Dark Chocolate “Oreo” Granola w/ Peanut Butter — Perfect for Greek Yogurt or Ice Cream Topping!

I’ve been trying to think of a way to make cereal that doesn’t involve any grains. Or much sugar. And really, this kind of stumped me because low-sugar and no-grain cereal doesn’t sound very good (can it even be called cereal?).

Today I came up with a cross between granola and cereal…and it was chocolate too. My Mom tried it and agreed that it kind of tastes like crushed up Oreos. Except, if you eat a lot of actual Oreos, it probably doesn’t seem as similar as we think it is. Either way—if you like granola, chocolate, and peanut butter, you’ll like this.

Although I’m really excited about this kitchen invention, I’m actually more excited about how well it goes with greek yogurt (that I added peanut butter powder to—it is definitely like dessert for breakfast, except there’s nothing indulgent in it!).

Grain Free “Oreo” Dark Chocolate Granola w/ Peanut Butter

1 cup almonds (I used raw, soaked, dehydrated almonds)
1/4 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1 T cocoa powder (use unsweetened or raw cacao if you’re hardcore!)
1 T cacao nibs (you could probably use chocolate chips instead)
2 droppers full of liquid vanilla stevia or 1-2 Tbsp maple syrup (add more to taste)

Add all ingredients to food processor, and process until well combined and almonds are chopped into tiny pieces. Taste it, and add more sweeteners if you need it! Spread on dehydrator tray and dehydrate for a couple hours at 115 degrees.

I ate this mixed with plain full fat greek yogurt (the yogurt had peanut butter powder and stevia stirred into it—it was amazing!). The crumble mixture was warm and slightly soft right out of the dehydrator…I refrigerated it, and ate more later, and it was awesome that way too.

This would work with milk as cereal or sprinkled on pudding or yogurt. I’ve eaten some plain too…

Side note: Did you know that Oreos are vegan? I’m always surprised when people talk or post about how great it is that things like Oreos or Doritos are vegan. One of the discussions I have with my students is about this—how can we make a realistic judgment about whether it’s a healthier choice to be a “vegetarian” or an “omnivore?”

Generally in the US, who we label as a vegetarian are non-meat-eaters…but it doesn’t mean (to many people) that vegetarians actually eat vegetables.

What is vegetarianism or veganism? Is it the diet centered around veggies or is it the absence of meat and animal products? (That’s what I ask my students). Can you be called a vegetarian and live on Oreos and other cruddy processed junk listed here?

I know there are dictionary definitions of the different ways of eating—but that doesn’t really matter if it’s not what people do in practical application!

What I hope is that students conclude on their own that the most important thing is to choose foods with healthy qualities (most of the time). You may know by now that I’m not a fan of labeling anything—I just like to focus on quality of foods. I’d rather discuss where your meat came from (CAFO or organic free range farm?) than what it is you’re eating.

The more I explore this and learn about quality of foods, the more passionate I feel about it—I don’t care what a person is “labeled” food-wise, but I do care where the food/ingredients come from!