Foodie Friday: Cacao, Hazelnut & Goji Berries Granola (Vegan / Dairy Free recipe)

Granola is one of my favourite things to have for breakfast, but I mostly make my own as many of the boxes of granola that you find in the supermarket aren't as healthy as they look with hidden sugars and artificial preservatives.

Thankfully, making your own granola from scratch is ridiculously easy and you can rest assured knowing exactly what's in it!  Below, I've shared my current favourite granola mix which includes Cacao, Cacao Nibs, Hazelnuts, and Goji Berries, but you can, of course, add or take out whatever you like to incorporate your own favourite nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and you can choose to sweeten it however you want to. What I would suggest though, is using the best quality oats that you can find, (preferably organic ones) because the granola base really makes all the difference. 

Ingredients:- (makes roughly a medium sized Kilner jar of granola) 

• 250g Organic Jumbo Rolled Oats
• 50g Hazelnuts (chopped or whole, whichever you prefer)
• 50g Raw Cacao Nibs
• 50g Goji Berries
• 25g Desiccated Coconut
• 2 tbsp of Raw Cacao Powder
• 2 tbsp of Coconut Oil (liquid)
• 2-3 tbsp of Agave or Maple Syrup
• Pinch of Sea Salt

Method:-

1. Preheat the oven to 180C / Gas Mark 4 and line a large baking tray with greaseproof baking paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the Jumbo Oats, Hazelnuts, Cacao Powder, Desiccated Coconut, Coconut Oil, Agave Syrup and Sea Salt, mixing everything together until it's thoroughly combined.
3. Transfer the mixture to the baking tray and spread it out so that it's an even layer. Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until lightly toasted. Make sure that you give everything a stir through to turn over the oats half-way through so that it cooks evenly.
4. Take the tray out of the oven, sprinkle over the Cacao Nibs and Goji Berries and allow to cool.
5. Once it's properly cooled down, transfer it to an airtight container such as a Kilner jar. 

Storage & serving: Your homemade granola will keep in an airtight jar for around 2-3 weeks, giving you plenty of time to enjoy it for your daily breakfast. I usually measure out a few tablespoons (it depends on how hungry I am!) per serving, splash over some Almond Milk and add some fresh fruits like Strawberries or Blueberries. If you find the granola isn't sweet enough for your tastebuds, just add a little swirl of Maple or Agave Syrup and enjoy! 

Have you ever made your own granola?

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