Tropical Granola

Happy Wednesday everyone! It’s mid-week, the weekend is in sight! Today we have an easy, healthy and wholesome breakfast treat that tastes better than any shop bought granola you’ve ever had. Some mornings are for muffins, some are for cake (I won’t judge), but most are for something mostly healthy and wholesome. Once you have made this and realise how easy it is you will never go back! You know exactly what is going into it and there’s no added sugar or weird ingredients that shouldn’t be in a breakfast cereal.

It’s the kind of “lazy but tastes like I put a lot of effort into it” recipe that we like around here. Simple, delicious and healthy. I’ve made this several times since I found the recipe I love, it’s become a real favourite in our house even for my non-dried fruit loving husband.

As I mentioned above, one of the best things about this recipe is knowing where everything in it is coming from, and the small list of real ingredients. Most shop bought cereals and granolas contain so many preservatives and additives to make them last longer on the shelf. This granola relies on maple syrup for the sweetness, with no added sugar at all. A little coconut oil helps the oats become deliciously crunchy and crispy, just as a good granola should be. The almond extract, although not essential, really helps to bring out the flavour from the nuts.

Each oat is given a light coating of the mixture, which is just enough to flavour the batch without being overpoweringly sweet.

After that we chop some fruit and let the oven take the strain and before you know it, granola!

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Tropical Granola

Ingredients

300g Rolled Oats
1 cup (140g) Whole Almonds with the skin on
3/4 cup (140g) Maple Syrup
2 Tbsp Coconut Oil (Canola or Vegetable Oil would also work)
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 Tsp Almond Extract
50g Dried Mango*
30g Dried Apple*
40g Dried Apricot*

*All dried fruit is optional and can be swapped for different fruits and different quantities to suit your personal taste.

Steps

1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 150 degrees Celsius. My baking tray is 38cm x 25cm.

2. In a heatproof bowl, put the maple syrup and coconut oil into the microwave for 30 seconds until melted and thin. There should be no solid coconut oil left. You could also heat these ingredients in a saucepan on a low heat until the coconut oil has melted instead of using a microwave.

3. Place the oats and almonds into a large bowl and pour the maple syrup mixture onto the oats. Mix until all the oats are coated and then spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet in an even layer.

4. Place the oats into the oven for 45 minutes. Make sure to open the oven and give the oats a stir every 10-15 minutes to ensure even cooking.

5. While the oats are cooking, chop the dried fruit into small pieces.

6. Once the oats have had 45 minutes in the oven, take the tray out and place on a cooling rack. The mixture will still be a little soft and sticky at this stage but it will harden and go crispy as it cools. Allow to cool fully for around 30 minutes then stir with a spoon or spatula to break it up.

7. Add the dried fruit to the finished oats and store the granola in an airtight jar or container for up to 2 weeks.