Coconut Oil Honey Almond Granola

I'm a big granola eater if you didn't already know. I eat it with yogurt, on top of my smoothies, with my oatmeal and by the handful. Sister Kathleen got the whole family hooked on homemade granola. I couldn't tell you the last time I had or bought store-bought granola. She made the yummiest sweet potato granola for a travel treat last weekend that it's times like this I wish she still had her blog so she could post the recipe, maybe a guest post is in order!

I had already finished off my batch at home and was in need of some more to get me through the week. I compiled a few recipes to create this honey almond granola made with coconut oil. It's super crunchy and not too sweet, just perfect if you ask me. 

Coconut Oil Honey Almond Granola
makes 3 cups

Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup slivered almonds
3/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup honey
3 Tbsp. coconut oil (sub 2 Tbsp. olive oil if don't have coconut)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl combine oats, almonds, coconut, salt and cinnamon. In a small microwave safe bowl, melt the honey and coconut oil for 40 seconds. Stir the extracts into the melted coconut oil mixture. (If using olive oil still melt the honey to make it easier to mix in). 

Pour the honey mixture over the oats until it is all coated evenly. Spread out on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in two-20 minute increments, stirring halfway through for a total of 40 minutes. 

Before eating at Jack's Wife Freda in New York I scoured their Instagram and Yelp page to help decide what I wanted to order (I do this with every new restaurant I eat at). Their food is so colorful and pretty it didn't really help narrow it down. I wanted something a little more hearty, but my eyes were struck by their pretty bowl of yogurt with grapefruit and granola. I passed it as my order but made note to recreate at home! I'm on a huge grapefruit kick right now. Bright citrus mixed with creamy yogurt and my crunchy honey almond granola makes for the perfect start to your a.m. 

Annie

Baking with Pumpkin: Like the Typical Girl That I Am

Well it's officially fall and now officially October, so bring on the pumpkin! Pardon me while I fall into the cultural cliche of being a pumpkin, PSL, cozy sweater loving girl. I am very particular with my pumpkin recipes though. None of those pumpkin chocolate chip cookies or two ingredient pumpkin cake recipes. I'm sorry but pumpkin and chocolate do not go together for me. And that two-ingredient cake, I've tried it and it's disgusting. Let me tell you another pumpkin fail I've recently discovered. Pumpkin Spice Candy Corn. Don't even buy them to try for yourself, just pass by and get the original (if you must). Candy Corn is one of those mystery candies to me that I actually think is disgusting, but I eat it anyway at this time of year because it's like, what you're supposed to do. 

As for when I'm baking with pumpkin, I like good rustic pumpkin recipes. First up this season is none other than a granola recipe! We all know us Tucker girls love a good batch of homemade granola and this doesn't fall short! 

Pumpkin Granola adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction
yields 5 cups

Ingredients:
3 and 3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2/3 cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup uncooked quinoa (I used red quinoa and loved how the color looked!)
2 tsps. cinnamon
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/8 tsp. salt
2 egg whites
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted (vegetable or olive oil would work too)
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions: 
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, toss oats, coconut, quinoa, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt together. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites for about 1 minute. Whisk in the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, melted coconut oil (I'm on a coconut oil kick!!) brown sugar, and vanilla until smooth and combined. Pour over the dry and ingredients and mix everything together until it is all moistened (ew, moist, did you all just squirm?). 

Spread onto two baking sheets and bake each batch for 40 minutes. Stir the granola every 10-15 minutes to prevent burning and to create even baking!  Allow granola to cool for 20 minutes on the baking sheets. This will help it get crunchier. I sprinkled a little more cinnamon over the top once it came out of the oven but that is optional.  Store in an airtight container or mason jars for up to 2 weeks. Granola will lose its crunch overtime because of the pumpkin. 

*This isn't a super sweet granola, but that is just how I like it. It has a really authentic and natural pumpkin taste to it!

I have been enjoying mine with plain yogurt and an extra sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice, as a snack and even as a topping for my pumpkin banana smoothies! Have you baked with pumpkin yet this season?

Annie

She's My Cherry Pie

This is a yet another variation of my family's granola recipe. I went for dried cherries and lots of cinnamon which gave it a cherry pie taste (hence the name) and filled the kitchen with the most incredible smells.  

Cherry Pie Granola
yields 4 cups

Ingredients:
3 cups of old fashioned oats
1/2 cup chooped walnuts
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup quinoa, dried, uncooked
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg white, beaten
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup maple syrup or honey

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients, listed first, in a large mixing bowl. Whisk your egg white and other wet ingredients together. Mix into dry.

Spread granola out evenly on a sheet pan with edges. Cook for 45 minutes, stirring and rotating your mixture halfway though.

*keep an eye on it toward the end to make sure your granola doesn’t burn!

More granola recipes include classic granola, crunchy quinoa, big cluster fall granola and vanilla lavender.

Annie

Crunchy Quinoa Granola

My quinoa kick is still going strong. This stuff rocks and is so good for you. Black bean quinoa tacos are on the menu sometime this week! 

I'm a huge granola person, but since my sister started making her own granola I've completely switched over to homemade granola. It's so easy and this way you can control the ingredients and flavor. I used my sister's recipe as a base, but as always adapted it as my own. 

I made it with a few ingredients, partially because it was all I had, and partially because I like it simple so I can add fresh fruit and other flavorings.

All mixed up, ready for the oven

The first batch of granola I made this summer burnt to a crisp, but it was still delicious. 

My quinoa granola came out much better and was baked perfectly.

I prefer plain greek yogurt or vanilla greek yogurt topped with honey, blueberries and my crunchy quinoa granola! 

Crunchy Quinoa Granola
Makes about 7 cups... halved it (yes it has only one egg, but if you whisk it up you can pour half the egg white in)

Ingredients:
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant!)
1 cup unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons vanilla extract ( I like a lot of vanilla)
1/4 cup maple syrup (or more if you prefer a sweeter granola)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg white

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Combine all ingredients but the egg white and, tossing to coat evenly. Whisk the egg white in a small bowl until frothy.

Stir into the granola mixture. Spread it in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. About halfway through, gently stir the granola, carefully turning the granola, breaking it as little as possible. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and onto a cooling rack until cooled.

Store in an airtight container and will stay fresh for a long while!

Annie