Aloha Granola

    I love making/baking granola.  A healthy snack that satiates hunger.  I like to dehydrate all my own fruits and use in granola's.  You can certainly buy Organic dried fruits and nuts for this - or hit the 'bulk-bins' are your local store. One of my favorite granola's is dried apple and toasted pecans with cinnamon rolled oats. This time around, I wanted something new - a new flavor that wasn't the "same ole same ole"  I came across a great "tropical" recipe from Self Proclaimed Foodie (click here to visit her website) and wanted to give it a try.  I made my own variation of her recipe yesterday and we love it.  I love the macadamia nuts in this - it brings a warm, toasty, buttery flavor to the mix. All the flavors work so well together.  ~Enjoy! Diane 

​Aloha Granola 

Ingredients: 
3 cups old-fashioned cinnamon or plain rolled oats
1 cup macadamia nuts, rough chopped
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup flaked toasted coconut
1/4 cup coconut oil   
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste 
1/2 teaspoon pink course sea salt
1-1/2 cups chopped dried fruit: tropical (pineapple, papaya or mango) 
2 cups banana chips, rough chop

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 300 F .
Rough chop the coconut, dried fruit and nuts. Mix all together in large bowl.
Melt coconut oil, brown sugar, and maple syrup in a saucepan, stirring in the vanilla bean paste until well combined and sugar is dissolved. Pour over oat mixture. Mix thoroughly and spread evenly on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes. Stir and bake an additional 15 minutes or until golden brown. Make sure not to let granola burn. Once granola is golden, remove granola from oven, stir well. and let cool completely,  Store in an air-tight container. 

Makes approx 2 quarts 

Recipe Adapted from: Self Proclaimed Foodie "Aloha Granola" 
Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home