Your Favourite Granola
Too much fruit. Too many nuts. Granola is all about ratios.
I love the idea of granola with yogurt for breakfast or a post-gym snack to tie me over until I figured out my next meal. It seemed so perfect, except for the fact that I struggled to find a crave-worthy variety of granola. After continual complaining and dissatisfaction with grocery-store brands, I decided to overcome the daunting task of making it on my own (with my Aunt's help and wisdom). This was definitely one of my better ideas as I was able to create exactly what I wanted. Although the process did take time, the preparation was minimal and most of the time was spent watching it toast in the oven.
If you like granola, give this recipe a try. I promise it will be your new favourite because you can switch the types of nuts, seeds and fruit for your favourites and make it exactly what you want. I have listed some variations below to inspire you.
Instead of pecans and dates (which I love in the colder months), try chopped walnuts and cranberries
Banana chips and dried blueberries
Raisins with ANYTHING (and try adding a little bit more cinnamon)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 70 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
The Base
8 cups large oat flakes
4 tbsp coconut oil
4 tsp honey
4 tsp ground cinnamon powder
3 tsp ground ginger powder
Nuts and Seeds:
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup sesame seeds
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup pumpkin seeds
Fruit:
1.5 cups chopped dates
1.5 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
Method
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Place the oats in a large mixing bowl.
Heat the coconut oil in a small pot and stir in honey. Once liquefied add ginger and cinnamon. Pour mixture over oats and mix until all the flakes are evenly covered. Transfer oats onto 2 baking sheets and spread evenly. Place in oven until golden brown (about 30-40 minutes) mixing them every 10-15 minutes.
Towards the last 10 minutes the oats are in the oven, place the nuts and seeds on a separate baking tray and bake for approximately 10 minutes until lightly toasted.
Add the fruit to the tray of nuts and bake for another 5 minutes. Be careful not to keep them in too long because the fruit will dry out and harden.
When everything is done in the oven, pour equal amounts of the fruit and nut mixture onto the oats and mix.
Be sure to let the granola completely cool before storing otherwise it will lose its crunch!