Early mornings. School runs. New friends, new teachers and a ton of stories on the way home every day. New bags, books and stationary that are so interesting at least for now :) New challenges to meet, worries to calm, failures and successes, friends and enemies, heartbreaks and triumphs. A new school year.
This year I thought I would celebrate the new year with a back to school series. There will be breakfast ideas, lunch box suggestions, recipes for snacks and after school meals. This series is not targeted at kids or parents only. A healthy breakfast makes a great start of the day if you are 4 or 40 and lunch boxes with refreshing and interesting food were not made for kids only so do stay tuned :)
We’ll start with my kids’ favorite granola, apple oatmeal granola. I love making granola at home! it is super easy, no preservatives or additives to worry about, costs a fraction of what you would pay to buy granola at the store and the best part is, the flavor combinations and possibilities to try are endless!
I make so many different types of granola and was surprised to realize that I have only shared two on the blog. One that is gluten free and another with apple sauce and date puree . To correct that there are a few more granola recipes coming your way in this series, a chocolate hazelnut granola, seed enriched granola and carrot cake granola :) so if you are looking for inspiration with your breakfast oatmeal do stay tuned.
My kids love this granola with some milk in the morning. I love it layered with some homemade yogurt into a parfait or plain on its own as a snack to nibble on when I am craving something sweet. There is something that I find irresistible about the cinnamon-apple combination. Add the crunchy toasted oatmeal, the nuttiness of the almonds and the richness of flavor from the honey and you will understand why this granola never lasts for a long time in this house :)
Apple cinnamon granola
Chef in disguise
Ingredients
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup almonds
1 cup shredded coconut
2-3 tablespoons chia seeds
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 to 1/2 cup honey or your choice of sweetner
1/4 cup orange juice
1 apple cut into thin slices
Instructions
Heat your oven to 160, center the oven rack
Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat
In a bowl add the oats, almonds, chia, cinnamon and sliced apples
In a pot add the honey, oil and orange juice and heat it until the honey dissolves
Add the honey, oil and orange to the oat mix and toss to combine
Spread the granola into a thin layer on the baking sheet
Bake the granola for 30- 45 minutes or until the edges are golden brown
Turn off the heat and leave the granola in the oven until it cools down completely
If you like the granola to be more crunchy, turn the oven again to 180 for 10 minutes and turn it off and leave the granola in the oven till it cools down.
Store in an air tight container
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