Oatmeal used to be a breakfast favorite and a permanent staple in my pantry. It’s quick, filling and is the perfect breakfast for a cold, snowy day like today. However, on my quest to clean up my diet, I researched oatmeal a bit more. I discovered that most oatmeal on the supermarket shelves, especially the single serve and instant options, are anything but healthy.

For starters, most instant and single serve oatmeal options include a ton of added cane sugar – to the tune of up to 12 grams of added sugar. Plus, they may contain other questionable ingredients like syrups, “natural flavors” and a long list of additives and preservatives. In addition, and probably most scary, is that oats contain glyphosate, the toxic weed-killer in the pesticide Roundup. (Click here for more details. If you can’t bear to give up oatmeal, products that contain organic oats are best – although they may still contain trace amounts of glycosphate.)

And of course, many people like myself who embrace a paleo-based diet are eliminating grains – making oatmeal a no-no. And lastly, oatmeal may be hard to digest for many. While it will likely keep you full for a few hours, oats can be hard on the stomach. Oats contain a protein called avenin, to which some people are allergic to intolerant to. Others may experience a prolonged heavy stomach feeling or some discomfort as you digest the oats. With all that being said and after putting oatmeal on full blast, I am excited to have found a delicious, grain-free “oatmeal” option.

A Ground-breaking New Oatmeal Alternative

I originally came across Purely Elizabeth.’s (and yes they include a period as part of their brand name) Cauli Hot Cereal when placing my latest Target curbside pickup order – which I wrote about here. I am sometimes slightly suspect of cauliflower-based products because cauliflower products are EVERYWHERE these days (rice, crust, crackers, pasta, etc.) and they can sometimes be hit or miss. But, thanks to the Target app, I was able to read the label before adding it to my cart – and the label alone made me want to try this product.

Right on the label, Purely Elizabeth.’s Cauli Hot Cereal claims to be the “first-ever oat-free, cauliflower-based breakfast.” Yes, it is completely grain-free and is also certified gluten-free, non-GMO and certified vegan. Although two varieties/flavors are currently available, this review focuses on the Strawberry Hazelnut variety.

How Does it Look?

Upon removing the freshness seal, the Cauli Hot Cereal looks somewhat similar to oatmeal. The big difference is the cauliflower “flakes” are not as robust as actual oats and are smaller than the nuts and seeds included in the cereal.

What are the Ingredients?

I am beyond impressed with the simple clean list of ingredients, many of which are organic. What delights me the most is that cane sugar is not used at all; instead, the paleo friendly coconut sugar alternative is the chosen sweetener. And only 4 grams of added organic coconut sugar is included in one container.

What is the Nutritional Profile?

As mentioned above, the single serve container only contains 4 grams of added sugar (with 8 grams of total sugars, which include the natural sugars from the strawberries and other ingredients) – which is a whole lot better than most single serve oatmeal on the market. Each Cauli Hot Cereal container also includes 8 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, 40 milligrams of sodium, 11 grams of total fat and small amounts of calcium, iron and potassium. And, an entire container is only 190 calories.

How do I Make Cauli Hot Cereal?

Preparation is very similar to single serve oatmeal. You simply add boiling water to the marked fill line and wait 4-5 minutes to steep. For a quicker option, you can add water to the fill line and cook the container in the microwave for 60 seconds. For a much longer option, the package includes instructions for overnight “oats” which features soaking the oats in milk for 4+ hours. My one recommendation regardless of preparation is to mix everything together with a fork or spoon for about a minute before eating.

How Does it Taste?

While the overall texture is surprisingly similar to traditional oatmeal (with the exception that the Cauli Hot Cereal is a bit crunchier), the taste is drastically different. It took me a few spoonfuls to get used to the taste, but once I did, I really enjoyed it. You do taste a bit of the cauliflower, although it is not as overpowering as I thought it would be. The blend of hazelnuts, almond powder, coconut flakes, coconut sugar, flax seeds and chia seeds is quite tasty. On a disappointing note, I didn’t really taste the freeze-dried strawberries – which one would expect to have a stronger presence in this cereal given that the variety is called Strawberry Hazelnut.

What Varieties are Available?

From what I could find out, it looks like only Strawberry Hazelnut and Cinnamon Almond varieties are available online and in stores. The Cinnamon Almond variety is similar nutritionally compared to the Strawberry Hazelnut variety, except that the Cinnamon Almond variety has a bit less sodium (20 mg vs. 40 mg). It’s important to note as well that online reviewers rate the Strawberry Hazelnut variety a bit higher than the Cinnamon Almond variety – although I enjoyed both equally.

Where Can I Buy It?

As I mentioned, I bought it via Target’s same day pickup through their app. It’s also available for purchase directly from Purely Elizabeth.’s website and at some grocery stores. It is a bit more expensive than single serve oatmeal (which you can often find for about $1 or so) and can range in price from $2.79 – $3.35, depending on the store or website. If you prefer to buy in bulk, Amazon sells a 12 pack for $33.99 (or $30.24 for the Cinnamon Almond variety).

How Do I Rate Cauli Hot Cereal?

Overall, I give Cauli Hot Cereal (Strawberry Hazelnut) 4.25 out of 5 stars. Of course, it is wonderful to even have a hot, grain-free cereal option at all as a breakfast option. I love the inventiveness of Purely Elizabeth. to produce a healthy product that is a much better hot cereal option for most people than oatmeal. While I enjoyed the flavor, I was most impressed that I could eat the entire container without experiencing that heavy, bloated feeling that often follows after eating oatmeal. I subtracted .5 stars because the strawberry flavor was too subtle for my liking. And I subtracted .25 stars because while most ingredients are organic, I would have preferred that all of the ingredients were organic. That’s just being nit picky thought, because the ingredients are super clean.

Purely Elizabeth.’s Cauli Hot Cereal is definitely worth a try if you are looking for a grain-free hot cereal option to replace oatmeal.