I’ve never been a breakfast person. Occasionally after a night after one-too-many cocktails, I’ll crave a good and greasy breakfast sandwich…but for the most part, I’ll go for some yogurt and fruit after my morning coffee in my day-to-day routine.
My favorite way to kick it up to the next level, and make it a little more substantial is granola. Sweet, crunchy, nutty granola. Good granola is kind of ridiculously expensive to buy from the store – and I find that it’s usually sub-par to begin with. What can I say? I like a high oat to nut ratio.
Luckily, homemade granola is super easy. And this version highlighting the flavors of almond, vanilla, and honey delivers the sweet crunch that I crave when it comes to granola. I like to use top quality extracts (Rodelle is my favorite go-to brand) for a true natural flavor. Also, I really bump up the nut factor with the addition of whole almonds, sliced almonds, walnuts, and pecans for tons of crunch! And nothing beats local honey, of course. We have an apiary here on Chincoteague now, so delightful to use honey harvested here on my little seaside island!
A brief stint in the oven, and some cooling time – and you have a ton of granola that is good for weeks in the pantry. I love to use it on everything – from crunchy streusel toppings, to yogurt parfaits, to ice cream…
If you’ve not made granola at home yet, definitely give this a try. A great recipe to make with the little ones, too. They’ll love having it for breakfast in the morning throughout the week!
Vanilla-Almond Granola
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup whole almonds, chopped
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
Combine oats, nuts, brown sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the honey, olive oil, vanilla, and almond extracts. Mix until well combined.
Dump granola mixture onto prepared baking sheet. Bake at 300 for about 45 minutes, stirring a couple of times in the process. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Source: adapted from King Arthur Flour
