Cinnamon Mocha Granola Bites
Servings
8
servingsPrep time
10
minutesCooking time
30
minutesYou won’t be able to stop eating this delicious and healthy granola. We combined our favorite flavors and added extra-virgin olive oil to create crispy big clusters. The perfect snack!
Ingredients
3 cups of old fashioned oats
1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds*
1/3 cup of cocoa powder (we used Trader Joe’s unsweetened cocoa powder)
1 Tbsp. of espresso powder (we used Trader Joe’s ground espresso)
1 1/2 tsp. of ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. of salt
1/2 cup of coconut sugar
1/2 cup of olive oil (we used Bellecento Olive oil)
1/2 cup of honey
1/4 cup of melted coconut oil
1 tsp. of vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine oats, pumpkin seeds, cocoa powder, espresso powder, ground cinnamon and salt.
- In a smaller bowl, combine sugar, honey, vanilla, olive oil, and coconut oil. Once thoroughly mixed pour into the oat mixture and combine together.
- Add mixture to baking sheet, spread it out evenly while pressing down.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, gently stirring halfway through to encourage even toasting. After 20 minutes, press granola down again and leave it alone and continue to bake approximately 10 minutes or until golden brown.
- Allow granola to cool completely, about 20-30 minutes. Break into desired size pieces.
Notes
- * you can substitute your favorite nut.
- 1. Cinnamon also has many health benefits, including reducing inflammation and the risk of heart disease. But there are two types of cinnamon, Cassia and Ceylon. While both of them are healthy, Cassia is a lesser quality and contains coumarin, which is a toxin if you eat too much of it, so we suggest using Ceylon. (healthline and Joy Bauer).
- 2. While a lot of attention is given to dark chocolate, cocoa powder (cacao) could actually be the winner. Cocoa powder is the purest form of chocolate and contains a high amount of flavonoids (the healthy part) but without the sugar that is found in chocolate. Try adding cocoa powder to your yogurt or oatmeal! (healthline and Joy Bauer).
- 3. Pumpkin seeds may be little but they are high in antioxidants and one of the best natural sources of magnesium, which is important for your heart and bone health. We should be eating them all year round! (healthline and Joy Bauer).
- 4. Extra-virgin olive oil is a main staple in the Mediterranean diet which has been proven to be a heart-healthy eating plan. Extra-virgin olive oil contains nutrients and antioxidants that help fight inflammation (healthline and Joy Bauer).
