We hope everyone is safe and healthy. We have noticed that a lot of people have been spending more time in their kitchen's and we decided that we would share a new granola recipe that we tested out!
My close friend, Chef Hannah of @dishingit, made homemade granola last week and since I was running low, I decided to test out her recipe! It was quick and easy, and homemade always tastes so much better than store-bought. I highly recommend trying it out!
Since we are limiting our trips to the grocery store I had to use ingredients that I have in my pantry. All of the substitutions worked out great! I subbed out the vegetable oil for coconut oil, for a healthier option and used honey for our sweetener. My mom is a beekeeper and has hives on the property, so I am fortunate to get honey as local as it comes. A little side note, I always recommend buying honey from a local farmer's market, because according to to the FDA, most store bought honey isn't real honey. It contains additives, and is often watered down. It is a long story and is called honey laundering. If you are looking to read more about this, here is a great article that explains it in more detail: Why You Should Think Twice Before Buying Grocery Store Honey
One of the best things about this recipe is how adaptable it is. You can make this granola with your choice of dried fruits and nuts/seeds. Do you prefer walnuts over pecans? Swap it out! We decided to use dried cranberries, golden raisins, toasted coconut almonds, and pepitas.
To begin, combine oats, nuts, seeds and salt in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk oil and honey and pour over the dry mixture. Next spread the granola evenly onto a prepared baking sheet. Bake at 325°F for 20-25 minutes. Sir every 10 minutes and remove when golden brown.
Toss the dried fruit on the baked granola and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy on a fruit or yogurt or plain as an afternoon snack! We are going to start serving this on our fruit and yogurt parfaits that we serve at our weekend breakfasts. We hope you enjoy the recipe! Be well!
HOMEMADE GRANOLA RECIPE:
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups of old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup chopped toasted coconut almonds
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup pepitas
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup coconut oil
2/3 cup raw honey
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup golden raisins
Method:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
In a small bowl, whisk together oil and honey. Pour over the dry mixture and mix well.
Spread the granola evenly onto prepared baking sheet. Bake 20-25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the entire mixture is medium golden brown.
Toss dried fruit on baked granola and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy!