Foodie Friday Recipe: Homemade Heart-Healthy Granola

Enjoy this deliciously simple homemade granola recipe for breakfast or as a healthy snack!

Eating healthy means including lots of whole, natural foods in your diet, such as fresh, organic, locally grown vegetables, raw nuts and seeds, and some healthy grass-fed meats and eggs. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a treat once in a while! Even yummy snacks like granola can contain healthy, whole-food ingredients – and it’s easy to make your own right in your very own kitchen.

For example, the simple granola recipe listed below, from Chris Guerriero, author of the best-selling book, Maximize Your Metabolism, contains lots of anti-aging, wrinkle reducing, and joint-repairing Omega-3 fatty acids, plus heart-healthy coconut oil – and it’s also a great source of fiber!

Make ahead and enjoy it for breakfast topped with whole-milk yogurt or fresh berries, or pack it in zip-top baggies and take some with you as a healthy snack on the go.

Homemade Heart-Healthy Granola Recipe

Ingredients:

• 8 cups steel cut or rolled (old-fashioned) oats
• 1 cup oat bran
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• ¾ cup chopped organic raw almonds
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• ½ cup organic coconut oil
• ½ cup local raw honey
• 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract (not imitation)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together the oats, oat bran, coconut flakes and almonds. Spread this mixture evenly between 2 large baking sheets.
2. Bake for 7-8 minutes to lightly toast. Cool. Then return to large bowl.
3. Combine coconut milk, coconut oil and honey in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
4. Toss contents of saucepan with the toasted dry mixture in the bowl, until evenly coated.
5. Return to large baking sheets and bake an additional 8 minutes or until toasted and fragrant.
6. Recipe makes approximately 12 cups so store the extra in an airtight container to enjoy for several days.