Real Chunky Citrus Granola
This delicious Citrus Granola is almost so chunky it could double as an oat bar! Top on your breakfasts or simply put in a zip-lock and have it to go.
A few months back I spent the entire day googling 'granola'. Might sound super boring to anyone (that's optimistic, more like, everyone) unless you're the kind of person who's always been freakishly fascinated by those perfectly crunchy granola clusters that are held so tightly together by some kind of granola magic ingredient. Well that’s definitely me, until the day I sat on the floor, put on some Ray LaMontagne music, and googled, ‘chunky ass granola’, the entire afternoon long. And what do ya' know? It's super easy! Really though, it is very easy. And now I'm a little annoyed that I let my admiration drag on for so long before I figured out how to make it myself. And honestly, the $13 price tag at BiRite for a granola bag was becoming a tad bit annoying. But thats neither here nor there, because things are looking up - no more flaky granola, only the big league chunky kind of granola from here on out!
So this is pretty much what I've uncovered when making chunky granola:
1. Use two types of sugar - one wet and one dry. I like a mix of maple syrup and coconut sugar.
2. Half of the dry mixture needs to be a flour. I chose oat flour and kept the remaining half as just rolled oats.
3. I apologize to all the vegans reading this, buttt, to make a ridiculously chunky granola, one that verges on a granola bar; use an egg white to bind the whole thing together. This is optional, so if you are vegan feel free to leave it out. It just may not be as chunky but I guarantee that it will taste just as delicious.
And THAT'S IT! See, aren't you glad I sacrificed my entire afternoon to give you the cliff notes version of a chunky granola recipe? You can thank me later ;)
Have fun making them!
xx M
Serves: Many
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients for the Chunky Citrus Granola:
- 1 cup rolled oats (same as old fashion oats)
- 1 cup oat flour (Just pulse the rolled oats in the food processor until ground into a flour consistency)
- 1 cup any nuts
- 1/2cup dried apricots (or any dried fruit)
- 1 cup dried cherries (optional)
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 1 egg white (helps bind - but optional if vegan)
- 3 tablespoons of coconut oil
- 2-3 teaspoons cinnamon
- zest of 1 orange
- 1 huge tablespoon tahini
- juice of the orange squeezed over the mixture
- 1 tablespoon vanilla powder (optional but I love it)
- sprinkle of sea salt
Instructions:
Start by preheating the oven to 350F. In a large bowl mix the oats, oat flour, dried fruit, chopped nuts and cinnamon. Now in a small saucepan on low heat simply warm the coconut oil, honey, coconut sugar, tahini, vanilla, orange zest, and orange juice for 1 minute until the coconut oil has dissolved. Then add in the egg white and mix well. Pour this sauce onto the oat mixture and mix until it's evenly coated.
Line a baking pan with parchment paper and evenly pour the granola on top. Firmly press with your fingers to keep the batch compact – sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 17-20 minutes while turning the granola once half way through. Turn with a large spatula and gently because this is what will form the large chunks. Be careful to make sure the edges are crisp but not burnt. Then remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Store in an airtight contain (like a mason jar) for a few weeks in your cupboard. Enjoy!
Your Thoughts?
I also love seeing your take on any of the recipes from the blog so don't forget to tag me on Instagram - #8thandlake - so I can see your creations!
You can also find me on Snapchat with more photos and clips of my everyday life - username - marie8thandlake and on Pinterest - to see what my dream reality would look like ;)
Lots of love from the west coast,
xx Marie