Cherry Almond Granola (or Baked Muesli)

A Mom’s Quest for a Healthy Breakfast:

On my quest to better health for my family, I have tried to stop buying boxed cereals. Good bye Raisin Bran, Honey Bunches, and Cheerios. You served us well for the past 11 years. Sure, you’re convenient, but now that I’m older and wiser I’ve come to the realization that I can do better. Let’s face it…you’re processed. And what about all that sugar? It would be great if my kids liked steel-cut oatmeal, but I missed that boat. It’s hard to convert a kid that has been brought up on the sweet instant kind. So what else is there to serve your kids in the morning that’s fast and easy? Homemade granola has been one of those “super foods” that I’ve always loved and in recent months discovered that my kids do, too. It’s super easy to make in big batches and store for a couple of weeks in your pantry. Best of all, it’s totally customizable depending on your and your family’s tastes.

Australian Baked Muesli:

When we travelled recently to Australia, I noticed that most of our breakfasts included a yogurt bar with what the Aussies call “baked Muesli”. I’ve seen the traditional Muesli which is usually a dried oat mixture soaked in yogurt or milk. But their baked version was more like our granola – just less sweet and less clumpy (my theory is that they use less brown sugar). I woke up every morning looking forward to my bowl of creamy Australian yogurt topped with baked muesli, fruit puree and if we were lucky, fresh passion fruit. At home, I now make my own version of this “baked Muesli” and enjoy it on top of plain Greek yogurt with a little honey and organic berries. My children haven’t acquired a taste yet for plain yogurt, so for now I let them get away with a little bit of vanilla-flavored. This recipe is relatively low in sugar so it counterbalances the sweetness of flavored yogurts. Now, if I only had a passionfruit vine.

Recipe

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (in the natural foods aisle)

1 cup raw almonds, coarsely chopped

1 cup raw cashews

1/3 cup flax seed

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup coconut oil

1/3 cup maple syrup

4 tablespoons almond butter

1 cup dried tart cherries (I prefer the Trader Joes brand – they are known as Montgomery cherries)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Combine first six ingredients in a large bowl. In a small saucepan on medium low heat, melt coconut oil with maple syrup and almond butter and whisk until combined. Pour over oat mixture and mix well. Spread on two Silpat or parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 20 minutes then stir. Bake for 15-20 minutes more keeping a close eye so it doesn’t over brown. Cool on baking sheets and then toss with dried cherries. Eat by the handful.