Whether for breakfast or as a snack, this gluten-free, vegan, and refined sugar-free granola will have your taste buds singing! A decadent combination of strawberry, coffee, and chocolate, this Strawberry Mocha Granola will be love at first bite!
Say hello to a wonderful granola recipe today! (This is one of two you will be seeing this week!). However, I am going to talk about not just the granola, but my true kitchen tool love, my granola paddle! I also have to put a disclaimer here and tell you that this is actually the paddle I got from my rice cooker years ago! I only use it for granola now…weird, I know.
Now, this paddle is my pride and joy. I love it and it’s just the perfect granola tool! I would never think of using some other “spatula” for granola-making. It just wouldn’t work! I might be biased (okay, I am) but if you want to master the art of granola-making you must use a think plastic rice cooker paddle. If it’s gentle enough for fluffing rice, than it is gentle enough for making fabulous granola!
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You think I’m joking, but I’m not. This little thing is my best friend!
I have used it every time I’ve made granola (which is a lot). From the first to many others. With more you haven’t even seen or drempt of yet!
From mixing, stirring, flipping, and patting down, this paddle knows how to make the perfect granola! The one method in my granola-making that I have switched is going from foil to parchment to line the pan. I used to use foil greasing with a bit of oil, but now I use parchment and nothing sticks and I think it just works better!
But I have to admit, it isn’t just the paddle that makes the granola. It is the art of creativity, love, and compassion for the process. You need to give your granola-making your all! Be super unique, creative, gentle, and love every moment of it! I zen out when I make granola. There is something of peaceful about throwing all those ingredients into a huge mixing bowl, swirling it around, and then simply spreading it on a pan. The smell of it baking in the oven is always unreal and makes my mouth water!
I bet you’re wondering about the history of granola now, huh? Well I have it right here! It start with a man named Sylvester Graham in the early 1800s, who was a minister and advocated vegetarianism. His diet centered around whole grain wheat flour (which would be called Graham flour). He developed the crackers. Then came Dr. James Jackson in 1863, who also advocated a healthy diet and developed “Granula”, which was the flour but baked into sheets and then broken in to smaller snacking pieces. At this same time, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg was developing a diet for his patients and made a breakfast cereal of whole grains, ground up, and decided to call it “Granola” because he was sued by Jackson for using the name “Granula” in the beginning!
Kellogg lost interest in cereal for awhile (until Corn Flakes in 1902), so he kinda faded into the background. However, Charles Post was a patient of Kelloggs for almost a year. He left though and sought treatment elsewhere where he went on to open his own health retreat. He used Dr. Jackson’s basic recipe of “Granula” and developed Grape Nuts, which became a huge success.
So, Kellogg, Post, and the new company Quaker Oats, continue busting out cereals for the mainstream, but become attacked in the mid-20th century due to the sugar content and unhealthy marketing to kiddos. So, during the health food/hippe-craze of the 1960s, granola was revived as a healthy whole grain staple full of oats, whole grains, nuts, and dried fruits. All natural, crispy, and not-so sugar laden! The end 😉
Strawberry Mocha Granola
Ingredients: (makes about 5 cups)
+ 1 1/2 Cup Gluten-Free Rolled Oats
+ 1 1/2 Cup Crispy Brown Rice Cereal
+ 1/4 Cup Dry Buckwheat
+ 1/2 Cup Almond Pulp (crumbled, used from homemade milk)
+ 1 Cup (28g) Freeze-Dried Strawberries
+ 1/2 Cup Strawberry Puree
+ 1 TB Instant Espresso
+ 2 TB Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
+ 1 TB Cocoa Stevia Syrup
+ 1/2 Tsp Coffee Extract
Directions:
+ Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
+ In a large mixing bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients and give it a mix. Then add the rest of the ingredients and mix again until all is coated evenly.
+ On a baking pan lined with parchment paper, spread the granola out evenly, patting it down into a nice layer.
+ Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, stirring every 10.
+ Remove and let cool completely before storing in an airtight jar.
This granola would have been a hit with the hippes 😉 I know it was a hit with me! All the good things of coffee, chocolate, whole grains, nuts (pulp!), and fruity goodness!
So tell me:
+ Do you have a special tool you use when making one of your favorite recipes?
+ Have you ever had Grape Nuts? No, I have not and now I will never be able too, hahaha!
*Recipe linking up for the week! Allergy Free Wednesdays, #RecipeFridays, #RecipeOfTheWeek, #StrangeButGood, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Real Food Friday, Gluten-Free Fridays, Tasty Tuesdays, Savoring Saturdays, Healthy Vegan Fridays, Real Food Recipe Roundup, Tasty Tuesdays, Meatless Mondays, Lena’s Tasty Tuesdays!*
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Sent this for my sister to make tomorrow 😉
If she does…..I need picture documentation 😉
Looks and sounds absolutely delicious! #tastytuesdays
Thank you!
This sounds like a great recipe. Thanks for linking up to Funtastic Friday. Hope to see you again this week.
Thank you!
I’m liking your hint about the rice cooker paddle! Plus, how can I turn down the strawberry mocha flavor combo? Thanks for stopping by and sharing this recipe with us – you’re featured this week on Five Friday Finds! I’m looking forward to what you share this week. 🙂
Thanks friend! Sometimes the weird kitchen tools are the greatest things!
Strawberries in granola is seriously one of my favorite combos. Thanks so much for sharing this with us at Savoring Saturdays, Rebecca! I’m going to feature it at this weekend’s party. 😉 Can’t wait to see what you share!
Thank you so much Raia! It is a total granola winner!
Looks great! And the information about granola was quite interesting! Thanks for linking up, I can’t wait to see what you post next time!!
-Cindy
Haha, thanks Cindy!
Seriously great recipe! I love making granola but my kids seem to love when I make it too-they eat it all! I am definitely going to try this one-chocolate & strawberries – YUM! Thanks for sharing!
You’re going to have to hide this one from them then 😉 Hahaha!
Hi Rebecca,
This looks so good, it could become our new favorite breakfast! It’s absolutely perfect for me and my family! Thank you so much for sharing your healthy and delicious strawberry mocha granola recipe with us at the Healthy, Happy, Green and Natural Party Blog Hop. I’m pinning and sharing!
Thank you Deb!
The perfect start to the day! Thanks for linking up to #tastytuesdays x
Thanks friend!
Hi Rebecca,
Thanks for the interesting information which wasn’t fully aware of. Great recipe too. What a healthy delicious snack this would be for all ages. Thanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays. Pin & twitted.
Thank you Marla!
I love the mini-history lesson about the origins of granola!! Very interesting 🙂 your granola sounds divine – the mixture of strawberries and coffee sounds delicious, will have to try this out!
Haha, thank you Kyra! I’m glad you liked it 😉
This looks and sounds delicious! Stopping by from Awesome Life Fridays and pinning to Pinterest!
Thank you!
This granola sounds really lovely!
Thanks!
OK, how delicious does this look?!?! So. Delicious. And it’s healthy…ughhhh my favorite!
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Hahaha! Yes! Thank you Erica!
I enjoy making my own granola, but my family enjoys eating my granola even more! I can’t wait to try this new recipe!
Thanks for sharing at Inspire Me Mondays!
O, everything about granola is just a wonderful experience! Haha! Thank you Brandi!
I love to make my own granola. Will have to try your recipe. Love buckwheat.
Thank you Genie!
eI love making my own granola but I’ve never added dried strawberries or coffee – both of which intrigue me as ingredients. I’ll ahve to try them.
Awesome! I hope you do!
Rebecca, you never stop to amaze me with all these strawberry recipes of yours 🙂 — strawberries, chocolate, AND coffee in granola? Amazing!
I had a good laugh about the spatula too — before reading, at a glance I was wondering what a rice cooker paddle had anything to do with granola. Well, now I know 🙂
I don’t have a favorite kitchen tool {I have so many and I love them all}, but I do have a favorite fork. It’s all bent and gnarly and I absolutely love it 🙂 It’s in most of my dessert photos too {to the chagrin of some of my friends 😉 } — now that I mentioned it, I’m sure you’ll notice it 🙂 . I also pretty much have a favorite of every utensil and dish I use: I have a special breakfast bowl, special dessert plate, special fork, special spoon, etc. I get a tad sad if I ever have to eat using something else. Pretty dishes and servingware make me happy 🙂
Haha, you are such a sweetheart Audrey 🙂
I am so wish you! I jave speical utensils amd dishes I will only use too! Don’t get me started on my plastic apoon I ise for breakfast that I kept from the Whole Foods hot bar, hahahahaha! 😉
Great granola recipes and loved learning about the history of granola too! I’ve been meaning to make up a batch of granola for awhile now. Glad I waited so I can make this recipe. I mean, how can you go wrong with strawberries, chocolate, and coffee? You can’t! 🙂
That’s what I thought 😉 Haha, and get baking!!!!
Ooh! Looks yummy! Never thought of adding yummy flavors like this to my granola!
Well then you must!
I don’t think I could resist granola laced with strawberries, coffee and cocoa!
Girl, I couldn’t either 😉
Wow, I adore granola and have never thought of this combination, but I don’t know why because strawberry and coffee are 2 of my favourite things!! Love this recipe 🙂
Thank you Annie! They are 2 great flavors!
Loved the granola history! This must smell amazing when it’s cooking!
It sure does!
I have that paddle. I need to make granola with it now. I am a total food history geek, but didn’t know about the history of granola. Loved reading about it.
Haha! I am obsessed with food history now! It is so enriching 😉
Oh my! This looks DELICIOUS!! I will totally have to make this… thank you for sharing! Yum!
Thanks Rachel!
I love the little mini history lesson thrown into the middle of this post! The granola sounds yummy too – though I’m not a big coffee fan so I’m not sure I would like it.
Haha, there is no overpowering coffee flavor here! There are too many other great flavors bursting!
I love granola. So awesome with strawberry puree, I have never thought about that!!
I always use fruit puree to sweeten my granolas!
This looks so delicious and healthy thanks for sharing.
Thanks!
You’ve gathered up some of my favorite ingredients and combined them into one amazing granola. All I have to say is Thank You!
Haha, you are so welcome 😛 My pleasure!
This sounds and looks delicious! You are great at taking pics of the food you make!
Haha, thank you so much Melanie! That means a lot! XOXO
Ooh… That looks really yummy. Homemade granola is so fun to make and so versatile with all the different combos you can make.
Yes! That’s why I love it so much!
This looks great! I am always looking for new flavor combinations and can’t wait to try this one. Thanks!
Thank you Jennifer!
I love granola but haven’t made it at home in so long! Thanks for the reminder and this looks delicious. I would never have thought of using my rice cooker spatula. Genius!
Get baking girl! Your family will love it 😉 XOXO
Nothing beats homemade granola!
Got that right!
What a unique flavor combo! And if it has some form of coffee in it, I am most likely going to love it.
Hahaha! Same here Emily 😉
I’m sure this would be a love at first bite for me as well! I often make mocha or coffee granola’s but haven’t made one with strawberries or with almond milk pulp, both sound interesting to me. I can’t wait to try it!
Then you know what your next granola assignment is 😉
YUM!!!!!
😉
oooh, this one looks good Rebecca. I adore granola and I bet the espresso and strawberries make a fantastic combo!
It is a winning combo for sure!
YUMMY! I am definitely going to make this soon!!!
Yay! I hope you do 😉
Yum! The mocha is a nice touch.
Totally is 😉
I love making granola, but ours are usually pretty basic this strawberry mocha sounds out of this world delicious!!
Go crazy with your granola making!
A little coffee IN your granola – brilliant! And I use parchment when making my granola, too. I had used foil and had sticking problems so I switched. Wonder why it took us so long to figure that out!? LOL!
~jules
Hahaha! O the wonders for parchment 😛
A bowl of this with a mug of coffee….perfect start to the day!
I have a similar tool. I call it a spoon-natula. It’s fabulous for making granola and anything else that requires a combo. Love the recipe. Yum!
Hahahaha! I love that!
What a yummy combo for a hearty breakfast.
Totally!
Awesome, I have never made my own granola! There is a granola maker (True North Granola) in the same building as my gym, and it drives me crazy when they are baking because it smells SO GOOD!
You need to gey granola making!
I would live at your gym! My 2 loves….fitness and granola 😉
This looks so good! I’m admittedly a hippy so granola is right up my alley 🙂 It comes on all of our backpacking trips!
Woohoo! That’s what I like to hear 😉
Best history lesson of my life haha
Also, strawberry + mocha = genius flavour combo 😀
Pinning!
Hahaha! I thought it was fun learning too 😉
And yes! XOXO
Love this recipe. Homemade granola is sooooo good. I need to find the time to make a giant batch!
That’s what weekend mornings are for 😉
I am so excited for summer to give all these recipes a go! How long would this granola typically last before spoiling? It sounds absolutely delicious and is truly a mix of all the finer things in life (at least mine haha) Much love!
You don’t need the summer! I use frozen strawberries for my puree 😛 Haha!
2-3 months if it is sealed correctly!
I can’t believe I’ve never made my own granola before! Yum thanks for the inspiration. Glad to have you join the link up today!
WHAT!? You just made me cry! Get at it girl! ASAP!
I love the strawberry mocha combo! Very creative and it sounds delicious. Thanks for the history of the mega cereal companies, very cool. I wonder what the founders of those corporations would think of the products they sell today? Pinned!
I’m pretty sure the “Hippie” ones would be disgusted but the processing! Hahahaha!
Really want to try this, it looks so delicious! Clicked over to the cocoa stevia syrup and looks so interesting, haven’t seen anything like that.
NuNaturals is the best! Seriously..chocolate syrup…that is sugar and calorie free?! Crazy cool!
I never used to be a fan of coffee flavored anything, but I think I am now starting to change that opinion, and combining it with strawberry is definitely a good way to go! especially with granola, I LOVE it!! Thanks so much for linking up with us today for meatless monday 🙂
Coffee flavored EVERYTHING! I just love its deep robustness, haha! XOXO
I have never liked Grape Nuts actually lol! This recipes looks SO good- granola with strawberry puree and chocolate?! YES!
Haha!
Thanks AJ! It’s like chocolate covered strawberries 😉
That’s such a cool background story to granola. 😀 My husband loves the stuff, I really should try out your recipe and make it for him rather than getting it from the supermarket.
Valentine’s Day present! 😉
You always come up with the most inventive granola flavor combos…it’s like your mind just thinks in granola! For some reason Granula kind of sounds like a perfect villain name to me. Count Granula!! Bwahahaha! 😀 LOL
Wait till you see all the other flavors I have yet to post 😉 I am always thinking of granola combos!
Hahahahahhahaha! Granula 😉 Now I am always going to think of you that way!
This sounds wonderful! I love granola for breakfast.
Same here 😉
using the rice paddle cooker for granola making – genius! this gluten-free granola looks so good, love the addition of mocha.
Haha, right!? The little things 😉
I love the hit of coffee and chocolate together!
Ah…you know I’m all about that granola! 😛 My mission is to finish my entire collection by the end of March so that I can finally attempt to start making my own! This looks delicious, and since I’m super-Asian, I have a whole bunch of rice cooker paddles hanging out in my apartment! <3
I have a bunch of “pre-made” that I never open because…well…I like making my own, hahaha!
Omg! Yay for rice cooker paddles!
I never liked GrapeNuts when I was a kid (surprise) but fell in love with them as I got older. They are so so good heated up in the microwave – now I have a hankering for them…. This granola sounds divine!
Haha really/ Heating them up? Interesting 😉
((uh oh))
I was MADE of the GRAPENUTS growing up!!!
Hahaha, they seem like your thing 😉