C&C in the Kitchen

I love granola. I could eat bowls and bowls of granola. Let's be honest...I have eaten bowls and bowls of granola. I'm pretty sure that's what I ate for breakfast nearly every day during college. I digress...

I rarely buy granola. I usually make it. The Mini Fashionista loves this brand. 

I've tried to get her on board with my homemade versions, but so far I've had no luck. But I think my luck could be changing. 

Thanks to my good friend, Katie K over at Dietitian on a Mission I have found THE BEST homemade granola recipe I have ever tasted. It tastes incredibly similar to the Nature's Harvest Granola that the Mini loves and it has the same light, airy texture. 

Katie promises granola with clusters and she delivers. I love granola with lots of clusters and usually my homemade granola falls short. Her directions to bake at a low temperature and NOT to stir are the key to success. Mission granola with crunchy clusters achieved! 

Try it, you won't be sorry! 

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped nuts of choice (I like a mix of almonds and cashews or pecans)

1 cup oats (gluten free, optional)

1/2 cup quinoa flakes

3/4 cup almond meal (or oat flour)

Pinch of salt 

1 cup seeds (I like a mix of pumpkin and sunflower)

2 Tbsp ground flax

1 Tbsp sesame seeds

1 tsp cinnamon 

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

1/3 cup maple syrup 

1 Tbsp vanilla 

3/4 cup dried fruit (I use a mix of mulberries, cherries and cranberries)

Method:

- Preheat oven to 275. 

- Melt coconut oil. Set aside.

- In a large bowl, combine chopped nuts, oats, quinoa flakes, almond meal, salt, flax, seeds, and cinnamon. Stir.

- Add the oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir well. 

- Pour granola into a rimmed baking pan . Bake for about 40- 45 minutes, until toasted and crunchy. Do not stir while baking. Remove from oven, and do not stir until fully cooked (to encourage clumps to stick around).

- Once cooled, add dried fruit and place granola is Tupperware. 

C&C in the Kitchen

I came across this recipe for quinoa granola bars and knew I had to try it! I love granola and granola bars and have recently stopped buying nearly all store varieties of both due to added sugar and other preservatives. Instead I prefer to make my own!

As with nearly all recipes, I modified it into my own creation!

Quinoa Granola Bars

1 1/2 cups rolled oats
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 cup coconut
1/4 cups nuts (your choice) or dried fruit (or both)
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup peanut butter

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees.  Lightly coat a 8 x 8 baking pan with cooking spray or line it with parchment for easy removal of the bars. I suggest the latter. As a side note, I used a large glass Pyrex dish and doubled the recipe to share with my barre3 class.

In a medium skillet melt the coconut oil over medium heat and add the oats.  Cook over medium heat stirring occasionally until the oats start to turn golden brown.  Transfer the oats to your mixer bowl (or a medium bowl).  Add the quinoa, flaxseed, chia seeds, cinnamon, salt, cardamom, coconut, nuts and fruit to the oats.

In a small saucepan add the honey and peanut butter and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a boil.  Pour the syrup over the oats and use mixer to integrate or use a spatula make sure that all the ingredients are evenly coated.  Spread the mixture into the prepared pan and bake the bars for 20 to 25 minutes until the bars are golden brown.  Let them cool completely, slice and serve.

Here is what they look like before going into the oven.

And after baking!

You could easily exchange peanut butter for another nut butter and add ingredients such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, raisins, cranberries or chocolate chips. These are definitely going to be a treat that I make often. They are easy and delicious!