Saturday, January 10, 2015

Chocolate Cherry Granola Yogurt Parfaits

Yum
My hubby is not a granola fan.  He's more of a pop tart kind of guy.  You thought I was going to say eggs and bacon guy, right?  Ha!  Nope, he loves pop tarts and even cooks them, I mean toasts them.  I'll eat a pop tart, but I prefer them raw (not toasted).  
The debate over which way is better comes up everytime he has a pop tart.  :)
Yep, the past 25 years of pop tart controversary...I bet you wish you were in on those discussion.  Ha!
Anyhow, I made a granola and got a big eye roll from the hubby, yep, just like the eye rolls you get from the teens in your house.  "Try it, you'll like it," I said.  Remember Mikey from the LIFE Cereal commercials (I probably really dated myself there)?  Well, he tried it and not only did he like it...he LOVED it!



I have made a lot of granola, but this has got to be my new favorite granola!
Chocolate Cherry Granola
has
cherries, chocolate and almonds...always an awesome combo!


Keep the granola in an airtight container and then you can add it to your yogurt.  Alternate layers of yogurt and granola in cute little glasses and you've got yourself parfaits.
Totally looks like a dessert, but it's breakfast!

Ingredients for granola:
1/2 cup cherry juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 cups quick oats
2 Tbsp honey
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup almond slices
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
favorite yogurt (I used vanilla yogurt)
Directions:
In a small pot, pour in the cherry juice.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until reduced by about half, approximately 5-7 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir in the brown sugar, vegetable oil and cocoa powder.  Take out a large roasting pan.  Place a sheet of parchment paper on the bottom.  Place oats in the large roasting pan.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Pour the cherry mixture over the oats.  Stir until well coated.  Place in the 325 degree oven.  Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven and stir.  Add 2 Tbsp honey and the almond slices.  Stir and place back into the oven.  Bake another 10 minutes, remove from oven and stir.  Return for an additional 10 minutes and repeat until granola has baked for about 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and cool completely.  Add cherries and chocolate chips.  Stir until evenly distributed.  Use parfait glasses to layer yogurt then granola in alternating layers.  Serve.  Extra granola can be kept in airtight container.
Chocolate Cherry Granola Yogurt Parfaits printable recipe


The chocolate cherry flavored granola with almonds, cherries and mini chocolate chips is incredible!
Using the granola to make yogurt parfaits makes it extra special!  Who wouldn't want that for breakfast?  Even pop tart man caved!  If he eats it instead  of a pop tart, you know it has to be good!

Be sure to sign up for A Sprinkle of This and That email subscription to receive recipe ideas in your inbox each day!  Pssst...it's over on the right.  You don't want to miss a thing!  
Make sure to share on your social media...I love making new friends!  
Any friend of yours is a friend of mine!

Celebrate the little things that make life sweet,

No comments:

Post a Comment