups thick coconut flakes
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/3 cup raisins
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Pre-heat the oven to 325°.
-
Spread out the coconut flakes on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle the cinnamon on top of the flakes evenly.
-
Once the oven has reached baking temperature, place the coconut into the oven and bake for 5 minutes, if they are not golden brown yet, then mix the coconut around and let bake while checking every 3 minutes until finished. Keep an eye on them because they can burn quickly. Once they are lightly toasted and have gotten to a golden brown color, remove from the oven.
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Let cool. Then transfer the coconut to a sealed jar, container or bag. Add the raisins and the “raisin bran” is finished! Enjoy some paleo “raisin bran” in a bowl with some dairy-free milk poured over it for part of your breakfast or a snack.
- Large coconut flakes are a crucial ingredient for this recipe. It won't work with regular thinly shredded coconut, so make sure you get the flakes.
- When you are roasting the flakes in the oven, be sure to keep a close eye on them. Check them every 5 minutes or so because they can burn quickly. Mix them halfway through to get an even bake on them. You want to make sure they are that perfect golden brown color.
- It will keep for about 1-2 weeks in the pantry in a tupperware container.
- Enjoy this cereal with almond milk, coconut milk or whatever kind of milk you prefer. It's also great on top of yogurt or homemade ice cream!
- I wouldn't recommend having only this cereal for breakfast, because to avoid having those nasty blood sugar spikes and plummets, sugar cravings and increased hunger, you need to have a complete breakfast with protein. There's not much protein in this cereal, so have it for breakfast, but have some pastured eggs, grass fed sausage or pasture raised bacon with it!
This post was originally published in October of 2014, but has been republished in March of 2021 to include new and improved recipe tips and new photos.
Sources:
1. http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/76/1/266S.short
2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21224837
3. http://www.nature.com/ajg/journal/v107/n12/full/ajg2012236a.html
4. http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00365520500235334
5. http://www.westonaprice.org/category/health-topics/abcs-of-nutrition/fat-soluble-activators/
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I was reading your post today about anxiety attacks. I used to suffer them for years. I used to say it was like being a bug and there was a foot hanging over your head ready to stomp you and you didn’t know which way to flee. Horrible, horrible things. I’m so glad I don’t have them anymore.
As for cereal, I was never a big fan as a kid but occasionally I get a hankering. This recipe looks great. I just bought three boxes of Lovebird cassava cereal. Totally AIP and it’s like having Cheerios back in your life. Plain, cinnamon and honey. https://lovebirdfoods.com/#_
Thanks for sharing Cheryl! Glad your anxiety is better!
This is a favorite AIP snack for me to take when I’m traveling! Thank you!
So glad you enjoy it!
Delicious!
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
I found that it keeps well for about 1-2 weeks in the pantry in a sealed bag or tupperware 🙂
This looks so good! What a fun way to still get the cereal fix when you’re trying to cut out grains!
Processed foods – and the more extreme isolates – are horrible for the body. I don’t like commercial cereals for health.
However, I have issue with your message here. You demonized wheat for having a high glycemic index (and you should learn what the glycemic load is instead) yet raisins are just about as high on that scale. Of course, you forget to mention how fiber slows down the absorption of sugar into the body.
What I see is a high fat, high sugar breakfast here. The only difference is that the ingredients in your recipe are minimally processed whole foods. For this reason, I will try it.
To increase the fiber content, try adding chia or flax seeds. It’s a bit more fat (the kind you should be after) and a lot more fiber.
I LOVE the idea of using baked coconut flakes to keep that crispy texture! Seriously genius! So excited to try this out. 🙂
This looks delicious. It is true that sometimes a bowl of cereal just hits the spot. I often make GF granola, but this looks like a great option too! Now to make some almond milk…
I agree! Sometimes i just want a simple bowl of cereal 🙂