I’ve been on a kick lately to upgrade my breakfast situation, because I’ve felt for awhile that even good-for-you cereals have more added sugar than I’d like. Even my longtime favorite Kashi cereal has 12g of added sugar. Tasty and satisfying in the moment, sure, but I inevitably feel hungry again a couple of hours later.
I’m a massive fan of homemade granola (find my all-time favorite almond granola recipe here), and wanted to explore alternative homemade breakfast cereal recipes that would a) allow me to control the sugar content and b) sustain me until lunch. And I landed on this one: a mixture of toasted whole grains and nuts, with hemp seeds for a bump in protein, a bit of unsweetened cocoa powder for deeper flavor and a jolt of sea salt. Bingo.
At 225 calories, 9g of protein and just under 5g added sugar per 1/2-cup serving, this makes a pretty healthy option for breakfast. The dark chocolate really amps up the enjoyment factor. With a splash of milk and some summer fruit, this may be your healthy breakfast go-to as it is mine.
Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt Muesli Recipe
makes about 9 1/2-cup servings
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon Maldon salt
1/2 cup chopped raw almonds
1/4 cup chopped raw pecans
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4 cup hulled hemp seeds
1/4 cup dried cherries
Place racks in top third and bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F.
Place the oats, wheat germ, cocoa powder, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt on a rimmed baking sheet; toss to combine; and spread into an even layer. Place the almonds, pecans, sunflower seeds and hemp seeds on a second rimmed baking sheet; toss to combine; and spread into an even layer. Transfer both baking sheets to oven, placing oats on top rack and nuts on bottom.
Bake until nuts are fragrant, watching closely to prevent burning, about 8 minutes. Remove nuts from oven. Continue baking oats until lightly toasted, about 12 minutes total. Combine nuts and oats in a bowl and add cherries, toss to combine.
