Over the weekend I had a few girlfriends over for brunch and vacay planning. For the most part I tried to stick to healthy-ish recipes, with the exception of this monkey bread. Let’s face it…it’s not brunch without monkey bread (or some type of indulgent carb). This Tropical Granola was one of the healthy things served.
I love homemade granola because it makes plain Greek yogurt tolerable. Am I the only person on Earth that can’t eat plain Greek yogurt without jazzing it up with fruit and granola? I prefer to add fresh fruit (fresh berries this weekend), a sprinkle of granola and a light drizzle of honey. With the sweetness from the honey and fruit and the crunch from the granola…now that Greek yogurt is perfect!
However, I particularly love this granola on it’s own too. Separate it into single-serve baggies and it becomes a healthy mid-afternoon snack at work or for keeping in your purse on a day full of errands.
Here’s what you’ll need
In 1 bowl, combine your wet ingredients
In another bowl goes the dry
Combine the 2. Doesn’t get much easier than that!
Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet and bake until crisp and golden brown
Stir the dried fruit in last. Perfect for munching on…or atop some yogurt.
Tropical Granola
Ingredients
- 2 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup raw cashews, roughly chopped
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup coconut oil (microwave briefly if solid)
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice
- 2 tbsp packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup dried pineapple
- 1/4 cup dried mango
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick spray or line with a silpat liner.
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients: oats, cashews, cinnamon and salt.
- In another large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: honey, coconut oil, pineapple juice, brown sugar and vanilla.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
- Spread the mixture in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Stir, then bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until oats are golden brown and crisp.
- Remove from oven and stir in the dried fruit, let cool completely.
- Store in a Ziploc bag or airtight container.