Fifty years ago, when I was newly married and newly pregnant with my first baby, I joined La Leche League for all their collective wisdom and encouragement with breastfeeding. Not only was their focus on nursing babies, they stressed nutrition, too, for ourselves and for our families.
Those ladies were some of my best friends for many years, and they were great cooks, too. One of them shared her Grape-Nuts Bread recipe, which I’ve made more times than I can count.
C.W. Post developed the cereal in 1897. In 1933, Grape-Nuts sponsored Sir Admiral Byrd’s expedition to Antarctica, fed the troops during World War II, energized explorers during their exploring, and soared through the years where it even got a little marketing help from Barney Fife on the Andy Griffith Show.
Yep, Grape-Nuts cereal is still alive and well today. It’s a bit daunting to love in a bowl with milk (my husband says it tastes like cardboard, and he’s right) but in this bread recipe, it’s so-o good!
Chock-ful of protein and fiber, it’s dense and hearty, requires no yeast, and comes together quickly (once the cereal soaks in milk). It’s delicious toasted, spread with butter, jelly, or my personal favorite, cinnamon butter.
If you’ve never had this bread, you’ll be taken aback by its subtle sweetness and nuttiness.
As with most recipes, Grape-Nuts bread has lots of variations. Here’s the original one as shown in this image. It’s easy to make, bakes up nicely, and is very good:
GRAPE-NUTS BREAD – Yield 1 loaf
Oven 350 degrees.
- 1 1/3 cups milk
- 2/3 cup Grape-Nuts cereal
Combine and microwave for 1 minute. Stir and cool while mixing the following:
- 2 cups sifted flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup sugar
Stir together, then add in:
- 1 egg, well-beaten
- 3 Tb. melted butter
Combine all with cereal and milk.
Bake in greased and floured bread pan 55-60 minutes. Cool before cutting.
Here’s my recipe:
GRAPE-NUTS BREAD – Yield 2 loaves
Oven 350 degrees
- 1 cup Grape-Nuts cereal
- 2 cups sour milk
To sour the milk, add 2 Tb. lemon juice or vinegar and enough milk to make 2 cups. Let stand 1/2 hour or so. Mix the following:
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
Sift together:
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 cups flour
- 1 tsp soda
- 3 tsp. baking powder
Combine all ingredients with milk and cereal mixture.
Batter will be very stiff.
Bake in 2 greased and floured bread pans 55-60 minutes. Cool before cutting.
Did you grow up having Grape-Nuts cereal for breakfast? Have you ever baked with Grape-Nuts cereal?
Pam has written 30 romances, most of them historical westerns, but she's proud of her contemporary sweet romances featuring the Blackstone Ranch series published by Tule Publishing, too! Stay up on the latest at www.pamcrooks.com
I grew up with Grape-Nuts cereal and liked it. Add milk and sugar and I was good to go. I still get it, but haven’t in quite a while. I don’t remember seeing the recipe for bread. I will have to try it. Your variation is quite different from the original. What made you change it and how did you figure out the different amounts?
Yay, Pat!! How nice to see you here first thing in the morning!
Yes, the two loaf version is a bit different recipe from the original that Post put out, but the breads literally taste the same. The two-loaf version is denser, but that’s pretty much it.
My recipe was given to me from a friend all those years ago. I have no idea where she got hers, but I didn’t change a thing with it. It’s just another version of the original.
My husband liked pecan pie and pecans were expensive, so I would add them to the pie with a few nuts on top. Still had that nutty flavor and better on the budget.
Oh, my goodness, Cindy! What a smart way to sub for pecans! I would never have thought of that!
Good morning Pam! I remember loving frosted mini wheats or raisin brand cereals as a kid. We also had pecan groves, so pecans were picked up, bagged, and put in the freezer to use all year. Mom made the best pecan pound cake. And granny made the best pecan pie! I don’t eat first thing in the morning, but I’m getting hungry now! LOL
Thanks for your post and recipe today! Many blessings!
Hi, Tracy! Oh my goodness. You had pecan groves??? How cool is that? I loooooove pecans!!
My Mom would go to the commissary (we were a military family) once a month and supply us with Corn Flakes cereal. As we got older, each month we took turns and one of the four of us got to choose a second cereal for her to buy. I always chose Raisin Bran, my brother always chose one of the two chocolate flavored cereals, one sister chose Fruit Loops and the other always chose Grape Nuts. UGH. Being the oldest of the four, I felt it my duty to try to convince her to choose something more palatable so one day as we were eating breakfast I commented on how much her bowl of cereal resembled our dog’s bowl of food. That cured her and the rest of us were eternally grateful! LOL
That is so hilarious, Karin!! A bowl of Grape-Nuts DOES look like dog food. LOL. Oh, gosh. Well, I hope Post doesn’t see this blog. Ha!
Great story – thanks for sharing!
Yes I grew up eating grape nuts cereal – still love it to this day and can eat it hot or cold with milk and honey or real maple syrup on it!
Honey or maple syrup is a GREAT idea, Teresa! That would certainly make Grape-Nuts taste better. I’m going to tell my husband!! (I bought a box to make bread for this blog, and maybe now he’ll eat some!)
Do you make Greek yogurt? I sprinkle some Grape-Nuts on top with some fruit, and mix it all together. It’s very good. Crunchy with a little added nutrition.
I tried eating it once probably in my 20s, didn’t like it, and gave it to my grandmother. She ate it.
Howdy, Karijean. I do think Grape-Nuts was more appealing to the older generations who didn’t grow up on the sweetened cereals we have now. I’m actually surprised Grape-Nuts is still available, but it’s on the shelves in both of my favorite grocery stores.
Mom liked grapenuts cereal. My sister and I didn’t.
I too joined Le Leche with our firstborn, our son. Little did my mom,sister,nor I know, unlike my sister who was unsuccessful,I ended up calling myself Henrietta Heffer, I had milk enough for our very hungry son, and half the neighborhood.
Henrietta Heffer! LOL! I get it!
I, too, had very successful breastfeeding with all four of my daughters, which I completely credit LLL for. All my babies were roley-poley with rollls on their thighs and wrists. Oh, I miss those baby days!!
Thanks for sharing and for the recipe. I was not a big fan of grape nuts. The recipe sounds great will have to try it.
Thanks, Linda. The bread will fool you into thinking you’re not eating Grape-Nuts, but the subtle sweetness and slight crunch is there!
I don’t remember having grape nuts cereal we usually had shredded wheat which we called hay stacks or corn flakes.
Oh, yes, Quilt Lady. Shredded Wheat was a staple in our house when I was growing up, but I rarely bought it for my girls after I got married. It just tasted dry or something to me. And we called them hay stacks, too–that’s just what they looked like, right?
I never had them and so I never cooked with them. IT does look intriguing though.
Howdy, Debra! I wish you lived closer – I’d bring you over a loaf so you could try it. 🙂
How, fun, Pam! I’ll have to try this recipe. I actually keep Grape Nuts in my pantry all the time. I enjoy a bowl for breakfast with a little sugar added, though I’ve been known to use a small portion to add crunch to yogurt or a bowl of raisin bran. 🙂 Also, did you know that Post, Texas is named for C.W. Post? He purchased the land in 1906 and dreamed of creating an ideal city. Not sure how successful he was, but it still stands today. In fact, I did a book event there several years ago. It’s only abot 120 miles from where I live. 🙂
Oh, wow, Karen! A Grape-Nuts fan! I sprinkle a little on my yogurt, too, and adding it to Raisin Bran is a good idea because it gets so darned soggy so fast. 🙂
I had no idea about Post, Texas. That’s fascinating. The man had plenty of money to build his own town, that’s for sure.
And here’s one for you – did you know President Trump’s Mar-A-Lago estate was built by C.W. Post’s daughter, Marjorie Merriweather Post? Marjorie had a ton of money, too. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by!
I grew up having it some, but not regularly.
When I followed the recipe column in the paper, vintage grape-nuts recipes for breads and other variations were frequently requested. Most recipe requests were based on nostalgia.
Hi, Denise! That would be a fun column for me to read. I love recipes. Evidently, there’s a meat loaf recipe made with Grape-Nuts that’s supposed to be pretty good.
Nowadays, we have to be careful with those nostalgic recipes because some ingredients are either no longer available or the packages have been downsized due to shrink-flation. But I love to make them if I can.
Thanks for stopping by!
I like Grape Nuts cereal, but I’ve never had anything baked with it in it! These sound really good, though!!
Hi, Trudy! I just mentioned to Denise before you that I want to make a Grape-Nuts Meatloaf recipe when I get a chance. But I don’t think anyone can match the bread. It’s the most well-known.
Grape Nuts cereal has always been one of my favorites. I forgot how healthy it is. I guess I might add it back to my morning ritual. Thanks for sharing these recipes. I don’t recall if I ever made it, but I was always baking so I most likely have.
Hi, Judy! Five decades ago, the bread was a big trend, so if you never made it, you likely knew somebody you did. 🙂
My mom loved eating it when we were quite young. I tried it once and I didn’t like it. I have never tried baking with it but I am definitely trying this recipe.
Hi, Barbara. I think Grape-Nuts is definitely an acquired taste. I’m actually surprised it’s still around, but there must be some healthy-minded folks that still buy it to keep it available.
If you get a chance to make the bread, I hope you enjoy it!
I have had grape nut cereal,I have not baked stuff with grape nuts in it, but I have made homemade grape nuts.
Homemade Grape Nuts? Like the cereal? Oh, my, that’s a new one for me, Bridgette!
I grew up eating all kinds of cereal and GrapeNuts was a favorite and still is. I am going to try the recipe the next time I buy GrapeNuts.
Yay, Jackie! I hope you do try the bread since you love Grape-Nuts. It’s a good choice for you. I think you’ll really like itll
We lived in Louisiana when I was pregnant with my daughter, our second child. A friend I met at a Lamaze class introduced me to La Leche League and I was so grateful. They are a wonderful organization and some of the best and most helpful people I have ever met. Our daughter just turned 50 in December. Don’t remember eating Grape Nuts cereal but my daddy did. Mother also bought All Bran which is similar and made Bran Muffins. She would put raisins in them and they were delicious and so good for you. Thanks for the recipe. I will have to try it.
Oh, another LLL mom!! Yay! You would’ve been with LLL the same time I was. Fun! You’re right – they were absolutely wonderful. My kind of ladies. I never did hear why they faded away and were replaced by “lactation consultants” in hospitals. Made me sad when I learned that. More new moms would be breastfeeding today if LLL was still around to share their collective wisdom.
I took Lamaze classes, too! LOL. I bet we would’ve been good friends if we knew each other back then.
I have made the All Bran muffins with raisins, and they are the best. I’d buy the cereal just to make the muffins (and less to eat in a bowl with milk because they got too soggy for my taste. 🙂 )
Thanks for chatting with me, Sarah!
Really fun reading people’s memories of Grape Nuts. I like it but I never eat it unless I have half and half on hand and I sprinkle some sugar on it too. 🙂
That would be good, Rachel. I really feel like Grape-Nuts needs some doctoring up, but that’s just me.
No I didnt grow up with grape nuts. Never tried this recipe. Am going to give it a try. Thanks
Thanks for stopping by, Lori!!
I remember my mom buying Grape Nuts cereal and none of us kids liking it. The bread recipe looks like it would be good, much better than a bowl full of the cereal.
You nailed it, Alice!! 🙂 🙂
Hi Pam, Thank you for sharing the recipes for the grape nuts cereal bread, they sound delicious. I actually love Grape Nuts, and they are very filling also. Have a great week and once again Thank you for sharing the recipes.
Yes, Alicia, one of those foods that stick to your ribs. 🙂 You’re welcome for the recipes!
Neat! Answers are no and no. The bread sounds interesting so I might try making it sometime. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
You’re very welcome, Vickie J!
I haven’t thought about Grape Nuts in YEARS!! I loved them. They had a recipe on the box for warm grape nuts. I loved that even better. Less chewing. lol
Haha, Carrie. The years get away from us, don’t they?
Warm Grape-Nuts? Kinda like a bowl of oatmeal, maybe? I’ve never had it that way, but no doubt there is less chewing. Funny!
I’m surprised my mother never made this recipe. We ate a lot of grape nuts growing up!
I’m surprised, too, Kit. The recipe certainly made the rounds back in the day!
No to both questions but love Pecans and Almond topped tortes and cakes
Anything with pecans and almonds is guaranteed to be good in my book, Crystal!
I’ve never heard of the bread, but my mom loved the cereal and we often had it at our house. I could only stand to eat it if I got two spoons of sugar stirred into the cereal.
Totally, Shanna! Maybe even three spoons!!!!
I used to eat it as a teen but remember my Grandma baking the bread. She was a working mom when my dad and his brothers were growing up and didn’t have a lot of time (nor inclination) to spend cooking. Quick breads were her go to dessert until Pillsbury came out with slice and bake cookie dough.
Good morning, Mary. Quick breads could definitely be desserts–they are like little cakes but easier to make, aren’t they?
Thanks for joining me!