Granola with Chia and Cherries
This easy, nutritious granola is healthy way to start the day and a nice crunchy snack for mid-afternoon cravings.
Equipment
- 1 large bowl
- 1 spatula or wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 3 cups rolled or old-fashioned oats
- ¼ cup black chia seeds
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup maple syrup or agave or honey
- sprinkle salt
- ¼ cup shredded coconut, unsweetened and wide
- ¼ cup dried tart cherries, can substitute any dried fruit
Instructions
- Wash hands for 20 seconds before starting prep.
- Preheat oven to 300 F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or extra-wide foil. If using foil, coat it with non-stick spray.
- Combine oats, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Pour maple syrup over all and stir with a spatula, thoroughly coating all ingredients.
- Pour the oat mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread evenly. Sprinkle with salt and place in the preheated oven.
- After 15 minutes, remove the granola from the oven and distribute the coconut shreds over the top. Stir the mixture and return to the oven for another 15 minutes.
- Remove the granola from the oven and let cool completely. Add the dried cherries (or other dried fruit) and transfer to an airtight container for storage.
Video
Notes
This is a flexible and forgiving recipe. The only ingredient that can't be switched out are the oats.
(Be sure and check the package for "certified gluten-free" if you are sensitive to glutens.)
A half-cup of chopped nuts can be used instead of the chia and sunflower seeds if you prefer nuts to seeds.
Although cinnamon is usual in granola, other spices, such as nutmeg, cardamom, and cloves, are quite nice.
If you like a richer granola, add a couple of tablespoons of neutral vegetable oil like canola or grapeseed.
🍯 Honey or another liquid sweetener is fine instead of maple syrup. You can use sugar or a stevia-erythritol blend, but granulated sweeteners aren't as easy to work with.
🍒 Of course, any dried fruit you have on hand and enjoy is fine in place of the cherries. Just be sure to wait until the granola has cooled to add it. Dried fruit does not need oven time because it turns into rocks!
😋 And you can always add some chocolate chips or chunks when stirring in the fruit.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.25cupCalories: 112kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 3gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.004gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 3mgPotassium: 105mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gCalcium: 34mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!