DIY Hippie Granola

Mr. Chef recently ordered granola and seeing it was a reminder of how we miss the crunchy grain-seed-sweet mixture of it all. What we don’t miss are ingredients that include questionable vegetable oil sources and excess sugar. The good news is that it’s possible to have the best of both worlds – a delectable, crunchable mixture AND have it be higher in fiber and protein from ethical, whole food sources. We made a fresh batch today and are sharing the recipe with you. Go with the flow and have some granola-y, groovy mornings. Can you dig it?

Prep time: 15 minutes, cook time: 40-45 minutes

Makes about 6 cups

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups rolled oats

2 cups chopped (or sliced) almonds

1 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup dried fruit such as raisins or goji berries

1/4 cup hemp seeds

2 Tbsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix oats, almonds, coconut, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl then add olive oil and maple syrup. Use rimmed baking sheet and spread mixture out evenly. Bake about 40-45 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes, until golden and toasted. About 30 minutes in, add hemp seeds and goji berries to bake for the last 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely and transfer to airtight container. It should keep (if the delicious granola even makes it this long :D) for about 2 weeks.

Recipe: Raw Chocolate Energy Bites

Prep time: 5-10 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
• 1 cup raw, old-fashioned oats
• ⅔ cup toasted, unsweetened coconut flakes
• ½ cup creamy peanut or almond butter
• ½ cup freshly ground flaxseed
• ⅔ cup chocolate chips
• ⅓ cup honey
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions
Grind flaxseeds first and, in a large mixing bowl, combine peanut/almond butter, honey, and vanilla extract. Mix well and add in remaining ingredients until fully incorporated. Cover and chill for 45 minutes. Roll into balls of about an inch or to preferred size. Wetting hands with water will help with rolling the balls. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate.