I am totally hooked on making my own granola, it is easy peasy maple syrup squeezy and once you have tasted it you will never purchase a ready made box of the stuff again. I also like it because I am not a big fan of dried fruit in my granola, making it myself means I can tailor it to suit my tastes.
I don't weigh it exactly I just use a mug or an American cup measure.
1 1/2 mugs nuts - pecans, brazil nuts, hazelnuts and almonds all work well, I like to use a mixture
2 mugs porridge oats
1/2 mug mixed seeds - pumpkin & sunflower seeds work well
3 tablespoons coconut oil
3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon or mix it up and use 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon & 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
Preheat the oven to 200C.
You need to pop the nuts into a food processor or blender and pulse them for a few seconds so that they are partly crushed, don't grind them to a powder you need them in nice crunchy pieces.
Pop the nuts, seeds and porridge oats into a large bowl.
Melt the coconut oil, maple syrup (or honey) and spices in a bowl - I do this in the microwave, it only takes about 20-30 seconds. Then add this to the dry ingredients and mix well.
Place the mixture in a large baking tin/tray and spread out. Bake for 20-30 minutes giving it a stir halfway through. Keep an eye on it so that it doesn't burn.
Allow to cool then keep in an airtight container.
Serve with almond milk as a cereal or sprinkle on top of yogurt and fresh fruit. If you want to add in a handful of dried fruit such as sultanas or chopped dried apricots add them in after you have baked it.
