This decadent cacao cashew cluster granola recipe make for the perfect breakfast or snack! They are delicious served with vanilla coconut yoghurt, fresh berries and a spoonful of peanut butter or as a topping on açai.
What are the health benefits of cacao powder?
Cacao is actually raw chocolate, made by drying Cacao Theobroma beans at low temperatures. The better known product, cocoa, has been through a number of processes, including roasting at high temperatures, before sugar is added to create the chocolate bar, which often contain less than 40% cocoa solids.
The ‘superfood’ status of raw cacao is due largely to its exceptional anti-oxidant rating, meaning it has high propensity to reduce free radicals, thereby protecting cell membranes, reducing inflammation and slowing aging, amongst other benefits.
Cacao also contains substances including anandamide and phenylethylamines, which may improve concentration and are reported to have mood lifting properties, which may be further augmented by the presence of the amino acid, Tryptophan, the precursor to mood stabilising neurotransmitter, serotonin. Other nutrients in cacao include magnesium, essential for cardio-vascular health and energy production; and calcium, required for healthy bones.
Details
10 servings
10 minutes
20-25 minutes
Easy
Print
Ingredients
2 cups organic gf oats
1 cup puffed quinoa
1 1/2 cups cashews
1 cup buckinis
3/4 cup cacao powder
1 tsp vanilla bean powder
1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
1/2 cup organic coconut nectar
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
Directions
- Preheat oven to 170 degrees C.
- Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Then add coconut oil and nectar, mix well.
- Scatter granola over a lined baking tray.
- Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, turning every few minutes.
- Allow to cool completely.
- Break apart into clusters and store in an air-tight glass jar.
