Coconut Granola

This recipe comes to us recommended by Irving Farm in Millerton NY and is included on their menu.

Granola and I have had a love/hate relationship over the years. I hated it when I was younger and it was just some weird health food my mom liked, then I liked it in college when I thought it was a health food. Once I realized that grains and my stomach didn’t get along so well, granola was on the bad list again.

This recipe was created at the request of my kids to eat something besides eggs for breakfast. I wanted it to be nutrient-dense and relatively easy to make. I was originally going for granola bars but the first few tries flopped, so the crumbly result was a perfect cereal.

This isn’t an every-day food, but I don’t mind my kids eating it with raw milk or homemade coconut milk a few times a week…

If you’ve been looking for a healthy “cereal,” this is a good option…

Prep time - 5 minutes Cook time - 20 minutes Total time 25 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups coconut chips (I like these because they are bigger pieces)
1 cup of nuts of choice (I like a mix of cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and pecans)
¼ cup maple syrup OR ¼ cup honey
¼ cup coconut oil
optional: vanilla (1 tsp) , cinnamon (dash) , chia seeds, raisins or other dried fruit of choice (up to ½ cup)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Melt coconut oil, honey and maple syrup in a small saucepan until starting to bubble and simmer.

Add vanilla if using.

In a large bowl, mix the coconut chips and nuts and any optional ingredients if using.

Pour honey/maple syrup/coconut oil mixture over the dry ingredients and mix well. The consistency will vary some depending on the honey, coconut chips, and coconut oil you use. If there is not enough of the honey mixture to lightly coat all of the ingredients, add slightly more melted coconut oil and honey in equal parts.

Spread on a parchment paper lined baking dish.

Bake for 15-20 until starting to brown.

Remove and let cool, then crumble into granola pieces.

Store in an air tight jar and use within two weeks. Serves 4+.