There’s something so satisfying about making a favorite food at home and realizing just how simple it can be.

I wanted a cereal that gave me the crunch I love but also had a little more going for it nutritionally—more protein, more fiber, and less added sugar than many traditional cereals. So I started playing around with ingredients I already had in my kitchen, and this Homemade High-Protein Apple Cinnamon Cereal was born.

And listen—it was delicious.

I started with high-protein oats and toasted them right in a stainless-steel skillet with just a light spray of olive oil. Toasting the oats gives them a deeper, nuttier flavor and that crunch you want in a cereal.

Then came my little cereal hack: **organic brown rice cakes **. I crushed them into pieces and tossed them into the skillet with the oats. They gave me that light, crispy, puffed-rice texture without needing to make puffed rice from scratch.

Once everything was beautifully toasted, I took the skillet off the heat and added cinnamon. After the mixture cooled, I tossed in crunchy dried apples, slivered almonds, and a few dried cranberries for just enough sweetness.

That’s it.

I poured everything into a Mason jar, and now I have a homemade cereal ready whenever I want a quick breakfast or snack.

Homemade High-Protein Apple Cinnamon Cereal

Ingredients

• 1 cup high-protein oats
• Olive oil spray
• 2–3 organic brown rice cakes, crushed
• ½–1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ cup dried apples, chopped or crushed
• 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
• 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
• High-protein almond milk, for serving

Directions

1. Lightly spray a stainless-steel skillet with olive oil.
2. Add the oats and toast over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until they are lightly golden and fragrant.
3. Add the crushed brown rice cakes and continue to toast for another minute or two, just until everything is crisp and lightly toasted.
4. Remove the skillet from the heat and sprinkle the mixture with cinnamon.
5. Allow the oat mixture to cool completely. This is important because cooling it before storing helps keep the cereal crunchy.
6. Once cooled, stir in the dried apples, slivered almonds, and dried cranberries.
7. Transfer the cereal to a Mason jar or airtight container and keep it on hand for an easy breakfast.
8. To serve, scoop your desired amount into a bowl and pour over about 1 cup of high-protein almond milk. The milk I use adds approximately 10 grams of protein per cup.

Why I Love This Homemade Cereal

What I really love about this recipe is that I can control what goes into my bowl.

The oats provide whole grains and fiber. The almonds add crunch, healthy fats, and some additional protein. The dried apples and cranberries give it natural sweetness and texture, while cinnamon brings everything together without needing to pour in a lot of added sugar.

And pairing it with a high-protein milk makes it much easier to turn cereal into a breakfast that actually has some staying power.

It’s also completely customizable. You can adjust the cinnamon, use a little more dried apple, cut back on the cranberries if you want even less sugar, or make a larger batch for the week.

Sometimes eating well isn’t about reinventing everything we love. Sometimes it’s simply asking, “How can I make this at home in a way that works better for me?”

And this cereal definitely does.

Set the Table with Love.