I’ll admit it, I’m a huge granola snob constantly on the search for the perfect concoction. When done well, granola is a hearty blend of whole grains and protein. Use it to top yogurt, a smoothie, fruit or eat it cold with your choice of nut milk and you’ve got yourself a nourishing breakfast or snack. Bottle it in mason jars and adorn with pretty ribbon and it makes a festive gift. While I love sunflower seeds and raisins, I’m not such a fan of them in my granola. And the store bought kind can pack a lot of added sugar. Enter homemade granola!
When I was invited to last weekend’s Eggland’s Best Brunch, I wanted to bring something homemade to share with the group, so I decided on granola. The recipe I had went like this:
½ cup slivered almonds
½ cup dried shredded coconut
¼ cup crystallized ginger
¼ cup coconut oil
¼ cup maple syrup
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine all ingredients into a large bowl.
- Spread mixture in a thin layer on a cookie sheet.
- Bake for 5 minutes and then stir with a spatula.
- Bake another 5 minutes and then stir again.
- Keep baking for about 15 minutes total until golden brown all over.
- Eat immediately or cool for about 10 minutes prior to serving.
But when I got into my kitchen, I didn’t have slivered almonds or crystalized ginger. So instead I used chopped walnuts and cinnamon. Great result!
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| Cinnamon Walnut granola |
Feeling confident with my granola, I decided to try another flavor – this time I used slivered almonds (I had since made a trip to the store) and traded out the crystalized ginger for dried cranberries and orange extract. Not bad for a little Saturday morning creativity, I must say 🙂
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| Cranberry Almond Orange granola |
What are your favorite granola flavors?
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