Last weekend I really fancied a bowl of granola!

I’d seen some posh tasty looking ‘healthy granola’ in the health food section of the super market, it was chocolate orange flavour and I wanted it there and then! I was so excited (is that odd?) to get home and try this new snack with a dollop of soy yoghurt as an afternoon treat… but I have to admit I was left a little disappointed. It just didn’t do it for me. I’m not sure if it was the flavour combo, the texture or the fact that maybe it wasn’t as amazing as the packaging would have me believe...plus it was very expensive!

Undeterred, I vowed to make my own. I’m surprised I haven’t done so before now. It is really so simple to make, stores for weeks in the cupboard (as if it would last that long!) and is the perfect snack to nibble on at any time of the day when a bowl of porridge just doesn’t quite have the same appeal. I just love oats in all forms!

My granola is now all but gone and today I made a second batch based on the ‘fruity nutty’ version- my favourite of the two if it had to choose, plus I trialled a healthy chocolate version of my own which will be posted soon no doubt once I've had a chanve to refine it a little more. I’m sure I’ll also be playing around with other flavour combos in coming weeks… I will keep you posted.

For now, here you have two recipes for starters. I ate the first as breakfast and the second as dessert…

Breakfast…a generous handful of the nutty fruity granola topped a bowl of grated apple mixed into soy yoghurt sprinkled with cinnamon.

Dessert…the coconut banana granola had a more tropical trip and was mixed through a bowl of soy yoghurt and mango chunks. Fresh mango would be ideal but I only had frozen chunks at the time which I allowed to defrost before mixing through.

I’d be interested to hear about your own granola experiments as I know so many people already make their own.

Banana coconut granola - Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cup oats
• ½ cup chopped almonds
• 2 tbs each chia seeds/pumpkin seeds/sunflower seeds
• 4 tbs dessicated coconut
• 1 banana- pureed
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 tbs cocout butter- melted
• 2tbs maple syrup or brown rice syrup
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• Pinch salt

Nutty fruity granola - ingredients

• 1 ¼ cup oats
• 2 tbs chia seeds
• 1 cup mix of nuts (I used cashew, walnut and hazelnut)
• 2tbs each of sunflower and pumpkin seeds
• 2tbs ground flax
• 3 tbs apple puree
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbs coconut oil- melted
• 2 tbs maple syrup
• 1 tbs rapadura/palm sugar
• 1 cup dried fruit- optional (I used dates and cranberries) Note: mix into granola once cooled.
• Makes approx. 3 medium bowls each (or two baking sheets)

Method for both: 

Melt coconut butter/oil into other liquid ingredients. Add all dry ingredients and mix through. Spoon onto two lightly greased baking sheets making sure to achieve a thin even layer with some clumpy bits.

Bake at 170C for 10-15 minutes until slightly golden.

Allow to cool fully before storing. Stores in an airtight container in a cupboard for a few weeks.