After the success of my first batch of homemade granola, I had to give it another go! The bright flavours in this Tropical Fruit Granola totally reflect the sunny weather we’ve been enjoying here in Vancouver.
What I love about homemade granola is that I can add absolutely anything my heart desires into the batch. Granola is not good granola without a healthy dose of coconut (everything is better with coconut) and tropical flavours are no-fail, so here’s what I threw into this recipe:
I found some tropical dried fruit mix in the bulk section of my supermarket; it included pineapple, mango, and papaya. A few pieces of uncrystalized candied ginger from Trader Joe’s were tossed into the mumble jumble for some additional warmth. Mixing in a bit of cinnamon makes the house smell lovely as this batch of granola is baking. Macadamia nuts are divine roasted and my family has obtained an uncanny attraction to mac nuts after our vacation in Hawaii last year, so naturally, I had to throw some in the mix. Almonds or cashews would be great substitutes. Coconut is a no brainer; I have no need to defend where I stand with coconut. Add lots.
While vibrant dried fruit and buttery mac nuts are worth mentioning, the unusual ingredient in today’s recipe is pineapple juice. It wonderfully scents the granola while lending some natural sweetness. I may try adding even more juice next time! Do share with us the outcome if you decide to add more pineapple juice to your batch.
I’m a cereal eating monster during the school year, having it for breakfast up to seven days a week. I once set a personal record by coming home with a whopping nine boxes of cereal (not the small boxes) after a three night shopping trip to America. The more I eat it, the more I crave it like comfort food; it’s rather strange. That being said, trying to consume 1.5 kilograms of the same flavour of granola all by yourself gets mundane. This is when Costco sizes are not appreciated. Now that I make my own granola, I won’t run into that problem anymore.
There is really no reason to buy boxed granola anymore. Making your own is way more fun and a whole lot cheaper. It may not be as quick as grabbing a box off a shelf and whipping out your credit card, but I promise you this Tropical Fruit Granola will be ready to snack on in just 1 hour, which already includes prep time and cooling time. Go go go!
- 3 cups oats*
- 1 cup coconut chips
- ½ cup raw macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup chopped tropical dried fruit (pineapple, mango, papaya, ginger etc.)
- A pinch of Himalayan pink salt
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup pineapple juice
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup honey**
- Preheat oven to 300⁰F and line a large cookie sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the oats, coconut chips, macadamia nuts, dried fruit, salt, and cinnamon.
- Whisk together the pineapple juice, oil, vanilla, and honey in a separate container before adding to the dry mixture. Combine thoroughly.
- Spread the granola mixture onto the prepared cookie sheet and firmly press down in a uniform layer.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and nuts are toasted. Cool completely before transferring to an airtight container.
**Vegan Option: substitute honey with maple syrup or agave syrup
This is so perfect I am crying.
Ps: I messaged you guys via IG, username *Cravitas* 😀
You are too funny! We received your IG comment, but there seems to be nothing in our IG direct. It seems like direct only allows us to send photos and not just text.