These homemade cocoa puffs are made with a few simple ingredients that we all have in our pantry. They are gluten-free, dairy-free and made without any refined white sugar. Great for breakfast with your favorite milk or yogurt or for snacking. Enjoy!
My daughter enjoys having cereal for breakfast every now and then. Although we’ve found some healthier options at the store, I’ve always wanted to try making a homemade version of cocoa puffs, without any refined white sugar.
It might seem like a tedious task, but it doesn’t take as long as you might think. You can put on your favorite music while shaping the cocoa puffs, or even better, get the kids involved and turn it into a fun family activity.
The texture of these homemade cocoa puffs is firm and crunchy once they cool down, and they soften slightly when you add milk. They have a denser texture compared to store-bought ones, but they’re just as flavorful and chocolatey.
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👩🏻🍳 Why you should try my recipe
- Great for breakfast or snacking.
- They can last for a week stored in an airtight container or longer in the fridge.
- Made with simple ingredients that we all have in our pantry.
- You can get the kids involved into shaping.
- Made without any white sugar, gluten-free and dairy-free.
🥘 Ingredients
To make these homemade cocoa puffs, we are going to use oat flour, cocoa powder, maple syrup, almond butter, baking soda and coconut oil.
- Oat flour: You can buy oat flour at the store or make your own by add oats to a food processor and blending them until you get a flour texture.
- Maple syrup: To naturally sweeten these cocoa puffs, I'm using maple syrup. You could also use honey but I prefer maple syrup that has a milder flavor.
- Baking soda: To make the cocoa puffs more crunchy and puff up, I'm using a little bit of baking soda.
- Almond butter: You could use almond or peanut butter or another nut butter of your choice.
- Coconut oil: If you don't have coconut oil, you could use another vegetable oil of your choice.
For full quantities and to print the recipe, see the recipe card below.
🔪 Step-by-step Instructions
So get your ingredients ready and let's get started!
01. In a bowl, I add the dry ingredients: cocoa powder, oat flour and baking soda. I mix them with a spatula to combine.
02. Then I add the rest of the ingredients, the almond butter, maple syrup and melted coconut oil or other vegetable oil of your choice.
03. I mix everything together until I get a soft dough that is slightly sticky but still pliable. I place the dough in the fridge for 10 minutes, just to rest and cool down lightly so it's easier to roll.
04. I take a small piece, around the size of a golf ball and roll it out into a rope.
05. With a knife, I cut the dough into smaller sections, then take each one and shape it into a ball. Keep in mind that the cocoa balls will puff up a little during baking because of the baking soda.
06. I place the cocoa puffs on a lined baking tray and bake them for 15 minutes. Make sure not to place them too close to each other so the air can circulate and they become nice and crispy all around.
07. When baked, let them cool for a few minutes before storing them, as they will be a bit soft at first and will become crispier as they cool down.
HealthyBitesForKids Product Picks
Easy to clean stainless steel trays. I have a couple of those for roasting veggies or baking cookies.
Buy On Amazon🍽 Serving Suggestions
I don’t recommend offering these homemade cocoa puffs to little ones under 18 months due to their round shape and firmness. They are quite crunchy when eaten on their own, but they soften when added to milk or yogurt.
For toddlers and older kids, you can offer them as a small snack with some fruit on the side. You could also add a few to a bowl with milk or yogurt for breakfast or an afternoon snack.
🧰 Storage
I like to store the cocoa puffs in a jar or a Ziploc bag on the kitchen counter for easy access. They keep well for about a week, as they don’t contain any dairy or eggs.
❓ FAQ
If you don't have coconut oil or simply don't like the taste of it, you could use a light vegetable oil of your choice.
If the dough is too sticky, add one tablespoon of oat flour and mix it again. Then refrigerate for 10-15 minutes before handling it. I also recommend oiling your hands to prevent it from sticking.
If you tried my homemade cocoa puffs recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
📋 Recipe
Homemade Cocoa Puffs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup oat flour (125gr)
- 4 tablespoons cocoa powder (25gr)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅓ cup nut butter (like almond or peanut) (85gr)
- ⅓ cup maple syrup (100gr)
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix the oat flour, cocoa powder and baking soda.
- Add the nut butter, coconut oil and maple syrup. Mix everything until it becomes like dough.
- Rest in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to cool down and be easier to roll.
- Take a small piece of dough around the size of a golf ball. Roll into a thin rope.
- Cut the rope into smaller bits with a knife. Take each piece and form into a ball.
- Place the cocoa balls on a lined baking tray leaving about half a finger space between them for the air to flow.
- Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated oven to 325℉ / 160℃. Let the cocoa puffs cool down for 10–15 minutes before removing from the tray.
Video
Notes
- You could use a nut butter of your choice like peanut butter or almond butter.
- You could add half a teaspoon of vanilla extract for some extra aroma.
- If the dough is difficult to handle and shape, you could oil your hands to prevent sticking.
- Let them cool for a few minutes before storing them, as they will be a bit soft at first and will become crispier as they cool down.
Nutrition
🥣 More to try
If you liked my homemade cocoa puffs recipe, you should try some of these recipes too:
Julia Droulia
My daughter loves these homemade cocoa puffs! They are chocolatey, crunchy and perfect for breakfast or snacking!