I love making granola, because it's a great way for me to make use of lots of things lying around in my pantry. It's also a great way to use your almond meal if you make your own almond milk. Plus, it's a great hearty, healthy snack for road trips. So, with my journey to New Mexico just days away, it was time to make some granola. Here's the recipe: Everything-but-the-Kitchen-Sink Granola
Yields: a little more than 2 quarts
Ingredients:
1 cup coconut oil
1 cup maple syrup (use less if you want it less sweet)
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
6 cups oats
2 cups miscellaneous nuts and seeds (I used slivered almonds, walnut halves, soaked chia, almond meal, sesame seeds, and cashew pieces)
1 cup raisins
1 cup chocolate chips
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small sauce pan over med-low heat melt the coconut oil and stir in maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla extract.
- In a large bowl combine oats, mixed nuts and seeds, and raisins. Stir in granola sauce until evenly coated.
- Spread the granola onto baking sheets about 3/4" high. Bake until lightly browned. About 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The edges will brown faster, so watch them so they don't burn.
- Remove granola from the oven and let cool. Once cool, add your chocolate chips. Patience is important here, I can't tell you how many times I've been impatient and added the chocolate chips to early leading to giant chunks of melted chocolate. Serve with yogurt, or milk, or eat plain. Enjoy!
