Quick Grain-Free Hot Cereal (Gluten Free, Paleo, Whole30 + Vegan)
Not eating grains but missing your morning oatmeal? Look no further than this Quick Grain-Free Hot Cereal! This super easy n’oatmeal is made in just 3 minutes and it’s gluten-free, paleo, vegan, and Whole30-friendly. This is a staple Whole30 breakfast!
Hi friends! I feel like I’ve been such a slacker lately with getting new posts up, due to a combination of circumstances. I’ve been doing a Whole30, I had a big project I was working on that took up a lot of my time (and stress), and I had an incident last week where I knocked my head on the corner of my nightstand, got a big old bump and bruise, and I’m pretty sure I concussed myself.
I was feeling a little off for a few days after that last one and didn’t get done any of the work I expected to be done. I’m so sorry! But I’m back with new recipes coming at you this week, and I’m very excited about this one.
Oats are a pretty big staple of my usual breakfast diet. That makes Whole30 breakfast a challenge for me! I don’t like eggs (except in baked goods!) and the elimination diet forbids my usual oatmeal and smoothie bowls.
I had tried some commercially made grain-free “oatmeal” substitutes and they were super delicious, but they also add up price-wise very quickly, and I was sure it was something I could easily replicate at home for less cost that was so more delicious.
After having this for breakfast a few days in a row, making modifications each day, I finally came up with a winner! It definitely satisfies my hankering for oatmeal in a deliciously grain-free and sugar-free way. N’oatmeal, grain-free hot cereal, fauxtmeal…whatever you want to call it, it is TASTY and super filling.
Did you know you can make this Grain-Free Hot Cereal in 3 minutes??
If you have the foresight to mix up the dry ingredients ahead of time, all you’ll have to do is add some hot non-dairy milk and breakfast is ready. It’s about as easy as cereal. Even if you don’t do the tiny amount of prep beforehand, it’ll take 5 minutes MAX.
To make this Grain-Free Hot Cereal, you’ll need…
- Finely Chopped Nuts: you can use your favorites, but I used walnuts + pecans
- Flaked Unsweetened Coconut: adds delicious texture, because no one wants plain hot mush!
- Flax Meal: used for thickening things up
- Chia Seeds: like the flax meal, this helps thicken up our hot cereal
- Coconut Flour: Each does its part to thicken the n’oatmeal and make it super hearty + full of fiber.
- Cinnamon, Salt, & Vanilla Bean Powder: these all add tons of flavor, and can be adjusted to your tastes! You could add any other spices you’d like as well to customize the flavor.
- Sweetener & Dairy-Free Milk: these are added when you’re ready to serve!
Once all of your dry ingredients mixed together, you can store it for when you’re ready to eat. Or, if you’re ready to eat, you can add hot non-dairy milk and some sweetener. I used date paste to keep it Whole30-friendly, but if you’re not on Whole30, maple syrup or honey would work as well.
As you stir in the hot nut milk, you’ll notice it getting super thick and creamy. The texture is super similar to oatmeal! If you like a runnier, thinner porridge, just add a little extra milk to get it to the consistency you’re after. Add some toppings, and voila! Breakfast is served.
This recipe is a game-changer around here! It sure to become a breakfast staple, and I can’t wait to hear what you all think of it. If you’ve been missing your oatmeal or porridge while avoiding grains, this Whole30 + paleo hot cereal is a must-try. Enjoy!
Craving more healthy breakfast ideas?! Here are a few you’ll want to dig your spoon into…
- You’ll love digging into this Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie Bowl!
- Get your oatmeal fix with this Chocolate Strawberry Oatmeal.
- Short on time? Prep ahead by making these Superfood Overnight Oats with Easy Berry Chia Compote.
Quick Grain-Free Hot Cereal (Gluten Free, Paleo, Whole30 + Vegan)
- Prep Time: 3 minutes
- Total Time: 3 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: American
Description
Not eating grains but missing your morning oatmeal? Look no further than this Quick Grain-Free Hot Cereal! This super easy porridge is made in just 3 minutes and it’s gluten-free, paleo, vegan, and Whole30-friendly. This is a staple Whole30 breakfast!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup finely chopped nuts, I used walnuts + pecans
- ¼ cup flaked unsweetened coconut, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons flax seed meal
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean powder or vanilla extract if you’re not on Whole30
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup non-dairy milk of choice
- 1–2 tablespoons date paste, to taste (you can also use maple syrup or honey if you’re not on Whole30)
To serve
- Fresh berries
- Berry chia jam, make sure it’s unsweetened for Whole30!
- Cashew butter or other nut butter of choice
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the chopped nuts, flaked unsweetened coconut, flax seed meal, coconut flour, chia seeds, cinnamon, vanilla bean powder, and salt.
- Heat the non-dairy milk until steaming, and then pour over the dry ingredients and stir until completely combined – it will thicken as your stir. Add sweetener to taste.
- Add toppings as desired, and enjoy!
Notes
To prep ahead of time, you can stir together all of the dry ingredients and store in a small jar or container. Just add hot non-dairy milk + sweetener when you’re ready to eat.
Nutrition
- Calories: 294
- Sugar: 7
- Sodium: 331
- Fat: 21
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 22
- Fiber: 9
- Protein: 7
Love this recipe Rachel. I’ve not mustered up the guts to de whole30 yet, but I’d eat this regardless. And I really hope you’re feeling better!
Thanks so much for the love, Debs! Even not on Whole30, this is a delicious one. :)
I use flaxseed meal, chia seeds and coconut flour add water and microwave for 90 sec. then add unsweetened vanilla almond milk and top it off with 1/2 banana, 3 strawberries and some blueberries. It’s become my favorite meal of the day! Thank you for this idea. I know I made my own version of your recipe, but I couldn’t have done it without you. Thanks again.
★★★★★
So thrilled you’re loving it, Joanne! Thanks so much for your feedback.
Cant wait to try this!! Is the coconut flour ok to eat raw? Since its not really being cooked?
Hi Carmen, yes it is! Coconut flour, similarly to dried coconut, is totally okay to eat raw.
Love this! I used to be all about the sweeter breakfasts until I cut out grains for digestive issues. This looks like such a good alternative!
This is the perfect grain-free sweet breakfast – I hope you’ll try it! Thanks for the love.
This breakfast looks so perfect! Yum :)
Thanks so very much Pamela!
Cant wait to try this! Any reason not to use milk or water and heavy cream? Thanks!
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Hi Amy! I’m dairy-free so I avoid regular milk and heavy cream, but if dairy is a part of your diet you can absolutely use those instead of the non-dairy milk. I hope you enjoy it :)
Could I make this with no chia or flax? Can’t have a protein found in both
Unfortunately they are what help to thicken up this cereal, so I don’t think it would work without them. Sorry!
What about using coconut flour and maybe some tapioca starch/flour in place of the chis and flax? It wouldn’t be as “meal-y”, but would still thicken it enough to be edible like an oatmeal?
Hi Jean, a little extra coconut flour should do the trick! I think tapioca starch may make it a little “floury” tasting.
You could try dried quinoa flakes!
A little psyllium husk in place of the chia and flax would work too.
Whole 30 has issues with Flax and Chia, unfortunately.
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Whole 30 has issues with Flax and Chia according to the book, but I see on the website they’re okay. Very confusing
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Hi Blaire, I posted this recipe a few years back and don’t remember there being any issue with chia and/or flax seeds, and from what I see online, they’re still allowed. I don’t have the book to double-check, but seeds are generally ok on Whole30.
Can’t wait to do this… Been looking for a grain free recipe for a while now xx
Hope you love it Kelly!
Yay! Winner!! This is, hands down, the tastiest grain-free oatmeal-esque breakfast I’ve tried to date. Thanks!
★★★★★
Yayay it makes me so happy to hear that! I’m so glad you’re enjoying it :)
This is amazing!!! I’ve struggled with food sensitivities for ten years, and have had to cut out all grains including oats, along with dairy, eggs, soy, yeast, and gluten. I missed oatmeal, and this is the perfect way to enjoy it without making me feel bad!
Thank you for sharing this recipe!!
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Yay, that makes me so happy to hear Melissa! So thrilled you can enjoy this recipe.
This breakfast or snack looks so refreshing, I have the cereal, need the blueberries
★★★★★
Thanks Carrie!! You’ve got to try it sometime.
This recipe looks so interesting and good. I am like you in that I love oatmeal. I bought some bobs red mill rice Farina in an attempt to have more gluten free grains, by a grain less recipe altogether is so interesting and it looks like porridge. Thank you. I’ll have to try it.
Thanks for the love Cynthia, it’s certainly a delicious and interesting breakfast! Hope you’ll give it a try.
ABsoluely delicious! Made my whole 30 so much better! And excited to try everything else on your site once I’m done!
So thrilled to hear you’re enjoying it, Michelle!
I just made this – without any date paste, maple syrup, or sugar/sugar subs – and it’s delicious! I’ve done Whole30 (several times), so I don’t crave sweet the way I once did. Some blueberries on top (would have preferred banana, but that’s what there was) were all the sweetness I needed. I also subbed almond flour for coconut and omitted the vanilla entirely (but added extra cinnamon). Was leery about the portion size at first site, but so glad I trusted you! Half of the mixture was just right…totally satiating!
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed it, Jess! Thank you so much for your feedback :)
Amazing I was struggling with a whole 30 breakfast and was missing my oatmeal!! I read mixed things on consuming coconut flower not baked fully , is it still safe to consume not fully baked ?
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Hi Lee. I’ve never heard that about raw coconut flour – I use it all the time unbaked, and I’ve been fine!
I have been following a whole 30 lifestyle for quite a while now. I typically eat leftovers for breakfast but often miss the comfort of a hot cereal. I have tried many but none of them “cut the mustard“. This one is absolutely delicious! I am mediately mixed up a quadruple batch of the dry ingredients to make quick breakfasts on work mornings. Thank you for satisfying my desire for hot cereal.
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Yay, that makes me so happy to hear Penny, especially since you’ve tried some other recipes. Glad I could help satisfy the hot cereal craving :) enjoy!
This is delicious!
Thank you so much!
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So glad you like it, Ana!! Thanks so much for your feedback.
Hi Tachel, I just want to make sure I’m reading the recipe correctly. You use a TOTAL of 1/4 cup of nuts, not a 1/4 cup each, right? I think I will mix up 3-4 times the recipe and keep it in a Tupperware to add the coconut milk and date paste to in the morning. Quick and easy!!
Hi Hannah, that’s correct, it’s a total of 1/4 cup nuts. Love the idea to make it in bulk for quick mornings. Enjoy!!
I’ve been looking everywhere for a good hot cereal recipe! I can’t have nuts so I use sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds and it comes out amazing. I just add fruit and no sweetener, so good! One of my favorite recipes!
★★★★★
So thrilled you’re loving it Nicole! Thanks so much for your feedback :)
Absolutely love this! Thank you for offering me an option for Whole30 other than eggs!
Day 20 and still going strong.
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Amazing!! So glad you enjoyed it, good luck with the rest of Whole30!
Best non-grain porridge I’ve ever tried. I’m on day 10 of the whole30 and loved the nourishing warmth of a bowl of hot oatmeal. It’s a keeper that I’ll continue make long after the 30 days is up!
P.s. And talk about filling! I thought it would be way to small a serving to keep me going but it was amazing how good I felt for hours after with not a skerrick of hunger pangs.
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So glad you’re loving it, Ange! It really does fill you up :) thanks for your feedback and best of luck finishing your Whole30!
I was having oats everyday with lots of maple syrup and full fat milk. Looking for an alternative, Came across your recipe. This is delicious and so filling I couldn’t finish it. So convenient as well, if you prepare your dry ingredients the day before it takes minutes. Perfect for winter. Thank you.
★★★★★
So glad you’re loving the recipe, Alicia! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback :)
Just made this this morning, best ever grain free cereal! Oat porridge and rice porridge have bloated me. Tasted great and I was surprised how filling it was. Love it!
★★★★★
So thrilled you’re loving it!! It is surprisingly filling :)
Can I subsitute the coconut flour for almond or cassava flour? I get bad stomach pains with coconut flour.
Hi Shay, coconut flour makes the hot cereal a lot thicker since it’s so absorbent. I would try using an extra tablespoon of ground flax meal and start with a little less liquid so you can determine the thickness. Hope this helps!
I usually whip up a large batch of this cereal and keep the dry ingredients on hand. I think I goofed and accidentally added almond flour instead of coconut flour. How will effect taste and consistency?
Thank you,
Penny
Hi Penny, it will likely be less thick since coconut flour absorbs a lot more liquid, so you may want to start with less liquid than normal. You can always add a bit of coconut flour to thicken, also. It shouldn’t affect flavor too much. Enjoy!
Love this! Don’t even miss my oats bc this recipe! Do you have the nutrition/calorie facts on the serving size?
★★★★★
Hi Allie, so glad you’re enjoying it!! I just added the nutritional info for the recipe.
I really enjoyed this, thanks for a great recipe! I used unsweetened French Vanilla almond and coconut Nut Pods creamer instead of the milk and I didn’t add any date paste or other sweetener, I liked it without! Thanks again!
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So glad you’re enjoying it! Thanks for the feedback, Andrea.
Ahhhmazzzing! Thank you, my belly is so happy right now. It’s raining outside and I needed a warm hug and a cup of beef stock wasn’t going to cut it.
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So thrilled you’re loving the recipe!! Thanks for your feedback, Katrina :)
I have loved porridge all my life. But I think I might like this tasty breakfast even better! I mix up all the dry ingredients and store in a canister. When it’s time for breakfast, I heat up milk, vanilla and a touch of maple syrup. So good!
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So thrilled you’re loving it, Rebecca! What a compliment :)
Just made this and it’s so good! It’s such a great alternative to oatmeal!
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So thrilled you’re loving it, Theresa! Thanks so much for the feedback :)
On Day 3 of my Whole 30 journey and this is a game changer. So satisfying and tasty. The first day i put too much milk and made soup but ate it anyway. Today i used less nut milk and made it just right. I realized after reading the recipe again I hadn’t even used nut butter or vanilla. Loving this breakfast. Thank you!
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So glad you’re loving it, Jenn! Hope you enjoy it throughout your Whole30, and that it makes your breakfasts a little easier :D
Hey. I have recently started going grain free and many others things free for digestion. Is there anything I could use in the place of nuts ? Could I use the chia ? Or maybe sunflower seed butter ?
I am excited to try this recipe because oatmeal is one of my favourite foods
Hi Charis, I wouldn’t use extra chia instead because it would make it too thick. I would recommend using extra coconut, or you could use chopped sunflower seeds! Hope you love it.
Hi, I’m so excited to try this tomorrow morning! I’ve gone ahead and assembled the dry ingredients but realized that I’ve run out of chia seeds. Can I go without, or use something else instead? I have poppy seeds on hand, might that work (although perhaps not a full tablespoon)?
Hi Anne, I would replace with more flax seeds since they have more similar thickening properties to chia seeds! Enjoy :D
Delicious!
★★★★★
So glad you’re loving it!!
I have had this for breakfast two weeks in a row… Oats no longer agree with me and I have missed traditional oatmeal SO much. This is the best oatmeal replacement that I have tried. I LOVE it! It is so easy to prepare. I just place everything in the food processor and pulse until it is the consistency that I like. I quadrupled the recipe and store in a large container in the fridge. I find 1/2 cup mix to 3/4 cup warm almond milk with a splash of vanilla and fresh berries is the perfect serving size for me. Thanks for such a great recipe!
SO happy to hear this feedback, thank you so much, Ashley! I am so happy you’re loving it.
Is there something you can sub for the coconut flakes?
You can use more nuts if you’d like!! :)
This grain free oatmeal is very delicious, Thank you for sharing!!!!
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So glad you’re loving it!! Thanks Sarah.
Just tried this this morning. New to grain free and this was perfect as I was so missing my Oatmeal! Thanks
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So thrilled you’re enjoying it, Thanks Jeanne!
Can skip flaked unsweetened coconut? Can just walnut and almond?
Yes, you can skip the coconut and replace it with more nuts if preferred.
I don’t ever write reviews , I actually don’t even like oatmeal. But this…this was delicious!
★★★★★
So glad you loved it, Sab! Thanks so much for the feedback :)
Love the sound of this.. I don’t have coconut flour and don’t need to exclude grains so could I swap the coconut flour for oats?
Many thanks!!
Hi Alanna, oats don’t absorb in the same way the coconut flour acts in this recipe, you could try it out though. You will likely want to cook it a little bit to make sure the oats cook through, or use quick-cooking oats!
Thanks so much for this recipe, I have tried so many other ‘not oatmeal’ recipes since I can’t eat gluten/oats with no luck, but the unique blend of these ingredients make it super delicious, thick and smooth with a little crunch from the nuts. It’s now my go-to breakfast!
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Woohoo!! Love to hear that :D thanks Marnie!
There are lots of recipes for whole 30 that try too hard to look like a food not allowed. I must say, though, I’m a big fan of this! It reminds me of cream of wheat, and is very filling and comforting. Not to mention healthy!!
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So glad you’re loving it, Stephanie!
Thank you….this is a great recipe. This is the second one I have tried of yours and it never seems to fail. I appreciate you taking the time to make these for people who don’t have a lot of choices out there when changing their diet. ❤️ Forever grateful.
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So thrilled you’re enjoying this one, Tasha! So happy I can help nourish you :) enjoy!!