Homemade granola – a last-minute Christmas gift idea

Hey there!

 

As you all know Christmas is getting closer and like every year people are having a hassle to find the perfect gift for all their loved ones. Well if one of those lovely people you want to give a present to happens to be one of those who appreciates delicious homemade food I have got the perfect last-minute gift idea for you. I am talking about homemade granola. This is such an easy thing to do and it only requires a handful of ingredients. And you know what’s even better? You can actually adjust the ingredients to your loved ones preferences. I actually made a whole of four different granola mixtures this year: a choc-banana one, then apple-raisin-cinnamon sweetened with maple syrup, a cranberry coconut one and last but not least the one of which I will share the recipe with you today an almond pistachio apple vanilla granola. The extraordinary thing about this one though is the way I sweetened it. Form my first three mixtures I went the ordinary way and I used maple syrup or agave, then for this one I decided to keep it all natural and I sweetened the whole thing by only using dates. I personally like my granola not too sweet but if you prefer yours sweeter you could just add a few more dates and you’d be fine. This granola recipe is really only a guide, you can totally change out the ingredients, just stick to the ratio of cereal to nuts to dried fruit to dates and your granola will surely turn out delicious.

 

Well if you you’ve got about an hour of time on your hands and your still looking for the prefect present for one of your beloved family members or friends I guess you should jump right into it and start the mixing and baking.

 

There you go, the recipe:

 

• 150 g oats
• 50g soy flakes
• 2tbs chia seeds
• 1 vanilla bean
• 70g dates
• 1tbs almond butter
• 1dl water
• 1tbs canola oil (optional)
• 40g pistachios
• 40g slivered almonds
• 80g dried apples
• salt

 

1. Preheat your oven to 150°C and Soak your dates in some hot water for about ten minutes.
2. Add your soaked dates, 1dl of water (I used some of the soaking water), the seeds of your vanilla bean as well as the almond butter to a food processor and process until it reaches a smooth liquid consistency.
3. Now just Mix your liquid date mixture with your chia seeds, oats, soy flakes, a pinch of salt as well as pistachios and almonds, also add the oil if you decided to use some
4. Spread your mixture onto a lined baking tray and bake for about 30 minutes in your preheated oven. Stir the mixture every 10 minutes this way it browns evenly
5. When your granola has finished baking let it cool
6. When your granola has cooled completely chop up some dried apples and add them to your crunchy mixture

 

 

Voila, your delicious homemade granola is finished now and you only need a cute packaging and done is a gorgeous present. I personally think homemade presents are always the best ones especially if they’re something to eat, well who doesn’t love food? And if none of your loved ones like granola, well just make a present for yourself!

So go off get cooking and as I mentioned before if you do absolutely not need to stick to the exact ingredients I used, you can use hazelnuts, walnuts, skip the soy flakes and add more oats, do whatever, just stick to the ratio cereals/nuts/dried fruit/dates and you’ll be fine.

 

So enjoy the smell of lovely homemade granola in your house. It is nearly as good as the flavour of freshly baked cookies.

 

Only 4 more days till Christmas!!
Bisous

Fanny, the foodie