Did I ever mention that granola is my favourite breakfast?

Don’t get me wrong, I love my oats SO much but I don’t remember having breakfast without granola. You can eat it on its own, serve it with yoghurt or simply sprinkle it on top of oats and smoothies – plus it’s the perfect breakfast to take travelling or when you stay round friends or family. This is really handy if they’re not 100% clued up on gluten free/Coeliac issues, as you know exactly what is in it!

I think my favourite thing about granola is that the flavour combos are so versatile! Take this cinnamon spiced granola – it’s a pretty simple recipe made with a mixture of oats, hazelnuts, pecans and a hellova lot of cinnamon. But this flavour literally goes with anything. Why don’t you try it on top of an enormous pancake stack? Or how about sprinkled on top of your favourite chocolate smoothie bowl (ie chocolate milkshake!)

It’s delicious on top of pretty much anything.

Healthy granola is pretty much the same as the normal version, but with much less sugar. This, however, means there aren’t as many of those delicious granola clusters which everyone loves. I remember making my first batch of gluten free/healthy granola and thinking there wasn’t enough texture or crunch to it as the normal version. Whereas now I’ve figured how to adapt the recipe to my liking by adding in chunky nuts like pecans and hazelnuts for a textural contrast, but also learning to love the individual crunchy oats as they’re literally the perfect porridge sprinkle!

Once I stepped away from the sugar loaded granola recipes and started experimenting with healthier alternatives, there was a light bulb moment when I realised this new way of eating was never going to be exactly the same as the way I ate before. If you’re in the same boat as I was, then play around with flavours, textures and ingredients until you find the right recipe for you and I promise you won’t miss the sugar-loaded granola you used to eat!

However, if you do want healthy granola with the biggest crunchy clusters, then you need to make my chocolate pumpkin granola – guaranteed AMAZING each time!

Reasons why I love granola;

It’s healthy and more filling than cereal
But just as quick to eat in the morning
You can transport it anywhere
You can make huge batches and it will last for weeks
The flavour combinations are endless
It adds texture to creamy breakfasts like oats and smoothies

INGREDIENTS

200g GF oats
150g hazelnuts
50g pecans
90g buckwheat groats
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
2 tbsp coconut oil
120ml maple syrup
2 tbsp smooth almond butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

RECIPE

1. Preheat your oven to 180C/325F/gas mark 3
2. Place the oats, nuts, buckwheat groats and spices in a bowl, mixing everything together.
3. Heat the coconut oil in a small saucepan until melted, then add in the maple syrup, almond butter and vanilla. Stir until the mixture is fully melted and smooth.
4. Combine the wet and dry mixes together until everything is coated in the cinnamon goodness. Spread the mixture on a baking tray as evenly as possible. Pop into the middle of the oven and bake for 35mins, stirring the mixture every 5-10mins.
5. Remove the granola from the oven and leave to fully cool. Store in an airtight container.

Sophie x