Coconut & cranberry granola

Ohh, the benefits of working from home! Instead of queuing in peak traffic, I get to enjoy my pre-meeting breakfast on my tiny sunny balcony. Not all things are bad in quarantine, when you think outside the box. :)

Growing up, I was never a fan of any kind of granola (or yoghurt for that matter), especially when it involved dried fruit and RAISINS (my lifetime nemesis!). The only cereal I would eat were plain corn flakes and Nesquik’s cocoa puffs. Very exciting, I know. :D Luckily, with time, my taste buds got a bit more sophisticated. When I lived in a student dorm, my Lithuanian friend Monika forwarded me this recipe for making granola at home and it quickly became one of my favorite morning staples.

Now, once in a while, I make a big batch of granola and fill some mason jars so I have it in stock, when I don’t feel like making a big deal out of breakfast. A cup of vegan yoghurt, a handful of this granola and to be even extra, add in some hand picked Danish strawberries. I even took a bag of this granola on our recent camping trip to Iceland, so we could have some crunch with the delicious local Skyr. #takemebacktoIceland

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Ingredients

300 g oats

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 dl maple syrup

1,5 tsp vanilla extract

90 g coconut oil

1 cup toasted unsweetened coconut flakes

1 cup cranberries, roughly chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 175C (350F) with the fan setting on.

In a large bowl, mix together oats, cinnamon and salt (coconut flakes and cranberries will be added in last). Melt coconut oil in the microwave and combine with dry ingredients. Add in maple syrup and vanilla extract.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the oat mixture evenly on the baking sheet and pat it down flat using a spatula. Bake for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown.

Remove toasted oats from the oven and let them cool down to room temperature. Once completely cooled, mix in toasted coconut flakes and chopped cranberries. Store in airtight mason jars or containers.

Note: Any other kind of dried fruit will do, and you can also add in any seeds/nuts you like to the oat mix.

Enjoy! :)

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References:

Find the original recipe from Michelle here.