I love quinoa. And, I find it’s exceptionally good in granola. It provides a great crunch, a nutty flavor, and some filling protein as well. I was experimenting in the kitchen the other day and came up with this coconut quinoa granola with dried apricots and almond slivers. It’s so yummy. My daughter says it tastes like a KIND bar (which she loves). Needless to say, this large batch of granola didn’t last long in our house. We ate it plain, on top of granola, and, like a cereal, with milk poured on top. I hope you enjoy this granola recipe too I think it would be fun to experiment with different nut and dried fruit combos (walnuts and cranberries, anyone?).
The trick to using raw quinoa in granola is to crack it first with a rolling pin. I just put mine in a plastic bag to crack it and then use that same plastic bag to mix all the dry ingredients together. Cracking the quinoa breaks the outer shell so that you can absorb the nutrients inside. If left uncracked and raw, quinoa will just pass through your digestive system and you’ll miss out on all the protein, vitamins and minerals that are packed into those tiny seeds.
Coconut Quinoa Granola (with almonds & apricots)
This portable snack is full of protein and is great alone or on top of yogurt.
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa raw
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup almond slivers
- 1 cup falked coconut unsweetened
- 1.5 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup coconut oil melter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2/3 cup dried apricots chopped
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 325. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Put quinoa in a plastic bag. Roll over it gently with rolling pin a few times to crack the seeds.
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Combine cracked quinoa, oats, almonds, coconut, and cinnamon.
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In separate bowl, whisk together coconut oil and honey.
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Add dry mixture to honey mixture and stir to combine. Pour onto prepared baking sheet and spread evenly
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Bake 202-25 minutes until golden brown. Once cooled, store in air tight container for up to 1 month.