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In 2011, I spent a week and a half on an organic farm in Dominica. For breakfast every morning, our hostess served us granola topped with fresh bananas, plantains, passion fruit or mango, flaked coconut and coconut milk, all harvested from nearby trees. I had recently read The Omnivore’s Dilemma, in which Michael Pollan explains the step-by-step process of manufacturing cereal (yuck). And I wanted to reduce my plastic footprint.
So when I returned to the U.S., I stopped eating processed, packaged cereal and started making lots of granola. I had hoped to try toasting this batch in the solar dehydrator I’ve been using, but the weather forecast predicted overcast skies all week. Into the standard oven this granola went.
Ingredients
- 3 cups rolled oats (old fashioned, not quick cook)
- 1/2 cup flaked coconut
- 1/2 cup raw whole almonds
- 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup flax seeds
- 1 large pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup honey, maple syrup or other sweetener (e.g., brown rice syrup, barley malt syrup)
- 1/2 cup raisins
Usually, I don’t measure ingredients and just toss in what I have on hand. So add other seeds and dried fruit as desired. This tastes good with raw sesame seeds, but I didn’t have any. Except for the maple syrup, the ingredients are organic.
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 300º F.
2. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl except for any dried fruit and stir until evenly coated with coconut oil and honey or maple syrup. If the coconut oil is solid (mine had melted due to the warm weather) or you have trouble mixing everything, use your hands to combine the ingredients well.
3. Spread the mixture evenly onto a large baking sheet.
4. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until lightly toasted. Every 10 minutes, stir the granola and turn the baking sheet. If you use coconut, it helps indicate doneness. Once the edges of the coconut have browned, the rest of the granola should be ready. (Note the large toasted piece of coconut to the right of center above.)
5. Allow to cool. Stir in dried fruit. Store in an airtight container. It will probably keep for a couple of weeks, but won’t last that long around here.
Granola
- 3 cups rolled oats (old-fashioned, not quick cook)
- 1/2 cup flaked coconut
- 1/2 cup raw whole almonds
- 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup flax seeds
- Other nuts, seeds and dried fruit as desired
- 1 large pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
- 1/2 cup raisins
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 300º F.
2. Combine all ingredients except dried fruit in a mixing bowl until evenly coated with coconut oil and honey or maple syrup.
3. Spread the mixture evenly onto a large baking sheet.
4. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until lightly toasted. Every 10 minutes, stir the granola and turn the baking sheet.
5. Allow to cool. As you fill up an airtight container with the granola, stir in raisins.
Yum, that looks great! I make mine in the crock pot sometimes too!
Cool! I must try that. How do you do it?
Granolas one of my favourite breakfast option and just fantastic ..
I like it too. I should have made a larger batch 🙂
It looks so delicious! How would you serve it? Is it like having muesli or porridge with milk for breakfast? It would be great if I had access to bulk buys or bulk bins where I live, but alas, no. So I would still be buying lots of plastic packets anyway to make it.Thanks also for the mention of Michael Pollan’s book: I think I will need to hunt down of copy of that to read! 🙂
Thank you. Yes, you serve it like muesli with milk. It’s also good with yogurt and fruit. I plan on putting that in my younger daughter’s lunch from time to time this school year. I’m lucky to have so many bulk bins near me. My older daughter went away to school last year and said I have it easy where I live. She had a difficult time finding plastic-free food.
I love, love, love Michael Pollan. The Omnivore’s Dilemma changed my life. Please let me know if you read it. I’d love to hear what you think. You can also watch his TED Talks. I could go on and on about him 🙂
Yes, I envy anyone who has the luxury of living near bulk bins. Makes me green with envy! Just checked my library, and no The Omnivores Dilemma! Help, not another book to put on the “to buy” list!
Oh no! Is it checked out or does the library not have a copy? I wish I could lend you mine 🙂
I found a granola recipe in The Mother Earth News Almanac that my dad gave me in 1979 and when I went bush in the late 80’s I started experimenting with it. I do pretty much same as you except I leave the dried fruits out of the toasting process and add them once I have the dried oats nuts etc to a colour I like. My youngest daughter likes it barely toasted whereas I like a nice golden colour. cereal in packets just look like rubbish to our family as is so much of the ‘processed ‘ food realm.
happy eating
Sandra
Your dad sounds like a good influence. Yes, I think it’s better to add the fruit at the end. I think I’ll edit the recipe. Thanks for the tip. I agree processed cereal is rubbish as you say. That goes for the food and all the overpackaging. I haven’t done the math, but this probably costs about the same but actually has nutritional value. Happy eating to you too Sandra 🙂
-Anne Marie
Granola makes breakfast extraspl 🙂 can snack it all day
I agree. It’s great to have on hand for snacks 🙂
I like to add chocolate chips or cocoa nibs to mine, would I add this after I bake it? It makes sense that I would, due to it being a hot mess when it comes out, but just wanted to see if you have any experience with this.
Hi Justine,
Yes, stir those in after the granola bakes and cools. Sounds delicious 🙂
~ Anne Marie
Love it with my homemade yogurt. Recycle/no waste tip: I save my mcute little maple syrup bottles all year long, then fill them with homemade khalua for Xmas gifts. Add a little raffia bow on them and good to go.
looks good except for the coconut oil. I do not want to put anything that is more than 90% saturated fat into my body.