crunchy, seedy, honey granola (gf)

I know, I know, you can buy good granola all over. But homemade granola is a beautiful thing. It means you can splurge on quality ingredients and add in exactly what you want (hate figs? sub with dates or apricots!). Homemade also has more crunch, thanks to the ability to roast it to precisely the level you like - for me, that's a warm, sticky, golden brown.

All to say, this granola is worth making. It’s inspired by Amy Chaplin’s Cherry Coconut Granola from “At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen.” My version is filled with puffed rice that gives it a satisfying crunch and airy-ness. It’s also got half-moons of coconut, army green pumpkin seeds that puff up, chewy figs, tart cranberries, good olive oil, drippy honey, and wafts of vanilla and cinnamon. You'll make it again and again, tweaking it to be your own.

crunchy, seedy honey granola (gf)

ingredients:

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats  ½ cup heaped puffed brown rice  ¼ raw pumpkin seeds ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds  ½ cup raw almonds, coarsely chopped  ½ cup coconut flakes  ½ tsp cinnamon  1 tsp vanilla (or 1 inch of vanilla bean scraped)  ¼ cup olive oil  ¼ cup runny honey (I love it with dark buckwheat honey)  ¼ cup chopped dried figs ¼ cup chopped dried cranberries  kosher salt

instructions:

Step 1: preheat oven to 300ºF.

Step 2: In a medium-size bowl, dump in the oats, puffed brown rice, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, and coconut flakes and give it all a stir.  

Step 3: In a small pot on low heat, warm the honey and olive oil. Add in the cinnamon and vanilla, giving it a stir. Tip the warm honey-oil mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Gently mix everything till it's combined and glistening. 

Step 4: Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper and spread out the granola mixture, pressing it down with the back of your spoon, so it's an even layer. Bake for 15 minutes, then take it out, give it all a toss, flatten it back in an even layer, and pop back in for another 15 minutes. Take out again and add in the chopped fruit stirring it through. Pat the granola down again and pop back in one last time to roast for another 10 minutes. Take out and let it cool before transferring to a large jar or container. It will last in a sealed jar for several months.

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