I usually don’t sleep in on the weekends. I think my brain is hard-wired to wake up around 6:30 or 7 in the morning, regardless of whether it’s a workday or playday. Good thing too – I usually get lots of things done in the early part of the day (like pulling weeds from my yard yesterday morning and taking advantage of the morning sunshine before it got too hot), and this morning I started my day off with some yoga. An hour later, clear-headed, muscles stretched and primed for the day, I set out to make some breakfast.
How many times have you had granola that was too sweet, or you look on the package label and realize it has more than 250 calories – in a measly 1/4 cup serving – and loaded with fat? I’m often deterred from buying it in the stores for that reason, so I usually make my own. Not overly sweet, this granola is perfect for a little snack or as a topping for your yogurt or even eaten as a cereal with milk. This recipe makes 4 1/2 cups – definitely tote some to work for that mid-afternoon pick-me-up. It’s well-worth the 15-20 minute trouble to make. If you have a sweet-tooth craving, this granola will curb it, and provide some fiber, protein, and monounsaturated (heart-happy) fats along the way!
Nutty Coconut and Cherry Granola
makes 4 1/2 cups, or 9 servings
2 1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup shredded coconut, sweetened
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup canola oil
1 Tbsp brown sugar
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup dried cherries
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except for the cherries and mix until well-incorporated. Pour ingredients onto a jelly-roll pan, and bake for about 15 minutes, stirring the granola halfway through. Bake for another couple of minutes until nuts are slightly toasted.
3. Allow the granola to cool on the baking sheet, about 5 minutes. Add the cherries in with the granola and serve!
Nutrition Facts (per 1/2 cup serving): 244 calories; 12 grams fat (6.8 grams monounsaturated fat, 3.4 grams polyunsaturated fat, 1.4 grams saturated fat); 4.4 grams protein; 30 grams carbohydrate; 3.3 grams fiber
Very nutritious, yet delicious!
mmm i love granola ! how funny KS again. i’ve been munching on this too!!
MMMMMMM…Tram! this is the healthy granola for me! I also made a healthy version on my foodblog, labelled under breakfast!
This sounds great. I love the addition of dried cherries, which I’m sure combines sweetly (a good thing; no a great thing) with the coconut, cinnamon, honey, and various nuts. I just bought almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and walnuts, and will make them with brown rice and maple syrup for breakfast…I’m just not sure how yet. Once I eat all that, I’m going to give your recipe a try!
I really enjoy reading your blog. You are doing good things here.
Best Regards,
Mary Louise
Elra – thank you for your kind comment, I do try to pack some nutrition into my food without sacrificing flavor and deliciousness
Phi – seriously, we are always eating the same things but from far away! Sister
Sophie – I like your version of granola too!
Sapuche – I bet all the ingredients you listed would make an awesome granola. Or even great as cereal with your homemade soy milk!
Mary Louise – Thanks for visiting, I think I’m jealous you get to teach those fun food classes
You are so right about boxed granola! I like to have it on hand to add crunch to my morning yogurt but must be vigilant about the cals – I’m terrible at math but I always have to try to figure out the serving sizes as they can range from 28g to 50g. So a quick glance at total kcals might be misleading.
This is a great recipe!