Crunchy perfection

Alice Taylor

Craving the wholesome goodness of granola without wanting to spend too much? Look no further. This home-made granola recipe not only saves you money but also allows for endless customisation.

I love granola, but I certainly do not love the price of the store-bought stuff. Instead, I buy my ingredients in bulk and make it at home. This is the basic recipe that I use, but please mix it up with whatever nuts and seeds you prefer. You could also add dried fruit or chocolate if you like. What makes this granola so good is that you create a paste with nut butter, honey or syrup and ground nuts or flour. As a result, you are left with a chunky, crispy granola, which is just the way it should be.

Vanilla Honey Granola

Serves 6–8

Ingredients

¼ cup almond butter — or use ¼ cup oil or peanut butter

¼ cup + 2 tbsp honey — or use any syrup

1 cup rolled oats

½ cup nuts (I like walnuts), roughly chopped

¼ cup seeds (I like sunflower seeds)

¼ cup LSA (linseed, sunflower seed and almond meal) — or use ground almonds or flour

½ tsp cinnamon, optional

2 tsp vanilla paste, optional

Pinch of salt

Yogurt, to serve

Raspberries, to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C (315°F) fan-bake. Line a baking tray.

In a bowl, combine the almond butter and honey. If it is too thick to stir together, add a splash of water or milk to help the process.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Transfer to the lined baking tray.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Stir, then continue to bake for 5–10 minutes, until golden.

Allow to cool fully before storing in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Serve topped with yogurt and raspberries.

‘Images and text from Alice in Cakeland by Alice Taylor, photography by Lottie Hedley and Melanie Jenkins (Flash Studios), published by Allen and Unwin NZ RRP $45.00.’