You should have seen the mess I made yesterday.

Last friday I asked my Facebook page what desserts they would like to see me veganize. I LOVED the responses I got; so many fabulous ideas, tiramisu being the most requested. So I began experimenting. I started with a cashew tiramisu filling which was pretty good, although needed some adjustments. Then I decided to make a gluten-free sponge cake with almond flour and coconut flour. Was not great. Then, just to see how it tasted all together I assembled the cake, soaking each layer in coffee and dusting with cocoa powder.

It was bad. And ugly.

It was an off day. This happened at work some days. Everything I touched I would burn, drop, or somehow destroy. I needed to step away, give myself a break and come back strong the next day.  And so today, rather than the delicious and beautiful tiramisu I hoped to post, I am reposting another recipe from the archives and one of my all time favorite recipes from The Sweet Life.

Dark Chocolate and Cherry Granola

You know what I love about granola? Lots of stuff:

Granola is easy to make
Granola can take on so many different flavors
Granola makes great gifts
Granola makes eating chocolate at breakfast totally permissible

At least with this recipe it does. I don’t know why it took me so long to come up with this, but I’m thinking it’s time for my Berries n’ Cream Baked Oatmeal to move over to make room for Dark Chocolate and Cherry Granola.

Dark Chocolate and Cherry Granola
makes about 8 cups

4 cups rolled oats
2 cups slivered almonds
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup brown sugar
(1) 4 oz chocolate bar
1/2 cup dried cherries

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Prepare 2 baking sheets with wax paper or silicone baking mats.

In a large bowl mix together the oats, almonds, coconut, salt, and cinnamon. In a small pan combine canola oil, agave nectar, and brown sugar, and place over medium heat, stirring often until sugar has melted. Pour over oat mixture and stir well to thoroughly coat.

Evenly spread the granola out on the two baking sheets. Bake for about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile chop the chocolate bar into small pieces. Stir chocolate and cherries into the granola, breaking up the large chunks of granola as you mix.

Store in an air tight container.

I enjoyed my granola this morning as a parfait: vanilla coconut milk yogurt, layered with fresh Bing cherries and topped with dark chocolate granola. It was one satisfying breakfast.

Do you make your own granola? How do you flavor yours?

One of my favorites is my Maple Almond Granola or similar variations. It wasn’t until recently when walking through the aisles at a grocery store when I realized I could put CHOCOLATE in my granola.

You might also like:

Maple Hazelnut Corncakes

Pear Pecan Oat Scones

Baked Pumpkin Maple Donuts

French Toast with Homemade Challah