Sourdough Cocoa Puffs
Yes, you read that correctly. You can actually make a healthy version of cereal, but what’s it going to cost you? Surprisingly enough, with this recipe, not a lot! It is SO MUCH easier than any other cocoa puff recipe I have seen so far, and it is very budget friendly!
My kids love cereal! It has always been their Sunday morning treat. Mostly because on Sunday mornings daddy is in charge of breakfast, which I greatly appreciate!
About a month ago, I sought out a healthy alternative to this sugar loaded breakfast they loved to have once a week. Every recipe I found required you to roll each individual ball. That was a definite NO for me as a mom of three kids four and under. No cereal was worth the amount of time that would take each week!
HOW I SOLVED MY PROBLEM
I sought to create my own version of a cocoa puff that did not include rolling out the balls. I hopped on Amazon and found this circle mold that is actually meant for dog treats, but it is oven safe, so it is exactly what I was looking for.
My next problem was the batter. Every homemade cocoa puff recipe had a thick cookie like batter. I needed something thinner that I could just spread on top of my mold.
I found a sourdough brownie recipe, altered the recipe to be sugar free and added a ferment time to let the starter do its magic. It was the perfect solution!
I dumped a portion of the batter onto the mold and used a spatula to work the batter into each of the holes.
I then scraped the excess batter off the top and back into the bowl using a dough scraper.
I had to experiment with different baking temperatures and times to get the balls to be crunchy and not soft or chewy, without actually burning them. Finally, I think I got it the way the kids like it!
Once they came out of the oven, I flipped the mold over on parchment paper to get the puffs out and allow them to cool on the counter.
Most of the puffs come rolling right out but their are sometimes a few stragglers that need a little nudge to get out. It is literally a huge pop it, so the kids love to help pop the puffs out.
I then placed them dehydrated them in the oven to get them nice and crunchy.
This recipe was SO MUCH easier than any other recipe I have seen so far for homemade cocoa puffs. Plus, I love the fact that they are sourdough, giving my kids probiotic and prebiotics along with other vitamins, as well as them being refined sugar free!
The kids love them, and I love having a healthy version of their indulgence.
Sourdough Cocoa Puffs
TOOLS YOU WILL NEED
Bowl with a Lid
Spatula
Cookie Sheet Pan
Parchment Paper
INGREDIENTS
1 cup active Starter
1/2 cup Melted Butter
1/3 cup Honey
1/3 cup Pure Maple Syrup
1/2 cup Cocoa Powder
1/2 cup Unbleached All Purpose Flour
AFTER FERMENTATION
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
DIRECTIONS
Mix starter, butter, honey, maple syrup, cocoa powder, and flour in a bowl with a lid. I always run my flour and cocoa powder through a sifter.
Place a lid on the bowl and let set on the counter for 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
To the fermented dough add the eggs, vanilla, and baking powder. Mix well.
Place the mold on a cookie sheet pan and pour some of the batter onto the greased circle mold. Using a spatula, spread the batter over the mold working it back and forth to get it into the holes. Once all the holes are filled, scrape the extra batter off and back into the bowl. I use a dough scraper to do this.
Bake for 10 minutes or until done to your likeness. They should still be soft but cooked through when you pull them out.
Flip the mold over on parchment paper to get the balls to roll out. They come out pretty easily, but some may need popped out.
Let the puffs set on the counter until completely cool.
Place the puffs on a cookie sheet. Dehydrate the puffs in the oven for 1-2 hours at 170 degrees F, or until crunchy. Stir a couple times during the dehydrating process.
Store in an airtight bag or container.
This recipe will make about 2.5 molds worth of puffs.
