Coconut Almond Granola

I know there are people who don't enjoy breakfast, but I can't pretend to understand what that would be like. It might be my favorite thing I eat all day. My enthusiasm would probably lead one to believe that I'm talking about light fluffy omelets, belgian waffles overflowing with berries and maple syrup, or maybe a huge pile of huevos rancheros. I enjoy all of those things on occasion, but it's a simple joy that gets me out of bed most mornings: oats (oh, and coffee with a huge layer of frothed milk, but that's a story for another day). I happily scoop up oatmeal for breakfast day after day for approximately 8 months out of the year. The other four months, the hot months, I like my oats baked into crunchy granola goodness.

This is my current go-to recipe, but it can be tweaked in a million different ways. You don't have chia seeds? See below for other suggestions. You hate almonds, but love pecans/walnuts/some other nut? Use the nut you enjoy. You don't have coconut oil? Melted butter or another light oil will work just fine. You like your granola to have a little spice? Cinnamon and ginger are tasty additions.

You'll notice that I don't add any dried fruit to this at the end. Here is my reasoning: Dried fruit makes homemade granola soggy if it is unrefrigerated. If you refrigerate the granola with the fruit, the dried fruit gets hard and sticks to your teeth when you eat it. Instead, just add the dried fruit when you fix your morning bowl. It will be perfect every time and you can change the fruits around to suit your whims. In the summer I usually forgo dried fruit altogether and luxuriate in the bounty of peaches, nectarines, and berries on my kitchen counter. Mixing the granola with freshly shredded apple and plain yogurt (a la traditional muesli) is also one of the best breakfasts around.

Coconut Almond Granola

Ingredients:
5 cups rolled oats
2 cups sliced almonds
1.5 cups shredded, unsweetened coconut
1 cup chia seeds (flax seeds, wheat germ, or rinsed and drained quinoa all taste delicious as well)
3/4 cup real maple syrup
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl. Warm the maple syrup and coconut oil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and salt. Pour the maple syrup mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until the oats seem evenly coated.

Spread the mixture across two rimmed baking sheets and bake for about 30 minutes, making sure to stir and rotate the pans every 7-10 minutes. Your kitchen should smell mouthwateringly delicious right about now. Remove the pans from the oven and allow the granola to cool. Since this recipe makes a large batch, you'll want to store the granola in an airtight container in your refrigerator. Or you could get yourself a friendship promotion by doling it out everyone you encounter this weekend.

Enjoy!

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Comments

[miya]

your granola is the best! i can't wait to try this recipe--then i can stop hiding the jars you bring over from jordy...