Meal: Breakfast, Snack
Dietary Type: Vegan
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time:  20 minutes
Serves: 6-8

The Dish
One of the most delicious, nutritious, and versatile staples in our kitchen is homemade granola. 

You may think of granola only as a breakfast food, but it works great as a snack—on its own, maybe with an apple or banana, or as a topping for an array of dishes. Granola is a great addition to oatmeal, yogurt, parfait, smoothie bowls, ice-cream, or even on some salads.

Do you have other ways you use granola?

And the great thing about homemade granola, of course, is that you control exactly what goes in, both from a nutritional standpoint and in terms of flavor. We all have our own tastes and preferences, so if you’ve got a spare 20-25 minutes, why not make some great, personalized granola! If you're looking for ideas, have you tried our homemade oatmeal cookie granola?

Ingredients
½ cup (80 g) dried cherries

Dry Ingredients
2 cups (200 g) rolled oats
½ cup (75 g) cashews, roughly chopped
⅓ cup (55 g) pumpkin seeds
⅓ cup (55 g) sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons (22 g) quinoa, soaked in water (2-3 hours)
1 tablespoon (8 g) poppy seeds, soaked in water for (2-3 hours)

Wet Ingredients
¼ cup (60 ml) maple syrup
3 tablespoons (45 ml) neutral oil (e.g. avocado, safflower, etc.)
½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) vanilla bean paste or extract

Seasonings
¼ teaspoon (generous pinch) cinnamon
¼ - ½ teaspoon (1 g - 2 g) salt 

Preparation 

• Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C).
• Drain quinoa and poppy seeds and pat dry with a towel.
• In a medium bowl, mix all of the Dry Ingredients and stir.
• Combine Wet Ingredients in a separate bowl and stir to combine.
• Pour maple syrup, oil, and vanilla mixture over Dry Ingredients, scooping every bit with a spatula.
• Stir well to combine and season with cinnamon and salt to taste.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread mixture in a thin layer. 
• Bake for 20 minutes, turning twice every 6-7 minutes. If it’s not toasted enough, let it bake for another 2-5 minutes. 
• After granola cools down, add dried cherries and keep in an airtight container.

Vegetarian and Vegan Modifications: Already naturally vegan.

Gluten-Free Modifications: Recipe is gluten-free as is, but pay careful attention when making modifications. 

Pro Tips:

• You can omit  (and substitute) any ingredients that you don’t have, don't like, or may have an alergy to. 
• Add amaranth or buckwheat groats instead of quinoa.
• Try adding a pinch of other spices (e.g. nutmeg, allspice, clove, etc.) to make the granola all your own.
• If you like your granola as bigger clusters, try adding 1 egg white (whisked until frothy) instead of oil.