RECIPE: Chocolate Chai Granola

You probably haven't know me long if you haven't heard me sing the praises of homemade granola! My whole family (plus all the people I've given it to as gifts) adore my standard granola recipe (made with raisins instead of dried cranberries during most of the year), but that's no reason not to change things up a little every once in a while.

My hubby's last trip to the bulk food store resulted in him buying about 4 times as much cardamom as I had intended - and since it's a pricey spice I want to make sure I use it up! One of my favourite winter teas is a Chocolate Chai blend, and I thought it would make a tasty granola flavour as well as making a dent in our cardamom supply. The warming spices of chai are certainly welcome at this time of year when the temperature starts dropping in earnest (I finally gave in and turned the furnace on the middle of last week!)

The fact that I had to tell people to stop eating this granola so I could take a picture of it is a pretty good indication that this was a successful experiment :) The chai flavour is fairly subtle, so you could ramp up the spices a bit if you want it stronger.

(Note: Although almonds are called for in the recipe, there are none in the batch in my photo as I'm allergic. So those with nut allergies can either leave them out or sub in sunflower or pumpkin seeds if you want the extra crunch and nutrition boost).

Ingredients:
5 cups oats (preferably old fashioned - don't use instant!)
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped or slivered almonds
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/8 tsp cloves
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, coconut and almonds.

• In a small saucepan, combine the honey, coconut oil, cocoa powder, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and cloves. Cook over medium-low heat until coconut oil is melted and mixture is smooth.

• Pour chocolate mixture over oat mixture, stirring until oats are evenly coated with chocolate mixture.

• Spread out on a large cookie sheet and bake at 300F for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Let cool, stirring occasionally to prevent clumping.

Do you have a favourite granola recipe, or a great way to use cardamom? If so, leave a comment and share with us!

For more simple, tasty and family-friendly recipes like this one, check out my book: Cheap Appétit: The Complete Guide to Feeding Your Family for Less Than $400 a Month (While Eating Better Than You Ever Thought Possible)

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