Much to my kids’ dismay, we haven’t been down the cereal aisle at our grocery store for a long time. Last week, when I had to buy some cereal to make S’mores Rice Krispies Treats, their little eyes lit up and they got so excited at the thought that maybe I was going to cave and let them buy something. Nope.
We do buy the occasional organic cereal at our local co-op, but it’s a rare treat. Mostly, the girls eat granola in lieu of cereal products, but lately their favorite breakfast is a banana with almond butter and raisins.
My kids are weird. But healthy, so I guess it’s ok.
Since I need my morning granola fix, I decided it was time to start experimenting with recipes and come up with a homemade version that replaces my favorite (expensive) store-bought brand. This recipe has won out as our favorite so far, which is awesome because it’s EASY. Besides toasting the nuts, oats and coconut, it’s just a matter of mixing with honey and baking for a few minutes on a cookie sheet. You can add whatever fruit or mix-ins you like, and you can eat this plain, with milk, or over yogurt.
It’s yum, it’s healthy and holy cow, it’s so simple to make. It makes me really, really happy to have healthy, homemade food in my pantry so this recipe is a winner for sure.
Back to the granola for a second – I forgot to tell you that you can store it in an airtight container just as you would your favorite cereal. Although I make about a weeks worth at a time, I’m sure it would keep for a few weeks and be fine. You can also double this recipe with no problem, just make sure your skillet is big enough to toast six cups of oats at once – if not just toast them in batches.
My favorite way to eat this granola is with a bit of almond milk – which ups the healthy factor a bit and really makes you feel better about chunks of chocolate in your breakfast cereal.
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♥erin
- 1 cup flaked/shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
- ⅓ cup chopped walnuts
- ⅓ cup chopped almonds (whole, slivers or slices are fine)
- 3 cups old fashioned oats
- 3 Tablespoons canola oil
- ½ cup honey
- 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup dried cherries, chopped or whole
- 4 ounces coarsely chopped chocolate (bittersweet or semi-sweet is best)
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F).
- Prepare a large sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicon mat. Set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, toast the coconut until just golden brown. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
- In the same skillet, toast the walnuts and almonds until fragrant and just toasted, about 2 minutes. Pour into a large bowl.
- In the same skillet, toast the oats with the canola oil until they just begin to turn golden brown. Pour into the bowl with the nuts.
- Add the flaxseed, cinnamon and salt, and toss together.
- Pour the honey over the mixture (I like to heat my honey for just about 30 seconds to make it easier to incorporate) and stir to completely combine.
- Pour mixture on to the baking sheet, and allow to bake for 15 or 20 minutes or until golden brown. While baking, gently stir the mixture twice.
- Meanwhile, chop your cherries (if desired) and coarsely chop your chocolate. Set aside.
- Remove mixture from the oven. Add the cherries and coconut to the pan, and toss to combine.
- Press mixture into a thick layer, covering half of your sheet pan. Allow to cool completely.
- Once cool, break granola into large chunks, and toss with chocolate.
- Serve with milk, eat plain as a snack, or serve over yogurt.
- Enjoy!
Chocolate for breakfast … Sign me up! Looks Great 🙂