Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Granola Mom's Favorite Granola

I love coconut oil and attempt to put it into anything and everything. I decided that it was silly to continue to buy granola at the store for a ridiculous price. Thus, I have been making my own about once a week. This is by far my favorite recipe because it is simple and it tastes good. It is easy to modify, my kiddos LOVE it, and my husband devours it (often with a handful of carob chips)!

INGREDIENTS
8 cups quick-cooking oats (I use regular rolled oats)
1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
3/4 cup chopped almonds (or any other type of nut you desire)
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup olive or peanut oil
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup dried cranberries, raisins, or dates

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a large bowl, stir together the oats, coconut and almonds. Divide between two large baking sheets, and spread into an even layer.
Bake for 7 or 8 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly toasted. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then return to the large bowl.

While the oats are toasting, combine the coconut milk, coconut oil, peanut oil, and honey in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until it comes to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in the vanilla. Pour the syrup over the granola in the bowl, and stir until the dry ingredients are fully coated. Divide between the two baking sheets, and spread evenly.
Bake for 8 minutes in the preheated oven, or until fragrant and toasted. Cool in the pans, then mix in the dried cranberries or other dried fruit. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Please note: For every extra cup of ingredients add 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 Tablespoons of honey.

I encourage you to become a fan of coconut oil!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

That sounds like some yummy granola...

Unknown said...

Jodi
That sounds yummy I think I'm going to try this recipe. I love granola and like you hate paying the high price to uy it in the market.

Christina Johnson said...

Will you make this when you come to visit me? You'll have to bring the coconut oil...I am fresh out! ;) We don't have a Wii and I wish we did. Watching Sam bowl was enough to make me nearly wet my pants - so funny! Our friends who were staying with us until their power was restored brought their's along with them. It was a fun way to pass the time while we were "iced" in.

dbrown said...

Just made granola for first time and had with some raw milk...Excellent! Thanks for sharing.

Christina said...

I just made my first batch of granola last week, and am still on the lookout for new recipes for it. The recipe I used substituted most of the oil for unsweetened applesauce. Is there any way to sub some of the oil in this recipe w/ applesauce to cut down on fat content? I, too, love coconut oil, and used coconut oil instead of vegetable oil in the recipe I made (It only called for 1 tbsp of oil and 1/2 cup of applesauce.) Also, I have had a difficult time finding unsweetened flaked coconut. I may have forgotten to try my local health food shop, though. Thanks for posting this recipe! Look forward to trying it soon! :)

Unknown said...

Christina,
Here is a link to where I buy my flakes. Love love love them:http://www.granolamom4god.com/2011/11/we-buy-in-bulk.html

Yea, you could do applesauce . . . but I love this particular fat in the coconut oil. I do all coconut oil now instead of the other oils. My kids are skinny and need some fat! LOL!