Muscle Man Granola

Growing up, my dad always had nuts to snack on; at work, at home, his car, pretty much if you saw my dad, there was a package of nuts within hands distance from him. I wanted to do a Father’s Day recipe and I wanted my dad to be the inspiration behind it (obvs!). I was thinking of something to make that reminded me of my dad, and his nut obsession came to mind.

While grocery shopping this afternoon I was going through my list of things to make for the week and I saw I had wrote down “granola.” Then the light switch turned on and I thought, “What if I did a Father’s Day granola recipe using a variety of nuts?”

Granola is a staple in my house. If you’re like me, it’s serves you a great afternoon ‘pick me up.’ I usually top mine with some berries and yogurt for fiber and protein. But did you know store bought granola is typically saturated in added sugars and has little to no nutritional value?

There’s a few advantages to making your own granola:

1. Homemade anything is usually healthier than store bought goods

2. It is completely customizable (you can even make savory granola!)

3. This is a really great opportunity to include your little ones in the kitchen (aside from the baking part, it’s pretty much mixing.) It’s perfect for young kids!

4. It’s cheaper than store bought and lasts longer! (Major advantage: COST EFFECTIVENESS!)

My “Muscle Man” granola is the perfect, thoughtful Father’s Day gift, especially if your dad is like mine and enjoys a “nutty” snack! My granola is also the ideal post workout snack to refeed those muscles. It’s also good to pack for the work day to have in between your meals to keep you full or when traveling to keep on hand so the McDonalds drive through doesn’t seem tempting for a “quick bite.” Basically, this granola needs to become a staple in your home, just as it is in mine!

Muscle Man Granola

Ingredients:

2 c assortment of unsalted nuts (walnuts, slivered almonds, peanuts, cashews, macadamia nuts)

*Note: if you have a nut allergy, use seeds! They work just as good!*

4 c old fashioned oats

1 ½ c variety dried fruit (I used dried berries, dates, and a few apricots)

1 Tbs. cacao nibs

1 Tbs. unsweetened coconut flakes

2 Tbs. ground flax seed

1 Tbs. chia seeds

1 Tbs. coffee flour

1 Tbs. cinnamon powder

½ tsp. Salt

½ c olive oil

½ c honey

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Add nuts and oats to mixing bowl and stir.

Add in coffee flour, flax seed, salt, cinnamon. Stir well.

In separate bowl, add olive oil and honey.

Add wet to dry ingredients.

Place on baking sheet in an even layer. You may need more than one sheet pan.

Bake for 20- 25 minutes.

*Note: check oven after 20 minutes. You do not want to burn your granola. It’ll taste bitter and charred.

While granola is baking, add your dried fruits, cacao nibs, chia seeds, and coconut flakes to bowl and set aside.

Once the granola is completely cooled, transfer to large mixing bowl and stir in dried fruit mixture.

Store in an airtight container (I recommend a large mason jar).

Store granola at room temperature for up to 10 days.

Happy and Healthy Always

Bridget