Busy days and heavy workloads leave little time to eat breakfast or indulge in much needed mid-morning snacks. Setting a few minutes aside on a quiet weekend morning to create your weekday “grab and go” munchies, is an excellent way to ensure you are eating healthy while on the move.
L.A.-based sisters and celebrity chefs, Heather Goldberg and Jenny Engel of Spork Foods have created a flavorful vegan and gluten-free recipe loaded with pistachios and cranberries. Pistachio Chewy Bite Granola is delicious as a stand alone snack, or part of a quick and tasty morning routine.
Pistachio Cranberry Granola
Pistachio Cranberry Granola Yields about 2 1/4 cups granola
Ingredients:
- 2 cups organic gluten-free rolled oats
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 tablespoons neutral tasting oil or virgin coconut oil
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup Setton Farms shelled pistachio kernels, roughly chopped*
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries*
*6 Setton Farms Pistachio Chewy Bites (1 bag) can be substituted for pistachios and cranberries
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
- In a mixing bowl, combine oats, vanilla extract, sea salt, cinnamon, allspice, cloves oil, maple syrup. Coat evenly.
- Spread mixture on a greased, walled cookie sheet.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then open oven and stir, bringing granola on edges towards center. Repeat every 5 minutes, until mixture has baked for about 20-22 minutes. Moving granola around during baking, prevents burning.
- Fold in pistachios and dried cranberries or chop all 6 chewy bites into 12 pieces per Pistachio Chewy Bite, and fold into mixture.
- Let cool completely before serving or storing.
- Note: The granola can keep for up to 2 weeks if stored in an airtight container. No need to refrigerate.
Heather and Jenny are vegan chefs that own a Los Angeles-based gourmet cooking school. The culinary duo are also cookbook authors and work with some of Hollywood’s elite including Emily and Zooey Deschanel, Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard, Kristin Bauer van Straten and Alicia Silverstone. Follow on Facebook and Twitter