I’m back at you again with another granola recipe, and I am so excited to share it. In my last granola recipe, I discussed why homemade granola is often so much better than shop-bought – you have a lot more control over the ingredients meaning you can focus on adding lots of whole ingredients and add less excessive oils and sugar. But, most importantly, you can make it to your exact preferences. For me, this Spiced Caramel granola is literally just that – I LOVE warm spices, like ginger and cinnamon, especially combined with something sweet, like caramel. Not only are these spices delicious, but we often neglect the health benefits spices provide. I recently did a podcast episode (Episode #8: The Gut Microbiome – listen here), where I discuss aiming for at least thirty different plant foods per week to optimise gut health. Herbs and spices are a fantastic way to help us get there, as are ingredients like oats, nuts, seeds, dried fruit and buckwheat – all of which are included in this recipe. Supermarket granolas can taste amazing, and if you have one that you love, feel free to enjoy it – restricting our favourite foods is never a good idea. However, while they aren’t always the most nutritionally-dense breakfast choice out there, I actually think granola has amazing potential as a great breakfast option. Choosing options that contain a lot of different plant-based ingredients is a good start, or of course, make your own!

Although a lot of “healthy” granolas avoid added sugar, I chose to include some. I feel that this helps create bigger clusters and let’s be real – it also tastes good. But you are absolutely free to adjust the amount of syrup added to your liking, or omit it entirely. Sometimes I make granola with added sugar, other times I skip it. It really just depends on how I’m feeling. This recipe is packed with health-promoting ingredients, and that is not negated by adding a little sugar. Ultimately, the amount of sugar in this recipe remains significantly lower than a lot of supermarket alternatives (around 1tsp per portion). Food should be enjoyed, not bland, and not feared. Try not to see food as black and white, entirely “good” or “bad”. Eat more whole-food ingredients where you can, but make sure every bite is enjoyable; just have fun with it!

This Spiced Caramel Granola also serves as a good basic granola recipe – by making some simple substitutions you can really make this your own. For example, switching around the types of nuts and dried fruit included, using a different flavour of protein, playing with different spice mixes, or even thinking outside of the box by adding quinoa or puffed rice.

Spiced Caramel Granola

Recipe by Katie Wilson at Salt & HoneyCourse: Breakfast, Recipes

Makes

1

jar

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

This spiced caramel protein granola is packed with gut-loving whole food ingredients, but most importantly tastes amazing. This will make one large jar so you’ll be set for a full week! This recipe can be easily adapted to suit your own tastes – switch up the protein powder, play with different spices, or experiment with different combinations of nuts, seeds and dried fruit. This recipe will last for around two weeks in an airtight container. Serve with milk, or sprinkle on top of your favourite Greek yoghurt.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup buckwheat groats

• 1 cup oats

• 1/2 cup coconut flakes

• 1/3 cup sultanas

• 1/4 cup goji berries

• 1/2 cup cashews, roughly chopped

• 1/2 cup almonds, roughly chopped

• 2 tbsp flaxseeds/linseeds

• 4 tbsp pumpkin + sunflower seed mix

• 3-4 tbsp protein (I used salted caramel, but vanilla would also work)

• 1 tbsp cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp ginger

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/3 cup golden syrup

• 2.5 tbsp coconut oil

Directions

• Preheat oven to 180C and prepare a baking sheet with greaseproof paper. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl (EXCEPT the coconut oil and syrup) and mix well to achieve an even distribution of all components.
• Melt the coconut oil in the microwave, then add in the golden syrup. Mix together before pouring over the dry ingredients. Stir together well.
• Transfer the mixture onto the lined baking tray and press down with the back of a spoon. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until golden.
• Remove from the oven and then allow to cool completely before breaking it into large chunks. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.