Healthy Freeze Dried Fruit Cereal (high-protein, vegan)

Say goodbye to sad processed cereal and say hello to this Healthy Freeze Dried Fruit Cereal recipe.  It’s crispy, crunchy fruit cereal without any of the guilt!  This ridiculously simple no-cook recipe is entirely fruit-sweetened.  And in a matter of minutes you’ll be enjoying those nostalgic cereal vibes with great-for-you whole-food ingredients.

Whether you’re nutritarian or just looking for a truly healthy vegan cereal option I think you’re going to love this recipe!  It’s highly customizable, adaptable for travel and works as a quick dessert option too.

What is Freeze Dried Fruit Cereal?

A viral Tik Tok “hack” where you pour milk over freeze dried fruit (usually berries) and eat it in a bowl like cereal.

But for me it started over a year ago…

I was looking for healthy options for our family road trip.  I picked up a package of Trader Joe’s Organic Freeze Dried Berry Medley. After reading the ingredient list I knew I had found something special!  At $3.99 per bag it was on the cheaper end for organic freeze dried fruit.

Then, on our trip I decided to add some almond milk to the bag.  Yes, the first time I tried this was in the bag not a bowl.  But it didn’t matter because it was a revelation either way!

It was crunchy, sweet, delicious and reminded me of when I was in middle school and I’d steal all the strawberries out of my mom’s SpecialK cereal.

After that I experimented over the next few months and ultimately landed on my favorite way to eat my freeze dried fruit cereal.  That’s the recipe I’m sharing with you now!

What is freeze dried fruit?

Freeze drying is a food preservation process where you remove 98% of the water from the food using below-freezing temperatures.  Then they place the frozen fruit in a vacuum chamber so that the ice is transformed into a gas and can be removed without ruining the structure of the fruit.

Because almost all of the water is removed in this process the resulting fruit is crunchy.  Amazingly the majority of nutrients and  phytochemicals are retained thanks to the low temperature.

Freeze dried fruit is different from dehydrated fruit.  When a fruit is dehydrated heat is used to extract moisture.  But the resulting texture is chewier because dehydrated fruit still retains about 20% of its water content.  Nutrients are also lost in the heating process.

What type of fruits can you find freeze dried?

• bananas
• mangos
• apples
• strawberries
• raspberries
• blueberries

For this recipe I’d steer clear of the mangoes and apples because their size is too big.  Bananas are also on the larger size but you can throw a few in with the freeze dried berries if you like.

Is freeze dried fruit expensive?

Yes.

While conventional freeze dried fruits range from $2.99 to $5.99 per 1.2 ounces, organic varieties can cost considerably more.  At Whole Foods organic freeze dried fruits can range between $5.99 to $8.99 per .8 to 1.2 ounces.

Hands-down Trader Joe’s has the best prices I’ve found for the individual packets of freeze dried fruit.  That may not be the case if you were to buy in bulk.

Do I eat this Freeze Dried Fruit Cereal every day for breakfast?

No.  I’ll enjoy this recipe once or twice a week typically as a dessert.  When I’m traveling I might have it most mornings for breakfast.

Many people would site the cost alone as problematic (although it’s still less than a daily Starbucks drink).  For me it’s more about following the nutritarian guidelines where we try to eat a pound of fresh produce daily.

Whenever I’m able to, I will eat my fruit fresh.

What ingredients are in this freeze dried fruit cereal?

1. freeze dried fruit
2. milk
3. protein or almond powder

I started adding this almond powder to the base ingredients of fruit and milk to increase the protein.  You can make it even more substantial by adding your favorite plant-based protein powder.

You can also make this more of a dessert by making the optional banana milk.

Is this recipe easy to make?

It’s almost wrong to call it a recipe–it’s that easy!

You can make it super simple by just enjoying the freeze dried fruit with your milk of choice.

Or if you want to include protein or almond power you can whisk it into your milk first and then add the berries.  If you’re on the go you can mix your powder and milk in a bottle using one of these shaker balls.

Making the optional Banana Milk

This is a simple-to-make fruit-sweetened milk or milk alternative.

You can use your favorite plant milk as the base and amp up the creaminess by adding half of a ripe banana plus the protein or almond powder to a high speed blender bowl.  Spotty bananas work really well for this.

Alternatively you can use a cup of water instead of the plant milk to make a creamy protein banana milk alternative!

I recommend only making enough banana milk for one or two servings of cereal and enjoying it fresh.  If you make more than that it can keep for up to 4 days in the fridge in a glass jar.  Natural separation will occur so be sure to shake it well before using.

What toppings can you add to the cereal?

• raw hemp seeds
• raw pumpkin seeds
• sliced almonds
• sliced fresh banana
• dried fruits or raisins

You can get seriously creative with toppings and you’ll get more and more inspiration as you enjoy the cereal!

How do you store leftovers?

You don’t.

This Freeze Dried Fruit Cereal recipe serves one person and should be eaten right away.

The longer the fruit stays in the milk the more it looses that amazing crunchy texture.

What else should you know about this recipe before trying it?

First, it’s a lot of fun to eat.  Not only does it remind me of those Saturday morning cartoon marathons as a kid, sitting wide-eyed in front of the TV noshing on my favorite 90’s-era sugar-coated cereal.  It also turns into unicorn milk!  So you can’t help but smile when you eat this cereal.

Second, there can be a lot of powder at the bottom of freeze dried fruit bags, especially the berries.  You may want to “strain” the freeze dried fruit in a colander to separate the fine powder so you can enjoy the whole fruits.  I save the powder to use in Simple Overnight Oats or chia pudding.  Or just keep it all in there for extra-colorful milk!

Lastly, the type of milk you use will influence the overall texture.  The optional Banana Milk is a thicker and creamier milk which will diminish a bit of the crunch.  I recommend starting with just your favorite plant milk and seeing how you like it first before experimenting with adding in any of the extras.

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Healthy Freeze Dried Fruit Cereal (high-protein, vegan)

Say goodbye to sad processed cereal and enjoy this crispy, crunchy and healthy Freeze Dried Fruit Cereal recipe without any of the guilt!

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword no cook, nutritarian, oil free, refined sugar free, vegan, whole food plant based

Prep Time 5 minutes

Servings 1 person

Calories 195 kcal

Ingredients

For the Basic Recipe:

• 1 1/8 cups freeze dried fruit (strawberries, raspberries and blueberries preferred) 1.2 ounces
• 1 cup plant milk (or sub with water if desired, see Banana Milk instructions)
• 2 Tbsp. protein powder or almond powder (15 grams) optional

For the optional Banana Milk:

• 1/2 medium banana, ripe or spotty (~60 grams)
• 1/8 tsp. vanilla powder or extract

Instructions

For Basic Recipe:

1. Empty the freeze dried fruit into a cereal bowl. You can use a colander to separate any fruit powder if you wish or add it all in there for more colorful milk!

2. If you're not adding in the protein powder or almond powder simply pour one cup plant milk over the fruit.

3. If you are adding in the powder: In a small mixing bowl or jar pour in 1 cup of your favorite plant milk. Add 2 Tbsp. protein powder or almond powder and whisk together well, or shake it up in a covered jar.

4. Pour the milk or optional Banana Milk (see below) over the freeze dried fruit and top with optional sliced fresh bananas, raw nuts or seeds.

5. Serve immediately!

For Banana Milk Option:

1. Add 1 cup plant milk or water, 1/2 medium banana, 2 Tbsp. protein powder or almond powder and vanilla to a high-speed blender bowl. Blend on high for 20 to 30 seconds or until smooth and creamy. Makes just about 1 1/4 cup. Use this in place of the 1 cup plant milk in the basic recipe.

Recipe Notes

Makes 1 serving.

 

NUTRITION NOTES:

 

The nutrition fact label below is calculated with the basic recipe including 2 Tbsp. Barney's Almond Powder.  

 

If you make the optional Banana Milk (with the almond powder) the nutritional content will be modified as follows:

 

• calories increased to 248.4
• total fat increased to 4.7 g
• total carbohydrates increased to 47.7 g
• dietary fiber increased to 12.6 g
• total sugar increased to 24.3 g
• protein increased to 9.7 mg

Nutrition Facts

Healthy Freeze Dried Fruit Cereal (high-protein, vegan)

Serving Size

 

1 serving

Amount per Serving

Calories

195

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

4.5

g

7

%

Sodium

 

190

mg

8

%

Potassium

 

525

mg

15

%

Carbohydrates

 

34

g

11

%

Fiber

 

11

g

46

%

Sugar

 

17

g

19

%

Protein

 

9

g

18

%

Vitamin A

 

90

IU

2

%

Vitamin C

 

100

mg

121

%

Calcium

 

490

mg

49

%

Iron

 

3.1

mg

17

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

I hope you end up loving this healthy, nutritarian-friendly recipe as much as I do!

If you give it a try please take a minute to share what you thought by leaving a recipe rating and comment below!