Apricot Almond Granola

This past weekend, Gabe and I went to the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market. It was almost difficult to shop because there were so many vendors with incredible looking produce, local cheese, meat, and pastries. While we were there, we had a delicious breakfast - I'm not normally into savory breakfasts, but this one was an exception for sure. It was an egg, bacon, and cheese sandwich from Prather Ranch Meats, and I didn't even get a picture because we gobbled it up so fast! 


I'm happy to report that this granola recipe is very simple but a nice way to step away from my usual exclusively sweet breakfasts. It balances sweet apricots, rich coconut oil, and toasted almonds, with just a little bit of salt. You can eat it plain like trail mix, with cold milk or yogurt and fruit, and let's be real, it would probably be tasty as an ice cream topping too!




Apricot Almond Granola:


3 cups rolled oats
1 cup each raw almonds and dried apricots, roughly chopped
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 or more tsp honey/agave


Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Combine oats, apricots, almonds, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl.

If you've never cooked or baked with coconut oil before, I highly recommend it. There are apparently all kinds of health benefits to it, and it adds a nice nutty taste to whatever you're making. It usually comes in a jar and is almost waxy and semi-solid at room temperature, but melts into a liquid when heated. 

See what I mean about the texture? Scoop out a few big spoonfuls and heat it in the microwave for about 30 seconds, just until it is completely melted and measures about half a cup. Pour it over the oats mixture and stir until well combined. Then drizzle on one to two tablespoons of honey or agave nectar - you can adjust this depending on how much sweetness you prefer.

Pour the whole thing into a rimmed baking sheet or dish and bake at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes or until it just starts to turn golden. Bonus, it will make your house smell amazing!

Let the granola cool completely, then scoop it into an airtight container for storage. It will keep for a few weeks at room temperature but you can always freeze it if you have too much.

The opportunities to change up this recipe are endless! Keep the oats, spices, honey, and coconut oil the same, but you could substitute in dried cherries, cranberries, or apples for the apricots, and walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts for the almonds.

And here's Poppy, sitting on the kitchen table.