Yesterday after lunch, I had a craving for granola but my jar was almost empty; this inspired me to create some of my own on a whim. I just thew in random amounts of ingredients that I had in my cupboard and hoped for the best.
Into the mixing bowl went:
- 3/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes (I really like coconut)
- Approximately 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
- Sprinkle of cinnamon
- Scoop of vanilla protein powder (I used all-natural Pure Protein)
- 1/4 cup canola oil (this makes your granola crunchy!)
- 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup Grape Nuts cereal
- 1 tbsp maple syrup (I was out of honey, but I promise you this doesn't taste maple-y)
- 1/2 cup all-natural dried cherries, chopped
I mixed it all together until I had a moist consistency. After spraying a cookie sheet with a little non-stick spray, I poured my gooey mixture onto the pan and spread it out evenly. I then toasted it in the oven at 300 degrees for about a half hour--stirring every 10 minutes or so to make sure it cooked evenly.
After it cooked and cooled, I stirred in some all-natural chopped dried cherries for a touch of sweetness!
And viola! I've been munching on it periodically throughout the afternoon and it is pretty tasty! The touch of vanilla from the protein powder and the extract was a perfect amount to set this apart from other granolas I have tried.
As an added bonus, the protein powder gives this delicious mix a protein boost to keep you fuller longer! It tastes great plain and I can't wait to try it out on my yogurt tomorrow morning! I'm also excited to brainstorm some other flavors...maybe a dried blueberry and almond granola mix next time?!
What's your favorite kind of granola?
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment