Is Special K Cereal Gluten Free? Are There Alternatives?

I first wrote up this recipe for Gluten Free Special K Loaf in 2015. At that time, Kellogg released a gluten free version of their Special K cereal. However, they discontinued it. It left me looking for a similar tasting flake cereal. Here are some gluten free alternatives to Special K Cereal.

• Nature’s Path Gluten Free Corn Flakes
• Meijer’s True Goodness Gluten Free Organic Bran Flakes

Special K Cereal and the Kellogg Company

Kellogg, located in Battle Creek, Michigan, created Special K to be a high protein cereal. A one ounce serving contains about 112.5 calories, 5.25 grams of protein and less than a gram of fiber.

Meijer’s True Goodness Organic Bran Flakes compares at 110 calories, 2 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber per one ounce serving. For those missing Raisin Bran, this cereal is a fantastic substitute. Just add raisins!

Seventh Day Adventist Connection

Will Keith Kellogg started Kellogg cereal with his brother. They invented the first ever flaked cereal. As Seventh-Day Adventists, they believed in eating a vegetarian diet. His brother John Harvey, a certified physician, believed most diseases flourished due to poor intestinal health. For those with Celiac Disease, we understand how true that is!

My husband’s family ate Special K Loaf when he was a child. His mother received the recipe from her boss, who was a Seventh Day Adventist. When my husband told me about this dish after we married, I thought it sounded incredibly odd. However, after tasting it, I really enjoyed it!

View Fisher Nuts’ FAQ’section for their gluten free testing procedures.

Loaf or Casserole?

While this recipe is called Gluten Free Special K Loaf, that’s a bit of a misnomer. It’s really more of a casserole. Most recipes direct you to bake in a 9 x 13 dish. However, I chose to bake mine in my 10.5 x 7.5 rectangular Staub gratin dish. I feel this is the perfect size! (If it looks familiar, I also used it to make my Gluten Free Au Gratin Potatoes.)

Because it contains six cups of cereal, it contains quite a bit of carbohydrates. Therefore I recommend broccoli or maybe a salad as a side dish. These Roasted Rainbow Carrots from A Dash of Megnut would add a beautiful touch, as well!

Vegetarian Alternative to Meatloaf

This Gluten Free Special K Loaf contains ingredients such as cottage cheese, numerous eggs, and nut meal. Therefore, it’s quite high in protein. While it doesn’t taste exactly like meatloaf, I find it to be very similar in taste and texture. My husband even likes to put ketchup on his!

Can I Make Special K Loaf Egg Free / Dairy Free?

This recipe contains a LOT of cottage cheese and quite a few eggs. I can’t recommend simply substituting them. Baking You Happier has a recipe for Vegan Special K Loaf. However it contains flour and oats. You can sub GF flour and oats, if you’d like to try it. Her recipe also calls for tofu instead of egg.

Can I Make Gluten Free Special K Loaf Without Nuts?

I have yet to see any recipe for Special K Loaf without the use of nuts. Healthy Little Vittles created a Vegan Gluten Free Meatloaf without nuts. However it does contain oats.

A Note About Sodium

A word on sodium. Between the cottage cheese and the George Washington seasoning, this is not a low sodium dish. (Meijer True Goodness Organic Bran Flakes contain 45 mg of sodium per ounce.) However, my motive for sharing this dish is to allow those who miss it a chance to have it again. Or for people to try something new and creative! If you’re concerned about sodium, this dish may not be for you.

 Can’t find George Washington seasoning? Try this substitute seasoning recipe!

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Gluten Free Special K Loaf

Equipment

• Staub Ceramic Baking Dish Set, 3pc, Dark Blue
• Fisher Chef’s Naturals Pecan Halves 24oz
• Nature’s Path Organic Corn Flakes, 10.6 Oz Box
• G Washingtons Seasoning and Broth, Golden, 1 Ounce (Pack of 6)

Ingredients

• 24 oz. container cottage cheese I suggest Daisy brand, 4% fat
• 1/4 c. oil
• 1/4 c. milk
• 5 eggs beaten
• 2-4 packs of George Washington Broth seasoning
• 1 tbsp. onion flakes or one small onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups pecan pieces ground into meal can substitute other nuts
• 5-6 cups lightly crushed gluten free cereal I recommend using Nature’s Path Corn Flakes, as Freedom Foods is no longer in business. I briefly pulsed them in my Ninja blender to break into smaller pieces.

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl, mix together cottage cheese, oil, milk and beaten eggs. Next, add broth seasoning and onion flakes.  
• Next, roughly grind pecan pieces in a blender or food processor. Add the pecan meal to the wet ingredients and mix until incorporated thoroughly. 
• I chose to roughly process the flaked cereal before adding it to the wet mixture. If you want to skip this step, simply crush the cereal in the bag a bit. 
• Add mixture to casserole dish sprayed with cooking oil. Many recipes call for a  9 x 13 3 qt greased pan. I used a “10.5 x 7.5” 2.5 quart Staub Ceramic Gratin Dish.) Bake 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven. 
• Serve with a side vegetable of your choice.

Have you tried Gluten Free Special K Loaf before? What familiar meals do you miss, now that you must follow a gluten free diet? Let me know and maybe I can rework it for you! 

**Staub provided me with gratin dish free of charge. I was not otherwise paid or compensated for this post. This post does contain Amazon affiliate links. I receive a small portion of the sale. However, this does not affect your final price.**

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