Quinoa Granola

Since I love granola, quinoa, and making granola, I thought trying out a recipe for quinoa granola would be a no-brainer. If you have been out of the health loop in the past several years, quinoa is considered to be a super food and one of the most healthy ingredients out there. It is protein packed, full of fiber, rich in magnesium, high in iron, and is overall magical. I first read a recipe for quinoa granola in Gwyneth Paltrow’s cookbook, but it took me months to find “quinoa flakes.” Once I found them, I was ready to go. And let me tell you…. quinoa granola is heavenly, light, sweet, crunchy and perfection.

Ingredients:

Quinoa Flakes!

* 1/2 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

* 1/2 cup of maple syrup

* 3 cups of quinoa flakes

* 1 cup of shredded coconut

* 1/2 cup of sliced almonds

* sea salt

* 1/2 cup of chopped dates

Directions:

* Preheat oven to 400 degrees

* In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil and the maple syrup.

I do not recommend licking the whisk / spoon after this combination.

* Then, add the quinoa flakes and mix, followed by the coconut and almonds.

Kinda like cookie dough?

* On a parchment paper lined pan, spread the mixture out evenly. Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally and checking to make sure it is not burned.

Lined up evenly.

In oven.

* While baking, chop the dates (or any dried fruit you want to add to the grain mixture post baking).

Dates.

* Once golden brown, take out of the oven. Let cool, and then mix in with the dried fruit.

Golden brown. The perfect tan.

Mixture of fruit and grains.

TADA!!!! Heaven in a jar.

So, there you have it. Gluten-free, homemade granola! Enjoy! Hope everyone has a nice weekend. We are off to Oregon early tomorrow morning for the summer. Wish us luck!