Strawberry Cacao Crunch #SundaySupper #FLStrawberry

This post is sponsored by Florida Strawberry in conjunction with a social media campaign through Sunday Supper LLC. All opinions are my own.

While spring seems a long ways off in Michigan, I can get a taste of the season with strawberries from Florida. Their season is December through April, and I’ve been seeing lots of delicious looking strawberries (and sales!) popping up in my local grocery stores.

Strawberries on sale at Family Fare

So why not take advantage of the sales and stock up? One easy way to preserve the flavor is to dehydrate them.

How to Dehydrate Strawberries

Rinsed strawberries. So gorgeous!

Rinse and slice strawberries.

Place in a single layer on the trays of the food dehydrator.

Set temperature to 135F to 140F and dehydrate for 7-15 hours or until they test dry. To test for dryness, remove a few slices and let cool. Break in half and check for moisture.It might be pliable but should not be sticky.

When dried, cool for 30-60 minutes and package in airtight containers, loosely.

Over the next 7 to 10 days, shake daily and check for condensation. When they are all dry and conditioned package more tightly for storage (such as in a plastic bag with air removed). Best used within a year.

Strawberry Cacao Crunch

One of the things I love about granola is that it is a tasty and easy way to use up whatever nuts/seeds/flours you have from other projects. For this recipe I decided to use the following ingredients. Feel free to substitute other nuts/seeds depending on what you have on hand. If you don’t have cacao powder, feel free to substitute cocoa powder but you’ll need to double the amount.

I made this right before I left on a trip, and when I came back, my husband had eaten half the container just plain as a snack! “It was delicious,” he said. I guess I’ll have to make some more. I have to agree with him though, it has just a hint of chocolate flavor and the berries are a nice contrast to the sweet maple syrup.

Print

Strawberry Cacao Crunch

Ingredients

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup hemp seed hearts
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup almond meal
• 1 cup coconut flakes
• 2 Tbsp cacao powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 cup dried strawberries

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300F.
2. In large bowl, mix all dry ingredients.
3. Add vanilla and maple syrup, and stir well.
   
4. Spread on cookie sheet and bake 30-60 minutes (depending on how thin the layer is; can also bake this in a 9x13 pan), stirring often. Do not overdry.
   
5. Let cool completely, undisturbed. It will be chunkier if you don’t stir it and let it cool in one hunk.
6. When completely cooled, stir in the dried strawberries. Store for 1-2 weeks in an airtight container in a cool dark place, or freeze for several months.
   
7. Serve over your choice of milk or yogurt.

For more strawberry inspiration, check out these recipes from fellow Sunday Supper bloggers:

{Sunday Supper HTML}

How to Preserve Strawberries

Canning

• Chocolate Strawberry Cream Whoopie Pies by Soulfully Made
• Homemade Strawberry Pie Filling by Flour On My Face
• Strawberry Kiwi Crumb Bars by Pies and Plots
• Strawberry Mint Shrub Drink by My Life Cookbook
• Strawberry-Banana Jam French Toast with Strawberry Butter by Authentically Candace

Dehydrating

• Make-Ahead Quick Oatmeal with Dehydrated Strawberries by Simple and Savory
• Strawberry Basil Chocolate Discs by Desserts Required
• Strawberry Cacao Crunch by Wholistic Woman
• Strawberry Coconut Granola using Dehydrated Strawberries by My Sweet Savings
• Strawberry Marshmallows using Dehydrated Strawberries by Recipes Food and Cooking

Freezing

• Strawberry Banana Acai Bowls by Family Foodie
• Strawberry Chutney Baked Brie by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Strawberry Lemonade Blondies by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Strawberry, Thyme, and Goat Cheese Hand Pies by Casa de Crews

Pickling

• Cod Tacos with Pickled Strawberry Slaw by Caroline’s Cooking
• Herbed Goat Cheese Crostini with Vanilla Pickled Strawberries by Books n’ Cooks
• Pickled Strawberry Cocktail by Sunday Supper Movement
• Quick Pickled Strawberry Salad by Helpful Homemade
• Strawberry Fizz Cocktail by Hardly A Goddess
• Yogurt Parfait with Pickled Strawberries by Renee’s Kitchen Adventures

The Sunday Supper Movement is committed to bringing our readers delicious recipes that encourage them to gather and eat together around the family table. Search for your favorite ingredients on our Sunday Supper website. Also check out the Sunday Supper Pinterest boards for plenty more ideas and inspiration.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Learn more about Florida Strawberries here:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/flastrawberries/

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/flastrawberries/

Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/Flastrawberries/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/FlaStrawberries

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/FLAStrawberrySue/