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Apple Pie Granola Parfait

As the month of May rolls through, I hope April showers have brought you May flowers. The blooms and warmer weather make it a great time of year to spend more time outside exploring the outdoors or relaxing with family and friends. As the days get warmer and longer, I spend more time outside and crave lighter, more refreshing meals and snacks.  

Parfaits make a great option for a light and easy breakfast or any time of day snack.  Try our apple pie granola parfait when you’re looking for a refreshing breakfast or snack. The yogurt offers a great source of protein, and the fruit and granola can help fill your daily fiber needs. Parfaits also offer so much flexibility and can be tailored to any picky eater you may have in the house. I love to use whatever fruits we have in the house or whatever fruits are in season. Feel free to swap fruit and granola flavors with what you have on hand or enjoy.  

May brings many opportunities to celebrate, whether it’s for Mother’s Day, graduations, or Memorial Day Festivities. I hope you’ve had a great May thus far, and as the school year starts to wind down and the summer holidays start beckoning, I wish you a wonderful summer ahead! 

Apple Pie Granola Parfait Suggested Ingredients:
  • 1 1/2 cups of vanilla or plain yogurt (Greek yogurt offers a great boost of protein)
  • 1 green apple, cut into cubes or slices 
  • 1/2 cup of Little Red Wagon Big Apple Granola  
  • Any additional toppings of choice (chia seeds make a great addition)
Instructions:
  1. Grab your favorite glass (or bowl).
  2. Scoop or spoon yogurt into the glass, add a layer of granola, and top with fruit.
  3. Add additional layers as desired and top with any additional toppings of choice.
  4. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Order Our Granola Online and Enjoy Free Shipping!

Curious about our other flavors? Order a Little Red Wagon Granola variety pack and try them all. Plus, customers in the U.S. get free shipping. Happy snacking!

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Why Our Clean Granola Ingredients Are Better for You and the Environment

 

Little Red Wagon Granola has been committed to natural, sustainably sourced ingredients since our inception in 2004. As a result, our granolas are high in fiber and protein with a sugar content that’s about half the amount of major granola brands. Let’s explore the clean granola ingredients we use as alternatives to the high fructose corn syrup, sorbitol, and palm oil often found in popular granola bars and mixes.

Instead of Corn Syrup and Sorbitol, We Use…

We prefer to use real brown sugar and dried fruit to sweeten our granolas rather than high fructose corn syrup, which is difficult for your body to digest and can increase cholesterol. 

Eating large amounts of high fructose corn syrup or pure sugar will have negative health consequences. The American Heart Association recommends that women limit added sugars to 25 grams daily and men limit their intake to 36 grams daily.  That’s why we combine brown sugar and fruit to sweeten our granola, which never exceeds 11 grams of sugar per serving. That’s about half of the amount popular brands pack into a similar-sized serving. 

Don’t get us wrong, we love including sweet treats like chocolate and dried fruits in some of our granolas, but a little goes a long way. We’re careful to add just enough so that you taste it but not so much that it overpowers your palate. 

Instead of Palm Oil, We Use…

Many granola manufacturers use palm oil, while we use butter or vegetable oil. Palm oil actually has some health benefits that butter and vegetable oil don’t. Still, its negative impact on the environment and wildlife outweighs the health perks of its vitamin E and A content

To further our Healthy Earth mission, we opt to use butter or vegetable oil in our recipes. They deepen the flavors and don’t add to deforestation, and have a lower carbon footprint.

Get Your Clean Granola Fix With Little Red Wagon’s Online Shop

At Little Red Wagon, our granola is an extension of us and our values. If we don’t want our kids to eat it, it’s not going in our granola. Plus, we add nutrient-dense ingredients like almonds and pecans whenever possible. Check out our online shop to try one or all of our mouth-watering flavors packed with fiber and protein!

 

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Cosmopolitan Carrot-Granola Smoothie Bowl

 

Spring is officially upon us, and with it, a new season and all the changes this season brings. We hope you have had a chance to enjoy all that April offers, whether it’s an April Fool’s joke, Easter festivities, or Spring Break. I am personally enjoying the extra sunshine and all that is blooming.  Although April weather can be a bit all over the place, cold and rainy one day to warm and sunny the next, it reminds us that summer and warm days are around the corner. 

As the weather shifts, our meal routines start to shift from the heartier winter meals to lighter fare. Granola smoothie bowls are a great way to start off the day with a light but filling and nutritious breakfast. 

Our Cosmopolitan carrot granola smoothie bowl is a great way to get more servings of fruits and vegetables into your routine and blends carrots with your favorite tropical fruits.  Greek yogurt provides a good source of calcium, protein, and probiotics.  Our handmade granola rounds out both the flavor profile and nutrition with heart-healthy fiber and protein.

Granola Smoothie Ingredients:
  • 1 cup of frozen tropical fruit blend (or your favorite frozen tropical fruits, pineapple, mangos, etc.)
  • 4 baby carrots
  • 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt 
  • 2 Tbsp of coconut milk
  • 4 Tbsp of orange juice 
  • 1/4 cup of Little Red Wagon Cosmopolitan Granola (or your favorite flavor)
  • Additional toppings of your choice: shredded coconut, chia seeds, fresh fruit
Granola Smoothie Directions:
  1. In a blender, add your frozen fruits, carrots, yogurt, coconut milk, and orange juice.
  2. Blend until there are no large chunks of fruit or carrot. You may see small bits of the carrot or fruit, but that should be fine.
  3. Using a rubber spatula, pour/scrape the smoothie into a bowl.
  4. Sprinkle granola on top and top with any additional toppings of choice.
  5. Enjoy!
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Little Red Wagon Granola Earned Our Safe Quality Food Certification! Here’s Why It Matters

 

The Little Red Wagon Granola team is proud to announce that after much hard work with The Safe Quality Food (SQF) Program, we have earned our SQF certification! We’ve been working towards this certification for quite a while, and it’s so gratifying to achieve it. Our goal is to provide food products that meet extremely high standards, and the Safe Quality Food certification ensures actions behind those values. But what does this program do, and how did we get certified? We’ll cover all that and how it impacts granola lovers like you!

What Does the SQF Program Do?

SQF was a division created in 1994 by the Food Marketing Institute to address increasing concerns surrounding food safety, especially after foodborne illnesses like E.coli affected fast food customers.

Before the SQF Institute was established, quality control was up to local food supply chains. Consequently, there needed to be a globally standardized approach to assess food safety, quality, or traceability. 

That’s where SQF stepped in. Their mission was, and is, to establish unilaterally standard practices ensuring food producers, manufacturers, processors, retailers, packagers, and transporters follow SQF regulations. Part of this mission is to educate food production brands on proper SQF protocol to ensure consumers’ safety and earn certification.

How LRWG Earned Its Safe Quality Food Certification

Little Red Wagon Granola is more than just a business for us. It’s our legacy and our passion. We hand-make each batch using natural ingredients. Those are lovely sentiments and aspects of our brand, but earning our SQF certification was the natural next step. 

To prepare for the SQF site audit, one of our team members got a separate certification to help Little Red Wagon identify gaps and our current processes. At the same time, the rest of us studied the SQF code, analysis, and standards. Luckily, they provide classes and resources online to educate the team. All of this helped us understand where we needed to improve and re-organize. Then came the exciting (and nerve-wracking) day we’d been working towards. 

And…drumroll, please…we passed! We have our Safe Quality Food certification, and soon our packaging will bear this hard-earned emblem. Plus, we’ll be re-certified every year, so you know that we’ll never reduce our standards.

Enjoy Your Favorite Granola With Confidence

All this industry jargon means for you is that it’s not just lip service when we say our granola is handmade by us, using sustainably sourced, natural ingredients. It also means that you and your family can feel safe enjoying your favorite Little Red Wagon Granola flavors because each has passed quality and safety standards. Shop on our website to stock up, or find us in your local market!

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Need Green Desserts For St. Patrick’s Day? Little Red Wagon Granola Has You Covered

 

We hope that your March is off to a great start!  As winter turns to spring, we hope that you are able to enjoy longer days and warming temperatures.  Depending on where you live, you may be starting to see flowers bloom and trees turn green. If you’re anything like us, you’re looking forward to one of the heralds of Spring, St. Patrick’s Day, and need some ideas for green desserts to bring to St. Paddy’s festivities. 

When you are out about and want a quick no-bake treat, try our no-bake Leprechaun Granola Squares. They are a fun treat to whip up on St. Patrick’s Day or can be modified to fit any festive occasion.

No Bake Leprechaun Granola Squares 

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups mini marshmallows 
  • 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
  • 1 bag of Little Red Wagon Big Apple granola
  • 4 tablespoons of festive sprinkles, 1 tablespoon reserved
  • 3 tablespoons of mini green chocolate coated candies, 1 tablespoon reserved ( optional and can be modified to suit the occasion)

Instructions:

  1. In a medium size microwave-safe bowl, add butter and marshmallows.  Microwave in intervals of 30 seconds until butter and marshmallows are melted together.  Stir in between each interval to ensure the butter and marshmallows combine thoroughly.
  2. Add a whole bag of Little Red Wagon Big granola to the butter and marshmallow mixture.  Mix until everything is incorporated.  Add sprinkles and chocolate candies to the mixture (reserving some to garnish on top) and mix just until incorporated.
  3. Using a silicone spatula, spread the mixture into well greased 13×9 baking pan or parchment paper lined pan.  Garnish with the remainder of the sprinkles and candies, then gently level with a spatula or more parchment paper.
  4. Let sit in the fridge for 15 minutes, then remove from pan and cut into squares or desired shape. Enjoy! 
  5. Store any leftovers in an air-tight container and eat within a few days.

This is one of those green desserts that is actually satisfying and a nice change from green beer and green cupcakes! 

From Little Red Wagon Granola to you: Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

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Get The Freshest Take on Apple Cinnamon Granola With Little Red Wagon

If we had to guess America’s favorite fruit, the apple would be a top contender. The balance of crispness and sweetness make it a perfect snack staple or star ingredient anytime of the day or year.  Our Big Apple Granola, plays homage to the all american fruit and brings together the delicious flavor of apple with comforting notes of cinnamon.

Why We Call It “Big” Apple Cinnamon Granola

Some may think of New York City when they hear “Big Apple”, but we think apples are a star in their own right!  To ensure our take on this classic flavor hit all the right notes, we mixed both dried apple chunks and unsweetened applesauce.  Pecans add a nutty crunch, raisins a delicious chewiness, and cinnamon a subtle warmth that ties it all together.

Although our Big Apple Granola is a winter seasonal, it’s so popular we make it year round, so you never have to miss out!  

Ways To Enjoy Our Apple Cinnamon Granola

We love adding granola to yogurt as much as the next person, but why not shake up your routine with some of the following combinations? 

  • Crumble and sprinkle on top of a berry compote for an easy topping.
  • Add to an arugula salad for a sweet crunch and extra fiber.
  • Layer it on fresh apple rings with peanut butter for a sweet and savory snack. 
  • Mix with walnuts and puffed brown rice for a hearty trail mix.

The versatility of apple cinnamon granola makes it a great choice for families with a wide variety of palettes.  Even the pickiest eaters seem to

An Apple (Granola) A Day Keeps The Doctor Away

Don’t let the indulgent taste fool you; there’s nothing to feel guilty about when eating Big Apple Granola.  It’s packed with nutritious ingredients that fuel your body. Complex carbohydrates plus six grams of protein and five grams of fiber will keep you full and provide sustained energy for your busy day. Plus, potassium, calcium, and iron will support your muscles and bones.

Stock Up On Little Red Wagon Granola Today!

Hungry for more? At Little Red Wagon, we handmake our granola with fresh, natural ingredients. Find flavors like Big Apple and more available online or in a store near you!

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Recipes

No-Bake Cheesecake Bites With Granola

 

These Valentine’s Day treats deserve all the praise. They are bite-sized and packed with phytonutrients like flavonoids from dark chocolate (great for brain and heart health). So indulge with confidence and share with close friends, family, or a special loved one. These no-bake cheesecake bites are small, rich, and nutritious: a trio of absolute perfection! 

Ingredients

Cheesecake filling 

8 oz block of cream cheese ( at room temperature)

1/2 cup powdered sugar 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Crust 

1 1/2 cups of Original granola

1 tablespoon melted coconut oil 

Chocolate Coating

2 cups dark chocolate chips

1/2 tsp of coconut oil

Ice tray or silicone mold 

Instructions

  1. Microwave the dark chocolate chips and coconut oil in a medium bowl for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again for 30 seconds until just melted.
  2. Pour about a teaspoon of the melted chocolate into each ice cube mold. Use your fingers or a spoon to cover the sides of the mold completely. Save the remaining chocolate mixture and freeze the ice tray until the chocolate is solid (about 10 minutes).
  3. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and vanilla and beat with a hand mixer until smooth. Add powdered sugar and mix until incorporated. Set aside.
  4. Using a food processor, pulse granola until a crumb consistency is reached. Add melted coconut oil and mix to incorporate.
  5. Fill ice tray cubes with a thin layer of granola crumb mixture, add the Cheesecake mix, and top with chocolate. Keep the ice tray in the fridge until the chocolate hardens.
  6. Enjoy!
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Buying Bulk Granola Wholesale? Look For This In The Best

 

Whether you’re buying bulk granola wholesale for your big family, your business, or to save the earth from a little less packaging waste, one thing is for sure: we’re glad you’re here! Sometimes more is more, especially when it comes to your favorite granola. 

When placing a big order of anything, it’s important to get it right. At Little Red Wagon, we believe anyone buying bulk granola should use these quality markers to find a supplier they can rely on.

Consistent Product Quality In Every Bag Of Granola

With our small-batch granola baked onsite, you can count on freshness in every order. Transparency in our process is key to maintaining the highest level of quality. That’s why every bag of granola is stamped with a date and batch number for traceability and quality assurance. And should a question or problem arise with your order, our small team can answer any questions or dispatch a last-minute order. 

Timely Bulk Granola Wholesale Orders In Any Amount You Need

Want a certain type of granola in bulk that you can’t find on the website? How about bag sizing options? We are a small and flexible team that is happy to accommodate your requests. Our bulk granola wholesale orders do not require you to buy so much that the product goes bad before you use it! 

Our granola comes in cases of two packaged unit sizes: our retail 10 oz. bags and our bulk options, which range from 4 lb. family-size packages on up! Choose from granola flavors in these unit sizes, including our Cosmopolitan, Chunky Monkey, or our OG favorite: Original. 

Going Bulk Means Going Green & Saving A Few Bucks

Saving the planet maybe wasn’t on your to-do list when you ordered granola in bulk for the first time, but it certainly can be! Bulk foods are great for a few reasons: ordering more helps keep costs down, it cuts down on packaging waste of the smaller volume bags sold in retail, and it is more efficiently packaged, which cuts down on transportation costs. Ta-da! We see a community garden already in your future. The icing on the cake is also the cost savings. Cost per unit drops when you buy in bulk, and who doesn’t love saving a few extra dollars?

Choose Little Red Wagon For Your Next Bulk Granola Wholesale Order

Whether you want to sign up for a regular distribution of granola or need a one-off order for a big event, we’d love to be your granola people. Premium quality and freshness matter deeply to us. That’s why our granola is baked lovingly in small batches to ensure that crisp crackle of perfectly baked whole-grain oats in every bite! 

Please fill out our bulk granola wholesale form to find out more about our pricing, shipping, and how ordering works. Want some inspiration on all the creative things you can do with granola? Check out our blog to get a feel for our products and the recipes that make life better with our granola. 

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Recipes

Cranberry Orange Cosmopolitan Blondies

Happy New Year! We hope this joyous and relaxing holiday season has recharged you.  Every year brings new adventures and many possibilities and opportunities. As you conquer the year ahead, we encourage you to take time to prioritize cultivating joy in your day alongside accomplishing goals or tasks. 

Incorporating little things, like a warm cup of your favorite tea or a fun playlist, can bring life into the daily routine and make it a great year ahead! 

We, of course, love to bake and enjoy sharing our granola and recipes with you all. Our cranberry orange blondies are a great treat to share with family and friends. The orange and cranberry flavor combination is a match made in heaven.  This recipe can easily also convert into a breakfast blondie by cutting back on the sugar.  No matter the occasion you choose, we hope it brings a little joy to your day!

Ingredients

¾ cup melted butter

1 ¼ cup brown sugar

A pinch of salt

A pinch of cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 egg

1 ½ cup wheat or all purpose flour

½ cup dried cranberries

Zest from one orange

½ cup cosmopolitan granola crushed

¼ cup rolled oats

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F, lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan with spray and line with parchment paper, both sides overhanging for easy release.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, vanilla, and egg.  Whisk by hand until blended.
  3. Fold in flour, cranberries, crushed granola, and orange zest. 
  4. Spread batter into the lined baking pan and sprinkle rolled oats on top of the batter.
  5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown. 
  6. Let cool completely, cut into squares, enjoy!
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Is Yogurt and Granola Healthy For Breakfast?

 

At the start of the New Year, healthy foods are a hot topic. And yogurt and granola is a traditional breakfast go-to. But you might be wondering: is yogurt and granola healthy for breakfast? When considering your options, pay attention to serving sizes, preference low-sugar options, and choose varieties of yogurt that are low in fat and high in protein. 

Is Yogurt and Granola Healthy? Here’s Why Serving Size Matters

Everything in moderation, the old saying goes, and the same is true about yogurt and granola. Even with a ‘healthy’ food, we can get too much of a good thing when it comes to portions. Starting the day out with six to eight ounces of high-protein yogurt, like Greek yogurt, paired with your favorite granola is an easy go-to. A nut-milk or soy-based yogurt is also a great substitute if you are lactose intolerant. Next, we turn to toppings!

High Fiber, Nutritious Oats Keep Your Gut Happy

Things like oatmeal and granola provide that signature contrast of fiber and crunch when it comes to choosing the perfect pairing for yogurt. Fiber helps to slow everything down in the body during digestion, preventing a blood sugar spike after eating. The whole-grain fiber from oats makes for a happy gut. The oats in granola help to move things along in the digestive tract and reduce inflammation. Fiber is also great for heart health, helping lower cholesterol when it’s part of a healthy diet.

So the next time you reach for your bag of granola, you’ll have a whole new appreciation for what this crunchy, snack-time favorite is doing for your health!

Source Your Probiotics and Protein From Yogurt

To kickstart the day, yogurt is a probiotic-packed protein source that also includes calcium and B vitamins. In a cup of Greek yogurt, there are 13 grams of protein which helps you stay full during the busy rush of the morning. When choosing yogurts, it’s easy to fall into the sugar trap of flavored varieties at the grocery store. Our advice is to stick to unflavored Greek yogurt and add some honey for a little natural sweetness. 

Is Yogurt and Granola Healthy For Breakfast? Yes, If You’re Watching Sugar Intake. 

The same goes for the quality of your granola. The American Heart Association sugar recommendation for men is to consume no more than 36 grams of sugar per day, and women to consume 24 grams or less. Note that this is only for added sugars, so not counting sugars that naturally occur in dry or fresh fruit (which is actually fructose).

Keeping your breakfast under 10 added grams of sugar is a good guideline to ensure you don’t spike your blood sugar too early in the day. 

Some types of granola can be high in sugar content, so we recommend something made with high-quality ingredients like our original granola! Two-thirds cup of our original granola contains 7 grams of sugar, which is just under the recommended threshold for a balanced breakfast. 

Enjoy Your Morning Crunch With Little Red Wagon Granola

For your next breakfast, you don’t need to ask “is yogurt and granola healthy?” because now you know it meets your expectations for a high-protein, low-sugar jumpstart to the day. Your morning scoop of yogurt contains all the vitamins, proteins, and probiotics to keep a healthy lifestyle fueled. Check out our delicious, small-batch granola flavors to shake up your morning breakfast bowl.