RECIPE | Homemade Granola with Coconut Oil + Maple Syrup

we can dehydrate that!

It has taken me a long time to find a simple granola recipe — one that is easy to make, easily adaptable, and does not use a ton of sweeteners. This recipe is essentially a variation of this one, but hippied up a bit by swapping out the olive oil for organic coconut oil, and adding some chia seeds and a bit of vanilla. I used Grade B pure maple syrup — it’s darker than Grade A, cheaper, and great for baking.When I asked Sly what he would like for me to put in the granola, he said “apples.” Interesting request. I’m usually not a fan of store-bought dried apples — they tend to be slimy, spongy, and lack flavor. Homemade dehydrated apples on the other hand are awesome in granola, and a great way to use up the mealy apples that come in our CSA (I only like raw apples when they are extremely crispy and tart). Once baked, the texture is similar to a crunchy, freeze-dried apple. It adds a really nice level of texture to the mix.

Another great thing about this recipe is that it’s easy to customize according to your tastes. Add more or less nuts/and seeds, add whatever hippie powders you like, remove the wheat germ and use GF oats if you want it to be GF, — make it the way you like it. Granola is so easy to make and SO MUCH CHEAPER AND BETTER than anything we have found at the store. I usually make a big batch at the beginning of the week to nibble on all week long.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups rolled oats (I like Bob’s Red Mill Organic Thick Rolled Oats)
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1  cup of nuts
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds*
1/4 cup chia seeds *
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ* (I buy raw wheat germ and toast it myself in the oven while I’m mixing up the granola)
3T softened coconut oil
1/2 t pure vanilla extract
1/2 t coarse sea salf
1/2 cup high quality pure maple syrup
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1 large egg white
1 1/2 cups dried fruit

*optional items.

DIRECTIONS

– Preheat oven to 300F or 150C
– Combine all ingredients but egg white in a large bowl. Depending on how you like your granola, you can add the dried fruit now or wait until after the granola has cooked. I like to add the fruit at this stage because I like when my dried apples become crispy.
– Mix ingredients in bowl, making sure everything is evenly coated
– Separate the egg white from an egg and beat vigorously until the egg white is foamy. Pour the egg white into the granola mixture and mix well with a spoon
– Spread granola mixture on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If you like clustered granola, make sure to press down really hard and compress the granola as much as possible.
– Bake for 45-55 minutes, flipping over the granola with a spatula (and re-compressing) about half-way through. I also rotate the pan at this point so that the granola bakes evenly.
– When the granola is the right level of toastiness for you, remove from oven and let it cool completely. Once cooled, mix in the dried fruit, if you didn’t already. print recipe