The Best Ralston Cereal Substitute (And Why It's Better Than the Original)

If you grew up eating Ralston hot cereal — or Zoom, or Cream of Wheat — you know the feeling of a warm, chewy bowl on a cold morning. And if you've been searching for a substitute since Ralston disappeared from store shelves, you're not alone.

We hear from customers regularly who've tried other cracked wheat cereals and been disappointed. Too coarse. Too gritty. Hard pieces that never quite soften up. That's not what you remember.

The difference is the grind.

Our Western Cracked Wheat is milled finer than most. That means it cooks up into soft, chewy nuggets — the texture Ralston had — not hard or gritty pieces. It's the same cracked wheat we use in our own bread mixes, sourced in volume and milled to our spec. We know it's good because we use it ourselves.

How to cook it: Bring 1½ cups water to a boil, add ½ cup cracked wheat and ¼ tsp salt, return to a boil, then simmer on low for 20 minutes. That's it.

Don't stop at plain.

Try maple syrup and toasted walnuts, a spoonful of peanut butter and honey, or diced apple with cinnamon and nutmeg. It's also excellent in breads and muffins — substitute it for part of the flour for hearty, wholesome texture.

Shop Western Cracked Wheat Cereal →

Try the Whole Grain Breakfast Kit →