Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. My go-getter. My mood booster. It pretty much sets the intention of the day. So I always take my sweet time to pamper myself with a good, tasty, healthy breakfast, because it is also said to be the most important one of them all. Well, I’m not sure if the whole world is united upon this idea, but I’ll always be here to celebrate a delicious start to any day.
Needless to say, Food for Soul could not start better than with this scrumptiously crunchy homemade granola, presented by my friend, Ildiko Csiki, the curator behind the new foodie zone here on LAUREL. We both considered starting off with a yummy breakfast idea that could get you in the vibe of what’s to come.
Packed with healthy fats and fibers, this granola recipe is a great mix of whole oatmeal grains, seeds, and nuts, mindfully decorated with natural sweeteners and dried fruits, all that could be adjusted to your liking. Even if it’s a bit high on the calory count (basically, all good things in life are), this homemade granola is also loaded with proteins, so that means you’ll reach a good satiety level by eating less, so that’s still a win, right?
You honestly don’t need much to nail this recipe. You might as well put that #bakerhat ‘cause you’re going to feel like a legit kitchen deity after tasting this. (Of course, if you’re at that point in your cooking journey where you’re snapping pictures of your perfectly cooked vegan Wellington*, please bear with us enjoying these little victories for a minute here :)) )
*I literally googled “complicated vegan recipes”, so yeah, moving on.
Anywho, without further ado, heat up your oven, organize your ingredients on the table like a 90s dance is about to go down, set the tunes to accompany you, and let’s get to it.
Crunchy Homemade Granola
Ingredients
The solid part
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup unsweetened corn flakes
- 1 cup coconut flakes
- 1 cup your favorite nuts OR a mix of different kinds: walnuts, cashews, almonds
- ⅓ cup mix of seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, linseeds)
The coating
- ½ cup honey, maple or agave syrup As a rule of thumb, the coating for your granola should be about half sweetener and half oil.
- ½ cup coconut oil, tahini or peanut butter (usually I mix coconut oil with another nut butter for extra flavour)
- 1 pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 140°C.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the coating ingredients and put them in a pan, on low heat, for a few minutes. Stir the mixture until it becomes a thick sauce.
- In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients.
- Add the coating sauce and mix well until everything is well coated.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet and spread it into an even layer.
- Bake for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- The granola is ready when golden-brown and the almonds have toasted a bit — it will still feel wet coming out of the oven but will dry as it cools.
- Cool completely before storing it – preferrably in an airtight container.
Notes
- For a healthy boost, but also flavor, try adding 1 teaspoon of turmeric, a pinch of black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the coating sauce.
- Granola is very versatile, so if you get bored of eating it at breakfast, you can also add it over a scoop of ice cream or eat it next to baked apple slices.
If you try this recipe, we’d love to get your feedback and/or see your photos. Tag us in your stories on Instagram (@laureljournal) and let’s have breakfast together! <3
