Fruity Nutty Seedy CBD-Infused Maple Syrup Granola

The Fern Valley Farms Breakfast of Conquerors

We’ve all heard about the so-called breakfast of champions. It’s actually just a clever slogan that General Mills slapped on their Wheaties cereal. That cereal was neither carefully nor scientifically conceived with the idea of increasing the strength and health of its consumers. Rather, its creation came about accidentally as the result of a wheat bran mixture that spilled onto a hot stove! “Wheaties” is certainly a better name than “Burnt Bran” so at least the company gets points for creativity.

On the other hand, everything included in our Fruity Nutty Seedy CBD-Infused Maple Syrup Granola was deliberately added, not accidentally dumped into it or erroneously set on fire. So we feel that it has rightfully earned its moniker, the Breakfast of Conquerors, as it is clearly levels above the burnt bran of so-called champions.

Why Is This Granola So Healthy?

Unlike almost any cereal or breakfast food you purchase in a grocery store, this granola is free of preservatives and other additives typically included in commercial foods. But it isn’t what this granola is missing that makes it so healthy but the combination of ingredients in it that rates this as a healthy and protein-rich breakfast choice.

When you review our ingredient list below you will see that we organized the ingredients into five categories: fruits, grains, nuts, seeds, and sweeteners. Of these, the sweeteners category is the one section more designed to please the palate than to serve the body but you will see the ingredients in this area are few and small in quantity while also being more natural and healthier than processed sweeteners.

Each category brings excellent benefits to the breakfast table for you. Here are just a few reasons why each food group is good for you:

Fruits – a great source of essential vitamins and minerals with high fiber content
Grains – loaded with nutrients such as antioxidants, B vitamins, fiber, and protein
Nuts – contains outstanding sources of fat, fiber, and protein
Seeds – bursts with a variety of plant-based healthy fats, fiber, and minerals
Sweeteners – the main sweetener, maple syrup, is the ultimate plant-based sweetener especially enriched with CBD for this recipe

Every ingredient is a food item you already know; there is no need to add unfamiliar and difficult-to-pronounce preservatives, mainly because this Fruity Nutty Seedy CBD-Infused Maple Syrup Granola is so delicious that it will be gone well before it could even begin to stale.

Ingredients

Normally we list ingredients in the order they are used but for this recipe, we have sorted the ingredients into different food types. As a granola recipe, you are granted much leeway in adding or subtracting ingredients. This categorized list will make it easier for you to identify extra foods you want to include as well as scratch out any ingredients you are missing or don’t want to include.

You may also notice similar measurements for most ingredients, with ¼ cup measures of dried fruits, nuts, and some seeds. There is no hard and fast requirement to adhere to the measurements recommended below; instead, consider it a general and easy-to-remember guideline for creating this delicious granola.

Fruits

¼ cup dried cherries
¼ cup raisins

Grains

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup multigrain hot cereal

Nuts

¼ cup chopped almonds
¼ cup chopped macadamia nuts
¼ cup chopped cashews
¼ cup chopped hazelnuts
¼ cup chopped pecans
¼ cup chopped pistachios
¼ cup shredded coconut

Seeds

¼ cup chia seeds
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon flax seeds
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
1 tablespoon raw white sesame seeds
1 tablespoon toasted black sesame seeds
2 tablespoons shelled hemp seeds (heart only)

Sweeteners

3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
⅓ cup CBD-infused maple syrup
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Directions

In a large bowl, stir together the grains, cinnamon, and all untoasted nuts (add toasted nuts after this mixture is baked). Next, combine the vanilla extract and maple syrup and pour over the cinnamon-spiced grain/nut blend. Stir until well combined. The mixture will be mildly sticky.
Preheat your oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the sweetened grain/nut mixture on top and spread evenly. Sprinkle liberally with raw white sesame seeds. Bake for 10 minutes at 300°F.
While the mixture is baking in the oven, use the same large bowl and add the remaining ingredients: chia seeds, brown sugar, ground flaxseeds, regular flaxseeds, toasted black sesame seeds, shelled hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, shredded coconut, dried fruits, and any nuts not baking in the oven.
After 10 minutes, remove the baked mixture from the oven. Let it cool for about five minutes and then add it to the rest of the ingredients in the original large bowl. Stir until well combined.

Depending upon your appetite, you should get between 4 and 5 bowls of granola from this recipe.

A New Granola Every Day!

Don’t limit yourself to the ingredients you added above! Make each bowlful of this amazing granola unique by adding different fresh fruits with yogurt or milk (dairy or plant-based).

Popular fresh fruits to add include:

Apples – rich in fiber and antioxidants
Apricots – a source of flavonoids that protect against inflammation
Bananas – contains potassium and vitamins B6 and C
Blackberries – offer antimicrobial and soothing properties
Blueberries – high in potassium and vitamin C
Figs – an excellent source of calcium and potassium
Kiwis – full of vitamin C and dietary fiber, along with antioxidants
Mangoes – offers vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants
Nectarines – loaded with vitamins, fibers, minerals, and antioxidants
Peaches – offers vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants
Plums – rich in antioxidants, nutrients, and phytochemicals
Raspberries – contains omega-3 fatty acids, potassium, and manganese
Strawberries – filled with vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants

Another healthy, crunchy, and unique addition is sprouted beans. Some enthusiasts regularly sprout their own beans (often a mixture of different beans) and sprinkle a fresh amount on the top of their bowl before adding yogurt or milk.

Kief It Up!

Of course, we simply must mention one more plant-based seasoning… our very own Fern Valley Farms kief!

You have two options if you want to boost your Breakfast of Conquerors up to the ultimate notch: you can either add a ½ tablespoon of decarboxylated kief to your morning bowl along with your fresh fruits and yogurt/milk or you can sprinkle two or three tablespoons of the kief of your choice over your sticky unbaked mixture before sticking it in the oven. That way, it will decarboxylate while the rest of your mixture is baking itself together.

If you bake the kief, we recommend you increase the timer from 10 to 15 minutes in the oven to assure full decarboxylation. (If you need a primer on decarboxylation, our in-depth guide – Decarboxylation Demystified – will walk you through the process.)

As you can see, the possibilities are endless but the results will generally be the same: an amazing breakfast that lays the foundation for a happy, healthy, and hearty day of life!

The Cannabinoid Calculation

No Fern Valley Farms recipe is considered complete until we help you crunch the numbers so you can determine just how much CBD (or CBG or another cannabinoid you choose) will end up in each bowl.

This recipe calls for ⅓ cup of CBD-infused maple syrup. We have an excellent article that shows you how to infuse CBD into maple syrup using the sous vide cooking method. It also walks you through the calculations necessary to determine the CBD potency of your final concoction, so we will work with that same formula here.

Rather than select the hemp CBD flower strain for a hypothetical estimate of the final amount of CBD that will end up in this delicious granola, here is a list of the approximate CBD content of your CBD-infused maple syrup, based upon different cannabinoid strengths found in the original hemp CBD flower strains:

13% CBD – 586mg per ⅓ cup
14% CBD – 633mg per ⅓ cup
15% CBD – 679mg per ⅓ cup
16% CBD – 724mg per ⅓ cup
17% CBD – 769mg per ⅓ cup
18% CBD – 814mg per ⅓ cup
19% CBD – 860mg per ⅓ cup
20% CBD – 907mg per ⅓ cup

This recipe makes enough for 5 bowls of granola, which would deliver the following quantity of CBD per bowl, based upon various hemp CBD flower strain strengths originally used:

13% CBD – 117mg per bowl
14% CBD – 127mg per bowl
15% CBD – 136mg per bowl
16% CBD – 145mg per bowl
17% CBD – 154mg per bowl
18% CBD – 163mg per bowl
19% CBD – 172mg per bowl
20% CBD – 181mg per bowl

Definitely the granola of conquerors!

Of course, you can easily dial back the strength by infusing less CBD in your maple syrup. In our original article, we use ½ ounce of Hawaiian Haze shake/trim for the infusion process but you can always cut that to ¼ ounce and/or use a hemp CBD flower strain with a lower CBD percentage.

Due to its already high CBD content, there seems to be little need to add kief for extra cannabinoid strength. Having said that, some people do have higher tolerance levels than others and might be inclined to push the cannabinoid envelope with the addition of kief. As always, we advise even those ultimate conquerors to start low and slow with the kief inclusion!

Again, let us emphasize that when making your own edible products containing CBD or other cannabinoids, one should never expect pinpoint-accurate calculations of cannabinoid content unless submitting those products to a qualified professional testing lab. More important than guessing the total cannabinoid count is how one feels after consuming a bowl of this Fruity Nutty Seedy CBD-Infused Maple Syrup Granola. Considering all the nutrients and proteins accompanying the CBD you decide to add, chances are you will feel fantastic and ready to face the toughest challenges imaginable!