Remember the days of crunchy, colorful cereal that sparked joy every morning? Just when you thought those days were over once you switched to a keto diet, these keto cereal brands re-imagined your childhood breakfast and made it low carb. From colorful puffs to your classic granola clusters, you'll find (almost) all of the nostalgic tastes and textures you or your children grew up eating.
In this blog post, you'll find reviews on the best (and some of the worst) keto cereal options on the market.
Related: Our keto-friendly products
“Healthy” Cereal Vs. Low Carb and Keto Friendly
There are so many buzzwords marketers have put out there to sift through to get the real nutritional information. First, let's discuss what the term "healthy" means. "Healthy" defines food as having "healthy" amounts of specific nutrients such as certain vitamins, total fat, cholesterol, saturated fat, and sodium. The word has been thrown around way too loosely for decades, and the official definition has been held in questionable status for years. In terms of our keto-friendly goals, just because a cereal may be widely thought of as a generally healthy breakfast cereal doesn't necessarily mean it fits in a keto diet. Many kinds of cereal are all about whole grains—carbs that can be suitable for specific diets but are not keto-friendly. Moreover, many cereals that food manufacturers like to label as "healthy" are still loaded with sugar to draw consumers.
The keto-friendly and low-carb cereal options we discuss are not based on whole wheat and grains, but instead use seeds and nuts for a filling, nutritious, and low carb option. The low carb cereals we like tend not to use sugar to make their cereal taste good, but rather keto-friendly sweeteners and different ingredients like nuts to add flavor and crunch.
What To Know About Low-Carb Cereals
Are Keto-Friendly Cereals Healthy?
Not necessarily—but they typically are a healthier option, since they avoid added sugar and rely on natural flavorings such as nuts and seeds. Low carb cereals swap out whole grains and sugar for alternative ingredients such as seeds (sunflower, chia, flax) and nuts (pecans, hazelnuts, and brazil nuts) with natural coconut oil and other keto-friendly flavorings.
Is milk in cereal keto-friendly?
Absolutely, but you should go for dairy milk with as high fat content as possible, such as whipped cream that you can dilute with water to your liking. The lower the fat in dairy the higher the carb count. The most keto-friendly options are plant-based milk, such as coconut milk and almond milk, but make sure they're unsweetened.
Can I eat bananas with cereal on Keto?
Bananas are naturally full of carbs—think of fruit as nature's candy—making them inherently not very keto friendly. However, if you're already keto-adapted and craving a banana, factor it into the rest of your carbs for the day!
What cereal is the highest in fat?
The cereals with the highest fat content on our list will be the ones that have the most nuts and seeds, which are naturally high in both fat, nutrients, and flavor. Some nuts and seeds to look for in your cereal are flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, macadamia nuts, and other good fat sources. As you can see from our list below, there are plenty of cereal companies that use flavorful, nutritious nuts to create cereals that aren't packed with sugar.
Related: Are beans keto? What you need to know about legumes and vegetables
Best Cereal Brands
1. Magic Spoon - Cinnamon Flavor
Self-proclaimed “cereal entrepreneurs”, Greg and Gabi founded the colorful brand, Magic Spoon that sparks your childhood taste buds without all of the junk. Now, you can enjoy all of the nostalgic flavors like Cocoa, Frosted, Cinnamon, and Fruity with no added sugar.
The Breakdown:
- The Macros: 110 calories per serving, 3g net carbs, 12g of Protein and 6g Fat
- Other Attributes: Keto-friendly, Low in Sugar, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Non-GMO
- The Ingredients: Milk Protein Blend, Coconut Oil, Natural Sweetener Blend (Allulose, Monk Fruit Extract, Stevia Extract), Tapioca Flour, Chicory Root Fiber, Natural Flavors, Salt, Vegetable Juice. No Cane Sugar or Corn Syrup or Sugar Alcohols.
- The Price: 1 case (4 boxes) is $39.00
In comparison to Cinnamon Toast Crunch, the Magic Spoon Cinnamon flavor has 11 more grams of protein and 28 grams fewer net carbs.
The Keto and Co Review:
Magic Spoon’s Cinnamon cereal has an overpowering cinnamon taste. The only way we could describe our experience was by comparing it to sticking your nose into your Cinnamon Yankee Candle. So, for all cinnamon lovers, this one is definitely for you. While this is not our favorite flavor, we have tried the Frosted flavor in the past and had only good things to say about it.
We unanimously loved the packaging because it reminded us of the cereal boxes we grew up seeing in our grocery store aisles. They even added a maze on the back of the box for a fun reminder that breakfast is meant to be enjoyed and not taken too seriously.
We had no qualms with their ingredients as they’re simple and low in net carbs!
What Others are Saying:
“After 4 months on keto I couldn’t face another breakfast of eggs and greens, and then I discovered Magic Spoon. Now there’s no going back.” Ralna B.
Overall, purchasers of Magic Spoon say their cereal is perfect for people who are looking for diabetic and keto-friendly options because they taste great and don’t raise blood glucose levels. According to their customers, Magic Spoon cereal is good with or without milk and the crunch and taste bring back to their childhood without the guilt or sugar high.
2. The Cereal School - Peanut Butter Flavor
Two college friends from Georgetown University, Helen and Dylan, started The Cereal School after wanting to reduce their sugar intake but realized all of their favorite childhood indulgences were off-limits.
Because of The Cereal School, you can enjoy all of your childhood cereals with flavors like Cocoa, Fruity, Peanut Butter, and Cinnamon Bun. What’s more, they have single-serve cereal pouches that you can pour milk into for a breakfast on the go.
The Breakdown:
- The Macros: 100 Calories Per Serving, 1g Net Carbs, 16g Protein and 3g Fat
- Other Attributes:: Gluten Free, Grain Free, Soy Free, All Natural Ingredients, Free of Artificial Sweeteners or Colors
- The Ingredients: Milk Protein Isolate, Peanut Flour, High-Oleic Sunflower Oil, Peanut Oil, Tapioca Fiber, Salt, Monk Fruit
- The Price: Get 12-60 bags for $29.99-$112.00
The Keto and Co Review:
The Cereal School is crunchy and deliciously peanut buttery. We all agreed that the taste was reminiscent of Captain Crunch without hurting the roof of your mouth. We all enjoyed the single bag packaging because of the option to pour milk directly into the bag or pack it for lunch. Some of us experienced an aftertaste that eventually went away after a few bites.
The Cereal School keeps it simple with its ingredients, which we like. Overall, we’d recommend The Cereal School as a delicious option for a low carb breakfast! Beware, their products tend to sell out fast, so it’s important to order as soon as possible!
What Others are Saying:
Many Cereal School customers on Amazon love the taste of the Peanut Butter flavor but complain that it’s a little pricey. Cereal School argues that each bag is about the same price as a protein bar.
On their website, there are 3,000+ reviews with a 5-star rating. One 5-star review says, “I am so thankful I discovered this. The Cereal School is truly magic. This is the perfect snack or quick meal, with great macros and the delicious flavors of cereal I haven’t had in years. Plus, the protein keeps me full for hours. Can’t recommend Cereal School enough!”
3. Spoiler alert! Keto and Co Granola is now available!
Surprise! We couldn’t start off a list of our favorite keto cereals without mentioning our newest product—Keto Granola! We have two delicious flavors, Chocolate Sea Salt, Honey Nut Crunch and Peanut Butter Crunch which are available now!
As always, each flavor is naturally sweetened with Wondrose, Non-GMO, gluten-free and diabetic friendly. Best part? Each Keto Granola flavor is less than 3g net carbs per serving AND is as amazingly delicious as our other products.
Join our email list and follow our social media for more granola updates!
Explore Keto Cereal & Granola Options
4. Paleonola - The Original Flavor
Paleonola promotes healthier living through real food ingredients. They want to keep their ingredients simple and clear for their customers, making sure that there are no mysteries or natural flavors to hide on their label.
Enjoy seven flavors of Paleonola: Original, Maple Pancake, Cinnamon Blueberry, Pina Colada, Chocolate Fix, Apple Pie, and Pumpkin Pie.
The Breakdown:
- The Macros: 170 Calories per serving, 5g Net Carbs, 4g Protein, and 15g Fat
- Other Attributes:: Non-GMO, Grain Free, No Refined Sugars, Low Carb, Peanut Free, Dairy Free
- The Ingredients: Almonds, Pecans, Pepitas*, Honey*, Walnuts, Coconut Oil*, Sunflower Seeds*, Flax Seeds*, Sweetened Dried Cranberries (Cranberries, Apple Juice Concentrate, Sunflower Oil), Dried Coconut*, Vanilla Extract, Cinnamon.
- The Price: 1-12 bags for $8.99-$104.99, save 7% when you subscribe on the Paelonola website
The Keto and Co Review:
The Original flavor of Palenola was not as sweet as we anticipated. Our team didn't like that the clusters weren't crunchy like Diabetic Kitchen (see review below) and became easily soggy in milk.
As for ingredients, this granola cereal has one of the highest fat content due to the nuts and coconut oil, which may keep you satiated longer than the other options. But if you don't want to consume any added sugar, then this granola is not for you. You'll see honey, dried cranberries, and apple juice concentrate on the label contributing to 4 grams of added sugar.
Overall, Paleonola seems to care about transparency about their ingredients, and we love that. If you prefer a less sweet breakfast or snack option, Paleonola is a good match for you!
What Others are Saying:
Seventy percent of customers who reviewed Paleonola gave it 5-stars (not bad!) Many customers say this granola is tasty and the texture is dry in a good way. Their reviewers love the "grain-free" granola as they feel that attribute is lacking on their grocery store shelves.
The unhappy customers complain that the Original flavor is too bland, but state that they'd like to try the flavored granola options. We had a similar reaction.
5. Catalina Crunch - Dark Chocolate
Catalina Crunch is a plant-based, keto-friendly cereal that serves to give breakfast lovers their favorite meal back. Founder, Krishna was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 17 and after eating his weight in eggs and food that tastes like cardboard, he made a cereal that would fit his needs (low carb,chocolatey goodness). Catalina Crunch’s claim to fame is its extra crunchy cereal which the brand claims makes you full longer, burns more calories, prevents overeating and boosts energy.
The Breakdown:
The Keto and Co Review:
We have to admit; we haven't tried Catalina Crunch cereal since it first launched. But if it's anything like their first version, you'll love it! We tried the Dark Chocolate flavor, and the combination of the delicious chocolate taste and crunchy texture won us over. We remember a slight aftertaste, but nothing that would deter us from eating this regularly for breakfast. The look reminded us of the Cinnamon Toast Crunch shape that brought back some nostalgic feels.
Like the other keto cereal options, Catalina Crunch keeps it simple when it comes to ingredients. Catalina Crunch has quite a bit more fiber than the Magic Spoon and Cereal School with 7g of dietary fiber per serving instead of 2 grams and 1 gram, respectively, but has less protein than all of the options. If you're looking for a protein cereal, Magic Spoon or Cereal School are better choices.
What Others are Saying:
Catalina Crunch is only available for sale on their website, so we're cautiously optimistic about the fact that the products don't review under a 4 star. Many customers love the crunch and the fact that it doesn't get soggy in milk. Also, Catalina Crunch lovers like the taste and sweetness because it's not overpowering.
Based on the reviews, the Dark Chocolate flavor seems to be the fan-favorite, but we'd opt for the variety pack where you can try multiple flavors at a time.
6. Diabetic Kitchen - Cinnamon Pecan
Diabetic Kitchen was created by husband and wife, Vic and Lisa Johnson, after Vic and his son were diagnosed with diabetes. Shortly after, Lisa began to create healthier recipes at home and as a result, Diabetic Kitchen was born.
Diabetic Kitchen Cinnamon Pecan Granola Cereal is great for breakfast, all-day snacking or a crunchy topping for your desserts.
- The Macros: 160 calories per serving, 3g Net Carbs, 4g Protein and 14g Fat
- Other Attributes:: No Sugar Added, Keto Friendly, Gluten Free, High Fiber, Non-GMO, No Artificial Sweeteners
- The Ingredients: Sliced Almonds, Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Pecans, Chicory Root Fiber, Coconut Chips, Puffed Brown Rice, Organic Coconut Oil, Natural Flavor, Cinnamon, Organic Stevia Extract, Monk Fruit Extract
- The Price: $12.83/bag (Site and Amazon)
The Keto and Co Review:
Diabetic Kitchen’s Cinnamon Pecan Granola Cereal has a perfect amount of sweetness without any aftertaste. The texture and small clusters make it easy to eat...maybe a little too easy. We could see ourselves eating several handfuls of this at one time, which could get dangerous for our daily net carb count. Our team unanimously liked the texture and flavor that the pumpkin seeds brought. We even got the essence of apple pie without all the carbs!
Some of their customers are concerned about the puffed brown rice ingredient. Since the overall net carbs are low and the puffs add a very appealing crunch, our team was not worried about the presence of this ingredient. We abide by the rule that anything is keto if you slice it thin enough.
What Other People are Saying:
Diabetic Kitchen’s customers think the granola cereal is a great keto-friendly replacement to the carb-filled cereals found on grocery shelves. As mentioned above, the brand commonly gets a complaint about the presence of the puffed brown rice in their granola.
7. Three Wishes - Honey Flavor
Three Wishes is a grain free cereal crafted by the Wishingrad family. Each of cereal flavors, Honey, Cinnamon, and Unsweetened, are all high protein, low sugar, and made with premium and what they claim as “clean” ingredients. While this is a “better for you” cereal than the typical Frosted Flakes or Fruit Loops, for keto, it isn’t entirely the best option.
The Breakdown:
- The Macros: 120 Calories per serving, 15g Net Carbs, 8g Protein and 2g Fat.
- Other Attributes:: No Grains, No Wheat, No Corn, No Rice, No Peanuts, No Oats, No Soy, Vegan, Plant Based, Only 3g Added Sugars
- The Ingredients: Chickpea, Pea Protein, Tapioca, Organic Cane Sugar, Natural Flavors, Monk Fruit
- The Price: a Variety Pack (3) is $19.99 and 6 Pack is $34.99
The Keto and Co Review:
Our reviewer team all agreed that the Three Wishes Honey Flavor was delicious and reminiscent of Honey Nut Cheerios. There wasn’t an overpowering sense of sweetness and a good initial crunch. But, after a few minutes the cereal becomes unappealingly soggy.
Since there’s around 15g net carbs in each serving, this cereal is not the best option for a low carb, keto diet. However, if you or someone you know is looking for a hypo-allergenic option, Three Wishes cereal has very few ingredients and no allergens!
What Other People are Saying:
The reviews on Three Wishes Cereal are generally positive with around 89 percent of their customer's reviews rating their cereal at 5-stars on Amazon. The positive reviews say the cereals are delicious tasting and also filling. They feel Three Wishes Cereal is a healthier option, especially for kids and vegans.
One of the biggest complaints in their reviews is the cost. If you’d like to save money, purchase their package of three or six boxes or pay a little extra to try their single boxes on Amazon for around eight dollars.
8. Kashi: Organic Blueberry Clusters
Innovated nutrition is Kashi’s approach to food and makes food with a plant-based mindset. They believe their cereal is not just food but “a real philosophy at work.”
Although this is marketed as a better for you cereal, keto and, low carb dieters, you can take this one off your list of options. Like many of the cereals you find on your grocery store shelves, this cereal is loaded with sugar and a long list of unrecognizable ingredients.
The Breakdown:
- The Macros: 200 calories per serving, 39g Net Carbs, 5g Protein and 2.5g Fat
- Other Attributes:: Non- GMO, Organic, Vegan, 25g Whole Grain
- The Ingredients: too long and sad
- The Price: $2.74/box
The Keto and Co Review:
We are aware that Kashi advertises as the “healthier cereal” option. However, given the high net carb number, this is not even close to an excellent low carb option. We mostly included this in the round up to show you how some of the mass market cereal brands are marketing themselves as a good, healthy option when they’re not. When it comes to price, this cereal is a lot more affordable than the rest but at the detriment of the ingredients.
Our advice is to stay far away from this cereal!
What Others are Saying:
It's important to state that most of the reviewers were probably not following a low carb, keto diet. However, we believe that many of the customers were looking for a healthier breakfast option. There is a handful of positive feedback on Kashi’s cereal. It’s delicious, and some customers have claimed that it helped decrease their cholesterol levels significantly.
The End:
And there you have it, the best and worst keto cereals on the market. Let us know if you end up trying any of these options or want to add a brand to the list!
