While browsing the cereal aisle at the grocery store I stumbled upon quinoa granola by Kind. Quinoa granola? Mind = blown.
I did a bit more researched and realized that quinoa granola isn’t all the different from normal granola, except that there is quinoa instead of, or in addition to, oats. So this recipe was a pretty easy adaptation of my normal granola recipe.
I replaced half of the oats in my normal recipe with uncooked quinoa. I minimized the use of sugar, by using maple syrup in addition to honey. And to increase the almond flavor, I added in almond extract.
Once everything is good and mixed up, I dumped the mixture onto a baking sheet and packed everything down. I baked the granola at 300 degrees for 15 minutes, and then lowered the temperature to 250 and baked for another 20 minutes. I also like to just leave the granola in the oven after I turn it off so that it dries out a little bit more.
Once it cooled, I broke it into chunks and stored it in a plastic bag. That’s when I added the cherries. I didn’t want to bake the cherries, so if you add in any fruit, do so at the end.
I spent most of the past weekend snacking on this granola. Either on it’s own or on top of Greek yogurt for breakfast. I feel like granola can sometimes a bit calorie dense, and store bought varieties have a ton of sugar, so this is a fairly good alternative. The quinoa also provides a different textural dimension, as well as a nutty flavor.
If you are adamantly opposed to the taste of quinoa, then this is not for you. But if you still want to make this recipe, just 3 cups of oats instead.
Linking up with Weekend Shenanigans, This Weekend I, The GFC Collective,
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That looks so yummy!! I love quinoa in anything, and I’m always putting granola with my greek yogurt! I might have to try that out!
xo Becky
mmm that looks really good 😀 i’m not much of a cook though but I’ll give it a try~
That looks delicious! I just had regular quinoa for the first time last week and really liked it.
That looks so delicious!
I’ve been needing to mix up my breakfast routine a little bit, and this might just be the way to do it! I love granola, and I like quinoa too, but I’ve never tried them together. Thanks for the recipe!
This is such a great idea! So good and good for you. I would love it if you stop by and link-up with us for Kitchenspiration! Check it out at: http://www.ourlittlenestblog.com/2013/08/kitchenspiration-link-up_19.html?m=1
This looks amazing; I can’t wait to try it!
Hope you have a great week!
I’ve been needing a good granola recipe! I will be trying this asap! So glad you linked up! 🙂
Yum! I love granola. This looks delicious!
Gonna have to try this! I’m a big quinoa fan and a big granola fan – what’s not to like about combining the two!?!
This looks delicious! I made granola a few months ago but I think adding in the quinoa will bring it to a whole other level. Thanks for sharing!