Maca Cacao Puff Cereal | dolly and oatmeal #vegan

we're in a bit of a transition over here. frank and i are all ready for the babe, as he can come any day now, but still living a our normal day-to-day life. and it's felt very strange to me, as i'm very much a structured person. i function best when i have a schedule and routine. so all the in-between, not-knowing limbo has been messing with me a little. just the other day i finished up all the work i had taken on before my "leave", which i thought would feel great and give me some much needed rest. but i still find myself craving some sense of normalcy, because thinking about how our sweet baby is going to forever alter our reality just seems way too big to imagine without it actually happening. so, naturally, working is what has kept mind mind in-check.

so basically this recipe was born out my restless brain! i planned on sharing it later in october when i knew there would be a lull here, but i was too excited not to share it sooner, so here it is! it's a riff off a cocoa granola that i frequently buy at the grocery store. but i wanted an everyday breakfast cereal that didn't have brown rice syrup in the mix, included nuts in some fashion, had a bit more of a lick of salt, and increased crunchiness. i also didn't want to post another granola recipe because i think there are two already on the site, and i wanted to get away from oats for a second.

this cereal's base is made from puffed brown rice and puffed millet, mixed with a good amount of raw mixed nuts, and a couple servings of maca powder. since frank's started a more rigorous work out in the mornings, he's been trying to work more amino acids into his diet post-workout. so aside from maca being an all-star superfood, it also holds an awesome flavor that pairs perfectly with cacao. the wet mix is made up of almond butter, maple syrup and some coconut oil to help bind the cereal making it a bit clumpy :) this has been a favorite morning meal or mid-afternoon snack eaten either as cereal, dry out of the jar, or to top some ice cream! i hope you all enjoy as much as we do!

xo's!

*and if you haven't entered last week's giveaway of my book, there's still time to do so here! :)

maca cacao puff cereal | v & gf

| makes about 4 cups |

2 cups puffed brown rice
1 cup puffed millet
1 cup raw chopped nuts (i used a mix of almonds, walnuts, and pecans)
2 tablespoons maca powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup creamy unsalted almond butter
1/4 cup grade b maple syrup
1 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup cacao powder

options to serve with:

almond milk
sliced bananas
toasted pepitas, or seeds of choice

method

preheat oven to 250°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
in a large bowl, mix together the brown rice puffs, millet, puffs, chopped nuts, maca powder, and salt. set aside.
in a small saucepan, whisk together the almond butter, maple syrup, and coconut oil over medium-low heat until almond butter and coconut oil are melted. remove from heat and whisk in the cacao powder until combined.
pour the wet cacao mix over the dry mix and use a rubber spatula to combine thoroughly, about 2 minutes, until everything is coated evenly.
transfer the cereal mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread in an even layer. bake for 20-25, rotating the baking sheet halfway through for even cooking.
remove and cool the cereal completely before storing in a large lidded jar.
serve with your favorite milk, toasted pepitas, and sliced banana.

enjoy!