Dark Cherry Mocha Granola

I absolutely love making my own granola!  I love making my own unique flavors and being in control of the ingredients.  I didn’t have much oats left, but I did have some rice chex on hand, so I decided to use some of that. It was a really good idea because  adds a nice crunch to the normal granola!  I also had some cherries I needed to use up, so they made a sweet flavor when paired with the more bitter coffee granules and cocoa nibs!  This is super easy to make, not to mention much healthier then store bought granola and cereal!

Dark Cherry Mocha Granola

• 2 cups  rice chex cereal
• 2 cups gluten-free oats
• 1 cup dark cherries, pureed
• 1/4 cup apple sauce
• 2 Tbsp. instant coffee granules
• 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp. sliced almonds
• 2 Tbsp. cocoa nibs or dark chocolate chips
• 2 Tbsp. dries cranberries or raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cover  a cooking sheet with parchment paper.  Spread chex and oats onto cooking sheet and bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until slightly toasted.
3. In a medium size bowl, combine cherry puree, apple sauce, coffee granules, maple syrup and vanilla.  Mix well.
4. Once cereal is toasted, mix in cocoa nibs and dried cranberries.
5. Add cherry mixture to cereal and mix well, making sure all ingredients are evenly spread through out.
6. Bake for another 25 minutes, or until done.
7. Enjoy!

Health Benefits:

• All-natural ingredients
• No preservatives
• No artificial flavors
• Gluten-free
• Dairy-free
• Refined sugar-free
• High fiber
• Vegan
• Vegetarian