Coconut Granola Recipe

One of the first steps on my real food journey was getting rid of packaged processed breakfast cereal. But once we cleared that out, breakfast was a little more time consuming. I try to do as much as I can ahead of time, but some mornings we still need something quick as the kids are heading off to school. This granola is delicious and full of nutrients, and best of all- quick!

You can make it even more digestible by soaking the oats the night before. Drain in a colander for a few hours, and then proceed with the recipe below. I have had limited success with soaking the oats. If you have a food dehydrator, it makes this process much easier! Without, it can be a little hard to tell just when it's done. You can also lower the temperature on the oven to preserve even more of the nutrients.

Ingredients:

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup crispy walnuts or pecans
1 cup chopped almonds
3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup raisins (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts and coconut.
In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes for even coloring.
Remove from oven. When cooled, add raisins if desired.
Serve with milk or yogurt.

I usually double this recipe because it goes fast around here! If your baking sheets are large, it may take under the recommended time, so be sure to check. You'll know it's done when the shredded coconut starts to turn golden brown.