My body thrives on a grain-free diet. Sadly, as much as I love {gluten-free} oats, they do not love me. Due to the recent drop in temperatures, I was craving a hot breakfast cereal. What's a girl to do when too many nuts make me feel icky, grains make me feel icky, etc? Well, the inspiration for this Grain Free, Nut Free Hot Breakfast Cereal actually came from a hot cereal I saw in a very expensive little bag at the store (and for the life of me I can't remember the name of it). It's ingredients were buckwheat, hemp protein, and chia seeds. I decided to go home and see if I could make something similar since I had all of the ingredients on hand. I was pleasantly surprised with my results, and the kids even liked it, too.
I don't normally like buckwheat, but I've found that freshly ground buckwheat flour tastes amazing. When you make this cereal and serve it right away you can't even pick up on the distinct buckwheat flavor. It's when you make this cereal in advance and it sits, that the flavors have a chance to merry. That's when the distinct buckwheat flavor tend to shine through. So... fyi. 😉 And yes, I agree - the name buckwheat is deceiving. Buckwheat is actually not related to wheat at all, but is a fruit seed in the same family as rhubarb, making it gluten-free and grain-free.
This recipe is so versatile, feel free to personalize it according to your taste. Swap out sweeteners, add pureed pumpkin (see recipe notes for the recommended amount), a mashed banana, stir in dried or fresh fruits, etc. You could probably add a little cocoa powder and extra sweetener for a chocolate variation (I guess I need to try that one, my girls would love it)!
How do you prefer your hot cereal?
All my love,
Megan (with a long E)
Grain-Free, Nut-Free Hot Breakfast Cereal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons raw buckwheat groats
- 1 tablespoon raw sunflower seeds
- 1 tablespoon hemp seeds (a.k.a. hemp hearts)
- 1-3 teaspoons palm sugar (or see notes for other options)
- 2 teaspoons chia seeds
- ⅛ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- dash of salt
- 1-1 ¼ cups hemp milk (or dairy free milk of choice)
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a coffee grinder, grind the raw buckwheat groats into flour.
- Add the raw sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, and palm sugar and grind again until the mixture is flour-like in consistency.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the contents from the coffee grinder, with the chia seeds, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and 1 cup hemp milk. Whisk until the cereal starts to thicken and just comes to a boil.
- Remove from heat, and whisk in the vanilla extract. Add additional hemp milk to thin out the consistency if desired. Serve immediately and garnish with additional seeds, dairy free milk, and/or berries.
Notes
For a pumpkin version of this recipe, simply add 2 tablespoons of pure pumpkin puree to the saucepan while waiting for the mixture to thicken/boil.
You can use whatever sweetener you'd like in this recipe - honey, maple syrup, liquid stevia, etc. Simply add it into the saucepan instead of adding it to the coffee grinder.
Dick L. says
That sounds good-- I'll have to try it. My go to hot cereal has been "Bob's Red Mill Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal", which is in the form of a meal, made from "Whole Grain Brown Rice, Corn, Sorghum, [and] Buckwheat". It takes about ten minutes to cook. After it's cooked, I add a handful of raisins (usually gold) and stir them in, then top with diced fresh fruit if I've got it, or dried fruit (apricots, cut a bit more than raisin size, go very well). The raisins and the other fruit are all the sugar I need. I've used strawberries, pineapple, and mangos for the fresh fruit and apricots and Montmorency cherries for the dry. I haven't gotten around to dates yet, but I think they'd work pretty well, too. (If I were a blueberry fan, they would be another obvious choice.)
Chelsea says
Super excited to try this!! Oats and I do not get along either and it's just starting to get mega cold here in the mornings 🙂
Jeanine says
I was really wondering how you managed to have a nut free & grain free hot cereal, but you did it! And, it looks fantastic too!
Cassidy @ Cassidy's Craveable Creations says
ooohhhh, I want to come to your house for breakfast! I tried to make a grain free hot cereal a few weeks ago and it was definitely a no-go! But yours looks great, I can't wait to try it 🙂
-Cassidy
Lina | StrictlyDelicious says
Brilliant! I know that feeling craving a warm, sweet bowl of comfort these chilly mornings. This looks delicious!
AkMOm says
You say to grind everything to flour consistency, yet your photo shows sunflower seeds.
Am I reading too much into the photo?
Mother to a wheat, rye, corn and peanut allergy buddy.
Megan says
Hi AkMom,
I used additional seeds to garnish the cereal with for pictures (otherwise it would have looked too bland). 😉 Thanks for asking!
Maria says
Is buckwheat flour interchangeable with buckwheat groats?
Megan says
Hi Maria,
Already ground buckwheat flour has a very strong flavor. Some care for it, and others do not. I err on the side of not liking it. So to answer your question, I think already ground flour would work, but I haven't tried it myself. And depending on what your preferences are, you may or may not like using the pre-ground flour as a substitute for the freshly ground buckwheat groats.
Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life says
I was wondering how you were going to show us a grain free and nut free breakfast cereal! And it looks good too! Thanks for sharing it with us at Foodie Fridays!
Pure Grace Farms says
This sounds great. Love the grain free, nut free option. Thanks for stopping by Foodie Fridays. Hope to see you again tonight!
Blessings,
Shari
Jaren (Diary of a Recipe Collector) says
Great idea! Thanks for linking up with SNF! Pinned to our party board!
Raia says
I love the hearty taste of buckwheat. It makes me feel healthy. 😉 Thanks so much for sharing this at Savoring Saturdays, Megan! Can't wait to see what you share this weekend!
Cindy (Vegetarian Mamma) says
Buckwheat always gets a bad name from that wheat part. I bet it hates gluten too LOL Looks great! Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays party! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! 🙂 I can't wait to see what you share this week! Its LIVE!
Cindy from vegetarianmamma.com
paula says
Now I know what to make with my soaked buckwheat groats 🙂 Sounds great!
Megan says
I've never tried it with soaked groats, Paula! Do you dehydrate them to dry them out after you soak them?
Steph says
Just made this for Breakfast!!! It's yummy! Thanks for the recipe.
Megan says
You bet! Glad you enjoyed it! 😉
Tammy says
I regularly make Bob’s Red Mill creamy buckwheat cereal. Your recipe sounds delicious. I’m going to add your ingredients to the creamy buckwheat. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Judith Lainer says
I love it!!! I used maple syrup and topped it with blueberries and raspberries. Yeah!!! I miss oatmeal so much! I also can’t do gluten-free oats. Thank you!!
Mēgan says
That's wonderful, Judith! Thanks for coming back here and leaving me a comment and letting me know you tried this recipe. 🙂
Jen says
My son cannot have sunflower seeds. Can I just omit them? Or sub something else?
Thanx!
Mēgan says
Hi Jen, I'd omit them and maybe sub more buckwheat. 🙂