Homemade Cocoa Puffs

By Laura Fuentes Updated Apr 15, 2025

5 from 29 votes

Recipe

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Make your own chocolate puff cereal at home. This slightly sweetened cereal is a healthier version of the one you can get in stores, and tastes just as good!

What if I told you that this homemade cocoa puffs recipe is a terrific way to keep your kids occupied? Yeah, I thought that might grab your attention.

I was never a big “sugary cereal” buyer, so when I asked my husband what would be one cereal he’d want me to recreate, he said: cocoa puffs. My eyebrow went up and I wondered…. could I really make homemade cocoa puffs? Turns out, yes!

cocoa puffs in a bowl with milk and a spoon in it

As of recently, I’ve been getting my son Alex a lot more involved in the kitchen. I’ve discovered that he really likes to measure, smell the ingredients, and of course taste them along the way.

Are we big breakfast cereal eaters in our house? Not really. My husband enjoys a bowl of cereal here and there, usually as a late-night snack when we eat dinner very early. There are also the nights he gets home from work very late, where after his hour-long commute he doesn’t want to eat a big heavy meal. He serves himself a bowl of cereal in his favorite orange bowl from childhood, slices a banana on top, and fills it with milk. As he takes the first few bites of his crunchy goodness, I can often see his eyes close and his facial gestures soften, for a second I’d say he was internally smiling. Sometimes, one can take pleasure in the simple things.

My son Alex enjoys a bowl of cereal every night before bed. While, we don’t eat cereal for breakfast, we enjoy it for a snack!

cocoa puffs on a baking sheet ready to be baked

I’ve been making these tiny round crunchy puffs since Alex was six (he’s 16 now)! He always used to enjoy helping me roll the little puffs, which can be tedious.

cocoa puffs in a bowl with milk in the background

Ingredients

The best part of homemade cocoa puffs is that you know exactly what they are made of. You’ll find the ingredient measurements in the recipe card below, but first, check out your pantry and fridge:

All-purpose flour: the key ingredient of this recipe.
Cocoa powder: we want the puffs to be chocolatey!
Almond flour: use almond flour or almond meal. I prefer “meal” because it’s ground a bit finer.
Salt: to enhance all the flavors.
Maple syrup or honey: for a slight sweetness.
Plain Greek yogurt: you can swap it for plain yogurt or sour cream.
Egg white: to bind the ingredients.
Vanilla extract: tasty flavor!

Note that if you’ve been eating the boxed kind for years and are looking for an exact recipe as the sugary kind, this isn’t it. It’s not nearly as sweet or processed at all. I find the subtle sweetness to be a huge win, and I prefer it to the overly sweet version at the store.

cocoa puffs in a bowl milk pouring into it

How to Make Cocoa Puffs at Home

You make the dough in the food processor and then roll it into small balls. The second part can take some time, but here’s when you call the kids to become little kitchen assistants! If there’s cocoa involved, they won’t resist! Here are the steps:

Sift
Start sifting flour, cocoa powder, almond meal, and salt into the bowl of your food processor.
Add wet ingredients
Now, you add maple syrup (or honey), Greek yogurt, egg white, and vanilla inside the food processor bowl.
Combine
Turn your food processor on and let everything combine thoroughly.
Prep the oven
Preheat oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Shape the cocoa puff
Roll the dough into small balls (the size of store-bought puffs) and place them on a baking sheet. Count on the help of others who will enjoy this treat to make this step a little less tedious!
Bake
Now, bake for 15 minutes. Around minute 10, grab an oven mitten, open the oven and give the tray a gentle shake to turn the puffs. This prevents them from burning at the bottom.
Allow to cool down
Once done, remove the cocoa puff from the oven and allow them to cool down. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.