Gluten-Free Granola with Cherry Compote

Granola is a superfood and has numerous health benefits. The oats deliver impressive numbers of fiber and iron, while nuts and seeds add heart-healthy fats and protein. The coconut addition in this recipe provides some healthy essential fats, and the good news is you can make your own.

It isn’t as hard to make as you might think. The ingredients are the sort of items that you would have in your pantry, and even if you don’t have them at home, they are all ingredients you can get from your local grocery store.

Due to the fiber content, granola can also help to aid digestion. Manganese is a mineral which is involved in many biological processes in the body which includes among its long list of tasks, energy metabolism.

As granola is rich in Vitamin E, it is considered good for the skin as well being a great source of vegan protein for those following a plant-based diet.

Ingredients:

Granola:

• 2 cups gluten-free jumbo oats
• 1 cup of brown rice puffs
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons of desiccated coconut
• 1 tablespoon Stevia granules/powder
• 2 tablespoons of water
• A cup of mixed nuts
• 1/4 cup flaked almond
• 1/4 cup flaked coconut
• 1/4 cup mixed seeds

Yogurt:

• 1 and 1/2 cups of coconut yogurt (dairy-free)
• 1 vanilla pod

Cherry Compote:

• 1 cup of dark frozen Morello cherries
• Juice of half a lime
• 1 tablespoon of Stevia
• 2 tablespoons of water

Directions: 

1. Turn the grill on to a medium heat.
2. Put oats and rice puffs onto a baking sheet and dry toast oats and rice puffs until crispy. Make sure to check after a few minutes as they can burn or brown very easily. You want a light golden coating only.
3. Roughly chop the nuts and place them on a dry hot pan on the stove at a high temperature. Toss them often to avoid burning.
4. In a separate pan, pour in the Stevia and the water and slightly reduce down for a few minutes.
5. When the nuts start to toast, add the Stevia mix to the nuts. This will naturally sweeten the nuts without adding loads of unhealthy sugar to the mix.
6. Then add all other ingredients and toast until all turn golden brown.
7. Yogurt – Remove the pods from the vanilla stem and add to the yogurt and stir.
8. Cherry compote – Follow the same method with the Stevia as above and add the cherries to the pot and the lime juice. Warm slightly.
9. In a bowl, layer in the granola mix followed by the yogurt mix and complete with the cherry compote and indulge in this healthy delight.
10. The most important part… enjoy!

For more information on free-from recipes and nutritional advice, visit: https://www.yorktest.com/us/

Photo source- Ken Haddock