Healthy Granola

On a typically grey early Autumn day, making a batch of our family's favourite granola was my first task of the day.

Why Granola? It’s so tasty, easy to make, economical and, being able to choose the ingredients I put in, healthy.

Granola has become more popular in recent years, with many health writers recommending its nutritious benefits. Made from a combination of oats (rolled, jumbo or porridge), nuts, seeds, and sweeteners like honey or maple syrup, granola can be a wholesome addition to your diet. However, when looking to purchase some, I quickly realised there are so many different varieties, one more expensive than the next and with an increasing list of ingredients that I didn't recognise. 

As we all do, I started searching on-line for recipes that I could try ... a few over-baked, too sweet and inedible attempts later, I have finally found a recipe that is super easy and tasty!

Method;

1) Cover your dish with a layer of oats. (I find a mixture of jumbo and porridge gives a lovely consistency with some delicious clumps!)

2) Add 3 handfuls of chopped nuts of your choice

3) Add a handful of chopped coconut

4) Add 1 tsp of cinnamon and mix

5) Add 3 Tbs of boiling water and 3 tsp of honey or maple syrup (more or less depending how sweet you'd like it) Spread evenly over the botton of your dish.

6) Place in an oven at 180 degrees and cook for 20-25 mins, stirring around every 10 minutes, so as not to burn 

7) Once cooked/dried to your preference, add any dried fruit - I love a combination of cranberries and raisins. 

8) Enjoy! 

Such a great way to spend a cloudy morning and make my kitchen smell amazing :)