My inspiration for this recipe came from: Emeril Lagasse’s “Whole Lotta Nuts” recipe, and Cookie and Kate’s Gingerbread Granola. The first few batches I made did not prove to be enough for our small family, and I ended up doubling the recipe every time I made it. I have tweaked, twisted and twirled this recipe for years, and I think you’ll enjoy the finished product. The original recipe called for butter and honey, which does makes it taste wonderfully delicious. (We all know butter makes everything better, don’t even get me started!) However I found using coconut oil enhances the sweetness of the dish, and adds healthy fats, instead of saturated fats. This particular combination of nuts and “pumpkin pie” spices remind me of the warm autumn flavors I’ve come to associate with and love about living in the States.

Ingredients for Chai Nut Granola:

• Rolled Oats: I use old fashioned rolled oats for this recipe (not the quick cook kind), as they hold up to the wet ingredients without turning into mush.
• Nuts: I prefer to buy whole nuts and chop them right before using them. They remain fresher this way, and the flavor benefits are worth the extra effort. If you prefer a simpler method, you can buy nuts that are already chopped. I like to buy nuts in bulk, and store them in the freezer.
• Unsweetened Shredded Coconut: Make sure to buy the unsweetened variety, as there are many that have so many added sugars. The kind I buy is called Organic Unsweetened Coconut Flakes.‍
• Spices: It is so important to use fresh spices when cooking or baking, the flavor doesn’t compare with spices that have been sitting in the cabinet for years. Though spices technically never expire, they don’t contribute if their intensity is lost. Eating is about smell and taste, and without the peak freshness of warm cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg, the taste becomes bone-dry, bland and boring. I use these particular spices quite often, so they rarely last longer than 6 months in my home kitchen!

• Salt: If mixing the granola by hand, I prefer to use powdered salt as it is mixes more evenly. Since using my KitchenAid mixer to stir this granola, I use kosher salt. The machine combines the ingredients exceptionally well, resulting in a slightly salty and sweet granola.
• Coconut Oil: I like to warm the coconut oil before measuring, as I get a more consistent measurement each time I make it. I use organic, cold pressed, unrefined coconut oil.
• Coconut Sugar: While coconut sugar is very similar to other types of sugars, it has a lower glycemic index level. This means our bodies absorb it at a slower rate and so the chance of a blood sugar spike is lessened.
• Organic Blackstrap Unsulphured Molasses: The secret ingredient that makes this taste like gingerbread! 
• Maple Syrup: I use organic grade A maple syrup.
• Pure Vanilla Extract: Do not skimp on the flavor by using imitation vanilla, or vanilla flavoring. The chemicals and artificial ingredients in these do not belong in our bodies. Pure Vanilla extract is the best option, and if you must, substitute with an extra teaspoon of Maple Syrup or leave it out altogether.

How to Make Chai Nut Granola:

Incorporate dry ingredients:  Once all the nuts are chopped, mix together the first ten ingredients in a large bowl and stir to incorporate evenly.

Incorporate wet ingredients: In a small pot, warm coconut oil and then pour ¾ cup of oil into a measuring jug, returning any excess to the original container. If you’re beginning with hardened coconut oil because of cooler weather, make sure to place enough coconut oil in the pot, as it measures as less when it is hardened than when it is melted. Next add sugar, molasses and syrup to the pot and warm through until the 3 ingredients mix together smoothly, adding the vanilla extract once the mix has cooled slightly. Pour the syrup mix into the measuring jug with coconut oil.‍

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients: Make sure to mix the ingredients really well until the rolled oats are well-coated by the liquids. (If you have one, I’ve found a KitchenAid Stand Mixer distributes the wet ingredients superbly.) Leave the granola to sit for 15-20 minutes after mixing, and then evenly distribute the mix into two baking sheets lined with parchment paper (to prevent the granola from burning or sticking).

15 min wait: If you have the time, this step really adds to the final product, and is the trick to making this granola really delicious. The oats absorb the liquid ingredients, soaking up all the different sweet liquids and creating a rich flavor.

Bake at 325 degrees F: Using a lower temperature helps prevent the granola from burning. I place the two baking sheets on different baking racks, and stir the granola half way through baking before returning them to alternate baking racks in the oven. 

Cool: Cool on the backing racks before transferring to glass storage bottles to keep fresh.

How to Store Granola:

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. It will stay fresher if  kept in the fridge, although this is not necessary. Alternatively, use freezer bags to store the granola in the freezer.

Tips for Granola Recipes:

1. Optional add ins: 
   ‍Dried Fruit: dried cranberries, dried apricots, golden raisins, chopped dried mangoes or dried figs
   Fresh Fruit: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries
2. Store nuts in the freezer in order to preserve them. They go rancid if left exposed to the air at room temperature.
3. If you want this granola to be gluten free, simply use gluten-free oats.
4. For a nut free version of this recipe, simply omit the nuts, OR replace with a mix of sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds or flaxseeds.
5. Can be served with: cashew milk, almond milk, oat milk or coconut milk.
6. For granola that is more moist and chewier, bake the entire amount in one large casserole dish (9x13 inch ) for 30 mins at 325 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring once half way through baking.

‍