Hello hello, welcome to another recipe!
Granola is one of those things that I was intimidated by before I realized how easy it is to make. I love a good granola (no raisins, please) with yogurt in the morning, but it’s tricky to find one that’s made with whole ingredients and without too much sugar that isn’t super expensive.
Enter: this recipe.
This is my staple granola, the one I make consistently throughout the year. I adapted it from this recipe a few years ago and have been making my own little tweaks to make it just right for me. The almond-honey-vanilla flavor combo is just delightful, perfectly complimenting whatever fruit is in season, and the addition of the coconut adds another texture that doesn’t overwhelm. A little dash of cinnamon and cardamom make it just interesting enough, I just love it.
Feel free to check out my Pumpkin Pecan Granola too, for the cozy months.
Now, a note about texture. You could easily sub the butter in this recipe for coconut oil (I’ve done it, it works) but you won’t get the same amount of crispiness in your finished product; it’ll be a little more chewy. Also, I like to pack the granola into a little square on the baking sheet, then make sure you break it up really well during the halfway point before packing it back together. This will ensure you have a crunchy granola, but one that also forms those larger clumps of oats. Win-win.
To make this recipe vegan: sub butter for coconut oil, honey for maple syrup, and the egg white with ¼ c nut butter.
Coconut allergy? Just substitute with more nuts, oats, or pumpkin seeds.
Alright, without further ado, here’s the only granola recipe you’ll ever need!
VANILLA ALMOND GRANOLA
INGREDIENTS
-1½ c old fashioned oats
-1 c sliced almonds
-½ c unsweetened coconut, shredded or flaked
-¼ c coconut sugar
-¼ tsp salt
-¼ tsp cinnamon
-optional: a pinch of ground cardamom
-2 tbsp butter, melted
-1 egg white
-¼ c honey (I usually do a little under ¼ cup and it’s plenty sweet)
-1 tsp vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
A note: I’m not a huge fan of dried fruits in my granola, but if you are, just mix some in after baking.
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine the oats, almonds, coconut, coconut sugar, salt and spices.
Whisk the melted butter together with the honey and vanilla, then add in the egg white. Mix until it’s a nice uniform color and everything is incorporated.
Pour the butter mixture over the oat mixture and stir, making sure everything is coated nicely. Spread the granola mix over a parchment-lined baking sheet. I like to press everything down a little, it helps to create bigger pieces of granola once it’s baked. Place the sheet into the oven with the rack on the top third of the oven.
Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and flip the granola. I like to break up some of the little clumpy pieces and rotate everything gently, then press it back together. Bake for another 13 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet. Once cool, feel free to break it up as much as you like, and store in an airtight container.
SERVING:
-Serve over yogurt, chia pudding, smoothie bowls or vanilla ice cream.
-Serve with cold milk of choice like cereal.
-Microwave with almond milk to make a sort of instant oatmeal. Feel free to top with peanut butter, bananas, berries, or whatever fruit is in season.
-Literally eat out of the container as a snack. That’s what Josh does.
If you try this recipe out, please leave a comment to let me know what you think! Until next time, you have a lovely week.