Homemade Nutty Crunch Granola

Hello friends, and happy September!

Oh my gosh this has been a whirlwind summer. I’m currently sitting on the deck listening to the mariachi radio coming from the apartment building across the alley (seriously), soaking in the last bit of humid summer-y weather here in Chicago where it lasts. I’m more than ready for some fresh crisp fall air but NEVER ready for winter here...so trying to stay present and enjoy the moment!

It’s been a while since I blogged regularly, and I miss it so much. I’m not sure why I haven’t been writing, other than the usual perfectionitis and being distracted with everything happening in life and biz lately. You know, excuses ;)

I owe you a big juicy life update letter and will send it soon I promise! If we aren’t already virtual penpals you can subscribe to my semi-regular newsletter here.

This weekend I was inspired to bake, and decided to make granola. Homemade granola used to be a staple in my kitchen back in my grad school days, and it’s so freaking good and easy to throw together. The only trick is to NOT over-bake, and don’t add dried fruit or chocolate chips to the mix before you bake it. Just don’t. 

The fun part is that you can mix in whatever ingredients you have on hand and make your favorite flavor combos using this basic recipe.

This granola is healthy, but it’s not low calorie...and it’s incredibly addicting. So proceed with caution !

Homemade Nutty Crunch Granola

Inspired by Health magazine

DRY INGREDIENTS

• 2 ½ c old fashioned oats
• 3 c mixed nuts and seeds (I used sliced almonds, walnuts, pecans, chia seeds, and millet. Coconut would also be delicious. This is perfect if you have a lot of nearly empty bags of random baking nuts in your pantry!)
• 1 ½ T cinnamon
• ½ tsp salt

WET INGREDIENTS

• 3 T melted coconut oil
• 1/4 c olive oil
• ½ c maple syrup
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 300*F.

In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients.

In a smaller bowl, whisk wet ingredients until combined

Stir wet into dry until the granola is evenly coated with the syrup/oil mixture.

Spread mixture evenly in 2 large baking sheets and bake 30-40 minutes, stirring and rotating pans every 15 minutes.

Take granola out of the oven and let it cool before transferring into large jars or bowls for storage. It will get crispy and toasty as it cools, so don’t worry if it doesn’t seem “done” when you take it out of the oven!

OPTIONAL: once cool, stir in dried fruit or chocolate chips!

Serve with yogurt, top your smoothie bowl, eat by the handful. I've been loving it on top of a pumpkin spice smoothie bowl, or with frozen cherries and Greek yogurt. NOM!

There are so many flavor combos you could try.

• Almond and dried cherries
• Walnuts and banana chips or apple chips (I'd add the fruit chips after baking)
• Coconut chocolate chip
• Pumpkin spice (instead of cinnamon) and pumpkin seeds

I can't wait to keep experimenting!

MORE GRANOLA RECIPES

Basic Homemade Granola
Apricot Nutty Crunch Granola
 

xo Anna
 

Nutty Apricot Crunch Granola

We’re on day three of daylight savings and these longer afternoons are TOTALLY THROWING OFF my life! I'm a morning bird through and through, and I'd rather have my daylight in the AM (at least until it's warm enough to sit outside and drink wine in the evening...) so it’s been hard for me to adjust. The whole concept of eating dinner while it’s light out just makes me feel really uncomfortable and it’s been a struggle to get dinner ready at a decent hour because I mentally just can’t start cooking until it’s dark, but I did get my food prep in for breakfast this week!

Do you have "trigger foods" that you can't stop eating? Mine are pasta, baked goods, granola, cookie dough, and roasted veggies. I try to avoid them but sometimes you just have to live a little! Or find healthy alternatives like veggies. I’ve been craving granola every time we go to the grocery store but I keep telling myself that it’s cheaper and healthier to make my own. The process of actually making it is easier said than done, but I finally threw together a batch on Sunday and it turned out delicious! Granola is always a fun experiment.

Nutty Apricot Crunch Granola

Serves….I have no idea. Tons.

Dry ingredients
-3 c old fashioned oats
-1 c raw buckwheat groats (Bob’s Red Mill brand, they add a really fun crunch!)
-½ c walnuts
-½ c pecans
-1 c sunflower seeds
-2 tsp cinnamon
-¼ tsp salt
-1 c chopped dried apricots
-½ c unsweetened coconut flakes

Liquid ingredients
-½ c coconut oil (melt in the microwave if solid)
-½ c pure maple syrup
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-½ tsp almond extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 275*. In the biggest bowl you own, combine the dry ingredients EXCEPT apricots and coconut. Melt the coconut oil in the microwave or stove top, add remaining liquid ingredients to oil, and then pour over dry ingredients and combine. Taste for quality control ;)

Spread the granola on a large foil lined rimmed baking sheet, and bake for 45 minutes, stirring once after about 20 minutes.

Add the coconut and apricots and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the granola is brown and the coconut is toasted!

Allow the granola to cool completely before storing in jars or Tupperware containers.

Enjoy with yogurt and fruit, straight out of the jar, with almond milk, over oatmeal, over ice cream, or choose your own adventure! 

(Serving size is probably about ⅓ cup granola….but proceed at your own risk!)

Find my basic homemade granola recipe HERE!

xo Anna

Homemade Kodiak Cakes Protein Pancake Mix

Are you a pancake person or a waffle person?

Waffles are definitely more fun, but I’m a pancake girl through and through. I love the texture of baked goods, and breakfast is hands down my favorite meal of the day.

However, I do NOT love the heavy, weighed down feeling and energy crash I get after eating traditional sugar and carb-laden pancakes. While the Tone It Up protein pancake recipe is a great healthy alternative to satisfy pancake cravings, sometimes it’s not enough and using only brown rice protein powder as a dry ingredient can produce a weird texture. I’ve compromised by making my own protein pancake recipe with the addition of oat flour, but it takes a lot of time in the morning to make a single serving pancake.

Kodiak Cakes pancake mix has been taking over the healthy living scene lately, and I must admit I was intrigued by the concept and convenience of an all natural, whole foods boxed mix. I was THISCLOSE to picking up a box at Target last week, but then I looked at the ingredients list and realized that I already had everything at home! So I decided to save $5 and come up with my own homemade protein pancake mix. And then I proceeded to spend way more than $5 on other Target impulse buys, obviously.

The result: fantastic! Now I can make a larger batch of pancake mix, store it in a Tupperware, and scoop out a single serving whenever I’m in the mood for pancakes for breakfast. I know exactly what ingredients are in my pancakes and they taste amazing. Plus the combination of healthy whole grains, protein, fiber, and healthy fats when I top my pancake with almond butter keeps me full and energized all morning!

Don’t be intimidated by the concept of making your own food. It’s easier than it sounds and friendlier for your grocery budget. Which obviously means you can save your money for other impulse buys...

Homemade Kodiak Cakes Protein Pancake Mix

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients for Pancake Mix

+ ½ c oat flour (grind oatmeal in a blender or food processor)
+ ½ whole wheat flour
+ 5 scoops brown rice protein powder (I use Sunwarrior or Perfect Fit)
+ 1 tsp baking soda
+ ¼ tsp salt
+ 2 tsp cinnamon

Add all ingredients to a tupperware or canister and shake to combine! You can double or triple the recipe to make a larger batch, I imagine the dry mix would keep in your pantry for several weeks.

Directions

For each serving, combine:

+ 1 egg
+ ¼ c milk
+ ½ c pancake mix
+ optional: ½ mashed banana
+ optional: ¼ tsp vanilla extract

Feel free to multiply the ingredients to make multiple servings, to store in the freezer for later or share!

Preheat a skillet until a drop of water sizzles. Coat pan with cooking spray, and pour in your batter to make one giant pancake. You can also make multiple smaller pancakes if you want. Be creative and have fun!

Ready to flip!

Turn heat to medium low, and cook for 3-5 minutes or until bubbles form and the edges look set. Gently flip pancake, cook an additional 2 minutes, and serve!

Perfection! You need to use a big spatula if you're making one giant pancake.

My favorite toppings

+ Plain Greek yogurt sweetened with stevia
+ Fresh fruit, or microwaved frozen berries
+ Almond butter or peanut butter
+ Pure maple syrup

Enjoy!

xo Anna