Cherry Ripe & Granolas' lovechild

Cherry Ripes are the treat that I miss most from Australia: cherries, coconut and dark chocolate. This isn't that, and it isn't pretending to be. But if supermarket granola had a grown-up cousin, and that cousin had a love child with a Cherry Ripe, this would be it. ​

 SI first started making my own granola when I did the 8-week 'I Quit Sugar' programme in 2018. I started with Sarah Wilson's recipe, and tweaked it from there. This is filled with fibre, good fats, and is satisfyingly crunchy. I added cacao nibs, a few different types of seeds, vanilla, the cherries, (which aren't fructose-free, but they are delicious). See you how go, and tweak it as you like!

Ingredients

• 1 cup oats
• 1 tin of pitted cherries in juice
• 3 tablespoons cherry juice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 tablespoons cacao nibs
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 3 cups coconut flakes
• 2 cups unsalted mixed seeds and nuts (I used a Waitrose pre-mix)
• 3 tablespoons chia seeds
• 3 tablespoons rice malt syrup

METHOD:
1. Preheat oven to 120ºC line a baking tray with baking paper
2. Combine all ingredients EXCEPT THE CHERRIES, then spread evenly on the tray
3. Spread the cherries on their own tray, and let them dehydrate in the oven while the granola does its thing. 
3. Bake for about 30 minutes until golden, keeping an eye on it. It turn mine twice. The longer you cook it, the crunchier it'll be.  The cherries will probably need a bit longer. I leave mine in for about 15 minutes after the granola has come out. Just see, it depends how juicy you want your cherries, but bear in mind that if they're juicy, you'll need to store your granola in the freezer. 
4. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. 
5. Store it in an airtight container, or pop it in a ziplock bag or a jar in the freezer (if your cherries are still juicy, you'll have to store it in the freezer!). ​​​

Let me know what you think, and tag us in your pictures.