Energizing Morning Granola

Gluten free

Dairy free

Total time 15 Min

Serves 24

I have always loved cereal! There's something about it that comforts me, leaving me wanting to eat it every morning.  The problem with that is, most cereals are full of ingredients that just aren't good for us.  They are also usually simple in a way that leaves you hungry in an hour or so.  I was introduced to the idea of eating granola as cereal one day when my teacher was talking about how her favorite breakfast was homemade granola, fruit and coconut milk. I tried it immediately and loved it! This feels like a cereal, but you can make it all natural, full of nutritious and energizing ingredients and exactly to your liking.  If cereal isn’t your favorite you can eat it as a snack, on top of yogurt or with fruit salads!

Ingredients:

• 5 cups gluten free rolled oats

• ⅓ cup uncooked quinoa

• ½ cup almonds

• ⅓ cup pistachios

• ⅓ cup pecans or walnuts

• 2 tbsp chia seeds

• ¼ cup flaxseeds

• 1 tbsp cinnamon

• 1 tbsp maca powder

• ½ tsp sea salt

• ½ cup coconut oil

• ⅓ cup raw local honey

In a large bowl mix together the honey and coconut oil.  If either of these are hard you can place the container in a bowl of warm water.  Once the honey and coconut oil are combined add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.   It will feel thick and heavy, but it should.  Line your baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the granola evenly.  You’ll want to use the back of a spoon to press the mixture down and flatten it.  Bake in the oven at 300F for 30-40 Min, until the granola is golden brown.  Once it has finished baking, remove from the oven, but leave it on the tray and allow the granola to cool to room temperature.  Once it has cooled, break it up into large chunks.  You can make this ahead of time and store in an airtight container for several weeks.

NOTES:

When making granola you can use any nut that you prefer, they all work great.  If you don’t have quinoa on hand you can easily leave it out, but I suggest always having it on hand for not only  its nutritional purpose, but also because it is so versatile.  You can use local organic maple syrup instead of honey.

I hope you enjoy using this granola to start you day!