Category: Recipes

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Recipes

Pumpkin Truffle Cookies with Pumpkin Patch Granola

pumpkin truffle cookies

Where has the year gone? With October comes cooler weather and beautiful fall foliage. We hope you are able to make the most of fall and Halloween festivities whether it’s going for a hike, enjoying a fall or harvest festival, or checking out a haunted house.  The fall is also a great time to bake up all the things you’ve picked up at the harvest festival, farmer’s market, or your neighborhood grocery store. When you don’t feel like leaving the house, whip up our pumpkin truffle cookies with Pumpkin Patch Granola 😉.  They are a nice treat to usher the smells and tastes of fall to your home. 

Ingredients:

Cookie:

  • 2 cups Little Red Wagon Pumpkin Patch Granola
  • 1 tbsp ground flax
  • 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ cup canned pumpkin
  • ¼ cup creamy almond butter
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Truffle Coating:

  • 4 ounces Greek-style yogurt or vanilla Greek-style yogurt
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 3 cups organic powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla (if using plain Greek-style yogurt)
  • 1/2 tsp gelatin fully dissolved in tbsp of water

Optional:

  • Festive sprinkles

Directions:

  1. Strain yogurt using a fine sieve, coffee filter, or cheesecloth overnight or for at least 6 hours.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F. 
  3. Pulse granola in a blender (nut and cranberry pieces may remain depending on your blender; that’s okay!).
  4. Mix pulsed granola and all other cookie ingredients.
  5. Take a heaping tablespoon, roll into a ball, and continue with the rest of the granola mixture.
  6. Place balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  7. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the ball.
  8. Let the pumpkin truffle cookies cool completely. 
  9. Mix yogurt, cooled butter, and powdered sugar.  Add in fully dissolved gelatin and blend for about two minutes with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy.
  10.  Dip/roll balls into yogurt mixture once they are cool. 
  11.  Line balls onto a tray or dish, add your favorite fall sprinkles (optional, but recommended!), and let cool in the fridge for at least 2 hours. 
  12.  Keep chilled until ready to be enjoyed. 
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Recipes

Best Apple Dumplings with Big Apple Granola

best apple dumplings

September is here and we hope you’re getting to enjoy some beautiful fall weather! September is a great time for apple picking and apple harvest festivals for those lucky enough to have orchards around them. Apple dumplings are a great way to enjoy the spoils of your apple picking efforts either at the orchard or the grocery store. Try our “best apple dumplings” recipe made with Big Apple Granola for a new spin on a classic treat.

Ingredients:

Dumplings:

  • 4 baking apples (we like gala, granny smith, or honey crisp, but this varies based on sweetness/tartness preference)
  • 1 cup Big Apple granola 
  • ¼ cup brown or coconut sugar
  • ¼ cup Greek style yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 package refrigerated pie crust (2 count)

Sauce:

  • 1 cup packed brown or coconut sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • ½ cup butter, cubed

Egg Wash:

  • 1 egg, divided into yolk and white 
  • 1 tablespoon water

Optional Toppings:

  • Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream

Directions:

  1. Preheat Oven to 350°F. 
  2. Butter/grease a 13×9 baking pan.
  3. On a large cutting board or work surface, cut apples in half, peel and core inside. Scoop out middle of apple to accommodate about an 1/8 cup filling.
  4. In a small bowl, mix granola, sugar, yogurt, melted butter, and cinnamon.
  5. Prep egg wash by beating egg white mixture in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, beat and mix egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of water
  6. On work surface/cutting board, open pie crusts and cut each in half.   
  7. Using a pastry brush, coat pie crust halves with the beaten egg white.
  8. Place apple halves on the center of each pie crust section.
  9. Spoon granola filling on top of each apple (it will mound a bit on top of the apple).
  10.  Pull up pie crust sides over the apple/granola mixture and pinch off any excess pie crust. Either fold over crust and pinch to seal or use a fork to gently press seams to seal.
  11.  Place apple dumplings in greased 13×9 pan.
  12.  Using pastry brush to coat the dumplings in egg yolk wash mixture.
  13.  In a medium saucepan, bring sugar, water, and butter to a boil.  Stir to ensure it is well blended.
  14.  Pour sauce over apple dumplings and place pan in the oven
  15.  Bake at 350°F for approximately 50 minutes until the dumplings are golden brown.
  16.  Allow the best apple dumplings to cool slightly and serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.
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Recipes

Easy Banana Cream Pie Recipe with Crunchy Monkey Crust

easy banana cream pie recipe with crunchy monkey granola

Wow, where has the summer gone? August is upon us and, for some kiddos, school will be starting back again soon. We hope you all have had a joyous summer and are ready to get back into your family’s routine. Sometimes we need a little something special to wrap up the end of summer.  Our easy banana cream pie recipe uses Crunchy Monkey granola to make a delicious crumb crust—it’s the perfect late-summer treat. Try it out for those you love!

Ingredients:

Crust:
Filling:
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup corn starch
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 1 ½ cup milk (2% or whole)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons butter
  • Bananas (1 to 2 depending on size)
Topping:
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 banana

 

Directions:

Crust:
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 
  2. In a food processor or high-performance blender, pulse Crunchy Monkey granola until crumbs form.  
  3. In a small bowl, mix granola crumbs, salt, brown sugar, and butter.
  4. Press the crust into a standard pie plate using fingers or something with a flat bottom such as a measuring cup or spatula.
  5. Bake crust at 350°F for 8-10 minutes until edges are golden. Set aside to cool.
Filling:
  1. In a medium saucepan, whisk 5 egg yolks and then add the heavy cream and milk.  Whisk until well blended.
  2. In a small bowl mix the sugar, cornstarch, and salt until blended.
  3. Whisk the sugar mixture into the egg mixture in the saucepan.
  4. Bring the mixture to a simmer while whisking constantly. We like to start on medium-high and then turn the heat down to medium-low when the mixture looks warm (steam coming off or bubbling). If you want to be more cautious, you can leave the temperature on medium-low; it will just take longer for the mixture to warm.
  5.  Once the mixture is simmering, it will start to thicken. Keep whisking to minimize lumps.
  6. Once the mixture reaches a pudding consistency (won’t drip off a spoon), turn off the heat. Move the pan if using an electric burner, and whisk for an additional 2 minutes to work out any clumps. 
  7. Add butter and vanilla and stir to incorporate.
Pie:
  1.  Slice bananas and add to the bottom of the pie crust.
  2.  Cover with half of the pudding mixture.
  3. Add another layer of bananas and cover with the remaining pudding mixture.
  4.  Smooth the top of the pie and cover and allow to cool in the refrigerator for a few hours (preferably overnight). We told you this was an easy banana cream pie recipe! 
Before serving:
  1.  In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, whip heavy cream starting on low speed and increase to medium speed. Add in vanilla and sugar one tablespoon at a time. 
  2.  Increase speed to high and stop once stiff peaks have formed.
  3.  Spread half of the cream on top of the pie.
  4.  Slice additional bananas and layer on top of the whipped cream mixture.
  5.  Put additional whipped cream in a piping bag with the preferred pipping tip. Pipe into a decorative pattern. (If you would rather not pipe, you can dollop the whipped cream to enhance the appearance as well.)

This easy banana cream pie recipe can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge. Sometimes, we even freeze a piece for an extra-hot summer day! 

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Recipes

Magic Bars with Little Red Wagon Original Granola

magic bars with granola

We hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July holiday celebrating our nation’s independence with friends and family.  Backyard cookouts and barbeques are a quintessential part of summer fun and we hope this summer brings you many opportunities to enjoy the company of friends and loved ones. Whether you are hosting or a guest, Magic Bars with Original Granola are easy to pull together to share with a group. This recipe is a twist on a classic recipe and will be gone just like “magic.” Carpe Diem or YOLO—we hope you have a great summer ahead 😊!

Ingredients:

  • 1 bag Original Granola
  • ½ cup butter (1 stick) melted unsalted butter
  • 14 oz (1 can) sweetened condensed milk
  • One cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup butterscotch chips (optional; can be replaced with more semi-sweet chips, another chocolate, or dried fruit)
  • 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.  Spray a 13”x9” baking pan with oil and line with parchment paper.
  • Separate the granola from nuts and fruits. Put nuts and fruits in a separate bowl for later.
  • Pulse granola in a food processer until crumbs form.
  • Mix melted butter and granola crumbs in a bowl.
  • Add crumb mixture to lined 13”x9” baking pan and press to form crust.
  • Pour in sweetened condensed milk and spread across the pan with a spatula.
  • Sprinkle chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, nuts, and raisins evenly across the pan.
  • Cover with sweetened coconut flakes.
  • Using a piece of parchment paper, press to compress layers a bit.
  • Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until edges are golden.
  • Let magic bars cool completely before removing from pan.  Slice into bars and share immediately or store in an airtight container.

Pro tip: Turn these magic bars into an ice cream sandwich by cutting into squares or circles with cookie cutters and adding a scoop of vanilla (or your favorite flavor!) in between. 

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Recipes

Orange Cosmopolitan Smoothie For Hot Summer Days

cosmopolitan smoothie

Summer is upon us and, with it, fun and adventures. And after the strains and pains of 2020, it seems a momentous time to escape the daily grind. We hope this summer provides you many opportunities to cultivate joy whether it’s visiting with friends and family or getting back to traveling. Above all, we hope they’re filled with joy, connection, and fun––and an Orange Cosmopolitan smoothie in hand! 

In North Carolina, we have already hit the 90s and we assume temperatures are climbing where you live as well. Sometimes, you need a refreshing drink to cool off after adventuring or running errands. This Orange Cosmopolitan smoothie requires some planning (unless you have frozen oranges on hand), but is well worth it! The granola adds heartiness to the blend of fruit and milk. Plus, the frozen oranges mean you don’t need ice and you get a stronger citrus flavor. Try this refreshing smoothie on a hot summer day!

Ingredients

  • 4 mandarin oranges or 2 large oranges (frozen) 
  • 1 cup milk of choice (we love this one!)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1/3 cup Cosmopolitan granola*
  • 1 tablespoons honey or your desired sweetener
  • Optional: whipped cream and granola for garnish

Directions

  1. Peel oranges and place them in the container of your choice in the freezer. Leaving it overnight is easiest, but a few hours should be sufficient.
  2. Add frozen oranges and milk into a blender and blend at medium speed.
  3. Add 1 tablespoon of vanilla and honey (or desired sweetener) and blend lightly.
  4. Pour in Cosmo granola and blend at high speed until incorporated.
  5. After that, serve immediately and garnish with additional granola or whipped cream.

*Note: The ability to blend in the cranberries and nuts from the granola will depend on your blender. Avoid adding nuts and cranberries if you think your blender may have a challenging time with those ingredients.

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Recipes

Blackberry-Lemon Granola Cookie Bars

granola cookie bars with lemon drop granola

Summer is almost upon us and, with it, comes warmer weather and more sunshine. Our Lemon Drop granola makes a great summertime treat on its own. But sometimes your sweet tooth just craves a little bit more. We took the lemon and white chocolate combo one step further by combining it with one of our other favorite summer foods…berries! Our blackberry-lemon granola cookie bars combine the trifecta of summer flavors with blackberry, lemon, and white chocolate. They are a little slice of heaven in a bar. Give it a try!

Ingredients 

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • one lemon juiced and zested
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup Lemon Drop granola
  • 6 oz blackberries
  • 1/3 cup white chocolate chips

Directions 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
  2. In a stand mixer, or with an electric hand mixer, cream together butter and brown sugar. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, eggs, and vanilla and beat until smooth.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in thirds and beat until combined.
  4. Fold in granola and blackberries. 
  5. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper. Use a rubber or silicone spatula to spread the mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
  6. Sprinkle the white chocolate chips on top.
  7. Bake for 20-25 minutes. If you want more of a gooey bar, bake until it is just turning golden around the edges. If you want more of a cookie texture, bake for the entire time or until it is more golden.
  8. Allow to cool for 15 minutes. Lift entire parchment paper layer onto cutting board and cut into bars.
  9. Enjoy!

These delicious granola cookie bars can also be frozen to be enjoyed for future snacking!  

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Recipes

Crunchy Monkey Banana Peanut Butter Mug Cake

banana peanut butter mug cake

April can be a month of highs and lows. You may or may not have fallen for an April Fool’s joke. In most of the country, April weather can be cold and rainy one day and shorts and t-shirt weather the next day.  Spring break and Easter festivities were more common this year, or at least more savored. Then those pesky things called taxes have to get filed. With everything April can bring, sometimes you just need a comforting snack that requires minimal effort! Our Crunchy Monkey granola is the go-to comfort food for many. Try our Crunchy Monkey Banana Peanut Butter Mug Cake recipe for a quick and easy treat that hits the spot. Whip it up when you need a little pick me up or just because. 

Ingredients 

 1 tsp maple syrup

½ ripe banana

1 tbsp milk

1 tbsp peanut butter

Egg white

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup Crunchy Monkey granola

Whipped cream for topping (make it non-dairy if you need)

Directions 

  1. Smash ½ a ripe banana in a small bowl with a fork
  2. Add maple syrup, milk, peanut butter, egg white, vanilla, and baking powder into a bowl. Blend thoroughly.
  3. Add Crunchy Monkey granola and mix to incorporate.
  4. Pour into a large microwave-safe mug. Ensure that the mug has plenty of space above the mixture as it will rise quite a bit while cooking.
  5. Cook approximately 2 minutes (watch during the last minute to make sure your mug has enough space for the rising mug cake).  Break up time increment if needed. If the cake still looks wet add 15 seconds at a time until the cake center looks set.
  6. Allow mug cake to cool for a few minutes.
  7. Enjoy with whipped cream topping!

 

This delicious banana peanut butter mug cake is perfect for one! 

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Recipes

Green Oatmeal Raisin Muffins Just in Time for St. Paddy’s

green oatmeal raisin muffins

Spring is nearly here and St. Patrick’s Day is around the corner! We are all ready to move on from the dark, cold days of winter to the warmer, sunnier days of spring.  New Year’s resolutions may have started to get dusty, but we all could use a little more green in our diets.  What better way to get more green in our diets, than by starting the day with a healthy dose of spinach? Our green oatmeal raisin muffins are a simple and delicious way to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into the most important meal of the day.  Try prepping a batch on the weekend to have a healthy breakfast on the go during the week.  You could also bake a batch on St. Paddy’s Day to get a festive start to the day!

 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup flour
  • 5.5 oz (~1.5 cups) Original granola (complete with oats and raisins!)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 cup milk of choice
  • One large banana
  • 4 oz raw baby spinach
  • One egg
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Preheat Oven to 350°F and line 12 muffin wells with baking cups.*
  2. In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients: flour, Original granola, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. With a blender, add milk, banana, spinach, maple syrup, coconut sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Blend until all ingredients are well incorporated.
  4. Add wet mixture to dry mix until just incorporated.
  5. Divide mixture between 12 lined muffin cups.
  6. Bake for 20-22 mins at 350°F until muffins are just browned.
  7. Remove oatmeal raisin muffins from pan when cool enough to handle.  Cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes before enjoying. 

 

*If you have silicone baking cups or a silicone pan, the use of silicone will minimize sticking.  Regular muffin liners will have some sticking to the muffins.

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Recipes

Red Velvet Overnight Oatmeal Recipe for a Valentine’s Treat

red velvet overnight oatmeal recipe

 

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, plan a special start to the day with this red velvet overnight oatmeal recipe. This decadent— but secretly healthy—treat is the perfect blend of creamy coconut, crunchy-chewy mocha granola, and satisfying cocoa. 

Treat yourself, your honey, or your kids to this delicious treat for a hearty breakfast or dessert. 

 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Mocha Granola
  • 1-2 tbsp cocoa 
  • 1 tbsp vanilla
  • ½ cup coconut milk (cream)
  • 4 oz. condensed milk
  • ½ cup cooked beets (canned or Love Beets)
  • Optional toppings: fresh raspberries, whipped cream, baking chocolate

Directions

  1. In a blender, measure and pour ½ cup coconut milk. If you are using canned coconut milk, we recommend adding more of the cream from the top of the can which will create a more mousse-like texture.
  2. Add the condensed milk to the blender. This amount can be adjusted based on your preference for sweetness. If you want it sweeter, add more condensed milk. If you would like it less sweet, add in more of the coconut milk.
  3. Add 1 tbsp vanilla and 1 tbsp cocoa (more if you want it) into the mixture in the blender.
  4. Add approximately ½ cup of beets into the blender mixture. The beets will give you the beautiful red color and add nutrition that isn’t found in food coloring. If you’re worried about the taste, you can go a little lighter on the beets.  
  5. Blend the mixture thoroughly until everything is smooth. Taste and adjust the sweetness, vanilla, and cocoa to your own preference. Re-blend as needed. Note: The beet taste is less prominent once the flavors marry.
  6. Add the Mocha granola into the mixture and stir (don’t blend) well to incorporate. If you like your oatmeal a little thicker, add more granola. If you like your oatmeal a little thinner, add less granola.
  7. Empty the overnight oat mixture into mason jars or ramekins and refrigerate overnight. 
  8. Garnish in the morning with fresh fruit such as raspberries, whipped cream, and/or shaved chocolate.
  9. Enjoy!

 

Makes approximately two 8 oz servings. Red velvet overnight oatmeal recipe scales easily for your household.

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Recipes

Easy Baked Oatmeal Recipe Using Crunchy Monkey Granola

easy baked oatmeal recipe

 

A cold winter morning calls for a warm, hearty breakfast. One that you can enjoy in front of a crackling fireplace with a cup of coffee or tea. Or with your family during a laughter-filled Sunday brunch. If you’ve been craving energy and comfort during the slower winter months, we have the perfect easy baked oatmeal recipe using our Crunchy Monkey Granola. 

Cinnamon, chocolate chips, and bananas come together for the perfect balance of spice and sweetness that the whole family’s sure to love. And the crunch of granola adds a surprising, fun texture. Plus, as a one-bowl recipe, it’s easy enough to enlist the youngest family members to help. 

So curl up on your couch, sip on something warm, and indulge in this delicious breakfast treat.

Ingredients

  • 1 bag Crunchy Monkey Granola
  • 2 cups milk (can use alternative milk like almond)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease an 8×8 baking pan. (We like to use butter, but any cooking spray will do).
  2. In a large bowl, mix together milk, eggs, vanilla, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and maple syrup.
  3. Slowly add a bag of Crunchy Monkey Granola to the wet mixture and stir well.
  4. Pour oatmeal mixture into baking pan and bake for approximately 35 minutes or until edges start to brown slightly.
  5. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes and then serve warm. Optional: serve with a side of greek yogurt or fresh whipped cream and sliced bananas. 

 

Need a quick pick-me-up before shoveling snow or logging onto virtual meetings? Make this easy baked oatmeal recipe on a Sunday for the week ahead. Simply reheat a serving in the oven or microwave and enjoy!