Here’s the thing about granola:
My mother is the granola queen. She will forever hold the granola crown, and if you ask anyone in the DMV area they will attest that she has been the granola queen at least since I started forming memories. I will never be able to match my mother’s granola talent nor do I ever wish to try. That said, I still wanted to try my hand at the trade and made some really good, simple, crunchy, quick, VEGAN granola that I am totally okay knowing will never be as good as my mother’s recipe.
Ingredients:
Coconut oil
Local maple syrup
Vanilla extract
Ground cinnamon
Minced ginger
Rolled oats
Chia seeds
Almond slices
Seed blend
Coconut flakes
Buckwheat
Dried cranberries
Chopped Medjool dates
Optional: sea salt (I would add this right when the granola is removed from the oven and is still hot! Sea salt can balance the flavors out really well for a nice sweet and salty bite)
What's great about granola is you can add anything you like as long as you are conscious of varying cookings times by ingredient. Play around with it, make a savory version, make it imperfect, but most importantly, make it yummy :)
Directions:
Heat the coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and minced ginger until melted and melded. Meanwhile, combine all dry ingredients except the dried fruit (this will be added post-toast). Once combined, slowly incorporate the coconut oil and syrup mixture until the dry ingredients feel sticky without clumping. In an even layer, transfer to a baking tray and place in the oven at about 250 degrees for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 8-10 minutes. Then, remove from the oven, add a little sea salt if you're feelin it, add the dried fruit, and enjoy!