Crunchy Granola Clusters with Coconut and Orange

Breakfast can be monotonous and this granola was our answer to that. Changing it up for our taste buds. We came up with our own concoction only after we were unable to find our favorite granola consistently stocked at the store. So one week, when we couldn't find it, we thought 'Why not try this ourselves?' And this recipe here is the result of that.

At the start of this journey, we never thought of making our own granola, it is much more convenient to buy it at the store. Yet, the knowledge gained from choosing to learn how to make something from scratch produces such rewarding results that we could never go back. Homemade granola is really that good.

We knew we loved crunchy clusters, maple, and coconut, so we incorporated that in different ways, tried different oven temperatures, sugar proportions and oils. I tried different dried fruits, and different fruit juices and zests, but in the end we settled on a simple yet vibrant recipe. Our desire is to always inspire you, challenge you in the kitchen and remind you that giving is always better than receiving.We hope this recipe will help start your day by bringing you and your family back to the table!

Share the fruit of your labor with your family and friends as thoughtful gifts. Who wouldn't want to receive homemade granola as a 'Thinking of you' gesture.

Crunchy Granola Clusters with Coconut and Orange

Servings: 6 Time: 50min Difficulty: easy

Serve it on top of yogurt, eat it by the handful, serve it up with some milk, add in some fresh berries and you have yourself a yummy bowl of cereal.

1/2 cup of honey

1/2 cup of refined coconut oil*

1/4 cup of maple syrup

1/2 tsp of salt

1 tsp of cinnamon

1 tbsp of vanilla extract

1 orange, zested (about one tbsp)

1 orange, juiced (about 2-3 tbsp)

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut, packed and toasted

1 cup of raisins

1 cup of pecans, broken **

5 cups of rolled oats

1. Preheat oven to 325 F and place your baking sheet inside the oven to warm.

2. Combine your wet ingredients, spices and orange zest in a large mixing bowl and whisk them together - honey, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, orange zest and juice, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside. (If your coconut oil was solid, your mixture will look lumpy, that is okay.)

3. Heat a skillet over medium heat and toast shredded coconut and raisins until the coconut starts to lightly golden. Remove from the heat and add to the wet ingredients using a spatula to combine. (If your coconut oil was solid, it will now have liquified.)

4. Add in broken pecans and combine.

5. Add in oats and combine until it is all evenly coated. Your granola mixture should look wet and damp, not dripping.

6. Remove the preheated baking sheet from the oven and prepare with parchment paper. Remember your pan is HOT. Spread the granola onto the baking sheet with a spatula and press down firmly. Sprinkle with flaked salt and bake for 40 minutes, turning the pan after 20 minutes.

7. Remove granola from the oven and let it cool down for about an hour.

8. Break up your granola by hand and place it into an airtight container (we use quart size mason jars) and store in a dry, cool place for up to one week.

*Use refined coconut oil here if you can because it has been processed and therefore cooks more like a neutral oil than its counter part, unrefined. Unrefined coconut oil will give you a stronger coconut flavor but not the best quality with high temperatures.

**Break up your pecans by HAND because when you chop them you lose more oil. Also, you want bigger pieces in your granola and not so many crumbly bits.