Homemade Granola

So many of you have asked for this recipe but I have only just got round to writing it.

I am sure that you can relate but it's no secret that I like nice things, however sometimes when you have blown your budget- in my case on decorating our hallway ( hand designed wallpaper doesn't come cheap you know) there is only one thing you can do...

I have a pretty well stocked larder. I call it a larder- I wish I had a walk in pantry but alas, we have a relatively new (not quite to our taste) kitchen and it has a pull out larder that I have stuffed to bursting with dry beans and lentils, pasta, rice and spices, as well as baking ingredients, seeds and dried fruit, in my constant pursuit of sneaking some healthy sources of fibre in to our families diet.

On this sad day of being unable to justify spending £3 on a tiny bag of Gluten free Granola mid week, I rooted through the cupboards and discovered that I had all of the ingredients to knock up a batch of my own toasted oats.

This is so delicious that you may stop buying your own. What is so great about this recipe is knowing exactly what goes in to it and also the added bonus of no nasty preservatives.

 

Did you know that oats themselves are naturally gluten free but due to their preparation methods, they are often contaminated with wheat, therefore if you follow a gluten free diet or are ceoliac like myself, it is important that you purchase oats which are labelled gluten free.

 

All you need is your oats of choice- I used Gluten free rolled oats and a few other simple ingredients that you may already have on hand. 

Ingredients:

3 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tbsp dark brown sugar

1 cup mixed nuts and seeds such as flaked almonds, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, chia seeds etc chopped

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup dried fruit such as raisins, dried cranberries, cut up dried apricots, dates etc.

 

Method:

3. In a microwavable bowl place the coconut oil, maple syrup and brown sugar and microwave for 30 seconds. Give the mixture a stir and repeat until the mixture is melted.

4. Add your chopped nuts to the bowl of oats, along with the salt and the cinnomon. Do not miss out the salt. I know it sounds strange but the salt will really enhance the sweet flavours of the finished granola.

5. Pour the coconut oil mixture on to the dry oats and nuts and mix until the oats are all combined.

6. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and tip the oat mixture on to it, using a spoon or spatular to spread out evenly.

7. Bake for 10 minutes and then turn the oats over, once again using a spoon or spatula to evenly spread it out.

8. Repeat this process for another 20 minutes, turning the oats over again half way.

9. Remove the toasted oats from the oven and throw in your dried fruits, mixing it up so it is well combined. If you decide to use dates and they are a little sticky, you can throw them in to the oven for the final 10 minutes of cooking.

10. Leave to cool completely. Once cool feel free to add anything else you might like, such as coconut, dried banana chips or chocolate chips. I have also been known to add a couple of heaped spoons of milled flaxseed for an extra hit of fibre.

11. Tip in to a pretty flip top kilner jar and keep out of direct sunlight.

12. Serve with greek yogurt and berries for a healthy and filling breakfast.

 

If you give this recipe a go, I would love to know what you think.

If you would like to know more about our colourful kitchen accessories, which makes the whole baking experience a little more enjoyable, you will find our best selling pink palm print here.

 

Lots of Love,

 

Maya