Admittedly, this recipe for Cherry Chocolate Maple Granola is indulgent. But it’s homemade, delicious, and makes me so happy in the morning eaten with plain whole yogurt and lots of berries,  so I think it’s worth it.

Luckily, cacao powder and chocolate are powerful antioxidants too. Pure cacao powder is made by removing coco butter from the liquor made from cacao beans. Chocolate is made by adding more coco butter the the liquor along with vanilla and sugar. Cacao is one of the richest sources of the antioxidant group called flavonoids which is shown to prevent heart disease and reduce cancer risk.

You can make this recipe gluten free by using gluten free oats, such as Bob’s Red Mill, and dairy free by using coconut oil in place of butter (and selecting dark chocolate chips).

Cherry Chocolate Maple Granola

 

Ingredients

• 5 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup plain cashews - chopped
• ¼ cup sesame seeds
• ¼ cup sunflower seeds
• 1 stick butter (preferably grass-fed)
• ⅓ cup maple syrup
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cacao powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp salt
  Once Granola is baked add:
  
• 1 cup dried cherries
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. In a small sauce pan, melt butter, maple syrup, and vanilla.
3. In a large bowl, add oats, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, cashews, cacao powder, and salt.
4. Pour melted butter mixture onto oats and combine everything together.
5. Transfer to a large cookie sheet and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
6. Once cooled, stir in cherries and chocolate chips and store in an air tight container.

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