My boys recently turned seven and one of their school friends gave them home made granola in a recycled glass jar that he had painted on. I absolutely loved the idea of such a creative, delicious and totally waste free gift and wanted to share it on my blog. The kids requested a chocolaty granola and I felt like something seasonal, with cinnamon and cardamom. After some experimenting we were all happy with the final two flavours of ‘Black Forest chocolate and cherry’ and ‘Apple and cinnamon’. While home made granola is much lower in sugar and saturated fat than store bought brands (as tasty and "hip" as coconut oil is, it is also very high in saturated fat and should be used only occasionally), it’s still a bit of a naughty treat and I use it in moderation as a special topping on our normal porridge or muesli. Turns out a little handful of granola is all it takes to get a couple of sleepy heads excited about breakfast.
What you need:
Black forest chocolate & cherry granola:
100g rolled oats
40g pecans – roughly chopped
30g hazelnuts – roughly chopped
60g dried cherries (alternatively use cranberries) – big ones halved
20g seeds – I use a mix of sunflower and pumpkin seeds
2tbsp unsweetened cacao powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp cinnamon
4tbsp coconut oil – melted
4tbsp maple syrup
Apple & cinnamon granola:
100g rolled oats
40g pecans – roughly chopped
30g pistachios
40g mixed seeds
6-8 dried apricots – cut into small pieces
5 dried apple rings – cut into small pieces
1 tsp cinnamon
¾ tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp salt
4tbsp coconut oil – melted
4tbsp maple syrup
How you do it:
The process is the same for both flavours.
Preheat your oven at fan 150C.
In a bowl mix all the dry ingredients (except the dried fruit).
Pour in the melted coconut oil (microwave for 1min) and the maple syrup and give everything a good stir.
Once the whole mixture is evenly coated with coconut oil and maple syrup spread it onto a lined baking tray.
Make sure not to spread it too loosely, especially if you like your granola to be quite chunky rather than crumbly.
Bake for about 25mins, adding the dried fruit for the last few minutes (gently press it down into the hot granola before returning it to the oven so the fruit pieces stick to the rest).
Leave to cool down completely before breaking it up.
Keep in an airtight jar or container.