Ancient Grain Granola Parfaits with Maple Blueberries and Yogurt

Few things are as satisfying as a bowl of wholesome granola, especially when you’ve made it yourself.

Give it a shot. You’ll quickly discover how easy it is to bake a batch and stir in a few of your own ideas.

You’ll be poised for lots of A.M. energy with this whole-grain goodness.

Take it to the next level with a layer of maple blueberries in a classic parfait! 

- SERVES 8

For the granola syrup

½ cup (125 mL) of vegetable oil

½ cup (125 mL) of maple syrup

¼ cup (60 mL) of brown sugar

1 tablespoon (15 mL) of pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon (5 mL) of cinnamon

¼ teaspoon (1 mL) of freshly grated nutmeg

⅛ teaspoon (0.5 mL) of salt

For the granola

2 cups (500 mL) of large-flake rolled oats

½ cup (125 mL) of spelt flakes

½ cup (125 mL) of kamut flakes

½ cup (125 mL) of quinoa flakes

½ cup (125 mL) of soy flakes

½ cup (125 mL) of amaranth

½ cup (125 mL) of millet

¼ cup (60 mL) of chia seeds

¼ cup (60 mL) of freshly ground flaxseeds

2 cups (500 mL) or so of your favourite chopped nuts

2 cups (500 mL) or so of your favourite chopped dried fruit

For the blueberry compote

1 tablespoon (15 mL) of cornstarch

The zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 cups (500 mL) of frozen blueberries

½ cup (125 mL) of maple syrup

For the parfaits

Plain yogurt

Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Turn on your convection fan if you have one. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

To make the granola syrup, in a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. To make the granola, in a large bowl, whisk together the oats, spelt, kamut, quinoa, soy, amaranth, millet, chia seeds, flaxseeds and nuts. Pour the syrup over the grain mixture and stir until evenly coated.

Spread the granola evenly on the baking sheet. If you prefer loose granola, leave as is. If you prefer larger, chunkier pieces, press the works firmly with a spatula or the back of another baking sheet. Bake (stirring once or twice if you like finer pieces) until lightly browned and fragrant, 45 minutes or so. Cool completely on the baking sheet before breaking up into bite-size pieces or crumbling further into finer pieces. Toss in the dried fruit.

Meanwhile, make the blueberry compote. Stir the cornstarch into the lemon juice until dissolved. Stir the cornstarch mixture, lemon zest, blueberries and maple syrup together in a small pot and

bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until thickened. Remove from the heat and cool.

To assemble the parfaits, spoon a thick layer of yogurt into clear jars or glasses. Generously top with layers of blueberry compote and granola. For travel-friendly treats, ¼ cup (60 mL) of yogurt, 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of compote and 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of granola fit perfectly into a ½-cup (125 mL) mason jar. For a more substantial meal, double these amounts into a wide-mouth 1-cup (250 mL) mason jar.