Perfect as a pre-run snack, a parfait-topper or even an I-don’t-even-care dinner  — This is cereal-sly the best granola ever. 

I love cereal. I basically stopped buying it because even the healthiest brands aren’t redeeming enough nutritionally. Enter: super healthy, delicious, naturally sweet granola.

I was inspired to make a lemon poppyseed granola when I saw this recipe on With Love + Food. I made a smaller portion because I was sort of just wingin’ it and didn’t want to waste a ton of food on a mediocre cereal.

Fortunately, this stuff is amazing. Do yourself a favor and double this recipe.

Loaded with chia seeds, hemp seeds, steel cut oats, almonds, freeze dried raspberries, real lemon and just a little bit of raw honey, this granola/cereal is super healthy and delicious.

I tweaked the original recipe by eliminating the coconut oil and half the honey — it’s amazing how the freeze-dried raspberries, the lemon zest and just a little bit of honey provide the just-enough sweetness.

I called Matt and told him alll about my new creation. I went on to talk about how I made up for the lack of sugar, how I didn’t use the oil, how I’ve had 3 bowls already..

“ISN’T THAT SO COOL?!?!”

“Huh? Yes, lemon cereal, sure it’s great.”

I grabbed a handful (or two) before an early morning run and it really fueled me up. Throw some on your yogurt in the morning or in a blueberry smoothie, mix it with dates and press into a bar — endless granola opportunities. Maybe just not like in a sandwich or anything.. I would probably still eat it though. It’s that good!

Lemon Poppy Seed & Dried Raspberry Super Granola 

inspired by With Food + Love

This made just enough for me to get a good 4-6 small servings out of it (with handfuls here and there, of course.) Do yourself a favor and double it.

• 1 + 1/2 cups steel cut raw oats
• 1 + 1/2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/4 cup hemp seeds
• 1/2 cup crushed almonds
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds
• zest of 1 lemon
• juice from 1 lemon*
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup freeze-dried raspberries (or any fruit) — nothing added!
• 1 tsp vanilla exract

Preheat oven to 325°. Combine oats, seeds, vanilla and nuts in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk lemon, zest and honey together until smooth. Add wet to dry ingredients, reserving about 1 tbsp or so of the honey-lemon mix. Spread evenly on parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Spray with oil (I used olive oil — don’t be afraid.) Add remaining honey-lemon mix after 15 minutes and carefully toss on the baking sheet. Place back in oven for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.

I stored mine in a mason jar in the fridge because I didn’t want it to get weird with the fresh lemon juice. It would probably be okay either way but there wasn’t one oat in this granola I wanted to waste.