When thinking of fall fruits what comes to your mind? I can almost guarantee that strawberries aren’t necessarily atop pick, am I right? I sure know that I don’t often think of strawberries when I’m sourcing inspiration for fall recipes. However, it has recently come to my attention that California strawberries are actually in peak season right now! This is cause to celebrate because I LOVE snacking on delicious, healthy strawberries whenever they are the freshest. California strawberries are an excellent source of Vitamin C, and 8 California strawberries have a source of fiber at just 50 calories.
Aside from snacking on strawberries alone, I wanted to challenge myself to create a fall-inspired recipe using California strawberries, and so I came up with a game plan to dehydrate my California strawberries and use them in a granola. OMG you guys, all I have to say is WOW. This granola, as my mom simply put it, was the best she’s everhad (thanks, mom!). Like, if I were to ever have a cookbook, this recipe would 100% be in it because it is just.that.good. If you’re a granola and fall spice fan, then this is definitely going to be your breakfast and snacking go-to this fall season.
Made with rolled oats, coconut, almonds, and pepitas, which is a pretty standard mix. I then added dehydrated California strawberries, which are basically like little strawberry chips PACKED with strawberry flavour. To top it off, I mixed this granola up with maple syrup and honey and gave it some warm spicy notes thanks to cardamom (my fave), cinnamon, and a hint of nutmeg. The results are a warm, seasonal, yet refreshing (thanks to the strawberries), energy-boosting granola that you will not be able to stop snacking on. Trust me on this.
Aside from this strawberry cardamom granola, which you now know is a must make, there are a ton of other delicious California Strawberry recipes to inspire you over californiastrawberries.com. These Balsamic and Parmesan Strawberry Bites would be perfect for any upcoming holiday gatherings as would this Luxe Strawberry Fizz. There are so many ways to use California strawberries, so I encourage you to check out their website and see how you can incorporate California strawberries into some recipes this season!
Strawberry Cardamom Granola:
Ingredients:
-1-quart dehydrated California strawberries, broken up steps below) (I suggest making the strawberries a day in
advance as they take a long time if you don’t have a dehydrator)
-2 cups rolled oats
-1 cup flaked sweetened coconut
-1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
-1/2 cup sliced almonds
-1/2 cup pepitas
-1/4 cup chia seeds
-1/4 cup hemp hearts
-1/2 cup maple syrup
-1/2 honey
-2/3 cup vegetable oil
-1 1/4 tsp cardamom
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp nutmeg
-pinch of sea salt
Method:
-preheat oven to 300 or 325 depending on how hot your oven gets
-line a baking sheet with parchment paper
-Add all dry ingredients to a bowl, aside from dehydrated California strawberries (oats, flaked coconut, shredded
coconut, sliced almonds, pipits, chia seeds, hemp hearts) and mix well
-Add cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and mix well
-in a bowl, combine maple syrup, honey, and vegetable oil. Microwave for 20 seconds or until honey can easily
incorporate into the mixture.
-pour the liquid over the granola and stir to coat everything
-add granola to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until granola is golden brown. Check
your granola every 5 minutes and toss halfway through cooking
-once cooled, add dehydrated California strawberries to the granola
-mixture can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
For Dehydrated California Strawberries:
-preheat oven to dehydrate setting or the lowest setting on your oven (150 or 175) or use a dehydrator if you have
one.
-line baking sheet with parchment paper
-very thinly slice strawberries and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, making sure they’re not touching.
-bake in the oven for at least 4 hours before peeling the strawberries off the parchment paper (they should easily peel off,
if they don’t dehydrate for a little while longer)
-Discard the parchment paper and place the strawberries back onto the baking sheet to continue to dehydrate. This
took me about 6 more hours.
-Remove dehydrated California strawberries from oven, cool completely and break them up into smaller pieces. You
can do this by placing them into a ziplock bag and simply crunching them up with your hands.
-Mix the dehydrated California strawberries to the cooled granola.
-Enjoy!
This post was proudly brought to you by California Strawberries, however all opinions are my own!
