I love granola, but since attempting to clean up my diet, I've struggled to find quick and easy meals to add into my diet. I plan for three main meals a day, but being the hangry hippo I am, always need more; two lunches just don't cut it for me!
I've searched high and low for good quality, sugar free but reasonably priced granola to no avail. A small box at a cost of £6, could potentially bankrupt me!
Not wanting to remortgage, I've played around with a few recipes, finding those with coconut oil really don't work (they either seem to come out wet or greasy). After a friend sent me one which almost worked for me, I played around with it, and now have a recipe I couldn't live without, and I'm sharing it with you...
Ingredients
300g Gluten Free Oats
350g Mixed Nuts or Seeds (I use 150g whole almonds, 150g cashews and 50g Brasil nut pieces)
1 Tsp Ground Ginger
1/2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 Whole Apple, cored and grated
60g Honey
Handful Coconut Flakes (optional)
Handful Raisins (optional)
Method
1) Preheat oven to 140c (fan assisted), and line two baking trays with baking paper.
2) Add the oats, nuts, spices, honey and apple to a large bowl and mix thoroughly until the dry ingredients are lightly coated in apple and honey and the mix is even.
3) Split the mixture equally onto both baking trays and place in oven for 10 minutes.
4) After 10 minutes, remove trays and lightly turn the mixture before putting back into oven for a further 10 minutes.
5) Remove from oven and add a handful of coconut flakes to the trays, then gently turn mixture before adding back into oven for a final 10 minutes.
6) Turn oven off, open door but allow the trays to sit in the oven for a further 5-10 minutes before removing completely and allowing to cool.
7) Add the raisins when granola is cool, mix thoroughly and store in an airtight container.
I haven't tested how long this recipe lasts, but providing the mixture is fully dried and cool before storing then I can't see why this shouldn't safely last a couple of weeks.
Play around with the ingredients, if you don't want to use honey, you could always add two grated apples instead or try some Lacuma powder for added sweetness.
I eat way too much of this, but I am super active and need to find extra calories for fuel. Sometimes I'll just add a spoonful on top of some chia pudding to give it some texture, which also works really well.
