One of my running partners in crime, Kr
istin, takes her food seriously. When she said, “You must try Jessica’s Granola” and then handed me a bag, who was I to argue? I knew it would be good, but I did not know how good, or how good for me, it was! She and her boyfriend order it by the case. She gave me a bag of the Cherry Berry and I was hooked. I emailed Jessica and she graciously offered to send me a bag of each flavor AND send one winner the same! Jessica’s is made is a gluten free facility using non-GMO ingredients. They also donate 5% of profits to these great charities.
I always like to know how small food companies start. Jessica says:
“It all started with my passion for natural foods. As an avid baker with a background in engineering, I love the science of cooking. I enjoy spending my weekends trying new recipe combinations: What if I add a dash of this? What if I reduce that? I always bake with simple, pure ingredients. My aim is to create food that is delicious and healthy, food that I feel good about eating and sharing.
When a close family member discovered he was gluten-intolerant, I began creating new recipes that he could enjoy. Gluten-free granola was top on the list! Each day, I went to my baking area and experimented. I used gluten-free oats. I incorporated ground flaxseed. I added coconut. For sweetness, I mixed in honey, pure vanilla extract and real maple syrup. As a Michigander, I had come to love locally grown dried cherries and made a batch of fabulous Almond Cherry Granola. As a chocoholic, I made my second flavor Chocolate Chip Granola. Now I could eat chocolate for breakfast and not feel guilty! And finally, my pure and simple Vanilla Maple Granola was born. I shared my granola with family and friends, and everyone fell in love. In the spring of 2009, Jessica’s Natural Foods was born.
Great tasting, gluten-free granola made with all-natural, high-quality ingredients is my mission.”
Jessica sent me a package of her granolas to sample. Luckily, the husband was keen to try them, too. I just had to hide how good for him they were – he’s like the kid from the Life Cereal commercial of old. Susie also took a bag of the Motor City Crunch to try. She loved it.
There are six flavors: Chocolate Chip, Pecan Almond, Vanilla Maple, Motor City Crunch, Cherry Berry and Almond Pecan. Nutritional Info is here, too.
- As I mentioned, I let Susie pick a flavor and she picked the Motor City Crunch. It is chocolate hazelnut granola. Susie is a smart lady y’all. She said,” This stuff is amazing. Completely different from the super healthy (and amazing) Tasty Makes and Jolly Oak. What is amazing to me is that this granola is actually NOT bad for you–even though it is chocolate hazelnut. With chocolate chunks. The texture is airy and crispy, not high in sugar, and gluten free. Find it, get it. Eat it. Put it on anything (within reason). Or buy it and send it to me.”
- The husband tested the Almond Cherry and the Vanilla Maple. He informed me that they were both “quite delicious.” But, he wanted me to warn you that the density of the cherries in the Almond Cherry caused them to sink to the bottom, so one serving had too many cherries and the other almost none. Good point, husband. He said that there may have been a warning on the bag, but he didn’t read it. He was too busy gobbling it all up. I asked him which he liked better and he said “it’s like apples and oranges or maybe apples and cherries.” Ha, ha, husband. He also said that he would gladly eat more of either one.
- I ate the Cherry Berry (the one Kristin gave me and I gave the other one away – but I can’t remember to whom! Bad blogger), Chocolate Chip and Almond Pecan. The Chocolate Chip is like a decadent dessert with a good nutritional profile. Please send more – STAT. I will be buying this one for a treat for sure. The Almond Pecan is delish, too. I am a fan of both of these nuts and the granola is surprisingly light and still nutty. This one will become a breakfast staple. The Cherry Berry is also yummy, but it is a bit sweet for me. I am not the biggest cranberry fan, but I do like the dried cherries and blueberries.
I have only one complaint about Jessica’s Natural Foods’ Granola, it is hard to eat only one 1/4 cup serving at a time! That said, a 1/2 cup has a decent nutritional profile, too. So, I went with double servings and enjoyed those. I think a single serving mixed w/GF oatmeal or another cereal or yogurt would hit the spot, too!
You don’t have to take my word for it, Jessica will send one lucky winner one bag of each flavor to try ($41.94 retail value). Use the Rafflecopter below to enter to win a 6 pack of Jessica’s All Natural Gluten Free Granola. Winner must be a US resident, 18 years of age or older and the offer is void where prohibited. The giveaway runs through 11/25. A winner will be selected and notified on 11/26.
If you don’t want to wait, Jessica’s Natural is having a special, buy 6 bags for $41.94 and get 2 free plus $5 shipping on all orders from their website. You can also keep up with Jessica’s Natural on Facebook and Twitter.
Please note: I was not compensated for this post. I was given the granola at no cost in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and those of my friends and husband.