Crispy, crunchy, chewy, slightly sugary, wholesome and flavorful…

Last Tuesday, I was in granola heaven. Sarah and I (the official PG Taste-Testers. Jealous, I know…) tried fabulous granola made by Solange Voss, owner of Gappy’s Granola. Gappy’s Granola has two main granola recipes, Original and Dark Chocolate, which are available as loose granola or convenient bars. Sarah and I tried both :) .

The Original is a hearty recipe of organic rolled oats, almonds, dried cranberries, organic coconut, organic pumpkin seeds, organic golden flax seeds, white sesame seeds, peanut butter, apple cider, brown sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla, cinnamon, and sea salt.

The verdict…
– Sarah: “It is so savory. You can really taste all the unique flavors. The salt is subtle but it complements the almonds and pumpkin seeds. This is my favorite.”

– Me: “Wow, the cranberries really stick out to me in this recipe. They are still juicy and full of flavor. I can taste the vanilla and subtle sweetness of brown sugar and apple cider. It is more of an earthy snack than the chocolate I imagine.”

The Dark Chocolate recipe has the same ingredients as the Original recipe but with a delicious addition of bittersweet chocolate chips (82% cocoa mass, cocoa butter, sugar lethicin, natural vanilla).

The verdict…
– Sarah: “Ohh, this is more of a sweet treat to me. Almost like a dessert snack. I think the cranberries stand out more to me in this recipe. I would put this on ice cream!”

– Me: “O wow, the chocolate is so good. Since the almonds are kept whole for these granola recipes, sometimes I get a bite of a chocolate-covered almond. Soo good, this is my favorite.”


I loved the granola so much that I arranged an interview with Solange to get all the details. I learned that Gappy’s was created out of the necessity to feed her family a healthy snack, breakfast or finger food on-the-go. Solange believes that “necessity is the mother of invention” and that is the creative viewpoint behind her company. Growing up in New Hampshire, Solange’s parents owned their own restaurant that had simple, fresh food and ingredients from their family garden. (I was jealous of this, it is kind of my dream.) This philosophy of eating ‘whole foods’ was important to her when she started her own family and her company.

I asked “Why granola?”: “For me, granola was a hard healthy product to find. When the national financial situation turned the way it did, I still wanted to work but in a field that was valuable to my family. We love granola and we had a family recipe, so I figured why not that? Then things just fell into place; my mother did the logo sketch, my friend printed the labels for me, and it was never about being ‘gourmet’ it was about being real…”

“Who is Gappy?”: “My daughter tried to say ‘Grammy’ when she was learning to speak and it came out ‘Gappy’ and it just stuck.”

“Are you playing around with any other recipes?”: ”Yes, with recipes without honey and brown sugar for people who are affected by diabetes or sugary foods in general. It won’t work for bars because I would be using an apple-cider reduction and the honey is what makes the bars stay in their shape.”


“Have you always been green?”: “I was fortunate to be raised with reverence for the environment. My family was green before it was trendy — living in a rural community, using minimal electricity, no TV. We had animals, we composted, canned, and preserved. Green was second nature to me, and like all green people, I am constantly trying to be more green.”

“What is your favorite of the two main recipes?”: “Oh my gosh, it’s the chocolate! Chocolate is one of nature’s most fabulous gifts and when it is in granola, it’s so good.”

And by the way, Gappy’s Granola can be eaten in more ways than just by the heaping handful. Try the Original over yogurt or cereal or the Dark Chocolate over ice cream. And both would be delicious with just a dash of milk I imagine. To find out where to buy Gappy’s in the MA and NH area, click here… For other parts of the country, order it online here.

Gappy’s doesn’t make a nut-free and sesame-free option that would be safe for people with severe allergies like Susan’s son, but I found a company called Jake Bakes. I haven’t tried any of their products (and it will take a lot to even come close to Gappy’s), but it is nice to know there are options out there.

What are your favorite ways to eat granola? Have you tried Gappy’s? Have you heard of any other nut-free organic options?