Coconutty granola
Okay, seriously? This granola is soooo good. It tastes amazing, it smells like heaven and it's wonderfully easy to make. I like granola but I've been burned by those that either have way too much fat or sugar to be eaten for breakfast or the too-healthy variety which are just a little too raw to be palatable. This is a happy medium, with tons of flavour. What's in it? Oats, chopped walnuts, cinnamon, dessicated coconut, coconut oil, honey and brown sugar. That's it! And how long does it takes? 15-20 minutes tops. Breakfast for the week? Sorted.
Here's the thing about granola. It's addictive. At university, Joe used to ask Alice or Danni to keep his granola locked away so he wouldn't eat it all at once. (This worked until one night Joe came home a little tipsy and kept banging on Alice's door, demanding his granola 😂) I think many of us have a tendency to think you're supposed to eat as much granola as you would cereal - a whole bowl. But if you check the serving size on the back, with its seemingly innocuous number of calories, and actually weigh it out - it's nothing! Granola is usually high in nuts and dried fruits and they're great for you but also pack a lot of a calories. There's this scene in You've Got Mail where Joe Fox takes all the caviar off a dish at a buffet and Kathleen Kelly, outraged, says 'What is that? What are you doing? You're taking all the caviar? That caviar is a garnish!' Well here's the reality: granola is a garnish. As much as you'll want to dive face-first into this cinnamony goodness, prolong the pleasure by using a couple of tablespoons each day to top your yogurt or smoothie bowls instead - the crunch is so satisfying.
And feel free to customise. Swap the walnuts for almonds or pecans or add in some dried blueberries, cranberries or raisins. You could even add some dark chocolate curls - the world is your granola;) Happy breakfasting!
Strawberry smoothie bowl with chia seeds, dessicated coconut and coconutty granola
Coconutty granola
Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup oats (certified gluten-free if necessary)
- 1/3 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons dessicated coconut
- 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon cinnamon
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
In a large dry pan on medium-low heat, lightly toast the walnuts and dessicated coconut for 2 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to toss.
Add the oats, cinnamon, coconut oil, honey and brown sugar and combine well, toasting in the pan for another 1-2 minutes.
Transfer to a large oven-safe dish and bake for 10-12 minutes.
Cool and store in an airtight container for up to one week.
Notes: adjust the amount of cinnamon to your liking.
