Category: Recipes

The holiday season is synonymous with baking in our household. Our peppermint brownie recipe brings together familiar flavors and helps usher in the holiday season. These brownies make a great treat to share with family or friends.

The end of the year offers a time of reflection for the year behind us and hopes and plans for the future. We are so happy for the opportunity to bring you our granola and look forward to sharing more with you in the year ahead. We hope this holiday season allows you to rest and spend time with family and friends. We wish you all a Happy New Year ahead!

Ingredients

11/2 sticks of butter (12 tablespoons) of butter at room temp.

1/1/2 cups light brown sugar

21/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon instant coffee

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract (based on preference)

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup chocolate chips

3 eggs 

1 cup cocoa powder

1 cup whole wheat or all-purpose flour

1 cup crushed mocha granola

Instructions

1. Start by creaming your room-temperature butter and sugar. Use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a handheld mixer. Beat until the butter/sugar mixture is light and fluffy. 
2. Add in baking powder, salt, instant coffee, peppermint extract, vanilla extract, and mix until well incorporated.
3. Melt chocolate in a microwave bowl. Heat for 30 seconds and stir. Repeat heating and stirring chocolate in 30-second intervals until chocolate is just melted.
4. Using a rubber spatula, scrape in melted chocolate into batter mixture and mix until incorporated.
5. Slowly add in 3 eggs in three additions separated by scraping the bowl.
6. Add in cocoa powder and flour and mix until just combined.
7. Lastly, add crushed granola and fold batter together using a rubber spatula. 
8. Grease a 9/13 pan with butter and parchment paper and bake brownies at 350 F for 25 minutes or until the edges look baked through and the center is firmly set. A toothpick should come out clean from the edges of the pan and have a few moist crumbs in the center of the pan.
9. Allow the brownies to cool to room temperature.
10. Cut into squares and enjoy! 

Pumpkin is such a popular seasonal ingredient for baking that it’s easy to overlook sweet potatoes. Sweet potato waffles are a delicious way to kick off breakfast or brunch on any fall day.  Bake a few sweet potatoes you have on hand for dinner, or use canned sweet potatoes from the pantry.

Make this recipe with whole wheat flour to boost the fiber, or swap in all-purpose flour to keep picky eaters happy. Give everyone in your household a quick, hearty breakfast that sneaks in this full-flavored vegetable with sweet potato granola waffles.

Ingredients:

•1 large sweet potato baked (swap with canned if you don’t have on hand)
•3 eggs
•1 ½ cup milk (select based on your dietary preference soy, almond, coconut etc.)
•2 tablespoons melted butter
•3 tablespoons light brown sugar
•½ teaspoon salt
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
•1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon
•1 cup whole wheat flour (can swap with all-purpose flour)
•2 teaspoons baking powder
•Warm maple syrup for serving
•Cosmopolitan granola for serving

Instructions:

1. Blend sweet potato in a blender or food processor with eggs, milk, vanilla, butter and all spices until well incorporated.
2. Pour mixture into a bowl and add flour and baking powder. Mix until just combined.
3. Grease the waffle-maker and pour ¾ cup of batter, depending on the size of your waffle-maker.
4. Cook sweet potato waffles until golden brown.
5. Top with Cosmopolitan granola and maple syrup. Enjoy!

It’s officially fall! We hope you are enjoying some beautiful fall foliage and tasting the bounty of the season’s crops. If you’re looking for a snack that combines the flavors of the season with a fun twist, look no further than our pumpkin caramel apple nachos.  This recipe has crisp apple slices arranged like nachos on a plate, drizzled with warm, gooey pumpkin caramel, and topped with pumpkin granola!  It is a great blend of the season’s flavors and makes a fun party snack or dessert. Whether you’re hosting a gathering or just looking for a sweet snack to enjoy while watching your favorite movies, this recipe is sure to impress. Dig in—fall never tasted so good!

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup water
½ cup Pumpkin Patch granola
2-3 apples sliced

Instructions:

1. In a medium heat-safe bowl, place butter, vanilla, and sea salt. Set aside.
2. In a small pot, pour heavy cream and add pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin puree.
3. Heat on low, whisking slowly.
4. In a medium pot, add 1 cup sugar to 1/2 cup water and mix until well incorporated.
5. Warm the sugar mixture on medium heat until the sugar becomes golden brown.
6. Once sugar is a dark golden caramel shade, slowly add the warm heavy cream mixture.
7. This will instantly bubble up. Whisk in the heavy cream as you pour.
8. Cook on low, continuously stirring with a silicone spatula. The caramel will thicken with time.
9. After 5 minutes of additional low cooking, pour this mixture into your bowl with butter, vanilla, and sea salt.
10. Whisk together till combined. If there are any sugar lumps, strain out the lumps while the mixture is thin and hot, and then allow the sauce to cool.
11. Once the caramel is at room temperature, transfer it into a sealable container and refrigerate. Allow the sauce to cool in the fridge for a few hours to 24 hours.
12. When ready to serve, slice apples and fan them out onto a decorative board or plate.
13. Drizzle pumpkin caramel sauce and top with pumpkin granola.
14. Serve immediately and enjoy!

As summer winds down and the weather gets cooler, I love to spend more time baking.  Banana bread is a favorite in our house and it’s a great way to use up any aging bananas you may have on hand.  Our cinnamon swirl banana bread recipe will fill your home with wonderful cinnamon and maple aromas.  Try it today! 

Ingredients

Banana Bread Batter

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups whole wheat or all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 very ripe bananas 
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 cup Crunchy Monkey granola 

Cinnamon swirl

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 3 tablespoons cinnamon

yield: 1 9×5 loaf pan or 14 mini loaves.

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, melt butter.
2. Once melted add sugar, cinnamon, 3 tablespoons maple syrup, and mix until combined.
3. Add in ripe bananas, vanilla, salt, baking soda, and eggs.
4. Mash bananas into wet mixture and mix until well combined.  Use a hand mixer if needed.
5. Add in the flour and mix only until a batter forms.
6. Add in granola last as a garnish. Use your hands to break up bigger chunks as needed.
7. Spray your loaf pan with canola oil or use melted butter. 
8. Add your batter halfway up the pan and then swirl in the cinnamon swirl mixture with a toothpick or plastic straw to ensure every bite in the center will get some.
9. Add in the rest of your batter and swirl the top with more cinnamon swirl batter. 
10. Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes in a standard 9×5 loaf pan. For mini loaves or mini muffins, bake for 10-15 minutes. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean in the center of the loaf. 

Enjoy a slice of your cinnamon swirl banana bread with homemade whip cream on top and a warm drink of choice!

Oatmeal cookie ice cream sandwiches are the perfect afternoon snack as summer winds down and the kids head back to school (or for any sultry summer day in between)! We make our homemade cookies with Mocha granola, but feel free to swap in your family’s favorite Little Red Wagon granola flavor.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon instant coffee (optional)
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup crushed Mocha granola ( or substitute with your favorite flavor)
4 oz uncooked rolled oats

Instructions:

1. Soften butter in the microwave or let sit out to soften.
2. Preheat oven to 340°F.
3. Crush Mocha granola with a food processor or crush it by hand in a Ziploc bag with a rolling pin. Set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, mix softened butter and brown sugar with a spatula or a hand mixer if desired.
5. To the sugar and butter mixture, add eggs, salt, vanilla, cinnamon, baking soda, and honey.
6. Add flour, instant coffee, oats, and granola and mix until just incorporated and a dough forms.
7. Scoop into teaspoon-sized balls and line on a baking sheet
8. Bake for approximately 10 minutes at 340°F or until edges are firm.
9. Once cookies cool, scoop your favorite frozen yogurt or ice cream across one cookie, and sandwich with another cookie.
10. Place cookies in the freezer so they can harden (about a couple of hours).
11. Once frozen, roll the sandwiches in your favorite toppings like nuts, chocolate chips, or even more healthy granola.
12. Enjoy!

Yields 6-8 oatmeal cookie ice cream sandwiches depending on preferred cookie size (12-16 individual cookies)

We hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July and are enjoying your summer! Summer is a great time to break away from the day-to-day, relax, and spend time with family and friends. What better way to spend time with friends or family this summer than a cookout or backyard barbeque?  S’mores and Rice Krispie treats are quintessential treats for summer gatherings. Our S’mores monkey bars blend the best of all worlds into a delicious afternoon snack or after-dinner dessert. So when you are looking for a special treat, try our s’mores monkey bars!  

Ingredients:

• 1 10oz bag mini marshmallows
• 5 cups Crunchy Monkey Granola
• 1 cup Teddy Grahams or crumbled graham crackers
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Parchment paper

Instructions:

1. Line a 8.5”x 8.5” baking pan with parchment paper, butter the parchment paper, and set aside.
2. Crush the Crunchy Monkey Granola lightly with a rolling pin. 
3. Mix crushed granola, Teddy Grahams or graham crackers, 1 cup mini marshmallows, salt and vanilla in a medium bowl. 
4. In a large pot, heat butter over medium heat.
5. As the butter melts, add in the rest of the marshmallows and stir with a wooden spoon until the marshmallows are completely melted.
6. Remove from heat and pour the granola mix into the melted butter and marshmallows.
7. Blend quickly using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until the mixture is evenly incorporated.
8. Spread mixture into the greased 8.5 x 8.5 pan and use parchment or a flat spatula to lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan.
9. Allow mixture to set for approximately 15 minutes.  Lift out parchment paper and cut into squares.
10. Enjoy and store leftover s’mores monkey bars in an air-tight container at room temperature.

We hope the summer weather is treating you well. As schools start letting out for the summer, vacations begin, and the weather starts to warm up we could all use some simplicity in our day. Parfaits, like this Crunchy Monkey Granola Parfait, are a simple treat that can be a quick breakfast, an afternoon snack to cool off from the hot weather, or a light refreshing after-dinner dessert.

A parfait can’t be beaten for its simplicity, but also offers infinite variations to satisfy the pickiest of eaters. You can adjust the protein level, flavor profile, and sweetness level based on the yogurt you choose. Parfaits are also a great opportunity to use in-season fruit or whatever you have in the house. My favorite Little Red Wagon Granola is Crunchy Monkey, so I’ve used it here, but feel free to make the parfait your own using your favorite granola flavor.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup vanilla yogurt
• 1 small banana, sliced, strawberries and blueberries or other fruit of choice
• ½ cup Chunky monkey granola or your favorite Little Red Wagon Granola
• Options: fruit jams or peanut butter

Directions:

• Pull together fresh fruit, your favorite Little Red Wagon Granola and vanilla yogurt.
• Dice fruit of choice into bite size pieces
• In a mason jar or clear glass, spoon half of the yogurt into the bottom of the jar or glass. Top with half of the banana slices and chopped granola. Then, repeat by adding a layer of yogurt then fruit and granola.
• Options: parfaits are versatile, feel free to jazz up the parfait by adding a fruit jam or peanut butter as a part of the layers of the parfait or drizzle on top of the parfait.
• Serve parfait immediately to keep granola crunchy.  If you need to make the parfait ahead, only add granola to the top layer.

I don’t know about where you live, but the weather has certainly gotten warmer for us!  Even if it’s not the official start of summer, Memorial Day weekend always seems to be the informal start of summer.  We hope you have special plans to honor the fallen heroes that have served our country well. If you are looking for a quick and refreshing treat to share with loved ones or friends this holiday weekend, try our cosmopolitan cream puff recipe! The orange cream is particularly refreshing on a warm summer evening and the cosmopolitan granola adds a nice crunch. Whether you are planning to travel or just taking a break from your routine, we hope this summer brings you special memories!

Ingredients:

• 1 package of puff pastry shells or puff pastry sheets
• 2 cups of heavy cream
• ¼ to 1/2 cup of sugar, adjust based on your preference for sweetness
• 2 tsp orange oil or extract
• 1 cup fresh berries such as blueberries or strawberries
• Cosmopolitan granola, chopped for garnish

Instructions:

1. Bake the puff pastry shells or pastry sheets according to the directions on the package. If you are using pastry sheets rather than shells, cut the pastry sheet into 2” squares or circles. To turn your pastry sheet into a shell, lightly score/perforate a circle across the shell. 
2. While the puff pastry is baking, whip together heaving cream, sugar, and orange oil/extract for 5 minutes on high or until stiff peaks form with either a hand mixer or stand mixer.
3. Once the puff pastry is cooled, remove the extra pastry in the center of the shell or sheet to create a well for the cream filling.  
4. Pipe or scoop whipped orange cream into a puff pastry shell or sheet.
5. Garnish with Cosmopolitan granola and fresh fruit.
6. Enjoy!

This cream puff recipe works great as a make-ahead dessert if you store the pastry cream in your fridge and then add it to freshly baked puff pastries the day of.