We’re now post-holiday season and in the deep of winter and my body is in deep need of a vitamin boost and simple food!!! Just the perfect timing to make a big batch of home-made granola! For me, there is no better way to start the day than a big bowl of fresh delicious fruits with yogurt and granola on top. This Quinoa Cherry Granola is really bursting with flavors and even though the addition of quinoa might sound a bit unusual, it really gives a nice crunch to the final product.
I’m always very amused by people’s reaction when they realize that I make my own granola! They kind of look at me like “OMG, she has too much time on her hands” or they just point blank ask “But whyyyyyyy would you do that when you can buy it???” Well, I’ll tell you why! First of all, it’s fast and very easy to make, second it tastes a lot better than the commercial stuff and most importantly, you can control the amount of fat, sugar and salt you put in it. And it keeps for at least 2 weeks in an airtight container so you can make a good sized batch. What is also great making your own granola is that you can modify the recipe to meet your exactpreferences. Like in this recipe for instance, you could replace the cherries with another dried fruit and the pumpkin seeds with almonds or another kind of nut. So come on, give it a try, you won’t be sorry!
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ½ cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- ⅓ cup toasted coconut flakes
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup apple sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup dry cherries
- Preheat your oven to 325⁰F.
- In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients: oats, quinoa, pumpkin seeds, toasted coconut flakes, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.
- In an another bowl, combine the apple sauce with the honey and olive oil.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry one. Mix well.
- Scatter it all onto a baking sheet preferably covered with parchment paper.
- Bake for about 35 minutes, until light golden brown.
- Let cool and mix in your cherries.
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