“You can have some of my gra-no-la… ola-ola hey hey hey…some of my gra-no-la…”
I mean, Rihanna is probably now wishing she had sung about granola.
Well, it's been quite a while since the day I intended to dedicate time to posting on Steemit. So, I'm giving it another attempt, because good intentions have been there all along... And why not come back offering a tasty treat?
First thing you should know is that I loathe buying granola. Ok, maybe not loathe… but I rarely buy it. “What the heck is wrong with you??” you wonder. It’s because I cannot control myself around a box of granola. That crunchy texture. The subtle sweetness. Those clusters! As store-bought granola is often a huge sugar trap (seriously, might as well get the lucky charms... the other love of my life), I seek out the healthiest varieties I can find. And if you DO buy quality granola, you know that the cleaner the granola, the deeper you have to dip into your wallet to get that shi** in your life.
The thing is, when I buy a box of granola, I need to eat the entire thing- so the joy doesn't even last. I start off thinking it’ll be different this time… just a sprinkle a-top my yoghurt… just a quick little nibble before the gym. But you guys, why does it have to be so darn tasty?! And let’s face it- healthy granola comes in too-small packages. So before I know it, the entire thing is gone.
As a recovering sugar addict, I choose my sugar splurges carefully. I’d rather enjoy a slice of cake with tea during the week with a friend (and again on the weekend), and if the sun comes out, yes, I’d love some ice cream!
But, I’ve been craving a lot of granola lately. And I’m not one to deprive my body of something it’s so seriously needing, apparently. So I opted for making my own.
Um, and it was darn-frickin’ delicious. Even loverman couldn’t get enough. I thought it would last longer, but it only lasted about three days. I blame myself though- because a bowl of granola swimming in a bit of cashew milk is life. Or any milk, really.
Paleo Granola
1 cup of roughly chopped mixed nuts (or any nut)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup hemp seeds
1/4 cup chia seeds
4 medjool dates, pitted and chopped (optional)
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup raw coconut flakes
- Preheat your oven to 325F/160C and lay some parchment paper on your baking sheet.
- Combine your chopped nuts, sliced almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, dates, and cinnamon into one bowl and stir it up.
- Whisk together the melted coconut oil and maple syrup in a separate bowl.
- Pour your liquid into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix it up really nice until the granola is evenly coated.
- Spread your granola mix out into one layer on the baking sheet and place into oven for 15 minutes.
- Removed granola from oven, add coconut flakes, and mix it all up. Again, spread it out into one layer. (I did this all right on the baking sheet)
- Place granola into the oven for another 15 minutes.
- Remove baking sheet from oven and allow to cool completely.
- Store your granola in an air-tight container and most importantly- E N J O Y !
Happy crunching!