Cinnamon toast crunch was my favorite childhood “unhealthy” cereal and this is my homage to this nostalgic classic. It’s essentially a very cinnamon-forward granola with rice chex cereal mixed in to try to replicate those cinnamon sugar squares. To give it that classic flavor, the granola gets tossed in a buttery cinnamon sugar halfway through, then baked to crunchy perfection. I brought this to my annual summer family reunion and it was a huge hit!
Ingredient highlight
Cinnamon! This warming spice comes from the inner bark of a small evergreen tree. It is rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds (cinnamaldehyde) and has been found to improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels.
Servings 9 – 10 cups
Prep Time 10 minutes 
Cook Time 40 minutes Ingredients
- ½ cup (140g) natural almond butter*
- ¼ cup (85g) maple syrup
- ¼ cup (60g) olive oil
- 2 tsp (10g) vanilla extract
- 3 cups (102g) unsweetened chex cereal
- 2 cups (220g) rolled oats
- 1 ½ cups seeds and/or chopped nuts (pumpkin seeds, walnuts, almonds, pecans)
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
For the cinnamon sugar:
- 4 tbsp (57g) butter
- 2 tbsp (20g) coconut sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- Note: ~ this is best enjoyed eaten like cereal (with milk). Sometimes I’ll add a little scoop of yogurt on top.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond butter, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add the chex, oats, nuts/seeds, cinnamon, and salt and mix with a rubber spatula until evenly combined. Transfer to the baking sheet and spread out into an even layer.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, to make the cinnamon sugar, in a small microwavable bowl (or use the same large bowl if it’s microwavable), melt the butter. Whisk in the sugar and cinnamon until combined.
- Pour this mixture all over the granola and toss to coat as best you can. Spread out into an even layer and bake for 25 more minutes.
- Let cool completely before eating and/or storing. This will allow it to get crunchy.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Make the granola!
Substitutions:
- To make vegan, use a vegan butter or try replacing the butter with 3 tbsp olive oil.
- To make nut-free, use tahini in place of almond butter and use all seeds instead of nuts.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 14 days.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Best enjoyed with milk (like cereal)!
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