Coconut & Chia Seed Granola

Breakfast is by far my favorite meal of the day. You can get away with having sweet things like buttermilk pancakes and cinnamon rolls or savory like eggs Benedict or corned beef hash. It satsifies all my cravings. Lately I've had a hankering for granola and sadly I've been sort of lazy to make my own- so I've been spending a fortune buying the premade stuff- which is fine but when its so easy to make- why wouldn't I? So I sucked it up this week and made my own. And I've been pretty much living off of it. It's so good!! Layered with fresh fruit and Greek yogurt. Yes please!! If you want to get on the granola train- try this out and the best part is you can substitute or add in whatever you are craving! It's completely versatile. And delicious. 

Coconut & Chia Seed Granola

Fridge

1/3 cup maple syrup 

Pantry

3 cups rolled oats (not quick cooking) 

1 1/4 cup coconut flakes (unsweetened) 

1/2 cup chia seeds 

1/4 cup red bulgur (uncooked) 

1/4 cup milled flaxseed (uncooked) 

1/3 cup sunflower seed kernels 

1/3 cup light brown sugar 

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon 

1//2 tsp plus 1/4 tsp salt 

1 tbs honey

1/2 tsp vanilla extract 

1/3 cup coconut oil (liquid form) 

1/2 cup raw chopped almonds (optional) 

Tools

2 medium mixing bowls

Baking spatula 

Whisk 

Lined baking tray 

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. 

In one bowl add rolled oats, coconut flakes, chia seeds, bulgur, flaxseeds, sunflower seed, brown sugar, cinnamon, almonds if you're using and 1/4 tsp of salt. Mix well.

In separate bowl add the liquid coconut oil (sometimes you have to warm it in microwave if your house is too cold), vanilla extract, honey, maple syrup and remaining 1/2 tsp of salt. Use whisk to mix well. 

Pour the liquid bowl on top of the dry bowl. Combine well. Pour the granola onto the lined baking tray. Using spatula smooth out until level on baking tray. 

Put into oven and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. If you prefer chunkier granola- do not stir except once half way through baking to ensure even cooking. If you want less chunky granola- stir every 15 minutes. 

Once baked and crispy- remove from oven and allow to cool completely before using. It will continue to dry out while it cools. 

As long as you keep the ratio of dry ingredients the same as the wet ingredients- you can substitute whatever you want. I am not a huge fan of granola with dried fruit but the dried fruit gets added after the baking process. 

I hope this recipe adds joy to your mornings. It's so simple and such a good (and healthy) way to jump start your day!! Xo