It's always a good time for Granola

Nutty Coconut Granola

Oh, how I love granola.  It’s crunchy, nutty, super easy to make and, with a little imagination, can be used in so many different dishes.  In addition to being a breakfast staple, I like to make an extra sweet variety to use in desserts as well as savoury renditions to be scattered atop salads, fish, or anything else that can use a good “crunch”.  The moral of the story here is that I personally believe granola should be its own food group and be added to pretty much everything.

Here is my take on traditional breakfast granola.  It’s heathy, high in fiber, and oh-so-good on yogurt, with fruit, or just out of hand.

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Granola

Makes about 10 cups

4 cups rolled oats
1 cup cashews
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
¼ cup + 2 tbsp brown sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup ground flax seed
1 tsp salt
½ cup maple syrup
¼ cup + 2 tbsp canola oil
½ cup hot tap water
1 cup dried fruit, optional

Preheat your oven to 300F and lightly grease two half sheet pans.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, cashews, almonds, shredded coconut, brown sugar, flour, flax seed, and salt.  Set the dry ingredients aside.

In a 2 cup glass measuring cup, combine the maple syrup, vegetable oil, and water.  Quickly whisk and pour over the dry ingredients, stirring well.

Divide the granola mixture between the two prepared half sheet pans and spread into an even layer.  Pop into your preheated oven for 45 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking to ensure that your granola is perfectly golden brown all the way through.

Remove the granola from the oven and, if using dried fruit, distribute between the two pans now.  Allow the granola to cool on the sheet pans, break up a bit, and store in an airtight container to enjoy for breakfast or whenever you’re feeling a bit snacky.